heard it's amazing

I get the same impression from what I have seen and heard.

Will be getting a copy soon, I think.

I'm pretty desperate to play so I've been looking for a PS3 for the past two weeks. Nothing but the 40gb version s around. Boo-urns.

Check in with your Playstation Support centre, in regards to models available - they completely phased one out here, and now we only have the 40gb at present.
If it's backwards compatability you're looking at, don't worry too much, the bc on the original ps3 units was pretty shithouse in all honesty - you'd be better off with a 40gb and a ps2.

...So, seriously, those of us in AU, I wouldn't pick up gta4 just yet...I've had numerous cases of the game stuffing up, and in some cases, stopping the unit from recognising all disk media (to the point it couldn't just be coincidental), right now I think they need a patch but quick, or a product recall.

Yeah I have heard about this as well. It's the reason I haven't bought GTA4 yet.

If it is true, it is a pretty serious fuck up - a game that destroys a $700 console. I will be wanting to see that patch, and wait to be sure that it stops this problem from happening before I try it.

Yep, more info for you here MM.
The game has continued to have ongoing issues on ps3...about 30% of the ps3 related cases I've dealt with have been GTA4 related, and maybe 10% of those seem to have, as Rockstar would obviously like it put "coincidentally had problems at the same time that a console has had a disk reading error"
Riiight.
I say they'll throw up some firmware within the week.
See...this is a problem we're going to have with a lot of games - they'll be far more prone to fucking up, on account of the fallback "we can add firmware" policy I'm sure many a company will adopt in this generation...while rushing out these GREAT games. :rolleyes:

Although in all honesty I think that the manufacturing of the PS3 is getting better - I mean there's like 10 models of the slimline ps2 just here, obviously there was a reason for that - but, the good news is, the CECHH02 model (this is the second run of 40GB ps3s of this region, the first was CECHG02), which are the ones that came out with the GTA/GT5P packages, and as I understand it, the ones that'll be shipping from now, are not prone anywhere NEAR as much as the former 2 models to have problems...Looks like they may have overcome the closest thing we had to the red ring of death.

So were all the PS3's shipped in the GT5P pack the later revision? I would be happy if they were, as this the pack that I got. :)

Yeah, I believe so...just check the barcode on the back, if the serial number ends in "cech h02" you've got a "good" one.

Yeah, barcode on the back ends in CECHH02 so looks like I got the newer one.

Happy I bought from DSE as they had the PS3/GT5P in the official bundle box as opposed the the EB Games near me, which at the time were just selling the standard boxed PS3 and throwing in a copy of GT5P to make up the "bundle", which I would imagine have given a greater chance of getting old stock of the console.

Thanks for that info.

Good point on having a 40gb and a PS2 Phalanx, however I found a 60gb with a bunch of games I'll be picking it up tonight. :D