GTA IV fix - shut off PSN
- Posted May 3rd, 2008 at 18:56 EDT by Eric Blattberg
- 13,065 views
- 83 Comments
It's not the perfect solution, but if you want to stop some the issues plaguing GTA IV, simply sign out of the PlayStation Network before you boot it up.
I can at least somewhat guarantee the success of this method. I was plagued by an endless loading screens upon booting up the game, and I tried everything to remedy the situation - reinstalling the game, deleting the most recent save (out of two), swapping GTA IV discs, playing the game on a separate profile and so on. Nothing worked. Then I signed out of PSN and began the title, and viola, Niko stood amidst the denizens of Liberty City.
As previously mentioned, this may not be a cureall, but it's worth a shot. Unfortunately, even once within the game, you won't be able to access multiplayer (I tried signing in once in GTA IV and the game locked up). Until they release a patch however, this is your best bet to avoid any problems you're having with the game.
These issues have delayed our review of the title, but we'll have one up for you as soon as possible.
Comments
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SkyRider |
SkyRider- 8:41am BST - May 4th, 2008
- 52
I had the same freezing on loading screen issue and came across the solution of disabling the PS3's internet connection elsewhere. This has solved the problem but no multiplayer until Rockstar fix the issue :(
It is obviously just a problem with the game and/or Rockstars servers, I suspect even they did not realise just how many people would be playing this. As the game automatically connects to the sever during load time, even though you might only be playing single player, their servers simply cant cope.
As other people have pointed out, it is not a problem with the PS3 as other games would have suffered too.
If the severs are the problem, perhaps one way to solve it for now, would be a patch which if the game fails to connect to the sever during loading, it doesnt simply freeze there, but allows you into a single player game then keeps trying to connect in the background and notifies you via the mobile phone. -
Dave-The-Rave |
Dave-The-Rave- 9:03am BST - May 4th, 2008
- 53
This confused me cause I was initially able to play multiplayer without any bugs..then the game just randomly locked up last night !!
I was able to figure out it was the PSN's problem by myself though..
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wkharris
- 9:44am BST - May 4th, 2008
- 54
I was not experiancing this until I got up to mission 10, now the game will not leave the loading screen. Worse yet if it is frozen and I try to quit the game, it causes the entire pS3 just to shut off! I then tried this suggestion - and now the game works but there of course is no multiplay! :-( I am not sure if this is a Sony or Rockstar problem, but it is making me regret buying the PS3 version of the Xbox!
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MingsterLBC |
mingsterlbc- 9:50am BST - May 4th, 2008
- 55
This is also a problem for Xbox360 users. I read on other forums they are having the loading problem also.
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sanumasa
- 10:36am BST - May 4th, 2008
- 56
My Game would freeze during the initial boot from time to time. But, eversince I started saving m game in my safe house everytime I quit, It hasn't done it once. I think it is an autosave issue more than anything. Try it out and see if it works for you guys. I wouldn't know about the PSN I always boot in during the game, which isn't often but it hasn't locked up on me.
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GR8ST |
GR8ST- 10:47am BST - May 4th, 2008
- 57
I find that sometimes I can reconnect to PSN through the cell phone and other times it just freezes. The other thing that ticks me is that the PS3 so often gets cheated on resolution when it was advertized to be 1080p gaming. I read things like, "It’s been claimed that GTA IV runs at a resolution of 630p (1120 x 630) on the PS3, which falls short of the 720p (1280 x 720) resolution claimed to be given to Xbox 360 gamers. On one forum, gamers have begun comparing like-for-like screenshots from both consoles and come to the conclusion that trigger happy PS3 players are coming off worse, resolution wise."
That said, GTA4 is still an increadable game. I'm glad I got it. (Come on patch!)
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NoMercy666 |
Ask me...- 11:58am BST - May 4th, 2008
- 58
Ugh, I dont like this idea. But, I guess its my only choice.
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funkinrussell |
funkinrussell- 12:44pm BST - May 4th, 2008
- 60
mine would lock up before getting into the game... so then i would quit game... and the ps3 would restart itself. but now it works with psn off...
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Odium_Generis_Humani
- 1:36pm BST - May 4th, 2008
- 61
That's what you get for buying that sickness of a game. Stop buying cross-platform games, they don't care what happens on the PS3. If you can't handle that, get a 360. Done.
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RedFury
- 2:03pm BST - May 4th, 2008
- 62
honestly I have a 60GB ps3 from launch and GTA 4 has froozen once on me. I'm only playing the single player game so I"m not logged into psn, but I'll try this next time I play and let you guys know.
GTA 4 is a really fun game but with problems like this I don't know how it got 10/10 from most reviewers.
I hope they come out with a patch soon for you guys.
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peterwhiteguy
- 7:50pm BST - May 4th, 2008
- 67
I'm another launch 60gb player and this does not fix anything
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cammie |
Cammie1- 8:04pm BST - May 4th, 2008
- 68
GUYS I FOUND A RANDOM WAY SO GIVE IT A TRY IF U CAN. WITH ME I PUT IN A PS2 GAME THEN EXIT IT THEN PUT IN GTA AND IT WORKS. THIS MAY NOT B ACCURATE COS IVE ONLY DUN IT TWICE BUT GIVE IT A SHOT IF UR DESPERATE. EITHER THAT OR I GOT SIGNED OUT EACH TYM BEFORE GOING BACK ON AGAIN LOL. ANYWAY TRY AND THEN TELL ME IFF IT WORKS WITH U GUYS HOO HAV BACKWARDS COMPATABILITY. AND DONT GET MAD AT ME IF IT DOESNT WORK!!! PLEASE :L
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ryanjsmall
- 8:48pm BST - May 4th, 2008
- 69
I have an 80gig PS3 from the australia launch and started the game and waited 10 minutes for it to start a new game haha. uninstalled and reinstalled the data. nothing still waiting. then unplugged the network cable and woooo GTAIV apart from needing a little patch best game ever.
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InfernoReaper |
GrimDarkling- 9:22pm BST - May 4th, 2008
- 70
Can't say whether mine freezes or not until I can grab a copy of this. *Goes off to cry*
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ykstewart |
Thusgnificent- 10:24pm BST - May 4th, 2008
- 71
I don't know if anyone has tried this but it worked for me. I had the freezing problem on startup and so did my friend. what we did was sign up for the social club and linked the PSN account. once we did that we put the disk back in and the freezing problem has been fixed so far. I'm played for an hour and no problems. even bounced in and out of the multiplayer. Hope this helps someone. don't know how many folks have linked the psn id and still having the problem.
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TofuOnoPhD |
bodoe- 4:32am BST - May 5th, 2008
- 74
Don't know if anyone will read this, but ive also noticed that the game (for me anyway) only locks up when I manually save. If you quit after an autosave, it might just let you back in without having to sign out. Give it a shot.
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playstnlvr |
playstnlvr- 6:45am BST - May 5th, 2008
- 75
@ReppinDaNorth89Not to sound paranoid or anything, but maybe they did. $50 million from Microsoft sounds like an awful lot just for some DLC. That's all I'm saying. -
thebeats19
- 7:37am BST - May 5th, 2008
- 76
i had a download on the go and gta would not load!! stopped the down load and the game worked!, still logged in to my ps account!
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SWANN2099 |
SWANN- 9:05am BST - May 5th, 2008
- 77
GTAIV didn't load for me only 1 time since I picked it up on launch night. After I reset my PS3, I haven't had that problem since and that was like 3 days ago. So far everything has been working out fine. I was even able to get back online about 4 days ago. All things considered, I won't be turning off PSN just to play the game. I'll just wait for R* to release a patch for it, which should be sooner rather than later.
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D3v1lwqer23
- 1:33pm BST - May 5th, 2008
- 79
Ahem...BS, delayed your review my butt! I got a release PS3, and its not locked up once. and you cant sit here and tell me that there are no 80 or 40 gb PS3s within your area? You guys are starting to sound as pathetic and whiney as your forum MOD REFLEX. He likes weiner btw.
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bacho |
michel-ragi- 5:07pm BST - May 5th, 2008
- 81
the only solution is that you have to delete ur install,and reinstall it again while keeping ur internet conection deactivated (from internet settings)than boot the game and voila,all goes fine ,since than had no freezing issue at all.please try it(and yes even if i was signed in to psn) no freezing
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Wyverex |
Wyverex- 7:27am BST - May 6th, 2008
- 83
I think this particular problem was being caused by an update to the servers - it seems that GTA IV tries to upload your current stats to the Social Club server when the game starts and as the servers were offline for what ever reason on the 4th then the game wouldn't start - seems that if there is a network connection the game will just keep trying to upload to the server even if it 's not there but if there is no network connection then the game starts with no problems. Once I'd signed out of the PSN I had no problems playing the game happily for hours and then the next day when I tried again the problem had been fixed and multiplayer etc was working again with no problems. THIS is why it suddenly went from a small handfull of people having a problem to everyone getting issues - and it's possible that they were trying to remedy the problems that the few were having at the time.
Oh, and the game rocks! ;)
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