New PS3 firmware doesn’t fix GTA IV issues

Sony has released version 2.35 of the Playstation 3’s firmware. The update provides more stability for a number of games, but does not solve the problems with Grand Theft Auto IV.

Eric Lempel, head of Playstation Network Operations at Sony, is late on the official forum from the console manufacturer that firmware version 2.35 is available. “It’s a relatively minor update that improves the stability of a number of PS3 titles,” said Lempel. Lempel’s comment seems to indicate the problems players are experiencing with the PS3 version of Grand Theft Auto 4. However, on the same forum, Sony’s PR manager Al de Leon made it clear almost immediately that firmware 2.35 does not solve the problems with GTA4. He gives players who experience problems with GTA4 the same advice that Sony has been giving since the release of GTA4: contact Sony customer service.

Developer Rockstar already released a patch (version 1.01) for GTA4 on PS3 last week, but that also did not solve the problems that players are experiencing. Players have been complaining about crashes since the release of the game. The most common complaint is that the game freezes, which seems to be related to the PS3’s internet connection. The issues are resolved as soon as players disconnect the console from the internet, or disconnect from the Playstation network. Players experiencing such crashes will still not be able to use the game’s multiplayer capabilities.