Take 2 US support is currently sending the following email out to those PlayStation 3 owners suffering problems running GTA IV.
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Hello
There is an issue with the launch edition of the PS3 and this game, the game was checked over and passed as 100% compatible with the current version of the PS3, of course the earlier version has custom chips which mean that it is a very different animal from the current PS3 on sale.
Sony are aware of this difference and are looking into producing a new firmware just for the earlier version of the PS3.
Kind Regards
2K games Tech Support
There is an issue with the launch edition of the PS3 and this game, the game was checked over and passed as 100% compatible with the current version of the PS3, of course the earlier version has custom chips which mean that it is a very different animal from the current PS3 on sale.
Sony are aware of this difference and are looking into producing a new firmware just for the earlier version of the PS3.
Kind Regards
2K games Tech Support