via arstechnica:

It seems that the PC port of Grand Theft Auto IV is having some problems; the official forums are filled with people suffering from glitches, crashes, and graphical issues. Oh, my. How bad have things gotten? Gamers are reporting that Steam is actually offering refunds on a case-by-case basis.

Gamers were blunt about the refund opportunity. “I asked for one. Frankly, Rockstar was completely misleading in their system recommendations for the game. I’m well above the requirements, yet can’t even run the game on the lowest possible settings. Usually, recommendations are optimistic, not an outright lie. I love Steam, buy a lot of Steam games, and will buy more in the future, so I hope they honor my request,” wrote a frustrated customer.

When the two of the three stickied threads on the forum are “How to get GTAIV running,” and “Missing texture issue,” it’s not a good thing. Luckily gamers seem to be having some luck troubleshooting the various issues between themselves, but do people really want to spend that much time getting a game to work before they can enjoy it?

While Steam is a contentious issue among gamers, this is one of the bigger issues with the service. Even when refunds are offered, you have to deal with the billing department, and you’ll be waiting a few days to hear if your request has been approved. It’s certainly not an ideal situation.

- A Big Shot

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