Graphical issues: the PS3 or the game?

[toef]

Recently I've noticed some weird graphical quirks when playing some games. They come in two different varieties, which I'll explain separately.

Problem 1: Stick/poke graphical problem

With this issue, there is sometimes some random, solid colored, skinny, stick-shaped thing sticking out of an object.

Games I've noticed it in: Lego Rock Band, Assassin's Creed II

In Lego Rock Band, I was being chased by a dinosaur (I think), and whatever color it was (I think it was green), there was a skinny stick-shaped green line extending all the way to the edge of the screen, as if a piece of the dinosaur was being stretched.

In Assassin's Creed, I was playing an early mission, and a tan colored stick was extending from the side of a guy's face, out approximately 3-4 feet (in game dimensions, not real life).

Problem 2: Twitching/flickering graphics

With this issue, small parts of something within the game will flicker or twitch.

Games I've noticed it in: Dragon Age: Origins

In Dragon Age, I was playing as a dwarf, and during one cut scene, the dwarf's sister's head would flicker. At another point in the game, a random barrel in the background would flicker in and out.

This happened in another game a few months ago, but I can't remember which game anymore.

~~~~

So my overall question is: are these problems just problems within the game, or is it indicative of a problem with my PS3?

[McGarnigal]

Its not your individual ps3, all games all systems have these issues known as popping, tearing and framerate drops. Theyre usually game specific, a reviewer will usually note if its slight, occasional or rampant.

[pBLU-RAYs3]

My wild guess is the ps3. Of course this is a stab in the dark as I have no technical knowledge in game consoles. I've never encountered any of the problems you mentioned in the 45+ games I've played in three years.

Edit: If it's popping, tearing, framerates as the above poster said than it's happened to me too, but stick figurines I've never experienced.

[Icemage]

I have LEGO Rock Band, and I've not noticed that particular problem. You're referring to the Rock Challenge with the LEGO T. Rex, yes?

[toef]

Originally Posted by Icemage

I have LEGO Rock Band, and I've not noticed that particular problem. You're referring to the Rock Challenge with the LEGO T. Rex, yes?

Yeah, that's the one.

I went back and played more Assassin's Creed, and it seems to happen a bit in that game. So far no more sticking out of faces, but I've seen some sticking out of roofs and walls.

Sometimes they disappear very quickly, other times they only show up when you spin the camera to a certain angle. It's weird.

[Toptube]

Geometry anomalies (spikes, rectangles, triangles shooting out of stuff) is a classic sign of a GPU failing.


and for reference:

Snow (looks similar to 100's or thousands of dead pixels) is a sign of failing Video ram.

For each game you've noticed this in, I'd delete the game's install data and re-load the game. If it still happens, I'd call about a warranty/replacement.

[toef]

Originally Posted by Toptube

Geometry anomalies (spikes, rectangles, triangles shooting out of stuff) is a classic sign of a GPU failing.


and for reference:

Snow (looks similar to 100's or thousands of dead pixels) is a sign of failing Video ram.

For each game you've noticed this in, I'd delete the game's install data and re-load the game. If it still happens, I'd call about a warranty/replacement.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Thanks for the potential early warning though. I'll have to re-install Assassin's Creed, and see if that fixes anything. It seems to be most prevalent in that.

[iamsparticus9]

i'm having graphics tearing in my ps3 as well. i've had it in all the more taxing graphics games like RE5, assassin's creed, and batman. i'm almost positive my ps3 is dying. it's a 60gb launch version so it's about that time. so you might prepare yourself.

[stonkeye]

Its not over heating is it? stab in the dark.

I find sometimes when it gets hot start to do crazy things.

[toef]

Originally Posted by stonkeye

Its not over heating is it? stab in the dark.

I find sometimes when it gets hot start to do crazy things.

Yeah, I'm not really sure. The time I noticed it during Lego Rock Band, I'd probably been playing for 2 hours. The time I noticed it with Assassin's Creed, it was after about 5 minutes of playing (though my PS3 had been on for probably an hour and a half at that point, since I set it up to install the game, and then wandered off for a while, and forgot about it).

Is there any chance its related to hard drive space? I imagine it's not, but I did notice I'm pretty low (like 100mb of free space left).

As an early precaution, what's the best way to back-up all my save files? And I assume all add-ons and games from PSN will have to be re-downloaded?

So far it's not too bad. It doesn't happen too often, and it's only a single weird artifact at a time, and only on two games that I've noticed. I looked up some pictures on Google, and some people seem to have some ridiculous looking problems with theirs.

[Icemage]

Originally Posted by toefer

As an early precaution, what's the best way to back-up all my save files? And I assume all add-ons and games from PSN will have to be re-downloaded?

If you use an external USB hard drive, you can use the System Backup utility in the XMB menu to back everything up, including profiles, DLC, saved games, etc.

However, some games have locked save game files, and will NOT restore to a new PS3 if you have to get a refurb or replace your unit. Rock Band 2 and LEGO Rock Band come immediately to mind. Those locked files will restore correctly to the same machine that it was backed up from, but not a new one.

[stonkeye]

I thought the latest optional update allowed a complete transfer of all saves and everything?

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=3545

[Icemage]

Originally Posted by stonkeye

I thought the latest optional update allowed a complete transfer of all saves and everything?

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=3545

Oh, true. I forgot about that function in 3.15, since it's an optional update I haven't done yet...

[kingofgrills]

Originally Posted by toefer

Is there any chance its related to hard drive space? I imagine it's not, but I did notice I'm pretty low (like 100mb of free space left).

Yes, there is a chance of that if the games you are playing are doing any sort of caching on the HDD. Try deleting some files to gain space (try keeping 5 Gbs available) and try the games again.

If you still have problems after that, it's not a space issue. I have never experienced any significant tearing or dropouts during games, so I'm not sure what's going on.

Playing with only 100 mbs free though can definitely give games problems, depending on how they are optimized to run.

[toef]

Originally Posted by kingofgrills

Yes, there is a chance of that if the games you are playing are doing any sort of caching on the HDD. Try deleting some files to gain space (try keeping 5 Gbs available) and try the games again.

If you still have problems after that, it's not a space issue. I have never experienced any significant tearing or dropouts during games, so I'm not sure what's going on.

Playing with only 100 mbs free though can definitely give games problems, depending on how they are optimized to run.

Cool, I'll have to give that a try. I rented Assassin's Creed 2 and Dragon Age from GameFly, so both have eaten up the last bit of my HDD space.

I have a lot of drum lesson videos, and instrumental stuff (to drum along to), so I'll probably just put those on an external HDD instead, and that should clear up a bunch of space.

[ryandubbz]

has anyone noticed anything wrong in the Ghostbusters game? It seems to lag, and also you can see horizontal lines sometimes when moving around, is that just the game. its kinda like anti aliasing issues

or should i ask first if anyone has played ghostbusters

[toef]

Originally Posted by ryandubbz

has anyone noticed anything wrong in the Ghostbusters game? It seems to lag, and also you can see horizontal lines sometimes when moving around, is that just the game. its kinda like anti aliasing issues

or should i ask first if anyone has played ghostbusters

I didn't notice that, but I think that was the game I couldn't think of earlier, where parts of the graphics would just turn into flickery static look (like a person's head, or an object in the background).

[ryandubbz]

Originally Posted by toefer

I didn't notice that, but I think that was the game I couldn't think of earlier, where parts of the graphics would just turn into flickery static look (like a person's head, or an object in the background).

Ya i just think then that Ghostbusters has some graphical flaws

[silversnake]

Originally Posted by toefer

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Thanks for the potential early warning though. I'll have to re-install Assassin's Creed, and see if that fixes anything. It seems to be most prevalent in that.

Ya. I came in here to say this. I believe Caliblue was mentioning the same problems in the Tips/Tricks/ thread a few weeks ago and he had to have his repaired. Good luck bud.

Backup now if you can and haven't already

[Proteus]

Originally Posted by Toptube

Geometry anomalies (spikes, rectangles, triangles shooting out of stuff) is a classic sign of a GPU failing.


and for reference:

Snow (looks similar to 100's or thousands of dead pixels) is a sign of failing Video ram.

For each game you've noticed this in, I'd delete the game's install data and re-load the game. If it still happens, I'd call about a warranty/replacement.

This is right on.

The symptoms you describe are exactly what was happening with my old ATI vid card in my PC for a few months (gradually getting worse and worse) before the whole screen just went wacky.

Back up frequently!