Skyrim’s PS3 game save file problems after 6MB – Game breaking or not?


Well, would you believe it? After informing you about major texture issues with the Xbox 360 version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim depending on whether the game was installed to the HDD or not, it has now been confirmed that the PS3 version has been deemed ‘unplayable’ due to a new problem.

This problem is arguably more serious than the texture issues as well, as multiple sources combined with thousands of PS3 owners are complaining that the game becomes unplayable as a gradual process, when the PS3 game save file passes the 6MB mark.

When this moment occurs, PS3 gamers have noticed considerable lag, framerate and also screen tearing issues which obviously is a major sign of frustration during random fight scenes throughout the game.

As you can imagine, such uproar has prompted Bethesda to react, and the only information they are giving out, is that it will be fixed up by the time their patch update hits all platforms. Here’s a heated exchange between one PS3 user and Bethesda head Pete Hines:

”PunchintheFace – @dcdeacon @elderscrolls @bethblog When do we hear about the QA team being fired for this ps3 disaster? #launchabrokengame #skyrim #bethesda

DCDeacon Pete Hines
@PunchintheFace We’ve said repeatedly we are working on an update to fix issues for any/all platforms. That’s all I can tell you right now.”

Another alternative that Bethesda has recommended to those that are having problems with Skyrim, is to fill out an e-form on their support website. As you can see above though, fans have preferred to bomb Hine’s Twitter account with complaints instead in hope of a quick fix.


Video game publisher Bethesda Softworks has announced that its latest release, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, has managed to sell more than 3.5 million copies across all platforms during its first 48 hours of presence on store shelves.


7 million units of the game have been shipped to retailers during the first week of the title's life, playable on the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360 and the PC.

The launch copies of Skyrim are expected to bring in more than 450 million dollars (333.11 million Euro) in revenue for Bethesda.

More than 280,000 gamers played the PC version of the game at the same time during launch day.

Bethesda has not made it clear whether digitally distributed copies have been included in the sales statistics.

Robert Altman, who is the Chife Executive Officer at ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda, stated, “We are grateful for the fans' response to Skyrim. Todd Howard and his team at Bethesda Game Studios have crafted a very special game. Anticipation for Skyrim has surpassed any game in our company's history, and we are pleased that sales and reviews have reflected the quality and hours of amazing gameplay it provides.”

Success for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was not just commercial as reviewers have almost unanimously praised the game and it has one of the biggest Metacritic average ratings for titles launched during 2011.

The developers at Bethesda have promised to provide support for the game, with a new significant patch expected soon in order to fix the biggest problems that the player base has reported since launch, although the open nature of the game makes it difficult to eliminate all glitches.

This being a Bethesda made game a string of downloadable content will probably be launched starting in early 2012, expanding the game with new quests, new areas and new skills.

I love how every time someone from beth says they will fix it it is followed by a small sort of "disclaimer" if you will of "its a big game and we might not get all the problems".

Which after 3 broken games from them on this engine basically says "enjoy your framerate drops, we all know we cant fix it, couldnt before, cant now."

Finding bugs and glitches in Skyrim seems to be mostly reserved to personal experiences. Sometimes you may do something out of order that results in some future oddities. All in all, Skyrim is by no means as flawed as Fallout: New Vegas.

Via (https://twitter.com/#!/DCDeacon/status/136434967940050944)

Due to the lag problem....because the huge game save file size....i have read that many users included my....after restarting the console will fix temporarily the problem....

We all waiting for future patches folks....Keep in there.....

Thu, Nov 17, 2011 | 15:51 GMT
Skyrim PS3 users experiencing lag, workaround suggested until patch is released

Skyrim players have reported issues with the PS3 version once 5-6MB of stored save data is surpassed, which is apparently causing lag and the inability to interact with NPCs.


According to various forum posts, the issue isn’tt caused by having too many manual game saves, as one save slot can cause the issue as well, since the longer the game is played the larger the stored save file becomes.

Until a fix is issued by Bethesda, which has been working on a patch for various issues on all platforms, users on the forum suggest turning off the autosave feature, and restarting PS3. The later of which seems to help for a few hours at least.


I keep you posted for any news......

Bethesda pledges to fix PS3 Skyrim lag

A bug in the PS3 version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is giving fanatical players grief, but publisher Bethesda is working on a remedy

Gamers playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on the PlayStation 3 console have been lighting up forums with reports of a bug that causes gameplay-destroying lag and plummeting frame-rates. To make matters worse, the bug only kicks in when players have invested 20 or more hours of their time in the game.

The bug arises from what sounds like the most trivial of causes: a design fault which means that save files grow in size enormously as players progress through the game.

Skyrim's open-world nature means that a vast amount of data is accumulated regarding what abilities and objects players have acquired, as well as their movements through the game.

The problem came to light when several players posted about it on publisher Bethesda Softworks' official Skyrim forums. Footage of the glitch has even begun to appear on YouTube.

One of the first people to highlight the issue in the UK was Tim Clark, ex-editor of Official PlayStation Magazine and now editor-in-chief at Future Publishing.

"For the first 20 hours or so the game ran buttery smooth, and I was ready to lay my Game of the Year garland on its head," Clark says. "Then the lag started.

"At first the frame-rate would only get choppy – and we're talking very choppy at times–– after a few hours' play. It also seemed more pronounced in busy town areas, like Whiterun.

"The real worry, though, is that it now seems to be getting worse at a fairly consistent rate. I'm no programmer, but anecdotally the issue seems to be tied to the size of the game save, which creeps up as you play and save."

Those who have posted about the problem report that the lag kicks in when the size of the game-save rises above 5Mb. Already, people have been trying out workarounds.

"In classic The IT Crowd style, switching it off and on again seemed to work initially," says Clark. "But after a while the choppiness would return.

"From speaking to colleagues and reading through the threads, it appears that the on/off trick becomes less effective as the save file keeps growing. Switching off all the autosave mechanisms also helps, and oddly 'waiting' (ie, advancing the clock) in the same area will sometimes reduce the file size a little.

"However, note that deleting multiple saves has no impact. Even if you run a single save, it will keep expanding in size and it's that which people are blaming for the problem, having had similar troubles with Fallout 3 previously."

Pete Hines, vice-president of marketing at Bethesda, is adamant that the problem must involve factors other than save-file size.

"Most users aren't experiencing these kind of issues on the PS3," he says. "We are investigating the issue further as to why some folks are seeing this."

Hines tweeted that Bethesda was working on a patch to fix the lag issue.

One possible reason for the problem, which has been the subject of much debate on the forums, could be the type of PS3 on which people are playing the game.

Sony sold different versions of the original PS3, with various hard disk sizes, and the revised Slim version now on sale also comes with a variety of hard disks.

If you encounter the problem while playing Skyrim, your best bet is to head for the official Bethesda forum for the PS3 version of the game.

It's safe to say that Bethesda will swiftly get to grips with the problem and fix it with a downloadable patch, but it rather takes the gloss off a phenomenally successful launch period for the game – Bethesda has already shipped a staggering 7millions copies worldwide.

"It simply has to be patched," says Clark. "The numbers Skyrim has already sold are incredible, and it's clearly a wonderful game when it works. Again: I would've said game of the year by a mile before the lag kicked in."

Did you write this yourself? Where is the source?


LOL "Fanatical players"


And the problem is simple, memory leaks, lots and lots of memory leaks.

source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2011/nov/18/elder-scrolls-skyrim-ps3-problems

I don't write anything from myself....it's obvious isn't....lol

I'm at a save file size of 5800KB and haven't experienced framerate problem as of yet, a little staggers here and there but nothing unnatural of a game this size and the same performance as I started the game. I never downloaded the 'Day-One Patch'. Could that patch have caused this? I hope when I play this weekend and I get over that 6MB hump it doesn't start doing this.

Mine is 4900kb 18 hours in....not any real problems so far....waiting for patch fixes....

SKYRIM: Quick Fix For PS3 Lag Problem

November 18, 2011 9:51 am

Regardless of how high the review scores have been for Bethesda’s sprawling fantasy RPG Skyrim, you can’t seem to move at the minute for disgruntled gamers complaining about the game being fundamentally broken. We already know that the developers are currently working on a solution patch, but as Pete Hines – the marketing boss at the company – has been tweeting, these things take time, no matter how eager everyone is for the fix.

One of the most prevalent problems is specifically frustrating PS3 users, who will be finding that progress (and increased save file size) means a consequent drop in game performance. The drop in frame rate and general slow down is explained by the fact that Skyrim doesn’t reload the world as frequently as earlier Elder Scrolls titles did – which seems a fairly simple oversight – meaning the game has to track every single item and activity for longer. That translates as too high RAM use, as the game struggles to remember everything it is being asked to, and slows down as a result.

The problem is not without possible solutions, while we wait for the patch, and the best seems to be a simple matter of regularly saving and reloading. This is admittedly not ideal, since it means frequently stop-starting, and it won’t solve any other problems, but it is a compromise that will facilitate an eased burden for the game, and increased performance for the player.

So rather than racking up continuous hours of exploring, collecting and combat, take a more episodic approach: whenever you come across a natural pause point take advantage by saving, quitting and reloading your game. This will effectively reset all of the game’s duties, and how much data it is being forced to actively manage, and allow it the freedom to concentrate on more fundamental things like performing at the promised standard.

It is frustrating to have to treat a game like some sort of injured elderly relative, considering how far technology has advanced the gaming world, but sacrifices must be made until Bethesda get the patch out.

Mark, whilst I applaud you doing your best to catch every story about this problem, can you start putting links to the sources of all these news items on the same post as you put them on please? Its really frustrating to just read them with no indication of who said them or where. We need verification they come from credible game industry/media sources. Just a link, at the bottom of each post you do when you discover a news story will help.

Thanks

List of Skyrim problems on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC

By: Alan Ng | November 18, 2011

After the enormous hype and the amazing reviews for Bethesda’s latest Elder Scrolls game, it seems as if Skyrim is now under considerable spotlight for all the wrong reasons, mainly due to there being problems on all platforms of the game.

If you haven’t played Skyrim yet, you may be surprised to see the amount of negativity towards the game at the moment, which is clearly a big shame as it ultimately shifts focus away from what obviously is one of the best games of the year.

The infamous curse of Bethesda games seems to be valid for Skyrim once again though, as just like Oblivion, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, the game is prone to some serious issues, and surprisingly these are evident on all three platforms of the game.

For the PS3 version, a huge problem has developed in the fact that the game will suffer from periods of lag and unstability whenever the game save file surpasses the 6MB mark. This isn’t just a minor problem either, as it looks to be a worldwide issue – evident in the fact that it’s been reported by all the major game websites.

As for the Xbox 360, there too is problems with the game and it is a problem which will probably frustrate Bethesda’s key figures who had trust in their Q&A team to deliver a game without any major hitches. However, it appears that just installing the game to the Xbox 360 HDD results in horrible texture and graphical problems for users, although this can be quickly rectified by just playing the game straight from the disc – it’s not ideal though forcing this upon gamers.

Even the PC version has come in for criticism, as although it is the favored platform for a big majority thanks to its mod support, a lot of PC gamers are angry at Bethesda for ‘porting’ the game to PC with the console UI, a UI which many even going as far to saying that it’s an ‘unplayable mess’. Thankfully, PC gamers will probably be able to instead some mods which improve the UI, so in this respect it cannot really be deemed too serious as the PS3 issue for example.

Those are the three main problems on all three platforms of the game, but have you spotted anything else wrong with Skyrim? If so, list your problem and the platform that it is occuring on. We’ll let you know when this highly anticipated patch update is out. Hopefully then, we’ll all be able to get back to enjoying Skyrim the way it should be enjoyed since it is a fantastic adventure that nobody should miss out on.

and the website this came from is???

http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/11/18/list-of-skyrim-problems-on-xbox-360-ps3-and-pc/

i will put for now on and the links...ok no big deal.....

Could you please stop posting articles in whole and just post the link? Mods...

ok trash the thread...i will don't ever posting anything...else....

google yourself guys...after all my game works fine............end of log...........

Please continue posting, its very useful with someone looking around and posting here!

OK posting it is then....

Very helpful, thank you. Don't be upset by the trolls, who are only encouraging the game to not be fixed. The more gaming communities become aware of this issue, the harder Bethesda will work to fix these issues.

Ofcourse their strategy may just be to get all the PS3 users to buy PC or Xbox discs to replace their coasters. Went into gamestop today, and they wont even buy my PS3 version or take for trade in.

I find it weird that I have an old 80gb ps3 and have no issues. The only lag I get is if I am fighting a dragon and even then its very minimal. My save file is 9000kb and I am 36 hours into the game. I did get lag when I would enter a city and the autosave funtion was turned on, but since I dont use autosave anymore its turned off and no more lag in cities. Also I have had no crashes.

I have seen some weird things, like when NPC's are chopping wood the actual pieces of lumber are stuck to the hilt of the axe.

The biggest bug I have seen is just some textures taking too long to load.

Examples

When using a weapon that is enchanted with frost, when attacking the frost that shows on the enemy is blurry and has very bad textures.

NPC's in cities take a long time to load thier clothing textures sometimes

If I get to close to a dragon I can see the inside of its head.

When running through the tundra I get long load time on detailed plants and bushes, they just pop up.

I dont know if all this is normal, just though I would share

I did this very thing, and got nothing more than a canned email response offering a possible solution that didn;t amount to crap.

here's the response I got back:

68 hours so far 9648kb... game so laggy after few minutes of play time... restart, the smoothness last another few minutes. when it was around 5mb restarting does help for a few hours, but now its not worth restarting :/

I just called Gamestop and they told me that they would trade my PS3 copy for the Xbox360 copy. Spoke with the manager.

Wish mine did, been going there for years, and they said sadly they couldn't do that, they have treated me so good up to this point .... But I understand, I wish they could help but figure they wouldn't.