Take-Two's GTA IV freezing 'fix' for PS3

by Alexander Sliwinski { May 2nd 2008 at 11:45AM }

We've been trying to get answers this week for those GTA IV players who've been experiencing freeze-ups with the title. Our very unscientific poll has shown that although many of you are enjoying the game without issue, a small percentage are experiencing problems -- and a "small percentage" of the millions who bought GTA IV actually ends up being a lot of people. Although Rockstar has so far not responded to the issue, Gamespot received a "fix" from Take-Two's tech support team.

The 12-part "fix" Gamespot received involves steps like: erasing the install data, deleting the game saves, disabling PS3 internet connectivity, disabling the console's information board, deleting the system's internet cache and much more. For its part, Sony says the issue is affecting "a limited number of PS3s" and its working with customers to resolve the problem. Microsoft has yet to acknowledge any freezing issues.

Tags: grand-theft-auto-iv, grandtheftautoiv, gta-iv, gtaiv, problem, rockstar, support, take-two, technical-support

Related From Joystiq

Aussie Borderlands fixed, requires another Steam download
12 days ago
Gearbox admits Borderlands PS3 friends list glitch, fix coming 'as quickly as possible' [update]
19 days ago
PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe gets DIY compatibility fix
23 days ago

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Vol @ May 2nd 2008 11:47AM

GTA IV is looking for the dual HDMI port thus causing the stall.

JJ Rooster @ May 2nd 2008 2:39PM

Which on of the 4 ethernet ports do I plug my network cable into?

HELP_ME @ May 2nd 2008 9:04PM

my 60 gig had no problems, but now 2 hours into the game ,the initial loading screen freezes.and i need to hard-restart my ps3! HELP!!!

PojoMofo @ May 2nd 2008 11:48AM

Im about 5 hours into the single player, no freezes, hiccups, or anything on my 40gigglebyte version.

Alex @ May 2nd 2008 12:40PM

Gigglebyte.
Nice...

PSN: KillaKornbread (the shirt is a lie!) @ May 2nd 2008 12:47PM

lol @ gigglebyte

but yea im about 3 hours in on my 60GB and its as smooth as Gary Coleman's face. (obligatory no homo)

joeyg @ May 2nd 2008 11:52AM

how about fixing my 360 freezes? usually happens after a cut scene while loading

KingOfGods @ May 2nd 2008 11:58AM

I don't think it freezes. That has happened to me twice and I just leave it and it comes back after a few minutes. I think it takes long to load.

xFenixKnightx @ May 2nd 2008 12:55PM

No that doesnt really sound right. I have very minimal loading times (3-5 seconds) on 360. I'm guessing on PS3 its REALLY not much either since its already on the HDD.

copa @ May 2nd 2008 11:57AM

Reprinted for convenience. Nine easy steps:

Please run through the following, go through in order.

1) Delete the game's install data.

2) Delete the game's save files.

3) Disable your Internet connectivity for the PS3.

4) Disable the console's information board.

5) Disable Media Server functionality.

6) Delete all of the system's Internet cache.

7 ) Turn off the PS3 screen saver.

8 ) Once this has been done, manually restart you PS3 by holding down the power button for 5 seconds it will beep once and then shut down.

9) Fuck this. Buy an XBox 360.

arrrgh @ May 2nd 2008 12:00PM

HAHAHAHAHAHAH amazing :)

PSRT @ May 2nd 2008 12:05PM

And then, with your 360, realize it still may freeze, except with no known fix to solve the problem.

Yay, fanboys...

fwacce @ May 2nd 2008 12:08PM

And then have the same problem on the 360 that MS won't even acknowledge. How is that a help?

ThePremierAssassin @ May 2nd 2008 12:14PM

CLASSIC!

LOLZ...

NATO_Duke @ May 2nd 2008 12:18PM

Then smack it with a bat a few times.

Dante X @ May 2nd 2008 1:13PM

That solution applies to all other PS3 crappy games.

GRANTED @ May 2nd 2008 1:32PM

I bet a patch comes out in less time than it would take to return a RROD 360. =)

ill trooper @ May 2nd 2008 1:53PM

Funny. But I had a freeze happen once last night on my 360 version... Otherwise, smooth sailing.

JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ May 2nd 2008 2:47PM

That's quite funny.

If 360 version freezes too, how come that every "non-SDF" source specifically mentions the "PS3" freezes?

Maybe it happens to 85% of PS3's, just like RROD?(See I can pull out statistics out of my ass, too)

BigD145 @ May 2nd 2008 3:23PM

People talk about the death of PC gaming, but this sort of fix just shows how much the PS3 and 360 ARE PC's. Little extraneous software bits are interfering with the game install. That's a PC/OS problem if ever I saw one.

cc123 @ May 2nd 2008 11:59AM

This fix doesn't fix shit.

Get a patch out you bastards...

KingOfGods @ May 2nd 2008 12:31PM

yeah you will have to update all your games again

[.sm0ke.] @ May 2nd 2008 4:42PM

Or get it right BEFORE manufacturing the discs...

Jon @ May 2nd 2008 12:00PM

I am playing on a 360 and having the following problem.

For some reason, mine freezes on start up. I get the two rockstar logos, and the icon flashes at the bottom saying I am signed into live. Then the screen prompts me asking if I would like to sign in so that it can save my progress (I thought I was signed in) and then it freezes. It will not let me hit A to continue. At first I thought it was a controller problem, so I restarted the controller, but that did not work. It will let me get to the dashboard though. Then, if I re-launch the game from the dashboard (only from the games tab) then it works. It is just a real pain to have to go through the whole "launch game, stop game to go to dashboard, relaunch game" every time I start up.

Oh, and every time I do this, it prompts me to select my HD as my save location and then tells me there is already a save file there and would I like to override it. I say yes, and everything is fine, but it is annoying to have to do this every time I start up.

Anyone got any ideas?

KingOfGods @ May 2nd 2008 12:10PM

the auto save and the manual save are two different things. when ever you start up a game it loads the auto save but will ask you if you are sure you want to overwrite when you complete your first mission.

as far as the freezing goes, you you should try to run that clear cache code on your hdd.

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/09/xbox-360-hdd-cache-clear-code-discovered/

Jon @ May 2nd 2008 12:20PM

If I run that clear cache code will I have to re-update all my other games? Mostly wondering how that will deal with all the Rockband updates and downloaded songs.

Thanks for the help!

Cuddlefish @ May 2nd 2008 1:00PM

Jon, do you happen to have Rockband controllers plugged into your console while playing GTA? A friend of mine experienced the same problems and they all went away when he unplugged all his Rockband gear. Apparently the 360 saw the Rockband controller as the primary controller instead of the gamepad.

Jon @ May 2nd 2008 1:12PM

Cuddlefish:

Yes I do have rockband controllers plugged in! I bet that is what is happening. Thanks for the help!

el serpiente @ May 2nd 2008 1:17PM

This PrematureAss, he is a glutton for punishment...

Korova @ May 2nd 2008 12:10PM

As copa said, one step fix - get it for 360.

Offtopic: Joystiq is freexing on me all the time recently. When I go to upvote a comment the browser window goes black and stays there. At the bottom, the browser says its waiting for info from various unicast.com locations. Reloading does not help. I have to delete the /#comment in the address and hit enter to reload the story. Then I can upvote.

I use Firefox and it has happened on both PC and Mac.

Anyone else experiencing this?

cc123 @ May 2nd 2008 12:14PM

"As copa said, one step fix - get it for 360."

Uhm...did any of you look at the poll joystiq ran the other day?

This is happening on the 360 quite a bit as well. Whatever the hell is causing this it's not exclusive.

ThePremierAssassin @ May 2nd 2008 12:15PM

@cc123

Quit with the lies...you really think anyone believes a word of that sh*t?

FOXHOUND @ May 2nd 2008 12:16PM

Okay, so I'm not the only one getting that odd black screen on the webpage either. I thought it was my work trying to block the site, ha ha.

cc123 @ May 2nd 2008 12:19PM

@ThePremierAssassin

Here is a link to the story that has the poll you stupid fanboy shitbag.

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/30/poll-are-you-having-technical-issues-with-gta-iv/

FOXHOUND @ May 2nd 2008 12:25PM

-cuts the tension with a butterknife-

If you both have the game, why not sign on and just shoot the eff' out of one another instead of taking the petty argument here? Jeez. x_o

ThePremierAssassin @ May 2nd 2008 12:29PM

Lol I know which article you're referring to. I posted in that one and voted in the "scientific" poll you're trying to claim is legit.

More like disgruntled arrogant sony fanboys like yourself voted that the xbox has had problems when thats far from reality.

In fact I haven't had any technical issues regarding the game. What amazes me is how much stuff Rockstar packed into a single disc. Including the multiplayer aspect of it.

My only complaint and its a small one is that there is no main screen. Sorta weird but you get used to it.

Noshino @ May 2nd 2008 12:36PM

ThePremierAssassin

"Lol I know which article you're referring to. I posted in that one and voted in the "scientific" poll you're trying to claim is legit."

Isn't it legit? if it isn't, then the number of problems on the PS3 version aren't legit either, right?

"More like disgruntled arrogant sony fanboys like yourself voted that the xbox has had problems when thats far from reality. "

Arrogant? you must have a hell of a selfsteem because you can't even see that most often, you are the arrogant one, Sony fanboys did that? and don't you think that the Xbox fanboys could've done the same?

"In fact I haven't had any technical issues regarding the game. What amazes me is how much stuff Rockstar packed into a single disc. Including the multiplayer aspect of it."

Because YOU haven't had any problems, it doesn't mean that they are not there, there are many sicknesses that you don't have (I hope not?) yet does that mean that they do not exist? they could happen at any given time... (once again, I hope not)

"My only complaint and its a small one is that there is no main screen. Sorta weird but you get used to it."

yah, I agree on that...but then again, you DO get used to it

ThePremierAssassin @ May 2nd 2008 12:43PM

@ noshino

I usually try to ignore your ignorant self but I'll reply just this one. I know you just love to get the final say in whatever thread you join so I'll say what I have to say and move on.

Joystiq and other websites reported issues with the ps3 version FIRST. They only add the "supposed 360 problems" later as an UPDATE. To me that looks very suspicious. Plus I'm a member of several forums that deal with the 360 and various games on it and from what I can tell basically no one is having the sorta issues ps3 owners are having.

Thats just my take on it. Even if a 360 is having a problem its like what 1 out of 5000 as opposed to the ps3 which seems like a significant portion of owners is having problems?

Thats why I don't call that poll legit.

Of course you're totally right that some 360 fanboys could have voted that the ps3 version is having problems. Another reason why the poll in itself is not really useful.

I base this story and situation on the initial reporting. Not by that poll cc123 is referring to.

And yes you sony fanboys are arrogant.

cc123 @ May 2nd 2008 12:45PM

"More like disgruntled arrogant sony fanboys like yourself voted that the xbox has had problems when thats far from reality. "

I voted for problems with the 60GB PS3. So in your little world the PS3 problem votes are real and the 360 problem votes are sony fanboy lies (all 2,348 of them).

Honestly, is there any reason to address you like a normal human being? Cause everything you write shows that you're not.

Phranctoast @ May 2nd 2008 12:47PM

@ PremierAssassin

The United Stated is also responsible for 911. It was all a conspiracy.*rolls eyes*

"stupid fanboy shitbag" says it best

d-pad @ May 2nd 2008 12:48PM

Hey, Premier Assassin,

I have a 360 and it freezes - usually after the opening load sequence.

Fuck you.

P.S - Release a patch already R*, or at least tell us one is on the way.

ThePremierAssassin @ May 2nd 2008 12:56PM

@ pharantco

I've never said anything like that dumbass...

@ cc123

You're making the mistake of pretending like I give a shit what you and your arrogant sony breathen think of me.

@ dpad

You want to fuck me? Sorry already taken...

d-pad @ May 2nd 2008 12:59PM

PremiereAssassin,

Way to ignore the fact that thousands of 360's are experiencing GTA4 problems.

JOYSTIQ POLL WAS A PS3 INSIDE JOB!!

Again, fuck you.

KingOfGods @ May 2nd 2008 1:00PM

you are really going to go by that poll? I voted twice just to screw the results to prove a point. I voted no prob on 360 and at work i voted prob with ps3.

My point is you can't trust these polls.

Phranctoast @ May 2nd 2008 1:02PM

"@ pharantco

I've never said anything like that dumbass..."

You're right. I was comparing your stupid conspiracy theory with another stupid conspiracy theory. dumbass...

xFenixKnightx @ May 2nd 2008 1:04PM

Dirty mouth? Clean it up with Orbits!

:D

cc123 @ May 2nd 2008 1:11PM

@KingOfGods

"you are really going to go by that poll? I voted twice just to screw the results to prove a point. I voted no prob on 360 and at work i voted prob with ps3."

You're right these polls aren't some kind of definitive scientific proof they are just there to give some reasonable numbers just like every other anonymous survey.

Also from the site that runs the poll: "Each poll comes with multiple vote prevention, where we will attempt to limit a user to just one vote for the period you specify. When you create a poll, you can choose to allow a user to be able to vote once a day, once a week, once a month, or even once a year!"

Your second vote didn't count...

Vidikron (FU) @ May 2nd 2008 1:59PM

@PremierAssassin

You're such a dumbass. There are even users IN THIS COMMENTS SECTION describing, in detail, freezing problems on their 360s. I don't know if the problem is more widespread on the PS3 or not, but it's clear that it does exist in the 360. Quit being such blind fanboy.