Users Complain of GTA 4 Lockup Issues (Updated)

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Update: The Shacknews staff can now assert that it has experienced several lockups on multiple Xbox 360 consoles while trying to exit the game's multiplayer component.

Original Story: As is the case with many anticipated launches, reports are spreading across the internet that Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) players are experiencing system freezes across both editions, with its introductory sequence said to be especially prone to lockups.

Judging from the reports, it seems that the 60GB model of the PlayStation 3 is most affected by the issue, with NeoGAF poster Marty Chin offering his observation that "trying the same disc on another model often results in it working."

While developer Rockstar has yet to make any official statement regarding the issue, a support representative told Kotaku that the company is well aware of the complaints and working on a fix, though it is not yet sure what is causing the problems.

Though the Shacknews staff and our readers have put multiple hours into both versions, we have yet to experience any system freezes or notice any claims of such problems in our dedicated chat thread, though complaints are beginning to surface in this article's comments.

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    April 29, 2008 10:00 AM

    They STILL haven't fixed the fucking console versions? This problem happened to me in GTA3 and VC for the PS2. I had to disable the radio all together and it stopped doing this. Something to do with the audio streaming.

    I would just suddenly start having huge pop-in issues to the point where the road texture didn't load and then BAM it froze.

    If this is the case then I hope GTAIV allows me to disable it as well. Fuck. Guess I'll really want the PC version now, since GTA3, VC and SA for the PC do not do this.

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      April 29, 2008 10:03 AM

      That would be especially interesting since it looks like there's a 100% engine change from the GTA3 line to GTA4

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockstar_Advanced_Game_Engine

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        April 29, 2008 10:28 AM

        no such thing as a 100% engine change.

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          April 29, 2008 10:34 AM

          They went from a licensed middleware engine to an engine developed completely in-house. It had better be a 100% engine change or else they're looking to get sued.

          Guitar Hero III was a 100% engine change, code-wise, because Harmonix took their code with them and made Rock Band. Neversoft had to write GH3 from scratch which is why it felt different from GH1 and GH2.

          Now, whether or not their staff chooses to make the same sorts of calls with regards to code handling is another matter entirely, but there shouldn't be any GTA3 code in the base GTA4 engine.

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            April 29, 2008 10:35 AM

            Euphoria was not written by Rockstar

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              April 29, 2008 11:05 AM

              euphoria isn't middleware either, it's directly integrated into an engine

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                April 29, 2008 12:11 PM

                you and I have vastly different definitions of what middleware is when it comes to games!

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                  April 29, 2008 4:30 PM

                  I guess. I call it middleware if it's an off the shelf library (or engine or whatever) that third parties license and are then responsible for using.

                  From the publically available euphoria information, the deal there seems to be your work with NaturalMotion guys to get their tech into your game. The difference is that with middleware you can conceivably buy it and have no further contact with the vendor.

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            April 29, 2008 3:09 PM

            They probably had a shitload of their own stuff tacked onto the renderware engine. They will probably have ported all of that into their new engine.

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        April 29, 2008 10:43 AM

        If thats true then this issue must be completely different. However could it be that it's the same audio codecs/ streaming code? All I know is disabling the radio solved it 100% for me. The game was unplayable otherwise, because losing an entire hours worth of playtime over a freeze isn't funny.

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          April 29, 2008 4:24 PM

          That sounds like your PS2 drive was dying.

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      April 29, 2008 8:23 PM

      I know this is a noobtastic question, but what are "pop-in issues"?

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        April 30, 2008 1:48 AM

        Well picture San Andreas. Picture driving towards the center of town, and suddenly a skyscraper that you couldn't see before becomes visible. This is pop-in. Issues are when it never becomes visible, or does so way too late.

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