Bully 360 Fix Coming [Archive]

bapenguin

03-07-2008, 11:40 AM

Some of you that picked up Bully: Scholarship Edition on the Xbox 360 may notice some slowdowns, glitches and other lockups. Somehow they slipped the QA process and only affect certain Xbox 360s. For those of you with a problem, a fix is on the way - and fairly quickly.
We are very aware of the problems some people have been experiencing with the Xbox 360 version of Bully: Scholarship Edition and have been doing everything within our powers to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. We will be releasing a title update through Xbox Live within the next week that we are confident will rectify the problem. We apologize wholeheartedly for the inconvenience that this matter has caused some owners of the game.

I started this last night and didn't have a problem...guess I was lucky.

Philonious

03-07-2008, 11:44 AM

Do we want to poll it? See who has trouble and then look into the idea of older boxes having more problems?

roboninja

03-07-2008, 11:44 AM

Only affect certain 360s? Are they really that much like PCs? ;)

Johan

03-07-2008, 11:50 AM

Bugs I can understand. Bugs on only some 360's but not others? That only seems to point in depressing directions as to why that would be...

The Great Gatsby

03-07-2008, 11:50 AM

Odds are they just didn't slip past QA. More like the production team was aware of them, had a date they wanted to make, and decided to just not fix it.

Beelzebud

03-07-2008, 11:55 AM

Well at least with the 360 you can install your patches, fixes, and firmware updates from the comfort of your couch.

Bingley Joe

03-07-2008, 12:06 PM

I haven't had a single problem so far (*knocks wood*), but it certainly seems like for the folks who do, it pretty much kills any fun.

Hopefully they really can get this fixed. I'd at least like the framerate to take a few large steps toward something smoother..

LongStepMantis

03-07-2008, 12:08 PM

That's too bad.
I really liked this game, and It's unfortunate that the SE version would be the one crippled by bugs.

But how widespread is it? This is the first I've heard about it.

torrefaction

03-07-2008, 12:11 PM

I bet you they screwed up with the hard drive stuff caching. I wouldn't be surprised if only systems without hard drives had problems.

bapenguin

03-07-2008, 12:11 PM

I bet you they screwed up with the hard drive stuff caching. I wouldn't be surprised if only systems without hard drives had problems.

Actually, they stated it was, "older systems"

So I'm really not sure what's different. Who knows.

roboninja

03-07-2008, 12:46 PM

Well at least with the 360 you can install your patches, fixes, and firmware updates from the comfort of your couch.

Well played, good sir.

digitalErich

03-07-2008, 12:51 PM

Well at least with the 360 you can install your patches, fixes, and firmware updates from the comfort of your couch.
This is excellent. I would say sig worthy if I did that sort of thing.

Hugenex

03-07-2008, 01:17 PM

I call it bullshit. I have an Elite and game freezes when controller vibrates too much. I turned vibration off and that seems to be helping.

ElfShotTheFood

03-07-2008, 01:28 PM

Well at least with the 360 you can install your patches, fixes, and firmware updates from the comfort of your couch.

Nice. :cool:

karak

03-07-2008, 01:29 PM

Man I got lucky and didn't have this. Kudo's for the patch but man console games being patched is just bad news.

Citizen Philip

03-07-2008, 01:30 PM

Only affect certain 360s? Are they really that much like PCs? ;)

*Cough* Must be online to update with a patch. *Cough*

*Mutter* Too bad this isn't the first time. *Mutter*

*snort* Not that this won't stop them from saying it only happens on PCs. *snort*

Bingley Joe

03-07-2008, 01:38 PM

I bet you they screwed up with the hard drive stuff caching. I wouldn't be surprised if only systems without hard drives had problems.

Actually, you might be partly right... I've heard of a number of people who have eliminated the crashing problem by switching their storage device preferences from the hard drive to a memory card.

Obviously they all have hard drives though..

BabyJesus

03-07-2008, 02:23 PM

There is probably some slightly different controller chip somewhere in the different iterations of the 360 that they have to code a specific way to maintain compatibility. There have been a number of small board revisions to the 360, just like any mass produced gaming system.

I would compare it to some of the old PS2 games that had issues on the SLIM models.

EvoG

03-07-2008, 02:28 PM

Just got my copy...will play tonight. Curious to those that have had "no problems", how old are your machines?

As I say this, I'm knocking on wood, but I have a day one machine and its has literally froze maybe three times...if more not much more...single digits. *crosses fingers*

Intruder

03-07-2008, 02:40 PM

Jan 07 Produced 360, I have FPS issues, and sounds stuttering sometimes.

Mortis

03-07-2008, 02:44 PM

Rockstar has since released a statement that the game’s technical issues come from some disparity between the debug Xbox 360 units used during the development process and the actual retail Xbox 360s that people play their games on.

Saw this at www.giantbomb.com

Xijar

03-07-2008, 03:30 PM

Runs fine on my launch 360. Just another excuse for haters to pointlessly bash the 360.

Magnanimous Gnome

03-07-2008, 04:11 PM

Wilkz07

03-07-2008, 05:31 PM

Got my first freeze up. Happened in Chapter 2 after helping algie get his pages back. i had done a bunch of stuff before that mission so i'm boned and have to do it all again.

Vanthar

03-07-2008, 05:52 PM

Runs fine on my launch 360. Just another excuse for haters to pointlessly bash the 360.

Is this a joke? lol..

mister_slim

03-07-2008, 06:05 PM

Is this a joke? lol..

Yeah, I would think when Rockstar admits there's a problem it's time to stop claiming there isn't one.

torrefaction

03-07-2008, 06:13 PM

Yeah, I would think when Rockstar admits there's a problem it's time to stop claiming there isn't one.

I just burned you so bad in the doom thread.

So bad.

TrackZero

03-07-2008, 06:32 PM

Good stuff. I've got LO to keep me busy until the patch.

What in gods name changed between the early 360s and the new ones to affect performance though?

Uniqueusername

03-07-2008, 06:46 PM

I have a newer 360, and I get lock-ups. :(

This is not a 360 problem, it's a crappy Rockstar QA problem.

If they only tested it on debug consoles, they have a seriously weak testing. I hope they fix it soon.

I bet you they screwed up with the hard drive stuff caching. I wouldn't be surprised if only systems without hard drives had problems.
I have a 120GB HDD, and it crashes.

Mr.Green

03-07-2008, 07:17 PM

Yet another example of the greatness that MS has brought to console gaming - patches! :p

Sony and MS are apparently in a race to see who can turn their console into a PC the quickest. Pretty soon I'll just take the hint and go back to PC gaming.

I'm disappointed to hear about these bugs, and I'm glad I'm waiting for a price drop before picking this game up.

Bugged games have always existed. You just couldn't fix them before. I'll give you this though. The testing of a 2Mb Super Nintendo game was probably less prone to errors than what they have to go through nowadays with online features and whatnot.

And it requires as much effort for you to patch the game as answering yes and waiting 5 seconds the next time you play it. It's not perfect but I'd rather live with that than going back to play fucking Donkey Kong.

Xerxes

03-07-2008, 07:20 PM

I'll get it once they fix it then. And it's probably $10 bucks cheaper. :D

Mr.Green

03-07-2008, 07:25 PM

I'll get it once they fix it then. And it's probably $10 bucks cheaper. :D

We will be releasing a title update through Xbox Live within the next week

Riddle me this. :)

Wilkz07

03-07-2008, 07:34 PM

wonder if you could return it to the store considering its game defect? EB would find a loop hole .

Headcase

03-07-2008, 08:04 PM

This would have really sucked if it happened on Wii.

But then again, maybe Rockstar considered that and put in better QA.

I'm guessing not, but that's the only possible way to put positive spin on no patch support. As it is, it's probably just luck, and perhaps the single SKU is also partially to credit.

ElektroDragon

03-07-2008, 10:56 PM

Disgustipated

03-07-2008, 11:48 PM

Great, a fix for a game that is only slightly better than the trash that was Manhunt 2. No, I'm not against video game violence, I'm against dumb crap. I couldn't get this rental out of my 360 fast enough.

You're totally missing the point of Bully. It is an excellent, excellent mash-up of The Warriors and GTA. One of the most underrated games in recent years.

LongStepMantis

03-08-2008, 01:59 AM

You're totally missing the point of Bully. It is an excellent, excellent mash-up of The Warriors and GTA. One of the most underrated games in recent years.

Seconded. The Warriors is also another title I can't praise enough.
The fact that it has co-op just seals it.

If only Bully had inherited that trait. I'm not sure how it would even work, but i want co-op in every game.

Mantooth

03-08-2008, 09:51 AM

I am having a lockup in the same spot. The third gym class, it has locked up twice in a row while trying to complete this. I have a 7/06 360 and I do not have any other issues with it. Glad it is a rental.

Wilkz07

03-08-2008, 10:28 AM

i have also had a freeze issue online with Army of Two (happend in 2 seperate vs matches and once in single player).

anyone else getting freezes on other games? so far its only occured for me on Bully (once) and on Army of Two when connecting to EA servers

SuperMonkeyFighter2

03-08-2008, 11:46 AM

Odds are they just didn't slip past QA. More like the production team was aware of them, had a date they wanted to make, and decided to just not fix it.

How did it make it past Microsoft's QA then?

Uniqueusername

03-08-2008, 02:40 PM

Also- Achievements are borked.

You don't always get ones you earned, so you can be stuck missing the one for 6 classes, but getting both the 3 and 9. Other people report randomly getting achievements they have not earned.

Want to blame that on the console?

Mr.Green

03-09-2008, 09:23 AM

I've put another few hours in it and I still haven't run into any issues yet, besides maybe a little framerate drop in a crowded outdoor area from time to time. Go figure.

The patch will probably break it for me.

GodFather

03-09-2008, 03:08 PM

The older systems line is bullshit, I have a 360 that is 3 months old and Bully has been locking up on me alot...

remember a time when console games werent full of bugs?

Schnoogs

03-09-2008, 03:15 PM

The older systems line is bullshit, I have a 360 that is 3 months old and Bully has been locking up on me alot...

remember a time when console games werent full of bugs?

Games were also vastly smaller and less complex.

EvoG

03-09-2008, 03:17 PM

Gah, Schnoogs beat me to it...

...but yea we're looking at mere fractions of the complexity of todays games...not to mention the complexity of the technology said games are made for.

donkeydrop

03-09-2008, 04:25 PM

Gah, Schnoogs beat me to it...

...but yea we're looking at mere fractions of the complexity of todays games...not to mention the complexity of the technology said games are made for.

The complexity of the game shouldn't matter. Unlike with the PC you have one set of hardware, one set of drivers, and 1000s of hours of testing with that exact configuration. If bugs get through it should be because they are one in a million events that just don't show up in testing. Instead we see widespread problems that cannot be anything but a deliberate choice to knowingly release defective software, and patch later.

Kropotkin

03-09-2008, 04:39 PM

They should recall the game. You cannot release a title then patch it later. We were promised that this sort of crap wouldn't happen but it is! Game's coming out on consoles with internet access and a HD = release now, patch later syndrome.

The fact of the matter is that consoles have a single hardware set up. They are supposed to remain static during their lifetime, that is supposed to be their strength over the PC which changes every 3 months or so.

Despite this developers are now using the release-now-patch-later model which is unacceptable. Just imagine if this game came out on the PS2 in this state? They would have to recall it as there is no way to patch a game on the PS2. But with the XBox 360 you can so they will. Tragic, really tragic.

EvoG

03-09-2008, 05:03 PM

The bugs become increasingly harder to find donkeydrop, due to the complexity of the systems involved and interacting with eachother. Remember this isn't black and white and bug-finding isn't a science...its just beating on a game and trying everything you can do to break it.

Your accusation that pubs release defective software knowingly is a bit tin-foil. No doubt that it has happened in the past, but do you honestly think publishers want to risk their game (or their name) getting a bad rap? Games that 'need' to be out on a certain date, like licenses (and I dont agree with that mentality btw), could perhaps fall into this category, but Bully here for example, could've have just as well fallen back a week or two if indeed the bugs were found. In other words there is no benefit to them meeting the March 5th ship date when you consider the damage that could arguably be done to the products image of quality.

BlackPete

03-09-2008, 05:41 PM

The bugs become increasingly harder to find donkeydrop, due to the complexity of the systems involved and interacting with eachother. Remember this isn't black and white and bug-finding isn't a science...its just beating on a game and trying everything you can do to break it.

The thing is, this was supposed to be the consoles' biggest selling point: A fixed platform which reduces a lot of hardware complexity for you. If a game is still buggy on such a platform, then you have no choice but to lay the responsibility squarely on the publishers and/or developers.

Sure, blame it on poor QA, incredibly complex (software) systems interacting, blah blah blah, but in the end.. it's not the customers who are making the games. They're the ones paying for it, though.

EvoG

03-09-2008, 05:56 PM

Err, isn't the developer/publisher taking responsibility, hence the patch coming out this week? A week from release of the game no less.

What a console offers developers is a single architecture to develop for...that doesn't preclude complexity or difficulty...it simply means that they have a single platform to develop for (unlike PC's). The benefits of course are predictable performance and focused resources, but it doesn't make it any easier to develop games for.

Either way, all I know is so far, I bought 30 games for the 360, 3 for the PS3 :p, 15 for the Wii, 100 for the PS2, 20 for the Dreamcast and hundreds since the Atari 2600, and I don't recall very many times at all where a game was unplayable or broken on release, so your call to arms against shady developers/publishers gets a big "meh" and a shrug from me, sorry.

Mr.Green

03-10-2008, 06:09 AM

PC zealots sing their song whenever a bug shows up on a console game. Life goes on as usual. :)

Devilturnip

03-19-2008, 07:10 AM

Has anyone heard anything about this supposed patch? We're over a week out and I still can't play the game for longer than twenty minutes.

vodka_mike

03-20-2008, 09:39 PM

The complexity of the game shouldn't matter. Unlike with the PC you have one set of hardware, one set of drivers, and 1000s of hours of testing with that exact configuration. If bugs get through it should be because they are one in a million events that just don't show up in testing. Instead we see widespread problems that cannot be anything but a deliberate choice to knowingly release defective software, and patch later.

Agreed.

If you are presented with only 2 configurations to test on (with hard drive and without) you should be able to prevent pervasive-system wide bugs. Anything that affects frame rate, sound stuttering, crashing, etc should have created a red-light bug report that would stop release until fixed. Unless of course a certain struggling studio/publisher that has recently reorganized, is facing a hostile takeover and is very strapped for cash needs to push a title through. So they get some cash flow and made a deal with MS to have it go through in exchange for some 'exclusive' DLC on a big upcoming title.....

just saying. :-)

brokenFUN

03-20-2008, 10:14 PM

I am unfamiliar with the 360 but how exactly do you 360 users obtain the patch?

LongStepMantis

03-20-2008, 10:18 PM

It sucks that so many are having problems with it.

Makes me glad I played it on PS2. Sure, it didn't have achievements, some of the bonus content and lower res graphics...but it worked perfectly from start to finish.

It really is a pretty fun game...as long as it's working.

torrefaction

03-21-2008, 04:39 PM

I am unfamiliar with the 360 but how exactly do you 360 users obtain the patch?

Put in disc. Connect to xbox live.

Done.

92miata

08-28-2008, 05:38 PM

has anybody played this game with the patch? i can purchase this somewhere for 7 bucks for the wii version and 14 for the 360.

i would much rather have it on the 360 because of the higher resolution for my tv, but seems the wii version has no crashing or bugs..

please hurry!!!!!

carnage11

08-28-2008, 08:13 PM

I get some random slowdowns. A couple of times the frame rate dropped pretty low, like 10 fps give or take. No real game killing bugs for me. I just finished it tonight, and have apparently missed some things because I didn't get either MISSION ACCOMPLISHED or PERFECTIONIST. I got a couple of achievements it seems early, but I dunno, like I got SKIDMARK but in my stats it only shows 47 wedgies.

I think the frame rate problems and the few crashes I've seen are due to my shitty disc drive.

Mfr : 06/14/06

disc drive :Toshiba-Samsung

karak

08-28-2008, 08:41 PM

Xerxes

08-28-2008, 08:43 PM

I should reopen the Two Worlds thread to find out if it ever got patched. ^_^

92miata

09-01-2008, 02:14 AM

wow thanks. i still don't know which version but i lean towards the 360. was doing the present my new boy at the chapel this weekend so i will check tomorrow to see which version is still available!!!!!

thanks all.