The release of WipEout HD was a long time a-comin' and, unfortunately, its launch on the PlayStation Store is not without its problems. PlayStation 3 owners are reporting that their copies of the SCEE developed hoverracer are locking up, with users pointing to larger friend lists as a potential source of the problem. We contacted Sony PR to find out more.

"Following the release of WipEout HD on PLAYSTATION Store yesterday, we’ve been following the reports by some members of the community regarding problems with game freezes," SCEA reps confirmed. "We’d like to reassure you all that the WipEout team is working hard to resolve this issue as quickly as possible."

As far as the cause, SCEA tells us that anything we might have read about the source of the issue is, at this point, "rumor and speculation." It is worth noting though, that some WipEout HD players are noting that they're having better luck with a leaner friend list. Just sayin'.

Send an email to Michael McWhertor, the author of this post, at mike@kotaku.com.