Incident: Long Loading Times in GTA Online Due to Coding Error

Published Date: 2021-03-16

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident in GTA Online happened more than seven years after the game's release, as mentioned in the article. 2. The article was published on 2021-03-16. 3. Estimation: The incident occurred more than seven years after the release of GTA Online, which was in 2013. Adding seven years to 2013, the software failure incident in GTA Online likely happened around 2020. Therefore, the software failure incident in GTA Online likely happened around 2020.
System The system that failed in the software failure incident reported in Article 112485 was: 1. GTA Online for the PC - Specifically, the loading times system in the PC version of GTA Online failed due to an error in the game code [112485].
Responsible Organization 1. The software failure incident in GTA Online, specifically the long loading times issue, was caused by an error in the game code related to load times for the PC version of the game [112485].
Impacted Organization 1. Players of GTA Online [112485]
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident in GTA Online was an error in the game code related to load times for the PC version, specifically coding that excessively checked a particular 10MB JSON file almost 2 billion times while trying to start the game [112485].
Non-software Causes 1. Lack of optimization in the game code leading to long loading times [112485] 2. Inefficient coding practices causing excessive checks on a large JSON file [112485]
Impacts 1. Players experienced ridiculously long loading times in GTA Online for the PC [112485]. 2. The loading times were reduced by up to 70% after the fix was implemented, dropping from six minutes to just under two minutes [112485]. 3. Rockstar Games acknowledged the issue and released a new update for GTA Online to address the problem [112485]. 4. The software failure incident led to a $10,000 bounty being awarded to the user t0st for identifying the problem [112485].
Preventions 1. Implementing thorough code reviews and testing procedures during the development phase could have potentially prevented the software failure incident [112485]. 2. Utilizing performance monitoring tools and conducting regular performance audits could have helped identify and address the issue of long loading times earlier in the game's lifecycle [112485]. 3. Employing best practices for coding and optimizing the game's codebase could have proactively prevented the inefficiencies that led to the extended loading times [112485].
Fixes 1. Updating the game with the fix provided by the user t0st, which addresses the error in the game code related to load times for the PC version of GTA Online [112485]. 2. Implementing changes based on the investigations conducted by Rockstar Games to improve the loading times in GTA Online [112485]. 3. Applying the fix released by t0st on his Github, which significantly improved loading speeds by up to 70% by addressing the coding issue that checked a particular 10MB JSON file almost 2 billion times while starting the game [112485].
References 1. GitHub user t0st [112485] 2. Rockstar Games [112485] 3. PC Gamer [112485]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization (a) The software failure incident related to long loading times in GTA Online happened within the same organization, Rockstar Games. The issue was identified by a GitHub user named t0st, and Rockstar Games acknowledged the problem and released an update to fix it [112485]. (b) There is no information in the provided article indicating that a similar software failure incident has happened at other organizations or with their products and services.
Phase (Design/Operation) design (a) The software failure incident in GTA Online was related to the design phase. A GitHub user named t0st identified an error in the game code that caused long loading times on the PC version of GTA Online. This issue was due to coding that checked a particular 10MB JSON file almost 2 billion times while trying to start the game, leading to excessively long loading times. Rockstar Games acknowledged the problem and confirmed that changes would be implemented in an upcoming update to address this design-related issue [112485]. (b) The software failure incident was not related to the operation phase or misuse of the system. Instead, it was specifically attributed to a design flaw in the game code that caused the long loading times in GTA Online [112485].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) The software failure incident in GTA Online, which caused ridiculously long loading times, was identified as originating from within the system. A GitHub user named t0st discovered an error in the game code related to load times for the PC version of GTA Online. This error was due to coding that checked a particular 10MB JSON file almost 2 billion times while trying to start the game, leading to the extended loading times [112485]. Rockstar Games acknowledged the issue and made changes to the game code to address the problem, resulting in improved loading speeds by up to 70% [112485].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in GTA Online was primarily due to non-human actions. The long loading times were caused by an error in the game code related to load times for the PC version of GTA Online. This error was identified by a GitHub user named t0st, who discovered that the game was checking a particular 10MB JSON file almost 2 billion times while trying to start the game. This issue was not intentionally introduced by human actions but was a result of inefficient coding within the game [112485]. (b) Human actions also played a role in resolving the software failure incident. After t0st identified the issue and provided a fix on his own Github, Rockstar Games acknowledged the problem and made changes to address it in an upcoming update for GTA Online. Additionally, Rockstar rewarded t0st with a $10,000 bounty for finding the problem, showing human recognition and intervention in resolving the software failure [112485].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident in this case was not due to hardware issues but rather originated in the software itself. The long loading times in GTA Online for the PC were caused by an error in the game code, specifically related to how a particular 10MB JSON file was being checked almost 2 billion times while trying to start the game. This software issue was identified by a GitHub user named t0st, who released a fix that significantly improved loading speeds [112485].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident in this case was non-malicious. The long loading times in GTA Online for the PC were identified by a GitHub user named t0st, who discovered an error in the game code that was causing the issue. Rockstar Games acknowledged the problem and implemented a fix in an upcoming update for the game. T0st also released a fix on his own Github that significantly improved loading speeds, for which he received a bounty from Rockstar. There is no indication in the article that the failure was due to malicious intent [112485].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown (a) The software failure incident in GTA Online was not due to poor decisions but rather an error in the game code that caused long loading times. The issue was identified by a GitHub user named t0st, who discovered that the long loading times were caused by a particular 10MB JSON file being checked almost 2 billion times while trying to start the game. Rockstar Games acknowledged the problem and implemented a fix in an upcoming update for the game [112485]. (b) The software failure incident in GTA Online was not due to accidental decisions but rather a specific error in the game code that led to the long loading times. The issue was identified by t0st, who found the problem and released a fix on his own Github that significantly improved loading speeds. Rockstar Games recognized t0st's contribution and even awarded him a $10,000 bounty for finding the issue [112485].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental (a) The software failure incident in this case was not due to development incompetence but rather was identified by a GitHub user named t0st who discovered an error in the GTA Online game code that was causing long loading times [112485]. (b) The software failure incident was accidental in nature as it was not intentionally introduced but rather was a result of coding that checked a particular 10MB JSON file almost 2 billion times, leading to the long loading times in GTA Online [112485].
Duration temporary From the provided articles, the software failure incident related to the long loading times in GTA Online can be categorized as a temporary failure. The issue was identified by a GitHub user named t0st, who discovered an error in the game code causing the long loading times. Rockstar Games acknowledged the problem and implemented a fix in an upcoming update for the game [112485]. This indicates that the failure was due to specific circumstances related to the game code that could be addressed and resolved, making it a temporary issue.
Behaviour value (a) crash: The software failure incident in the article is not related to a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. Instead, the issue was related to long loading times in GTA Online for PC [112485]. (b) omission: The software failure incident is not related to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The issue was specifically about long loading times caused by a coding inefficiency [112485]. (c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The issue was about the system taking excessively long to load due to inefficient code [112485]. (d) value: The software failure incident is related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The problem was caused by coding that checked a particular 10MB JSON file almost 2 billion times while trying to start the game, leading to long loading times [112485]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not related to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The issue was more straightforward, involving a specific inefficiency in the code causing long loading times [112485]. (f) other: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a performance issue caused by inefficient coding leading to long loading times in GTA Online for PC. The issue was identified and fixed by a user named t0st, who received recognition and a bounty from Rockstar for the discovery [112485].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence delay The consequence of the software failure incident in the provided article is a delay. The software failure incident in GTA Online caused ridiculously long loading times for players on PC. This delay in loading times impacted the user experience as players had to wait for an extended period before being able to start playing the game. The delay was significant, with loading times dropping from six minutes to just under two minutes after a fix was implemented [112485].
Domain entertainment (a) The failed system in this incident was related to the entertainment industry, specifically the video game industry. The software failure occurred in GTA Online, a popular online multiplayer game developed by Rockstar Games [112485].

Sources

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