HarryBalls

Good for the short term, but they better have it patched by the time I finish the single player campaign.

erlik

Dknight99

I can't load any of my fucking saved games! It hangs at the load screen. Every.Damn.Time.

So I guess I can either keep the game running continuously until I beat it (and pray it doesn't freeze), or I can wait for a patch. Rockstar had better be fucking working on this, because this is just sloppy. Checking that it actually loads saved games is beat-yourself-over-the-head obvious.

Oh, and: running on a 40 GB PS3. Japanese model, but that shouldn't make a difference.

erlik

LesPaulJr

reallypissed

Indiana Bento and the lost Temple of Citroens

Blake Ruff

kirk_coburn

Samos42

flashtut

Maldron

That out of the way, I've been withholding from the game until an update comes out. I have the game sitting on my shelf but with it freezing my HD I'm not going to have it damage it. I have an 80GB unit.

kylo4

Tzepish

Not had one problem. Mine also sounds like its going to die soon but.. its still playing perfectly.

flukielukie

D00mM4r1n3

xblacknightxz

Puck

It boiling down to mfg. errors would be interesting. A tad expensive for R*, but probably less expensive then dedicating a whole programming team to troubleshooting on an issue that can't be otherwise nailed down.

NateN

I'm not in a huge rush (pretty busy with other crap), but hopefully they iron this out by the weekend.

StartingAces

SubKamran

kw4k

thor79

heisert

pharcotix

To tired to reset and try again so I went to bed.

Good game, hope this issue isnt too widespread or an ongoing problem in the future

yashichi8bit

I just purchased Persona 3:FES though so maybe even if my PS3 does conk out (hopefully it wont) I'll play FES until it gets back.

If there isn't a fix by Saturday I may just go back to playing GTA4 and hopefully my dice of fate wont roll a snake eyes, but a few days of waiting for a patch wont kill me.

Aurvant

y2julio

The two people at R* i have spoken with in consecutive days have been pleasant, but not entirely helpful. They have basically told me that some consoles 'just aren't working' and that they have no idea what is causing the issue and are escalating the problem.

I have tried to delete the cache by using the x, x, lb, rb, x, x techinique. no use.

I have tried booting without the hard drive attached, same thing.

I know people who have purchased systems before and after I did, all of their copies are perfoming beautifully.

I just want to get to the dock and actually play. It has been 2 days and I can recite the first minute or two of the conversation between Niko and his buddy.

maxdmc

DangerousDac

Fireside

I don't think you really have to worry about anything systematically malicious Aurvant.

I've seen some forum horror stories out there two about the freezes "bricking" ps3's, or disabling blu-ray or other stuff - but they're generally isolated incidents from... "questionable" sources.

I've been chatting with a number of folk in the same boat as me (Original 60 Gigs mostly) where the results are much more mundane... inability to play GTA4... and nothing else.

Since there's lots of folks with all systems without problems - you're really only depriving yourself of poential gameplay time by not giving it a shot.

thebigsmoke

Candlejack

Oh well catching up on warhawk till this is resolved.

gnudna

Yup.
Delete Save Games. Reinstall.
Sacrifice a chicken. Reinstall.
Internet/Router/Power to House Off. Reinstall.
Pray to fell gods. Reinstall.

All the usual tricks - and just to clarify some of the posts above - for many/most of us with issues the game in unplayable. Not "occasionally freezes", but "can't play any portion of the game for more than 2 minutes without requiring a hardware re-set"... which makes forward progress in the game... challenging.

thebigsmoke

- Shut down my 360, causing a RRoD
- Turned my video completely Green
- Frozen on me at least 3 times

What is up that?

Genocyde

egyptomix

Aurvant

Unlike their 3.5" cousins, 2.5" hard drives all pretty much draw exactly the same energy amount regardless of RPM speed.

If you look at the data-sheets for Seagates, the Spin/Seek/Read/Write/Idle current draws are nearly identical (+0.1W in Seek, but -0.03W in idle... which is more important IMHO).

Now 7200s do give off slightly more heat... but we're talking very minor increases under load... nothing that would change the operational range of the PS3... so either are absolutely fine.

thebigsmoke

To all those with ps3 problems, try the internet connection disabled move. I haven't had any problems since I turned it off.

pharcotix

The problems seem to arise when:
1) The installer is being loaded (first few screens)
2) The installer is installing.
3) After the information has been installed and is being scanned. (memory leak? data corruption?)

Whatever the problem it begins with the installed information and I think thats where Rockstar needs to be looking.

The corrupted data also seems to (once it has begun screwing up to unplayable levels) corrupt the consoles OS as well. Leaving people unable to play blu-ray movies, play other blu-ray games, or even start up their console and successfully do a reformat.

I've also read instances where the freezes have bricked 360 units as well, so it isn't just native to the PS3 on that issue.

My 60gig hasn't had a hiccup but until I hear from Rockstar on a fix I'm just not going to play it. Also, if you go to the PS3 forums you'll notice that all PS3 SKU's are affected. 20GB, 40GB, 60Gb, and 80GB. Plus a few people who have installed other 2.5 mobile drives have had the issues as well.

Aurvant

[penny-arcade.com]

Sinnix

i dont know how many others out there did the same, but hopefully, rockstar see some kind of game return statistics to speed up the patch.

otherwise, there's no point of keeping this game.

al_morenas

Heyyou27

Accordion

SofaKingHI

LOCO209

Cartman86

4 total & complete freezes...requiring reboot

2 five second freezes... no reboot required

1 two second blip... just before Playstation Network error notification pop-up
Deleted game save data and re-installed.. so far nothing after 1 hour...

0 freezes in the future... this game will be PRICELESS

dragontea

teeth7

SigmundTheSeaMonster

Do I have the latest firmware?
-Every one of my ps3 game check firmware before starting and tells me to update it if there's a new one, wouldn't GTA4 do the same?

Is my screen saver turned off?
-If I'm playing the game, when would my screen saver be in use?
Is vibration turned off?
-If vibration was a problem, why was it emplemented, this is hardware, nothing to do with the game locking up.

Are my video settings turned to 720?
-Why, GTA4 isn't 720, would it make any diffeence?

Is Autosave off?
-theres not a problem with autosave, every time it saves it always save successfully. It's during the game that the graphics issue occur and the lockups occurs.

karateka

Three complete freezes[requiring reset] during gameplay within two hours.
Turned off internet connection: no problems at all over three hours.

I tried again with internet connection enabled, sure enough it crashed within thirty minutes.

I have screen saver, rumble, forced 1080p etc. The game runs great without an internet connection enabled.
Would like to try multiplayer at some point in the future however.

Accordion

tk.

excel_excel

karateka

And I'm not going to disconnect my router just so I don't have issues with multiplayer. I can join multiplayer, its just sometimes it seems to bonk out when I try to join some of my friends. Plus, a router shouldn't cause any issues and if it is, it should be doing it on other games.

So anyways, yeah, I hope they fix that.

Salen

'Sides, I think turning off rumble is a bit of bull. You can try it, but I don't expect anything good to come of it. The screensaver function I can only imagine interfering if there really is a bug in the game where the PS3 thinks you're in the XMB and tries to trigger the screensaver, thus completely screwing up the game because it doesn't like that input ;)

Candlejack

Doomstink

No comments on their respective home pages. No comments on the phone attendant as you wait for an agent to finally answer and tell you they have no progress.

Where is Sony in all this? The whole POINT of consoles is that they are a closed universe with standardized hardware and software.

I would really appreciate some honesty. The PR groups should get into the public eye and make some comment. How many people are affected? What are the theories they're currently chasing? What is their confidence factor in terms of identifying, testing and fixing the issue?

Seriously, Rockstar/2K/Sony: Forget about the fact that this lock-up reflects a shockingly poor QA process, the real issue is that this lack of communication is piss poor.

Why do you make it so that hard core fans have to scramble around message boards to learn about the whispers of possible solutions -- waiting for their $60+ game to become useable.

I know they don't want to give themselves bad press especially if it could prevent folks from shelling out their cash right now when the buzz is hot, but even a little (inconspicuously placed) official word on the game's home page would really be the right thing to do.

in the meantime, thankfully Google (and Kotaku) helps...

[news.google.com]

[news.google.com]

emotif

A good way to really find out is if you benched it on Linux, and pulled everything out of the CPU, and as much as you can out of the GPU with the hypervisor enabled. If possible, check the power consumption directly at the source with a multimeter. Compare 7200RPM to 5400RPM, check for a difference, and how much the PS3's PSU can potentially handle.

Anyway, this is all hypothetical, and I have seen reports from people who got no issues at all with 7200RPM. I'm still not confident with it.

Besides, the boost from 5400 to 7200 is poor when you think SSD...;)

Candlejack

I've tried all of the suggested fixes, from cache clearing to disc exchange, and still can't play for more than 10-15 minutes without the game freezing. I'm hoping for a quick patch, or at least an official response to the problem from Rockstar or TakeTwo.

nvision79

KEELr

Turning off the screensaver I'll try, but turning off the vibration? That just seems IRRITATING. I bought a DualShcok 3 to get rumble on my PS3, and being told that turning it off is a "fix" reeks of ass. If it fixes it, I'll do it, but damn if that just isn't another frustration.

Maldron

I have used my 40GB White Jap model with a 200GB 7200rpm IBM for 5 months now and no problems thus far.

RogueSquid

kentmx25

PS3

realjas

Also, as previously suggested, try deleting the created game data and letting it reinstall.

Candlejack

Thejamielynch

Thejamielynch

Last night, I had no problems other than some severe frame rate drops when running around causing random mayhem and trying to see how many stars I could get (only managed four so far).

Games shouldn't freeze for 10-15 seconds for any reason, though. It hasn't been a huge problem for me, but I don't doubt that others have it even worse and that this is a legit issue.

badasscat

heisert

Such an awesome game. It's a bummer I'm out of town this weekend and won't be able to play it... :-(

madgunde

Stikasasn

Also, don't consider 7200RPM. They are faster, yes, and not significantly louder, but they drain more Watts. This can fuck up your console well bad when running (since the power supply in the PS3 wasn't intended for those drives).

Candlejack

AND i was finally able to get online last night!

jp182

Sms231

60GB PS3, Autosave on, Rumble on (Japanese Dualshock 3), 1080i, screensaver on, 20GB+ freespace, latest firmware.

Johnny Mac

Take2 really went down a massive way in my regard for them... "The game is region locked so it won't operate on your PS3" is what the guy said... Then he said my hd upgrade was an unsupported modification.

FFS. I swear Take2 USA support appear to be manned by a bunch of freakin retards.

I had to suggest he go look up the spec sheets on this little known title to re-familiarise himself with the details of the game and the relevant platforms it was available on, perhaps load up a log or two of ooooohhh let's say over 1000 phone calls reporting lockups... and ... fuck it, the guy really pissed me off :(

RogueSquid

Gray665

PlayerX

Official word from Rockstar:

"- Rockstar Games reported that both Xbox 360 and PS3 version of Grand Theft Auto IV may crash. For PS3 crashes primarily on the early 60GB model; for Xbox 360 crashes occur on all the models."

Dir_en_grey

You can believe that I will be hounding them until I can play this goodness. I wanna cause havoc already!!!!!

iNime

stryker1800

I don't think it's specifically a GTA4 problem, since I've seen it in playing a couple of games (Assassin's Creed, Bioshock, Mass Effect, Overlord). But it might help you.

[support.microsoft.com]

beeporama (brian.j.parker)

stryker1800

FWIW (and I go through through a *lot* of hard drives) Seagate Barracuda's are quite exceptional. For at least four years now they've had a notably better fail rate than Hitachi, Samsung, or Western Digital.

Sadly, they've noticed this and started charging more for their drives recently... but I've literally only had one fail in over a hundred drives.

thebigsmoke

Only six?! ;)

PlayerX

Replica23

As one of the "borked" (PS3 60Gig - 2 hours play no problem, now clockwork <2min lockups) it remains the lack of an official announcement from R* that's been almost as frustrating as not being able to play.

Stuff happens. I get it. It's not a personal attack at me, or the PS3 - and Rockstar and Sony both have standard QA practices - so chalk this one up to "unfortunate"... but not knowing how many of us there are, or what's being done is frustrating.

I get that on launch day they probably aren't chomping at the bit to put out bad press... but given the constant 20 minute hold calling Rockstar Canada support and percentage of on-line bickering (over the usual baseline amount) would lead me to believe that the number is "more than me". Heck, even if we're 1:10,000 put that out... it won't make *me* feel any better - but it'll sure help your optics.

thebigsmoke

baters

Arcadewolf

brooza

What model HDD did you get? I'm seriously interested in doing that when I get some spare cash.

PlayerX

PS3, here, and I dunno if this is still happening to people, but apparently there was trouble with PS3 multiplayer yesterday. I got that "can't access server" message when Niko was still inside his (Bohan) apartment, but when I went out onto the street, multiplayer started up without a hitch.

PlayerX

JustJake

@y2julio: Yes, that makes sense, as again, this problem applies for certain individuals with older or damage consoles. As Brian stated in the last paragraph of the entry, there isn't enough input to tell the spread of this issue.

But, also due to lack of input and details of the issue, it's unknown if it relates to older consoles or damaged consoles (physically or virtually). Otherwise, I wouldn't know, as I don't have the game to know for myself.

KK

And that's after about, say, 25 hours of gameplay. I think my addiction rating in the stats is "Getting Sketchy" or worse (higher) than that by now.

Candlejack

my TV is only an old 480i CRT

I have only a SIXASSES (no vibration)

I've got autosave ON

screen saver on (I'm assuming this is where the screen dims after a period of inactivity)

I have the latest firmware

I have enough HDD space (which is odd, since I have a 40...)

PlayerX

I got a 40, here, and mine froze once when it was loading (the single-word, "LOADING" screen).

PlayerX

el_rezzo

Ska-Chan

flynn110

Niko does the little stumble back animation, but gets stuck in it. So here I am, watching as my character awkwardly moonwalks backwards for almost a mile, until I finally got hit by another car which broke me out of the stumble loop.

I didn't even mind. I was laughing my ass off.

PapaBear434

phicaluk

Mr Fortitude

Now that I know the "hold down the A button while the disk is booting" trick for Oblivion I haven't had to use system maintenance for THAT game, but it's good to know it's there.

NateN

Brian Crecente

y2julio

AngryEddy

Sparx

I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if the number of patches they've released is still in single figures.

X201

Super_Nintendo_Chalmers

I had enabled all three HD resolutions in the Display Settings (720p, 1080i, 1080p). I then disabled 720p and 1080i, meaning I "told" the PS3/GTA my TV could only do 1080p.

Boom. GTA IV launches in 1080p. Not native, mind you, but the upscaling gave an awesome boost in sharpness.

I love Rockstar for this game. This is more than I had ever anticipated. Best £45 I spent on a game until MGS4 comes out.

Anyway, to those with a 1080p display, I highly recommend this. I'd take comparison shots, but I only have a crappy 3.2MP camera (mobile phone) and taking shots off the TV isn't that great.

Candlejack

DigiMish

Mr Fortitude

Woodwater

Sith_Mafia

I'll try those, though, to be honest. It only froze once.

Anyways, i'll give it a shot.

Woodwater

Mr Fortitude

I meant to type, "my emails are being improperly filtered" rather than "not improperly filtered." D'oh!

@Salen:

Playing on the PS3 or 360? I had the exact same problem on the 360 until I bypassed my router and connected the modem directly to the console. Ever since I've been able to play any multiplayer game I wanted without a hitch.

Sloopydrew

mister_shhh

"Did you guys not get my email to your tips at kotaku?"

I wish Kotaku would send a form email just to notify you if they received tips. Ever since the "gaming room" pics I sent Tori didn't show up in that update I've worried my emails are not being improperly filtered and sent to the Kotaku junk mail folder, never to be seen. So, what was your tip to help with Grand Theft Auto IV problems?

Sloopydrew

spargo_1

SwedishChef

I have friends covering all xbox360 models and ps3 models, non have had an issue

I blame teh internetz kidz

juscallmeweasel

NexusSIX

Salen

Sloopydrew

cocomo

Norellicus

Mr Fortitude

The game is borked.

Norellicus

enewtabie

twice i've also gotten disc read errors.

i'd turn off autosave but I like it too much.

DesmondHume

Billkwando

Brian Crecente

BtownDesignGuy

icepick314