Grand Theft Auto 4 PC Release Plagued by Bugs

By Nick Breckon, Dec 03, 2008 3:18pm PST Rockstar's release of Grand Theft Auto 4 on the PC is turning into a headache for some consumers, with many players reporting errors ranging from missing textures to show-stopping crashes.

Shacknews has independently verified the issues, with our own Steve Gibson being met with two separate, nondescript error codes that kept him from loading the game at all.

The bugs have been well documented on the Steam forums, with one user compiling a list of potential fixes.

The game-loading RMN40 error can apparently be nixed in Windows XP by updating to Service Pack 3. Shacknews found success with the Vista workaround, which requires an install of the Microsoft .NET 3.5 Framework (download here) and a reboot. A separate MMA10 error requires users to log out of the Rockstar Social Club multiplayer utility in order to play.

While the missing texture problems (see above image) have been attributed to corrupt graphics drivers, many users have been unable to fix the issue after a driver reinstall. The game is also restricting some users from changing their graphical settings.

Shacknews has contacted Rockstar for comment on the situation.

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28 Threads | 115 Comments
  • GTA IV - PC is a buggy piece of shit.
    (current patch
    It's bad enough you have to download Service Pack 3 for Windows XP, which just adds more unnecessary updates that aren't useful to anyone with a brain.

    But the game runs Games for windows - LIVE in the background, A Presentationfontcache.exe process, a terrible social club app (poorly written I might add), and a command prompt.
    These 3 things together (minus the process) = hell for any gamer. And that isn't even the bugs in the actual game itself.

    First, the game all together runs extremely slow, from the menu to the loading screens -- it's a major resource hog, which is often misinterpreted as 'requires extremely high-end hardware due to it's awesomeness' bullshit which is really an excuse for bad programming.

    Second, if you manage to get in game, you have to deal with a variety of hurdles, one of them primarily is Games for Windows - LIVE. This piece of trash app constantly harasses you to no end about updates that do not even exist for the game. If you manage to connect to LIVE in-game you must first load the game, use the in-game cell phone, pick a (non-dedicated, player-hosted) server, join it and either A. Crash in spectating mode, or B. deal with the terrible connection from the host.
    It's a fucking TIME VAMPIRE.
    If you can't connect to one of the servers, you guessed it, it pops you right back to the in-game screen and you must start the process all over again.
    And if that weren't enough, the only thing you have to judge whether or not the server has decent ping, is represented by a visual aid for a 3 year old, Red = Bad, Green = Good...maybe.
    This alone is enough to make someone want to drive a fork into their ear, and this isn't even the 'bugs' in-game.

    I don't have enough room here so I'll simply say, avoid this trash till Rockstar gets their heads out of their pretentious assholes.

  • I recently took back a few DS games to gamestop to trade in for GTA4: (GTA4 was out of stock at gamestop and i did not purchase it)... I originally thought the fact that they were releasing a PC version of this great game was respectful alone (with added features, higher resolutions etc.) ... If the game is not quality then i call bullshit, I will pass this game and not purchase it if it is a mediocre release of a console game for the hardcore gamer (PC).

    Thanks for the warning.

    ps: the system reqs are not that bad, a mid range pc can handle them with ease. Its not the hardware causing the problems as stated. Its the poor porting to PC which is ridiculous, what the hell did they design this game on?