issues
Latest
Poll: Are you having technical issues with GTA IV?
We've heard about various reports of the technical problems with Grand Theft Auto IV. We're conducting a network-wide poll with our friends at X3F and PS3 Fanboy to see how the Joystiq community has been afflicted with the issues. After voting, please let us know your specific problems in the comments below. Are you having problems with Grand Theft Auto IV? Yes, and I use the Xbox 360 Yes, and I use the 60GB PS3 Yes, and I use the non-60GB PS3 (please specify in comments) No problem (Xbox 360) No problem (60GB PS3) No problem (non-60GB PS3; please specify in comments) Don't own the game, I just felt compelled to click something
Are OLPC XO keyboards having widespread problems?
The OLPC XO -- it's all rainbows, hugging, and laser beams of learning, right? Maybe not, kind reader. Apparently, users of the diminutive, educationally themed laptop are experiencing a rash of "stuck key" issues which are causing tons of headaches (and possibly some heartbreak as well). It seems that keys are becoming stuck in activated positions, and / or are being triggered by key presses nearby. The company is aware of the problem, but can't pinpoint a single cause, as the components are made by a variety of manufacturers. For now OLPC is asking customers to RMA the laptops so they can get the repairs they so desperately need, though we're not sure how this is going to play out in the developing areas where the XOs are being rolled out. Well, they can probably just take them to the hospital.
Massive connection issues in raids tonight [UPDATED]
Based on my experiences, and a slew of other folks posting over at the Blizzard Customer Service Forums, it appears many Tier 6 instances are having issues with stability tonight. Half the raid or more is constantly disconnecting at seemingly random points.Several CMs GMs are looking into the issue – but it is wide spread. This means that it is almost assuredly an issue with the Blizzard servers. Based on testing I've done it is not an issue with addons. After a disconnect, all addons were turned off, and the disconnects still happened.Stay tuned to HKO Insider for the latest. Hopefully they'll hotfix this one right up.Updated 11:00 p.m. EDT: Belfaire posted "We're gathering the appropriate info now. I have no ETA on a resolution, only that it'll be [fixed] ASAP." (April Fool's text removed for readability.)Updated 12:44 a.m. EDT: Belfaire also let us know that Q.A. is working on the problem, though no fix has been announced yet. Seems they are at work on it.Updated 1:00 a.m. EDT: Potential solution from Belfaire: "Please have your entire raid delete or rename your Interface folder and let me know here if you encounter the issue again. [One] group said that they ran without mods, but if what I think's happening is actually happening, even if one person has [an addon], it can affect the raid."
More realm issues today
Bornakk announced today on the general discussion forums (why he didn't do this on the tech support forums, I don't know...) that they are having a number of realms randomly drop people. Indeed, this happened to me over on Eldre'Thalas this morning.If you are having issues, remember that you can go to the Blizzard's tech support forums and ask a question there. You can also check out our guide for solving all these connection issues, if Blizzard doesn't come through with a solution for you.We'll keep you updated on this weekend hiccup – stay tuned to WoW Insider for the latest!
Solving recent connection issues
Many of us, both in and outside of the United States, have been having serious connection issues with the game recently. Not only can we not connect to the game, but we can't even get on the main World of Warcraft website. This can be particularly infuriating because we can't go and find help. When I got dropped in the middle of Kael'Thas (the real fight, not the weeksauce one in Magisters' Terrace), I wanted to take my computer out to a field and yell obscenities at it about PC load letter.WoW Insider feels your pain! After all, imagine having to write about WoW only to find out you can't get into WoW.I wanted to answer a lot of the comments about what people can do. First and foremost, we're not Blizzard. So we can't really say for sure what's going on. We can make educated guesses through. Continue reading after the break for what you can do and where you can go to solve this problem.
DS Daily: Worst Wi-Fi problems
We all pretty much agree that friend codes aren't exactly Nintendo's best decision ever, but every week after Game Night (which is probably when this blogger does the lion's share of weekly online DS gaming), there are always a few thoughts rumbling around about things that could be better. Being unable to add new friends to Clubhouse Games while in a room, for instance, or the 2-or-4 player restrictions on Tetris. Any other issues you can think of? Sometimes it seems that online multiplayer functions just weren't quite subjected to the same quality control issues. They work well enough, to be sure, but they could easily be better in a lot of cases.
Singstar players are unhappy with the state of community features
We don't usually write about petitions for two reasons. One, they're usually requesting one game or another to be made available on a platform of their choice and, two, because they rarely work. This petition regarding Singstar, however, does highlight some problems regarding the game that we have ourselves noticed since its release. Singstar has been given pretty good reviews so far (we'll have some in depth thoughts up for you within the next few days), because it has pushed what it did on the PS2 towards new, online, horizons. Unfortunately, the reality of these features, and what Sony promises, don't match up. The Singstar servers for the SingStore and My Singstar Online have been flaky, at best, with frequent time-outs and periods of downtime. Not only that, but Sony promised 350 songs on the SingStore at launch, whereas there are currently less than 100 (though closer to 50).This wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't text within the game itself which clearly states that there are "hundreds of songs available to download", or if there was some sort of community news update which would let people know what's going on. As it is, people are left in the dark and are getting frustrated.
2.3.2 has some issues
The fine folks at MMO-Champion have assembled a list of all the known issues associated with Patch 2.3.2 dropping yesterday. In addition to good things like Transmutation mastery being fixed, and changes like AV being hotfixed to buff Balinda and Vandar, there are a host of bugs and minor issues from the Hammerfall wind ride master hiding under her usual spot to Hunter's getting their new Volley graphic revered to its older form due to graphics issues.The complete list at MMO-Champion is very, very long. Luckily for me and my current leveling project, Draenei Warriors (and indeed all warriors) got off light with a couple of minor bugs. I doubt my level 62 warrior (or any of my 70's) is going to be fighting Landslide again anytime soon. But Priests seem to have several bugs, every class got a few, and the environment, quests and npc sections of the list are quite beefy.Also, rogues seem upset about the changes, if you follow the forums. While that's probably not a bug I though I should mention it anyway as an issue with the patch.How's Patch 2.3.2 been treating you? Good, bad, or had you even noticed any differences?
Xbox Live, Zune Marketplace down: what gives, Microsoft?
We're nearly nauseous from all the spinning on the Xbox Live carousel. One minute we're in, the next we're out. Now, Microsoft is confirming that the issues are back via Xbox.com, and as if that weren't enough in and of itself, the outfit is also informing Zune owners that they "may experience intermittent issues logging onto Zune Marketplace." From what we can tell, there's no definitive ETA on a resolution that will actually stick for more than ten minutes, but if we were you, we'd lock down that Hotmail account, pronto.[Thanks, Robert S. and everyone who sent this in]Read - Xbox.com SupportRead - Zune.net Support
Battlestar Galactica: Season 1 HD DVD arriving sans quality?
It's not like we haven't seen a high-profile HD title released without the expected level of quality, but it seems the QA lapse is bugging the HD DVD camp this go 'round. Apparently, hordes of angry Battlestar Galactica: Season 1 HD DVD buyers are flocking to message boards to grumble about the shoddy packaging, scratched up discs and other picture / audio niggles that certainly should not be appearing on a $70 (or more) box set. As the above image illustrates, it seems that some buyers are receiving the set only to find a plethora of unwanted scratches (presumably due to misaligned packaging), and if the stuttering playback wasn't bad enough, some customers are also finding image quality / audio sync issues with the included mini series. So, dear readers, have any of you experienced similar headaches? And if so, what's your plan of action?[Image courtesy of Amazon / J. Ryder, thanks Robert P.]
Rhapsody users experiencing login issues?
Though not what we'd deem "common," outages extending beyond a few hours have been known to happen to the services we love so dearly, and it seems that some Rhapsody users have become the latest to fall victim to an inexplicable lapse in service. Over at the Real forums, a number of customers have been unable to sign into their accounts for up to two days, and no amount of chicanery has solved the quandary. To make matters even more frightening, many are getting a message that their account simply is nowhere to be found, and customer service doesn't seem to be getting anyone very far. Also curious is the fact that new accounts (as in, ones created while current customers are unable to login) seem to be working just fine, but we here haven't personally experienced any of the login difficulties. What gives? Any of you out there pulling your hair out over this? Got a secret for getting logged in that you'd like to share?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Update: This in from Real: "Our engineer and support staff became aware of a login issue affecting a small number of users yesterday. They're hard at work to fix the problem for the folks being affected." No ETA for the fix though, and it definitely sounds like more than just a few users, but your mileage may vary.
Charter hit by second fire in Malibu area
For the second time this season, Charter Communications and its Malibu, California-area customers are dealing with outages stemming from wildfires. Granted, one's cable service is the least of our worries when dealing with situations such as this, but a whopping 12,000 feet of the operator's primary fiber optic cable was recently torched and will have to be replaced. The cable also provides feeds to homes in Agoura Hills, Calabasas and Hidden Hills, and while the firm is working to provide service to those affected, it's having to wait for power crews to sweep through first. Notably, Charter was already in the process of constructing a "redundant path to make the company less vulnerable to fire damage," and the latest word is that it's still a few weeks away from being completed.
Rock Band gets a patch, but problems persist
Following up on yesterday's news of Rock Band hardware concerns, developer Harmonix has issued a software patch meant to mend issues that players have been having with downstrumming. Unfortunately, the software fix doesn't seem to be taking for everyone -- some users are reporting fully functional axes, while others are still plagued by the strum problem. Worse yet, other gamers are reporting that the patch has caused their strums to double up -- thus making the game considerably more crappy. On the silver-lining flip side, EA is actively honoring warranties for the Rock Band gear, though they say guitar replacement will take nearly two weeks -- which will put you dangerously close to not being able to jam through X-mas.
Rock Band users discovering hardware issues?
While we're still quite early in the game (literally), reports have started trickling in that there may be some substantial issues with some of the hardware included in Harmonix's latest and greatest, Rock Band. According to forum posts from disgruntled users, folks who've just gotten the game are having a litany of problems, from drums with no sensitivity, an always-on whammy, and sticky buttons -- but most of the stress seems to be related to the downstrum. Current descriptions paint the problem as an overly- or ineffectual strum, resulting in a pretty annoying game experience. Of course, it's early on right now, and it's too soon to know if this is a widespread problem or if it's relegated to a small production batch. We pose this question to our readers: are you having Rock Band issues?[Thanks, J]
Leopard delivery delays hit some areas
Brian A. sent a tip to say he called his FedEx delivery manager in Huntsville, AL, and they told him that they were backed up with Leopard deliveries. Apparently, they weren't able to make the 10:30 AM deadline in some areas, and though delivery is still scheduled for sometime this afternoon, they'll be showing up late. How late? We're not sure, but hopefully not too late for Apple stores to receive their copies. Hopefully, this is just a hiccup in shipping, and not the start of a widespread delay.In other news, reader Don also had a problem with his Leopard delivery-- when checking his tracking number with FedEx online, he noticed to his dismay that someone named "Ramirez" had already signed for his package (and he doesn't know anyone named Ramirez). He called Apple and they blamed FedEx, saying that FedEx was reusing tracking numbers, and the signature Don was seeing was for a different package.And even if you have your copy, you may still be having problems-- Paul got his copy in Australia last night, but says Software Update has been zerged to death. With so many people trying to sign on and get their new apps, it may be a rough road for installers this weekend. Good luck out there.Update: We've also heard about a delay out of Indy. If you were expecting Leopard in the US by 10:30am, odds are you don't have it yet.
First batch of Toshiba G900s plagued with issues?
As smartphones become ever more complex and powerful, simple math dictates that the incidence of severe software issues is going to go up. Sad as it is, that's to be expected, and we can't really recall the last time we extensively used a smartphone -- regardless of brand or platform -- that didn't exhibit some bugs. That being said, when a phone won't frickin' come out of standby, you'd think they'd be able to catch that before shipping. Many owners of Toshiba's ultra-powerful G900 Windows Mobile 6 Professional handset seem to be reporting a hodgepodge of problems that are necessitating returns, chief among them being that once the phone goes to sleep, it doesn't want to wake up until a reset is performed. Toshiba's apparently promising a fix in the next few weeks, but for folks trying to make this beauty their primary mobile, that's little consolation for the moment.[Thanks, Gudmundur]
WoW Insider RSS issues
A few readers have sent us tips already to let us know that there are issues with the RSS feed here on the site. We appreciate you all letting us know, and we are aware that some of the older articles are getting published on the RSS feed as new. We've also noticed that the RSS feed will sometimes publish new articles twice, leaving you with two copies of the same article in your reader.We're aware of both issues, and have forwarded information onto our tech guys about it-- they say a fix is coming. If you have any other issues or questions, feel free to post them in the comments below, or send us tips via our tips page. Thanks for reading, and for sticking with us through these issues-- we're hoping to get them worked out soon.
Known 2.1 issues (and a few more besides)
The realms are down this morning for "scheduled maintenance," and in the meantime, here's a list of what's wrong (and hopefully what's being fixed right now). Blizz QA guy Hortus has posted a list of known issues in 2.1, and I've included it in full after the break.Most of these are pretty inconsequential and/or already known, but a few of them might cause confusion (I had the "grayed out" icon thing happen to me just last night-- the spell looked like it was unavailable, but I could still use it). They all seem easy enough to fix, and so hopefully when the realms go back up today, we won't see them again.Strangely enough, there's no mention of the Hunter bug/feature at all, so Blizzard still hasn't confirmed that one officially (or maybe hunters liked using it so much they just didn't want to report it). And though Neth has confirmed the Spellthread nerf as a bug, it's not on this list either. I guess we'll have to see what drops this morning-- we could get a small post-2.1 patch, or maybe we'll have to wait for further hotfixes to see any of these bugs squashed.
Popular Mechanics cranks out another ten HDTV myths
Truthfully, it's quite sad that these top ten lists of HDTV myths keep popping up, as it just reinforces the sad truth that many folks are still mystified by the prospect of HDTV. Nevertheless, Popular Mechanics has doled out its own version of the woefully popular rundown, and making the cut are the ever popular tall-tales that an HD set-top-box is somehow required to receive any HD programming, a 1080p TV is unquestionably superior to a 720p counterpart, and that an HDTV will magically convert all programming to stunning high-definition. Additionally, we shed a tear just thinking of those who still believed that all flat-panels are indeed HD-ready and that pristine video quality is only channeled through stupendously overpriced cabling. A few newcomers to the list involved 1080p panels that actually can't accept 1080p signals from a scaling player, and the unbelief that HD video can't be recorded onto standard DVD-Rs. Of course, there's no shame in being duped by a unintelligible big box employee or just not being up to speed on the HDTV minutia, so take a few and hit the read link if you're looking to clear up any lingering HD haze.[Photo courtesy of Chris Eckert/Studio D, thanks Matt]
Sony ups PlayStation 3 firmware to v1.7, PSOne titles not faring so well
Another PlayStation 3 firmware update, another list of issues. Unfortunately, this seems to be somewhat of a recurring theme, and while users may not have found issues with last month's refresh, the v1.7 isn't as kind. Reportedly, the latest update enables the PS3 "to play PSOne titles that are already saved on your PSP," but numerous sources are suggesting that the feature, um, doesn't work. On a lighter note, PSOne and PS2 dual shock controllers will now shake, rattle, 'n rumble when connected to your PS3, and those with PSPs sitting around can also hit up v3.4 (required for the PSP-to-PS3 playback) on their handheld machine. So, dearest readers, we'll point the question at you: is your recently update PS3 playing nice with those PSOne selections?[Via Joystiq, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
