I really wanted to play the first game through properly, Fallout 3 had so much potential for PC users, however like for so many wretched gamers the CTDs rendered the game literally unplayable. At first they were random but as the game progressed it became painfully clear that the game would constantly crash at specific points, which is particularly bad when they occur at unavoidable locations (i,e the only exit from the sewer system). But any way, fast forward to New Vegas:

I naively hoped that the newest Fallout title would have been tested more thoroughly, with the CTD bugs long fixed...............how wrong I was. You know how Bethesda stopped supporting Fallout 3 for the PC aaaaaages ago, is that going to happen with new vegas too? Also, are PC users destined to blow money on your unplayable games ad infinitum? I really don't wish to sound like another whingey keyboard warrior, but I am really quite angry, that's two games in a row which are totally unplayable. The thing is my computers easily match the required specifications which sure as hell makes it tricky for me to claim a refund at a bog standard high-street retailer.

Will I have to weep rivers of tears for Bethesda to remedy my sore anus?

I feel your pain (not the anus pain, but the general pain).

Hmm .. I should've put more thought into that sentence ..

I too have experienced these problems. It started off ok and managed to play for about 2 hours without any problems, I even got my hopes up that this time the game had been done properly. How ever this fantasy ended when I tried purchasing something from a trader, as soon as I clicked accept my game crashed to desktop. I gave the game a chance just in case it was a random crash, but no each time i tried to purchase off the trader it crashed to desktop. I have also had this problem when trying to talk to people in missions, making the game unplayable because I can not progress any further. The problem was never sorted out for fallout 3 and i'm not about to get my hopes up for this game either.

I've got some vaseline if you're experiencing similar problems around the rectal region? I mean like i've got this white powder which I snort some times and it sure helps take the pain away, but the physical damage is somewhat permanent, and the memory thus imprinted on me for eternity. I've taken a few shaftings in my time but not one this significant, I'm still finding Bethesda's seman in my underwear days later.

I've got some vaseline if you're experiencing similar problems around the rectal region? I mean like i've got this white powder which I snort some times and it sure helps take the pain away, but the physical damage is somewhat permanent, and the memory thus imprinted on me for eternity. I've taken a few shaftings in my time but not one this significant, I'm still finding Bethesda's seman in my underwear days later.

I preordered this game, preloaded it, and have yet to play a single second of it. I can see the intro video but as soon as the "game" proper is about to start I get "FalloutNV has stopped working". Reliable crash to desktop every single time. I'm actually getting annoyed now, a week after release.

As a test, I reinstalled Fallout 3 (hadn't played it since before I got my shiny new Windows 7 computer), and it crashes too. I'd say it was my machine, but I have dozens of games (from the very old to current titles) that say otherwise.

I sure hope they fix it... what I've seen of the game looks like fun.