[Update again - This is probably fixed in the new update.  So the real fix is now to connect your PS3 to the internet before you start playing - it will then download and install the patch]

I’d played GTA for a few hours, all seemed well. I then upgraded my PS3 system software (although this might not have been the root cause, based on comments below), to get the new Playstation Store. That went well, new store looks nice. But then I try to play GTA-IV, and it just hangs on the loading screen saying “LOADING - CLEAN GETAWAY” (the name of the last mission).

I tried various combinations of resetting and re-inserting the disk, nothing worked. So I then went to the “Game Data Utility” (at the top of the “Games” tab), and selected the GTA data, and deleted it (press Triangle, then select delete). This does not delete your saved game, but forces it to re-load all the data it had cached. I figured maybe there was something OS specific in the cached data. Anyway, rebooted, it re-cached all the data (”Installing data to hard disk drive“), and then IT WORKED. Phew! And poor work, Sony and/or Rockstar.

Step by step

  1. Take GTA Disk Out
  2. Reboot
  3. On the “Game” tab, go to the top and select “Game Data Utility”
  4. Select GTA, and press Triangle
  5. Select Delete, then Okay.
  6. Re-insert disk and start game
  7. Game will re-load all the data, taking a few minutes.
  8. It should now load the last saved game, hopefully!

[UPDATE] Stefan suggest a simpler fix. Try this first as it’s much quicker.

  1. quit the game
  2. sign out of psn
  3. sign back in to psn
  4. load game

Note I’ve not actually tried Stephan’s method, as deleting the game data worked for me. It could be there’s multiple bugs causing similar symptoms - just try both fixes.

[UPDATE 2] I had it crash again, so I signed out of PSN (did not bother to sign in again), and it worked.