Love seeing how the optimization parameters were different back then, that is, size constraints were more important than loading speeds, even though both drives and CPUs were much slower back then.

Ideally companies like this that make games keep all the original assets and make things like image format a build switch, for when the parameters change in the future. That said, back then they released on a DVD (I'm reading it would've taken 12 CDs otherwise), I don't believe any higher capacity storage devices were in the pipeline yet at that point. That said, hard drives back then were around the 100 GB mark, so a multi-dvd release would've been doable.

Ironically nowadays, some games (like the FFVII Remakes) are on two disks again, an install and a run disk, despite them having a 50 or 100 GB capacity nowadays.