Crackdown DLC problems

By Robert Purchese Published 14 May, 2007

Saved games disappearing.

The latest Crackdown downloadable content included a bug that's been responsible for resetting saved game files.

No solution has yet been found, but developer Realtime Worlds has assured us that it's being worked on.

"We are aware that the recently released Crackdown DLC is causing some gamers to experience a reset of their saved games when they engage in co-op play," said the developer in the official forum. "The team is working extremely hard to identify the issue and has provided steps to avoid the problem."

The errors arose when players installed the new content and joined or hosted an online co-op game immediately afterwards. And if you're one of those who's already experienced this, then it's unlikely you'll get your saved files back.

However, Realtime Worlds has offered advice on what to do to avoid the problem. After downloading the update and one or more of the content packs, simply play a solo campaign and move somewhere in the world (into the Agency garage or onto the other side of a supply point).

Pause the game and then quit, and it will automatically save your progress. You'll then be free to hop online and play until your heart's content. But be sure that whoever you're playing with on Live has done the same thing, otherwise you'll still be at risk.

The updates were added late last week. Alongside a host of game tweaks were two new content packs: "Getting Busy" for 800 points and "Free-For-All" for nothing. They added new weapons, vehicles, game types, cheat modes, super-powers and more to the already heady-blend of action.

You can read a full list of Crackdown DLC additions elsewhere on Eurogamer.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (27) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • rodpad #1 5 years ago

    Surely there should be some kind of compensation for this? At least the addon should become free to those who've had their many hours of work wiped?

  • Nillsens #2 5 years ago

    *sigh*

    What is it about DLC mucking up your 360? The whammy bar patch for Guitar Hero II, the pre-DLC patch for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and now this. You would think these things would be tested more thouroughly.

    Thankfully I was only busted by the M:UA patch. It screwed up all my items forcing me to start over...

  • Peew971 #3 5 years ago

    I'm one lucky man. I did exactly that (download and immediately play co-op) and didn't loose my saves. Now they're copied to a MU just in case :)

  • Bulbatron #4 5 years ago

    I'd better avoid playing anybody online until a patch is released then. I hardly ever do that though and my online settings are set to invite only. I've only played in solo campaign so far since getting all the new content and the title update and I haven't had any problems so far.

  • Darren #5 5 years ago

    Hmmm, I have to ask this but does anyone actually beta test these downloads before they make them available to the public...? First we had Shivering Isles with its FormID bug and now this... it's just not good enough in my opinion... people play these and discover the issues within days if not hours so how on earth do the developers/testers miss them?!? The Xbox 360 has *fixed* hardware so there's no excuse really unlike on a PC... :?

  • gizmo #6 5 years ago

    Never install the first version of a microsoft product. Looks like it's the same with their games consoles. Still pissed with them for not repairing my launch 360 after the spring update red-lighted it.

  • kissthestick #7 5 years ago

    more faulty XBL DLC?

    *sigh*

  • The-Bodybuilder #8 5 years ago

    patches for me,
    patches for you,
    I'll have a patch,
    you'll have one too.

  • speedjack #9 5 years ago

    Eh ?!

    Apart from Oblivion I'm struggling to think of any other XBL DLC with similar problems.


  • geepersd #10 5 years ago

    the DLC wasn't the problem - it was the title update, and as far as I can see if you've saved in single player once after downloading it and the DLC then any co-op after should be fine to not wipe saves.

  • login_name #11 5 years ago

    It's kinda shoddy and there's no excuse for letting this one slip. It has something to do with the 'required' update, according to Realtime Worlds, and not the DLC, which in my opinion makes it even worse. This happened to a friend of mine within minutes of downloading. He joined my game to check out the new stuff, logged out, started a solo game and boom, no stats or orbs. A simple test that both the dev's and Microsoft's QA department should have found. This is what happens when you view QA as a monkey's job and treat it as such. I can not stress enough the importance of a good QA team.

  • Aretak #12 5 years ago

    It's odd, as Microsoft's QA testing, for Live Arcade at least, is supposed to be extremely hard to pass.

  • the_dudefather #13 5 years ago

    happened to me, a real shame, but even I think a refund wouldn't be appropriate, mainly as you will get loads of people who don't mind starting again (or who have barley started) exploiting the glitches to get a free pack, it may even be incredibly difficult to even tell if its happened to someone (outside of taking their word for it)

    make the next DLC free/ cheaper and we will call it quits RTW :p

  • Tonka #14 5 years ago

    What I love about MS is their knowledge in software. They have delivered an easy to use environment for developers the world over.

    Foolproof one could say

  • gamingdave #15 5 years ago

    I lost my save on Friday afternoon, guess I was one of the first. It didn't actually wipe it but totally corrupted it. I tried to continue, and at first everything was reset, I exited and reloaded, this time all my agilities were reset, but the boss that Id beaten were marked as completed. In the end I had to totally wipe the profile from the HD and start completely again.

    I've managed to get back to nearly where I was, after a lot of play over the weekend, but I'm very disappointed with Microsoft/Realtime Worlds. To not think many people would download the content and play straight away is either naive or stupid. Any test case should surely have checked combinations of users, with different content packs playing together, and this would include those who had just downloaded the software.

    Considering the updates are automatic, its not unreasonable to think people will download and play straight away, after all you've just loaded the game to play it. And as the new DLC could be "tested" before purchase by playing other people in co-op, in fact this was a highlighted "feature", how could they not imagine people would download it and play co-op straight away, without loading there solo game.

    Id love compensation, but see no way they could tell who had been affected, Id rather they just test these things first in the future. Whilst I appreciate they are probably working hard to sort this out now, it would be good if someone asked them how this slipped through testing like this.

  • Rirekon #16 5 years ago

    Too those people throwing out comments like "we found the bug, why didn't you?" please consider the following:

    20 testers working 40 hours a week for 3 months (reasonable values, if not slightly generous) is equal to 9,600 hours of testing.
    Now if we assume that only 9,600 people downloaded the content then in 1 hour of game play they'll have equalled the time of that testing team. Extend this to say 38,400 people and they've done the same in 15 minutes.

    Yes it sucks if you've been caught by the bug, but if any of you ever get to see a beta bug list for a game you'll realise the testers weren't sat on their arses. Things slip through occasionally, and the developer has apologised and is working to fix it.

    I'll let the ensuing flames run, I can't be bothered if this doesn't sink in.

  • Sparc #17 5 years ago

    The problem is not in the DLC. The problem was with the automatic update which was applied. Therefore even if you didn't download the DLC you will still run the risk of this problem if you updated Crackdown over Live.

  • trevd72 #18 5 years ago

    luckily i have not played this in a while but if I had and all that work was gone I would just sell up and move on, I am not one for repeat play.

  • SBfistfun #19 5 years ago

    lol

    pwnd

  • gamingdave #20 5 years ago

    Rirekon, I see your point and its valid, but the time spent testing isn't the issue, its what was tested.

    We are not talking about bugs under bizarre conditions, that testers couldn't be expected to find. This is something very simple, and should have been one of the first tests.

    They have a new upgrade, that's required. The game has 2 modes of play, offline and online. They should have assumed many people would download the update and start playing straight away. In fact who would start the game, grab the update and NOT play straight away, that's why you loaded it. They must also assume many people would be playing co-op. Therefore they really should have tested those conditions, but it seems that they haven't, at least not adequately.

    I've been involved in rigorous testing before, for gambling products, and whilst occasionally a rare condition slips through the obvious ones should all be found. IE those that occur when people use the product in the normal way it was intended to be used.

  • gizmo #21 5 years ago

    @Rirekon;

    In 9600 hours of testing, no-one downloaded the patch and played co-op? ;)

    It's not like it was a complex sequence of events that cause it.

    Methinks they were playing with the harpoon gun for 9599 hours of that. Mind you, that would have still given them an hour to find this simple bug.

  • mandableman #22 5 years ago

    Well, in a way i am relieved! This happened to me and I did exactly what this article says not to, straight into co-op and the next day when i loaded all my hard won abilities had been re-set.

    But at least through reading this I know it wasnt my fault, i was a little drunk at the time and thought i had switched off while saving or something.

    Now I am working my way back up and to be honest, im enjoying it, especially with all the new weapons and vehicles making it a little easier.

    Ok it is bad this wasn't spotted but personaly, running around getting agility orbs again is just a blast, maybe im a masochist!

    See you all on wed for the beta

  • MikkyX #23 5 years ago

    Has the probability indicator you get when you find a kingpin / general started appearing off the bottom right hand corner of the screen for anyone else? Not that I paid any attention to it ANYWAY but it's bloody annoying having it overlaid on my ammo display whenever it pops up.

  • IAmBatman #24 5 years ago

    MikkyX - yeah, that happens for me too. at first i thought they'd just taken it out.

  • Darren #25 5 years ago

    I'm really glad I back up my save games to a memory unit at least once or twice a week, as I'd suggest everyone does anyway, because it means if something like this does happen then at least I won't have lost everything.

  • Paulanator #26 5 years ago

    @MikkyX and IAmBatman

    Yeah, the same thing is happening to me. Must be one of the many bugs that people are finding with the update and DLC.

    Hopefully a patch is on the way.

  • smelly #27 5 years ago

    "patches for me,
    patches for you,
    I'll have a patch,
    you'll have one too."


    That actually made me giggle.