GTA3 for Xbox -- loading problems!!

[grayejectbutton]

Has anyone had any problems loading GTA3 for Xbox? This is the third rental copy I have tried and the loading is VERY intermittant. Sometimes the game will load but usually it won't; I just get the "Your Xbox cannot recognize this disc..." error. This is the only game I have this problem with. All of my other games work fine. I know there's always a chance of some disc damage with an ex-rental game, but the first disc looked mint yet had this problem, the other 2 discs weren't quite as nice but still looked alright. The odds of getting 3 unplayable discs in a row don't seem too high. Is this a well known problem? I don't usually buy ex-rental games but $12.99 seemed like a good deal to me!

[brykasch]

Well not to rain on your parade but you may be starting to get the dreaded dre:( Mine was fine till KOTOR and blammo it happened. Just try to clean the drive out, and be prepared, there are some other things to try just do a search on line.

[grayejectbutton]

Well not to rain on your parade but you may be starting to get the dreaded dre:( Mine was fine till KOTOR and blammo it happened. Just try to clean the drive out, and be prepared, there are some other things to try just do a search on line.

That would indeed be unfortunate. I only just replaced the Xbox cuz the old one refused to read discs anymore. It got worse and worse, reading less and less games, and then after I tried a CD cleaner it wouldn't read anything anymore. Hope this Xbox isn't heading the same way, although I do have a warranty on it.

[omnedon]

Use that warranty while you still can.

[Oobgarm]

Hmmm.

I just ran into this problem myself over the weekend. When the game did load, not all of the objects were in place, polygons were tearing, textures weren't in place, etc.

Funny thing is, it's a new model Xbox that has never given me a problem, and a new copy of the game.

But Vice City works perfect. :hmm:

[Richter]

its a known problem, the game will refuse to boot depending on the dvd drive maker

there was a letter about it in i *think* last month's GamePro

[bigdaddychester]

I think I just read an article in EGM or gamepro (whichever had the free subscription) about this problem. Seems that there is a lot of Xboxes that are having this problem, right out of the box even.

looks like Richter beat me to it. must have been Gamepro

[Richter]

ja, got that free Gamepro subscription. Terrible magazine, so after the read it gets tossed in the trash

It was in that section about people having hardware related problems. IIRC a bulldog was the "host" of the page

[grayejectbutton]

Do you remember what type of drives were affected? Mine has a Thomson drive. But I ran a CD cleaner through it yesterday and it has been okay since then, so perhaps it was just some dust build up (even though all my other games were playing fine).

[Richter]

sorry, no idea ;_;

check gamepro.com perhaps?

[OldSchool]

The Thompson drive seems to be the one that causes everyone the grief. I'm willing to bet that is your problem. The Thompson has been a problem for Xbox for quite some time. On the Xbox forums the Thompson drive is the cause of many many many hateful threads.

Hope this helps somewhat.


Happy gaming! (Under the circumstances that may be the case...)

[spoon]

If you need parts, you can always go to http://www.llamma.com/xbox/ShoppingCart/internal_xbox_components.htm

The llamma has good stuff.

Thomson drives are crap btw. Samsungs are the best (and of course hardest to get) of the three (phillips). I am getting ready to replace a THomson laser and add a faster IDE cable in both of my X-boxes.