GTA IV freezing up; PS3 fix suggests deleting data, starting over [update]

by James Ransom-Wiley on Apr 29th 2008 1:45PM

Numerous reports of a game-freezing bug in the PlayStation 3 version of Grand Theft Auto IV have been appearing on websites and forum threads today. (Anecdotal evidence suggests that only 60GB units have been affected.) While Rockstar has yet to release an official statement addressing the potential defect, at least one PlayStation.com Forums poster has reported a successful fix:

"I had this same [lockup] problem so I called Rockstar. The lady on the phone told me to erase the game data (the original install and the game saves) and then start over. I did what she told me to do and the freezing problem went away."

Anyone reading experience this problem? Any luck fixing it?

Update: There are also reports that the Xbox 360 version is locking up, t~~hough we have yet to find a conclusive source (e.g., forum thread)~~ [here's a source!] -- or any suggestions for a fix (no game data to delete!). Any leads?

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Check out all our coverage of Grand Theft Auto IV!

Source

Tags: freezing, grand-theft-auto-iv, gtaiv, PS3, rockstar, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (219)

I'm sorry, but lol.

So it was your fault for the delays PS3...

Interesting.... Interesting indeed...

Mines didn't freeze so I haven't experienced what others have. And the ps3 was not the cause it was that RROD death of 360. (I still got love for it though I wont completely bash it>)

I've tried the alleged "fix" with my freezing 60GB PS3--no cigar...it freezes no matter how many times I reinstall.

I played GTA 4 for about 7 hours today on my 60gb PS3. There have been noe problems what so ever. My friend Ryan, also told me his 60gb was running superb. So I dont think this problem is affecting everyone.

yesterday finally got back from college and played bout 1 hour.. no problems.. then my little brother played it (don't ask why!!!) for 30 mins, no problems .. then i played from 9 to 11 (both online and offline) and had no problems at all.. this all on 60GB version!!

i have 60gb no problems with freezing or anything absolutely perfect game again from rockstars woooohoooo 10/10

I have a 60gb PS3 and haven't encountered this issue.

Me too and no issues. I feel bad for the few having issues.

March 07 60GB PS3 here.

Hey look, another Chris w/ a 60GB PS3 w/ no freezing issues. Makes me think of the multi-verse. One of our doubles is having a lot of trouble, I'll bet.

i have freezing problems too :( even when i started the game "in the first minute" my game blocked and i had to restart my ps3...

Damn, and the 60gb is the one I really want to get! : (

Guess I'll have to wait until the new reprinted copies are available, not like I can play it for two weeks anyways, damn finals.

Boy thats a joke. Imagine if you where like 95% though the game.

game data is different than save data.

yeah from what I have seen you delete the install not the actual save data

The freezing issue that is popping up on BOTH the 360 and 60GB are ONLY around the 1st cutscene, so if you are 95% done, you will be WAY past the 1st cutscene.

It only seemed to be at the very beginning(opening credits)when it occurs on most of the 60GB versions. The freezing is more of an approximate "1.5sec pause" at most; but still easily noticible.

Deleting the GAME file *does* work, you don't need to delete the SAVE file; and lastly -- after roughly 2-3 missions in the game(if you opt to play through without deleting the game file), the random 'freezing' ceases.

Might've been a bad burn/pressing to disc or odd video codec trouble... who knows. I'd love to hear from RockStar eventually about the fix for it though and if anything else has come up on either version. I'd hate to progress through the entire thing, only to lose a save file or worse -- the whole damned hard drive getting corrupted.

If in 12 hours you were 95% through I feel like you would deserve a parade of sorts.

I'd cal lit a waste of money! Take your time and enjoy the damn game already!

I'd just commend him for not killing a single hooker or going on a single rampage, those two bastards take up most of the time.

By the way, why you not playing? For that matter, why am I not playing?

...because I'm at work. :(

me too....

And I did the midnight release so I got a solid 2 hours of game play in.....I need to leave work now!

I have a ton of work too.

Hey but I rather have a ton of work than don't having any work at all.

I'm not playing now because I'm a loser and bought a Wii. While I don't really mean that... I kinda do...

Also, Have you ever been so sick you can't even play a video game? Yeah me neither, but I am, and that's the biggest reason I'm not at a friend's house playing it right now.

It wouldn't surprise me if the 60GB model is the culprit here. That's what happened with Assassin's creed (at least amongst my group of friends). more anti-early adopter antics... yay for me :(

I don't think it is a 60gb isolation, Assassin's Creed froze regularly on my 40gb before the patch.

you think rockstar would have tested it to make sure it worked... but no

If all those rumors about the PS3 version being the cause for the game's delay are true, this kinda makes you wonder what the heck they spent all that time doing, huh?

When I read the first half of the title, I just assumed it would be a 360 problem... and I'm glad it's not. The last thing the 360 needs is a technical issue with a major release like GTA4.

http://kotaku.com/385183/rockstar-support-no-gta-freeze-fix-in-sight

They are. They just neglected to mention it in this article.
"problems with the game on both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360"
"The man told me that the problem is apparently only effecting the 60 GB version of the Playstation 3"
"He also said that the Xbox 360 is having the "exact same problem," which has further stumped their tech folks."

And yet the only person to supposedly claim that is a R* csr. Since they, admittedly, have no fucking clue what they are talking about, I'm going to guess this is a PS3 only problem. NO ONE is quicker to bitch than 360 fanboys (well, ok, MMO players, but still). IF there were a problem, ANY problem, with the 360 version, it would be all over the interweb by now, unless it is late in the game, and no one has gotten to it yet.

That, and the plenty of people on the forums who bought the 360 version of the game.

Yep, I have the 360 version. The game freezes while playing multiplayer and single. The freezing actually made me go to bed instead of continuing with helicopter wars with my friends.

The issue is not the PS3 since the 360 is also exhibiting the same bug.

I love how fing biased joystiq is. PS3 has a small bug and you make a headline about it.

I have yet to see you report on how the PS3 version is the one with better graphics.

Of course if the 360 had better graphics, you would've already reported it. I'm sick of your antiSony bias...get the f over it.

Well, the 360 version has better resolution (720p).

and yet everyone pretty much agreed it is the better looking/performing of the two.

baaaaw stop crying.

And I'm sure you'd have no problem with the article if it was bashing the 360 instead of the ps3.

Well... it should perform better. It has less raw data to process.

If PS3 were the version with the better graphics I'm sure they would have stated so.

Waa waa! Does baby want his bottle?

whaaaaaaa, u made fun of my fwavowite system whaaaaaaaa

Seriously though, this post helps people having problems, and you're bitching at them? The fact you're in denial because a post such as this puts your system that mommy bought you in a bad light over the fact that there's actual problems with this game is amazing. See a shrink. Now.

but the 360 version doesn't, and i am not sure why. the article i read said they went through other measures to get the ps3 looking fabulous and it didn't require as many lines of resolution apparently. less is more i guess.

Pop-ups! *cough*

Frank

"Less" pop-ups... PS3 version has pop up too. Just like every other GTA in the series.

why haz 360 pop ups more than pS3? inferior hardware?

U know what's coming next;
"Slew of RROD's reported due to heavy GTA IV usage."

What I find funny is Joystiq failed to mention that this freezing issue exists with the 360 as well as the PS3, ironic that Joystiq can bitch about fanboys yet consistently issues fanboyish comments or purposely leaves out the SAME issues with the 360.

60GB here, and no freezing.

@Fernando

Actually the PS3 version does not have any pop in issues at all ... At least from a anecdotal evidence stand point I can say this ... The 360 version has a few more graphical hiccups than the PS3 version ... It would appear the PS3 version has a freezing bug the 360 version doesn't though ... Oh well ... BTW 640p & 720p are identical to the naked eye

"Well, the 360 version has better resolution (720p)."

So when a building pops up out of nowhere you can see more detail right?

thats what i tried to explain, but i think fanboys are just writing me off, or covering their ears and going lalalala because this article didn't mention it, and its a chance to act stupid.

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 50 Comments

Sorry, you must be logged in to leave a comment.

Breaking News

The most popular posts
in the last 7 days

Vita 'UMD Passport' won't be offered in US 218 comments
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning review: A tempting fate 151 comments
David Jaffe leaves Eat Sleep Play, layoffs hit developer [Update] 107 comments
Don't call it a remake: Final Fantasy X is a 'remaster,' to be clear 95 comments
Battleship movie adapted into FPS by Double Helix 92 comments

GTA IV freezing up; PS3 fix suggests deleting data, starting over [update]

Reader Comments (219)

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:49PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:23PM PlatinumSkeet said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:46PM Streeks1984 said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 7:02PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 7:09PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 11:29PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 30th 2008 4:16AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 30th 2008 4:14PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:51PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 8:20PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 30th 2008 7:41PM ChrisAre said

Posted: May 1st 2008 7:55PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:49PM RKN said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:49PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:14PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:20PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:26PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 30th 2008 7:54AM foxhound said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:51PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:54PM FredFredrickson said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:55PM LaughingTarget said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:42PM FredFredrickson said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:43PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 4:30PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 8:38PM D3m0sthenes said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:54PM Franklin Gothic said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:57PM LaughingTarget said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:54PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:54PM FredFredrickson said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:57PM HighFiveJesus said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:06PM mietha said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:12PM HighFiveJesus said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:33PM EJ A said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 3:18PM Zoesch said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:55PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:56PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:58PM HighFiveJesus said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:59PM Vegeta has a ps3 said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:59PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:00PM Greenmist said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:01PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:02PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:02PM HighFiveJesus said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:03PM FrankTheCrank said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:05PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:09PM FrankTheCrank said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:10PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:12PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:13PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:13PM HighFiveJesus said

Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

Double Fine's Kickstarter adventure surpasses $400K goal

Featured Stories

Rhythm Heaven Fever review: Crazy into you

Remedy not done with Alan Wake

The Joystiq Show - DICE 2012: David Jaffe and Kevin Dent

The most popular postsin the last 7 days

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW

The most popular posts
in the last 7 days