Rockstar rushes to fix GTA IV PC issues
Rockstar is now rushing to fix errors present in the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV.
These problems include glitchy textures, repeated crashes and the fact that the game won't run smoothly on higher graphics settings even with the best hardware money can buy. We tested that last issue ourselves, though we were limited by the fact that the game currently doesn't support SLI.
Rockstar has even gone so far as to publish their own guide to GTA IV error codes to help users diagnose their problems and speed up the support process. Valve meanwhile is reported to have broken from it's usual refund policy and has started issuing refunds for the game to those who demand it.
In response to the complaint that the higher graphical settings are unattainable for nearly all users regardless of hardware, Rockstar has said that "higher settings are provided for future generations of PCs with higher specifications than are currently widely available."
Even users who are getting the game working as planned aren't entirely happy either as the game comes bundled with both Rockstar Social Club and Games for Windows Live, both of which are required to be running and connected before users can play or save the game.
You can check out our own GTA IV PC review for a full breakdown of the performance issues and graphical settings. Let us know what you think in the forums.
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16 Comments
Discuss in the forums Replyhow hard is it to test a game before release
extremely hard, i worked for rare one summer doing some q&a on first banjo kazooie game.... it put me off games for a while when you have to test every single scenario after each build
automated testing?
If you ask me they're trying to cover their own incompetence.
I agree - QA is harder than people think... but half the errors aren't even involved in the game itself, from the sound of things... but more basic horrors like all the bloatware that it requires you to install before you can even play.
It's a bit sad, because with the 'unlimited activations' thing, it didn't have the whole 'I'm only renting this' vibe that made me so leery of the other new SecuROM-Online protected games. If it had had GfWL similar to Fallout 3, and didn't require the 'Rockstar Social Club'... I'd probably have bought this, even though I already own the PS3 version.
RUSHED FOR CHRISTMAS RELEASE!
Anyway, Rockstar programmers are so incompetent it is just sad, good game with huge potential wasted by crappy coding and rushed release.
oh great.
Actually it isn't required for you to be online in order to play and save your game. You can create an offline Games for Windows profile and play without being connected.
When I got the game on dec. 3rd, the Games for Windows / Windows Live service wasn't able to log me in, so I couldn't save the game. After trying several times I tried to create an account from within the game and I was given the opportunity to create an offline account, so now I can play without having to worry about if microsoft servers er down or whatever.
As I see it, there are two kinds of people:
- those who will pay for the game
- those who won't
and those who won't pay for the game will get to play it no matter how much annoying protection schemes they put into it.
So all they have achieved is to annoy those that pay for the game. For crist sake if you must check for valid copy, do an online-check (or in case of no internet, check the DVD). Anything more than that is terrorising your legit users.
Oh, byt the way...what *is* a Dremel? :-)
So what? they had how long to test the pc version? a year or so...
besides, even if they dont like their job, they get paid to test it, so they better do that.
Rockstar is promising fixes for a gta game? I'll believe it when I see it, simply put, go look how many patches they released for all previous GTA Games.