Grand Theft Auto 4 patch: multiplayer and freezing fixes promised

by Christopher Grant { Jun 23rd 2008 at 12:39PM }

Nearly two months after dragging reviewers out of their parent's cars and beating perfect 10s out of them, Rockstar has released a patch for Grand Theft Auto 4 targeting both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms. This patch notably addresses the oft-heard early complaints of "multiplayer connectivity issues" and "freezes during certain modes." There's a full list of 11 total fixes so, if you've been having trouble getting things done in Liberty City, Rockstar wants to offer you an apology and recommends taking this patch out for a test drive.

Tags: BreakingNews, Grand-Theft-Auto-IV, GTAIV, Rockstar

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

bmo @ Jun 23rd 2008 12:45PM

w00t another patch that should have been included in the original release of the game. bravo game developers.

NATO_Duke @ Jun 23rd 2008 12:46PM

I never had a freeze or an MP issue.

baby sea tuna @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:08PM

I had a crash once (though I don't think it helped that I was spamming "A" during the load screen). Conveniently, it came at a time where I should have put the game down for the night anyway (lest I spent another 2 hours dicking around in LC), so it was more of a boon than anything else.

SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Jun 23rd 2008 3:13PM

ive never been able to connect all the way in MP. it finds a game and other players and then drops me when it starting the game. i just choked it up to my bad internet but i think hope has been restored with the announcement of this patch.

Jon2309 @ Jun 23rd 2008 7:13PM

Only ever had one game breaker. Niko ran on the spot, even when dead.

T'was funny.

Haggard @ Jun 23rd 2008 8:03PM

I can never connect except to small games of geographically local people on the PS3, thought it was my router since a few of my PC games stopped connecting too, but a friend whose PC games do work also can't connect.

AwesomeTown @ Jun 23rd 2008 12:48PM

I could always count on my 360 version crashing within the first 15min of playing the single player. Then I would reset the system, and would not happen again for the rest of the day. Exactly like my disc read errors.

arrrgh @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:06PM

should have bought a virtual boy?

rough times dude, ive had no problems :p

AwesomeTown @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:24PM

I always wanted a Virtual Boy.

Seraphim @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:40PM

If vomiting is your thing, go for it.
I hear it's a supermodel secret ;)

rv @ Jun 23rd 2008 12:49PM

This patch has made things worse! Now, In the middle of the game, all the other players lag a lot on your screen, and eventually you get a message you have lost connection, which never happened before the patch. Also, while trying to connect, I still got those damn disconnected from host message.

Also, rockstar, please in your next patch, if you make one, make a god damn option to use the postgame multiplayer game selection screen when you disconnect instead of booting us to singleplayer each time. What the fuck!

g3treal @ Jun 24th 2008 11:20PM

Same here. The patch screwed things up a LOT more.
I get disconnected from games every 2-3 games.
Games freeze all of the time now.

The patch did nothing for me except cause problems I never had before.

I have played for 4 hours and rebooted my XBox 4 times so far due to games freezing online, or issues getting into games.

It's ridiculous!

Jakka @ Jun 23rd 2008 12:58PM

Screw patches, the MP needs to be redone altogether.

uh-oh polio @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:54PM

agreed, i think it effin sucks.

CaptNink @ Jun 23rd 2008 2:15PM

I think your comments need to be redone.

Nicolai @ Sep 15th 2008 10:12PM

I don't know what the patch is where to get it.I don't play it online.The stupid game would freeze and then I would reset the system and it would be fine for a while...then it would freeze again.
It's at the point now where it freezes immediately after loading the game, before Niko can even step outside the safehouse...stupid waste. I even exchanged the disc for a new one and it was worse this time couldnt even get to the 1st mission driving Roman from the boat to the safehouse.

ROCKSTAR REALLY SCREWED UP AND I WANT A WORKING DISC
WHAT A WASTE I NOW WANT TO JUST GET REFUND FOR THE GAME AND ALSO A REFUND THE XBOX THAT I BOUGHT ONLY SO I COULD PLAY THIS DUMB GAME.
I THINK THEY SHOULD RECALL ALL THE !@#$%^ DISCS AND START OVER!

Slayer @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:00PM

This game played perfectly on my ps3 for a while. Then it locked up an screwed up my hdd to the point where it needed it a full format. I haven't touched that game since then. Hopefully this patch will fix that issue.

Ninjakamster (PS360 FTW!) @ Jun 23rd 2008 3:07PM

It was working on my 60gb as well for 10 hours into the game then started freezing and damaged my Blu-Ray drive, stopped reading Blu-Ray discs after that, would give start up errors or hang in the intro.

SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Jun 23rd 2008 3:43PM

yea it formatted my HDD as well (to an extent anyway). it didnt erase anything really but it got rid of all the tags and info i had on stuff and ALL of my messages. i mean it wasnt life ending but i had to spend a while reorganizing all the files i have on there (which takes a while when just using a gamepad, thank god for predictive text).

j.howlett @ Jun 23rd 2008 5:21PM

my 60 gig did that reformat thing before gta came out. i was organizing my psn vids and divix movies after putting it off then half way through, as i tried to open a movie to see what it was and rename it, it froze and said something about an error. after it reformatted all my movies, podcast, songs, and games where all mixed up. i had to redo all the album file names and just deleted most of the podcast since they where out of order and old news.

xFenixKnightx @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:03PM

360 version here, not one freeze/crash on single or multiplayer. Sux for you guyz I guess. :(

Cal @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:06PM

Hmm I'll give this is try tonight, it had gotten to the stage where I'd be lucky to complete a mission before it crashed for me

Cal @ Jun 23rd 2008 2:32PM

And it does fuck all for me...

Nigeria @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:09PM

My brother brought his Xbox as a GTA machine but he could never connect to multiplayer. Now his free month of Live has run out and he has sworn against renewing his membership.

arrrgh @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:24PM

his loss

i love it

Van Faulk @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:11PM

How about a patch that keeps cars in your safehouses form randomly vanishing?

arrrgh @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:54PM

YOU NOTICED THAT TOO?!?!

pisses me off. My only theory is that some NPC would smash them half out of the spot or something :( other than that...sucks

KingOfGods @ Jun 23rd 2008 2:21PM

I wish they had the option to customize cars and store them in a garage like they do in Saints Row.

riggs @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:15PM

never had either problem, hope it doesnt start after the patch.

Vcize @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:18PM

Since when are there MP connectivity issues?

But yea, I second that "cars disappearing from safehouses" thing.

The Dom @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:35PM

The only thing I noticed before was the timer resetting, not the other issues.

Emophia @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:38PM

Have teh PS3 version, never had a problem with it.

Sucks for y'all. But do people really care about GTAIV still?

I haven't touched my copy for bare long.

NATO_Duke @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:49PM

"But do people really care about GTAIV still?"

What? The game is pretty new, so yeah, people would still care - especially if theirs crashed and couldn't be played through.

arrrgh @ Jun 23rd 2008 3:48PM

seriously. are you a goldfish or something? I'm still playing the hell out of this and cod4...

attention span of a goldfish ftmfl

Farseer (GDI) @ Jun 23rd 2008 4:01PM

"I haven't touched my copy for bare long."

Hmmm, I guess that I just don't get it. Is bare long longer than clothed long? How about scantily-clad long...

Or did you mean bear long? I honestly think that horses are longer than bears, but don't quote me on that.

Emophia @ Jun 23rd 2008 5:02PM

Cool it bruv, how could you expect me to be playing GTAIV still?

MGS4 just came out and Bad Company and Overlord come out this week.

It's more to do with time then attention.

I don't know about you, but I only play 5-8 hours of games a week max. I have shit to do. Besides lurking on a gaming blog.

That, and GTAIV gets bare boring fast.

Farseer (GDI) @ Jun 23rd 2008 6:01PM

NM - cockney, I get it now. You had to repeat it before I knew what you meant.

Nintendo Power @ Jun 24th 2008 10:56AM

Cabbage crates on the briney. That's a bit 'o the ol' rub, now innit?

Emophia @ Jun 23rd 2008 1:40PM

Have teh PS3 version, never had a problem with it.

Sucks for y'all. But do people really care about GTAIV still?

I haven't touched my copy for bare long.

KingOfGods @ Jun 23rd 2008 2:22PM

My comment never showed up??

juju187 @ Jun 23rd 2008 2:29PM

i just came from a 20 min shootout and the only thing i noticed was less delay when a team mate is getting in the car(dont kno about helicopter)

CJLopez @ Jun 23rd 2008 2:42PM

Still, I can't understand how a game that needs patches and fixes scores so many perfect scores.

Cal @ Jun 23rd 2008 4:40PM

Hype is an instant +3

juju187 @ Jun 23rd 2008 2:52PM

i never seen a "Perfect" MP lauch.
Especially one with kind hype wagon behind it

rick cokely @ Jun 23rd 2008 3:03PM

Why didn't they fix the issue where the Lawyers office never calls you during the mission called "Final Interview"? I have this problem and have done everything in the game and still can't progress! I know I'm also not the only one as a quick search on the internet will show many people complaining.

arrrgh @ Jun 23rd 2008 6:23PM

try starting again?

never heard of this glitch (360)

giantenemycrab @ Jun 23rd 2008 3:21PM

I beat GTA4 about 2 weeks after it came out, played around online a little, then I put it down and I have yet to play GTA since. I don't know what it is, I just don't have any desire to go back and play some.

jl_Mafia @ Jun 23rd 2008 3:41PM

I'm sorry but this is unexcusable they had more than 6 months to work out the kinks in the game if I recall they had a prior release date in October just imagine how much worse the game would have been had they released it then. And, oh yeah, thanks alot for Bully I'm now seeing the pattern here Rockstar.

Alas I shant be made a fool again! *Goes out and pre-orders Midnight Club: Los Angeles*