I cannot get the game to launch now!

[ludicruslnrd]

I don't know what has happened but I have started and played the game far enough to know it works on my computer but now, all of the sudden, I am getting some corrupted file error message which STEAM File Verification reports as all files verified.

Is anyone else having problems getting this game to run?

[Gorran]

Same here. I just installed the game and am getting a black screen. When I alt tab out, there is another window that says, "Initialization failed.Resources corrupted or other read data error. Please install your game again." I verified the steam files and everything checks out fine.

[ludicruslnrd]

Yep! That's the one!

And for me it started right after STEAM Forced me to accept an update that they claim
was released by the developers dispite the fact that, ONE: I do not play online mulitplayer
games so I don't want or need multiplayer updates, TWO: Once I have my games running
right and playing with no problems I set update selector to the Do Not Automatically Update
This Game option to protect my savegames and keep my game the way I want it..

Unfortunatly STEAM, dispite providing us with this option, DOES NOT respect it and when
a developer releases an update for one of their games, STEAM then locks the game if you
have it set to do not update so you can not play it until you accept the update even if you
don't want or even need the update..

This has yet again resulted in another game being screwed up so bad it will not launch.
Not only that. While I was trying to find and fix the problem with my game I found that the
update deleted all of my save games with this game just like the update for Binary Domain
did...

This is why STEAM needs to get with the developer and setup the option to NOT FORCE
us to accept updates for our games! Especially when the user is only into singleplayer
gaming like me I understand multiplayer games need to be up to date with the server..
This should ONLY EFFECT PLAYERS OF MULTIPLAYER GAMES! If they respected our
choices of setting our games to DO NOT UPDATE and let the multiplayer game players
update their game when they connect to the game server and leave the rest of us and our
games alone then there would not be so many of these game crashing complaints due to
screwed up updates.

In your case the fresh install was of the updated version of the game including this recent,
screwed up, update. I've uninstalled the game, cleared the game folder, restarted STEAM
and reinstalled the game and I still get the same popup error message and black screen.

This clearly means the update was either corrupted when it was sent to STEAM or was corrupted by someone in the transfer and application process.

I am presently running around the pen with SEGA support over this and jumping through
all of their hoops. I just sent them the last step to prove that it is NOT my computer.

Hopefully it will lead them to releasing a new update to fix this recent screwed up update.

Another finding later yesterday..

It seems that a recent STEAM Client update also may be responsible. I just found while
launching a number of my other games that they are reinstalling their initation files as if it
was the first time they where being launched since they where installed. Another sign of
STEAM not paying attention to their own details an releasing an update without insuring it
will not cause more problems than it fixes.

[ludicruslnrd]

I have been through all the tips and tests they can come up with including uninstalling, reinstalling, reverifying files, DirectX Diag.. Everything checks out as correct but as soon as I lauch it now all I get is the black screen and the Windows critical error ping.. Now it doesn't even open the error message box that says about corrupted files..

And so far.. SEGA has been NO HELP!

[lllltepahhcs]

THAT SUCKS! I JUST ADDED THE GAME TO MY WISHLIST TOO! HOPE THEY GET IT FIXED SOON GUYZ!

[Orpheus0013]

Having the same problem. I reported it on the 5th April and now some 3 weeks later still waiting for it to be fixed, at the moment getting passed from pillar to post as no one wants to take responsibility for this game. Anyone had this problem fixed yet?

[ludicruslnrd]

I just got a followup to my DX txt file from Stratagy First. They are running around like chickens with their heads chopped off now.. Now they want me to do what I have already done, repeatedly.. Use the STEAM file verification tool on the game. I responded to them to read my first message to them since I have repeatedly run this verification tool on the game with repeated returns stating that all files where successfully verified. I also informed them that as I said in the first message, I have already uninstalled and reinstalled the game 4 times.. And. After all of the verification scans and uninstallations and reinstallations..

It will not run.. It launches to the black screen. There is an error ping sound. And the next keystroke I make, no matter what it is, returns me to my Windows desktop. I also ran the exact sequence of actions that happened right before the game crashes started so they can hash out the proceedures and figure out if they screwed up and sent STEAM a corrupted update file to shove down our throats or if maybe STEAM corrupted the files with one of their Beta Client updates they are so fond of throwing at us..

I guess we will see what happens.. Or does not happen as it where...

[TerraDyte]

My game crashes too. C'mon, fix this problem plz.. I wanna play this crappy game that I actually paid for :(

[Gorran]

I'm offended that I can't play this crappy game and get offended at how crappy it is! :/ Seriously, Strategy First/ Biart, fix your game...and improve it while you're at it! :)

[Orpheus0013]

Hi guys, as stated im having this issue too. Gorran - Biart no longer have any involvement with this title. I emailed them and they responded saying the responsibility for the title is now with Strategy First as Biart no longer have access. However the game is no longer listed on the Strategy First site so it is no longer possible to get support from them using the site. Steam keep going round in circles with this and Im no further on than I was when I reported the issue a month ago today.

[ludicruslnrd]

Originally posted by gareth0013:

Hi guys, as stated im having this issue too. Gorran - Biart no longer have any involvement with this title. I emailed them and they responded saying the responsibility for the title is now with Strategy First as Biart no longer have access. However the game is no longer listed on the Strategy First site so it is no longer possible to get support from them using the site. Steam keep going round in circles with this and Im no further on than I was when I reported the issue a month ago today.

I have contacted Strategy First and they acknowledged responsibility for support for the game dispite it not being listed on their site and are presently working on the problem. I just recently sent them my DX diagnostic test report and an update on a missing .exe file I noticed in the game folder that I remember was there before this most recent STEAM update was forced on those of us who have the game. It was a "Launcher" if I remember correctly. So right now they are reviewing what the game is SUPPOSED to have installed.. I expect that IF they find the issue and come up with a fix we will see a full on update pushed through STEAM since the issue only effected the STEAM release version of the game.

Big secret!! I found a game fix on one of the game cheat code sites. When I downloaded and unzipped the files it INCLUDES a Launcher.exe file.. I copied that file to my game folder and guess what!! THE FREAKIN GAME LAUNCHES AND RUNS! That means whoever the knuckle head was who released the update to STEAM did it prematurely or the final quality check on the update files had not been done to insure the update did not screw up the game's required files. That or STEAM's system deleted the Launcher.exe file when they converted the game to their new and supposedly better file system which I have yet to see ANY improvements from.

All I have seen from their glorious updated game file system is nothing more than increased game crashes and failures to launch. Oh.. Yeah.. AND DELETED SAVEGAME FILES!!!

I think that should clear up the issue and how it will need to be fixed! Strategy First needs to release an update that replaces the previously deleted Launcher execute file which has crashed the game.

[Orpheus0013]

Thanks, at least someone out there is looking into it.

[ludicruslnrd]

If I could figure out how to provide the Launcher.exe file I found and used to get my game running again I would put it up here. All I can do is recommend that you all try to get it your selves from the site I got it from. It was part of a game execute fix file which is why I checked it out. The game execute file they include is for a lower update version of the game but the launcher execute file seems to work fine all by it's self. Out of all the files the fix included all I used was the launcher.exe file. Litterally just to replace the one that this recent update deleted.

If any of you want to try the file yourselves you can find it under the provider's screenname THETA for game version 1.2 under the games name on the game fixes pages on mega games site. That's where I found it. They have a number of fixes for the game but this one seemed to be the simplest of the bunch and does not interfere with the STEAM processes.

So. IF it works for you too. Do the same thing I did.. Make a copy of the launcher.exe file from the fix and save it to a seperate folder so you can put it back in if another update deletes it and keeps the game from launching. I have passed this on to the game support rep at Strategy First and they seem to be supprised that it may be that easy a problem to fix.

You never know where you may find a file that will fix a game you are having problems with.

I found it on a wide format game support site that offers hints, cheats, trainers, and fixes for any game ever released.. And I found it by accident when I clicked on a site link on action trip's site.

It feels good to be able to find help somewhere when you can't seem to get help from the game support team or may not even be able to find support help for the game at all. Which was how I stumbled onto this fix in the first place.

If and when I hear from Strategy First again I will post the update here for you all. In the mean time.. Share your concerns with errant and improperly configured updates that result in games being rendered unplayable to Strategy First. Maybe if all of you let them know the game has failed on you as well they will pay more attention to the details and get a proper and complete files update out soooner. Believe it or not. The old saying "The squeeky wheel gets the grease" is for real!!

Express yourselves!!

[Orpheus0013]

Ive expressed my displeasure at Steam again today lol both for this game and NFS-Hot Pursuit which I purchased then cant play as Steam didnt get enough CD Keys!!!

[FlipperHD]

Hi guys, I liked the look of this game and so ignored the poor reviews it had as I wanted to try it out for myself. However, after installing it I discovered that this is yet another game available on steam that doesn't work properly and has lack of support from its developer.

Unfortunately, I to am suffering from the same error message that prevents the game from launching and so instantly contacted biart7 for some answers. I was quite amazed that they did contact me back with surprising quickness yet surprise, surprise informed me that this was not their problem and so referred me to a company known as 505 games. Unsurprisingly, they also expressed that this was not their problem and so referred to another company known as mergegames. This was a week ago now and I haven't heard back from them and the apparent testimonial section of their website is actually filled with complaints that their support doesn't work. So it looks like they're just fraudsters flogging their wares on steam and doing a runner with peoples money.

I was about to give up hope when I came back to this forum which I first discovered about a week ago and actually feel quite confident now that the issue with the game may actually get sorted at last, as I have read that the actual culprits here sound like strategyfirst. So I will be straight onto them now with an email notifying them of my experience and so I can receive support for the launch issue. I'll post back here when things develop.

Gotta say though guys...You all have been really dedicated in getting this issue sorted, it was great to see that you have had such commitment in sorting the problem, especially ludacrislnrd.

Well done all of you and keep it up!

[ludicruslnrd]

Thank you for the accalades FlipperHD! I am just raising my voice to make the problem known and to let folks know there are ways to reach out and get help and alternate ways to find help in places you may not think of looking for help. You never know what you can find until you either stumble over it or have someone raise a flag saying that a fix might exsist over at this site or that site. That's all I have done.