MW3 Console Players Have Crashtastic Time Of It

[qubit]

While the Modern Warfare 3 launch has got off pretty smoothly overall with few technical glitches and made Activision a shed-load of money, it seems that some XBOX 360 players are not so lucky. g4tv.com reports that there is a "A 14-page thread on Xbox.com points to multiple XBOX 360 gamers getting similar disc read errors from the game." The general symptoms seem to be that the console will either not read the disc at all, or starts, but then falls over flat on its face with an ungainly crash a little while later. While many posters have suggested solutions, there doesn't appear to be a definitive fix. Therefore, the best course of action for this problem is to return the disc to the retailer and ask for a replacement.

Finally, If you're a console gamer, then this of course serves you right for not being a PC gamer and enjoying the benefit of superior hardware. It should also be noted that the PC version comes as a download on the Steam online network. This eliminates any DVD read issues as there's no DVD (the installation disc in the retail version can be ignored) and also greatly improves loading times both at the start and during level changes, since it loads from the hard disc.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[qubit]

Thanks to Cold Storm for the lead (a PC gamer, of course).

 

[erocker]

The editorial button is missing.

While the Modern Warfare 3 launch has got off pretty smoothly overall with few technical glitches and made Activision a shed-load of money, it seems that some XBOX 360 players are not so lucky. g4tv.com reports that there is a "A 14-page thread on Xbox.com points to multiple XBOX 360 gamers getting similar disc read errors from the game." The general symptoms seem to be that the console will either not read the disc at all, or starts, but then falls over flat on its face with an ungainly crash a little while later. While many posters have suggested solutions, there doesn't appear to be a definitive fix.

Fixed.

 

[JATownes]

Finally, If you're a console gamer, then this of course serves you right for not being a PC gamer and enjoying the benefit of superior hardware.

 

[Completely Bonkers]

Finally, If you're a console gamer, then this of course serves you right for not being a PC gamer and enjoying the benefit of superior hardware

+1, news stories are all the better when a little editorial comment, and insight, are added

 

[qubit]

+1, news stories are all the better when a little editorial comment, and insight, are added

Thanks buddy. I just luurve humour, especially the ironic, sarcastic type.

And having a cheap tongue-in-cheek dig at console gamers on a PC gaming centric site is especially funny, lol. Console gamers, ya know I luvs ya really.

Heck, I even don't dislike owners of the Apple religion, although Mac users tend to incur my disdain a little bit.

Fixed.

tsk erocker, you missed this bit from your quote:

Therefore, the best course of action for this problem is to return the disc to the retailer and ask for a replacement.

qubit sulks in the corner, all miffed and won't come out to play.

 

[MilkyWay]

That's not sarcasm, its troll bait!!! lol

 

[erocker]

Oops. If you forgive me, I'll forgive you for injecting more opinion into news. Doesn't mean I like it though.

I know that disc problems have happened with some games on consoles, nothing as big as MW3 though.

 

[xBruce88x]

If I had a copy on 360, I'd probably install it to HDD first... If it let me. If not, I'd get another copy via exchange and try again. When I had my 360 working (its a red ring brick now) I installed the games I played most. Yea you still need the disk, but its mostly for a cd check (i think).

 

[qubit]

Oops. If you forgive me, I'll forgive you for injecting more opinion into news. Doesn't mean I like it though.

I know that disc problems have happened with some games on consoles, nothing as big as MW3 though.

Forgive huh? Nothing to forgive, yo is good!

If you think this is bad, you should see the gags that I subject my friends and work colleagues with in Real Life!

A story like this is just begging for it. Begging!

 

[MilkyWay]

Yes you need the disk in the drive even if its installed. Some games cache better when not installed and some load faster when installed.

 

[erocker]

Forgive huh? Nothing to forgive, yo is good!

If you think this is bad, you should see the gags that I subject my friends and work colleagues with in Real Life!

A story like this is just begging for it. Begging!

Ha! I've shown more restraint on TPU then anywhere else in my life. I wonder how big this problem is though. Often, I've seen the issues coming from the DVD drives that are just slightly off. On my old used Xbox 360 I had to adjust/callibrate the position of the laser to get one or two games to work. Once it was done it worked fine. The lasers can get knocked out of whack a little if the Xbox is mistreated a little.

 

[cadaveca]

For the number of discs sold, I don't see it as a big deal at all. Would be nice if it were perfect, but it's not like EVERY copy is broken.

 

[qubit]

Ha! I've shown more restraint on TPU then anywhere else in my life. I wonder how big this problem is though. Often, I've seen the issues coming from the DVD drives that are just slightly off. On my old used Xbox 360 I had to adjust/callibrate the position of the laser to get one or two games to work. Once it was done it worked fine. The lasers can get knocked out of whack a little if the Xbox is mistreated a little.

Yes, I remember the news articles on the scratchy drives. Could well be something similar, but as it's such a long time later, it doesn't seem all that likely. I reckon it's just a bad batch of discs. Also, I didn't say it in the story, but a lot of people are pig ignorant and thick when it comes to handling delicate technology. They'll put their grubby paws all over the discs and then bump and knock their machines while the drives are spinning. No wonder they malfunction.
Now, about those bad discs...

For the number of discs sold, I don't see it as a big deal at all. Would be nice if it were perfect, but it's not like EVERY copy is broken.

Yeah, again I couldn't justify putting this in the story, because it's not all that likely, but it does make you wonder if some of these dodgy discs have come from that 'heist' we reported on the other day.

You're right, the issue might be magnified due to the sheer volume of sales.

 

[xBruce88x]

... i wonder how many of the discs that have read errors are the batch that got stolen...

edit: qubit beat me to it lol

 

[DaJMasta]

I'm not posting this to start something, but I feel it should be said.

I've been coming to TPU for years for tech news from a relatively neutral source - accurate information, little editorial comment, and some less-than-usual hardware stores.

Ever since qubit began posting news items, I've gotten a distinct feeling from most of the ones posted by him (my assumption) don't fit within this news style that I've gotten accustomed to. His posts often include an obvious point of view which denies fair time to the other side, a fair bit of opinion mixed in with the news, and little bits of flamebait like that console vs. PC gamer remark. I actually happen to agree with most of his opinions, but I'm disgusted to see such obvious bias portrayed as neutral or factual news.

I fully understand bias can't be entirely eliminated, but surely we can keep most of the opinion and comment to the comment section and not try to force an opinion on the reader.

I know this post seems flame-baity and I'm sorry for that, but honestly I've wanted to say it for some weeks.

 

[qubit]

I'm not posting this to start something, but I feel it should be said.

I've been coming to TPU for years for tech news from a relatively neutral source - accurate information, little editorial comment, and some less-than-usual hardware stores.

Ever since qubit began posting news items, I've gotten a distinct feeling from most of the ones posted by him (my assumption) don't fit within this news style that I've gotten accustomed to. His posts often include an obvious point of view which denies fair time to the other side, a fair bit of opinion mixed in with the news, and little bits of flamebait like that console vs. PC gamer remark. I actually happen to agree with most of his opinions, but I'm disgusted to see such obvious bias portrayed as neutral or factual news.

I fully understand bias can't be entirely eliminated, but surely we can keep most of the opinion and comment to the comment section and not try to force an opinion on the reader.

I know this post seems flame-baity and I'm sorry for that, but honestly I've wanted to say it for some weeks.

I don't agree with you, but I appreciate you're trying to make constructive criticism and have therefore thanked you.

I dunno if you've seen me say this in other posts, but I don't believe in doing Bland and Boring(tm) news (see I'm doing it right here, lol). You can get that at any number of sites out there. My commentary is most decidedly not objective and generally adds lots of ironic, cheeky humour, such as in this article (and sometimes a real dig at horrible companies like Rambus, yesterday). This creates the Marmite Situation, where a reader will either love it or hate it.

If you want to carry on this conversation in the comments section or in PM, you're most welcome.

 

[devguy]

Put the news (bland/boring as it may be) inside a quote tag. Put your personal take/editorial underneath it. Just don't mix them. Alternatively, put the news in the OP, and then immediately put a follow up post with your take in it.

Just an idea. At least the bias isn't as bad as it is over at Fudzilla (which is still humorous to read their views on the "job's mob").

 

[csendesmark]

Playing FPS games on console? ---> Ha-ha

 

[CDdude55]

My brothers been playing MW3 on 360, no issues.

My opinion on opinions in news articles:

Spoiler

I both agree and disagree about injecting ones own comments into news articles, on one side i hate it mainly because it starts other arguments and i feel when a news poster posts, they're representing everyone with what's on the front page. That's one thing that i think HardOCP is terrible with, because on the top right corner they consistently put stupid little quips i disagree with most of the time.( at one point it was either Kyle whining because RAGE doesn't push his free hardware or just bashing a game they personally found not fun.)

But on the other side i like it because it does give some personality to the news and i like jokes. Humor helps keep things from getting stale so sometimes it's very refreshing to see an article that isn't just marketing quotes from developers/manufactures/websites

 

[wickerman]

so MW3 gets all the marketing hype, but turns out just to be a slightly better version of MW2, PC gamers get a blurry mess of a screen that feels a decade old and no "elite" features, xbox gamers cant play, and ps3 gamers get the worst of it all...they actually get to play MW3. My heart goes out to them and I will personally be setting up a charity fund that will - with the generous help of all of you - buy them a decent game like BF3.

But on a serious note, read errors and the like are the main reason I switched over to digital media. The idea that services like steam would allow me to preload the game, download it to any pc I may be using, and not require me to keep track of cd keys or a physical disk...well that was all just great news to me. I of course know the downsides, such as not being able to resell my old games. But after having 2 or 3 defective disks and having to jump through hoops with tech support and having to wait 2 weeks for a replacement, or having to argue in Best Buy where they accused me of copying the disk "because it was opened"...enough was enough and frankly the only reason I have a optical disk reader these days is just to install windows. Other than that and the occasional burning of a disk for backups or family photos, I don't think I'll ever need optical media again.

 

[[H]@RD5TUFF]

Glad for once consoles get some troubles

 

[qubit]

Glad for once consoles get some troubles

Yeah, feels like payback, dunnit?

 

[wolf]

Finally, If you're a console gamer, then this of course serves you right for not being a PC gamer and enjoying the benefit of superior hardware

Definitely a Marmite situation, and I love it! obviously there is a line but I am sure either qubit will know if he is about to cross it or another editor will jump on it asap.

As for this specific comment, we are a tech site, always following the latest and greatest hardware, that 95%+ of the time is for our PC's, and has little-to-nothing directly to do with consoles themselves. The statement, while bias and cheeky as hell, has a lot of truth to it IMO.

 

[ice_v]

Glad for once consoles get some troubles

Yeah, feels like payback, dunnit?

the ultimate payback would be some kinda "leaked" hack for the ps3 that would grant you full control of the console with an easy intallation, simple as updating it from a usb dongle, but it would allow you to play pirated games undetected by Sony's servers...I think that would literally scare the s**t out of the SH's, for any futute projects on Sony's console, and possibly make them reconsider that PC market they abandoned long time ago...

ps. I know, I know...my dreams are weird