Finally! Thanks for the heads up Brian!

*downloading now*

"I still hope they get to the bottom of the freeze up issue that some PS3 and 360 owners are having problems with." This IS the solution for those problems; at least for the PS3 people.

About time...

It's very probable that the patch will solve the freeze issue as well, since it seems to be directly caused by the connection with the PSN. I actually never saw the freeze again after the first day of play, so I wouldn't be able to tell.

Yay.

This does not fix the freeze issue that prevents people from playing past the intro. Seeing as the issue that I am describing is NOT caused by the internet connection, but instead an incompatibility with a group of launch consoles.

They must have confirmed just I sent it too..lol 18mb patch btw.

@db9: Nope, only for the majority of the issues. There still are quite a few people who cannot get past the intro due to a hardware incompatibility.

Nice one, i must admit i didnt think it would be out so quick.

does the patch require a 15 minute hard drive install prior to actually playing it

/end sarcasm

@severeon: Correct. From what I've heard, some 20/60GB PS3 that have the Backwards Compatibility chips are conflicting with the game. I hope they fix this too.

@severeon: Do you think its possible that those hardware issues are related to the networking components of the old PS3s?

Can we get something worked on now so that we can get into some larger-playercount games? Playing games with less than 10 people gets old fast, especially modes like "Turf War" which becomes a lot more fun with increased numbers. 2v2s are flat out boring. I'd love to have some sort of browser and be able to join games after they're started, maybe i've been too spoiled by PC games after all these years.

Holy shit, that was pretty damn fast. Good job, Rockstar.

Hell yeah!

This is pretty nice. Now I can stop forgetting that GTA IV actually has online play and hope that it actually works now.

Good job Rockstar. Even though I didn't really have any issues with it.

Damn, I feel sorry for the guys that can't get past the intro. What a tease!

@severeon: 60GB PS3 here... signing out of the network worked for me.

This sounds like another unsubstantiated internet rumor.

I have a 60 GB PS3 and GTA4 worked just fine without a hitch. Guess I was lucky. On the other hand, I don't think it's the best game ever. I wanted to pick up a barrel to smash someone with it and couldn't. Same with the TV set. Really, it's just GTA3 with more, more, more. I do like how you can get away from the cops though. For all the things you can do, I feel bad for all the things I can't do... like actually have a fist fight that didn't look totally retarded.

@db9: Well if the patch had helped, maybe. Seeing as I have talked to take two support and they said it was the Emotion Engine that is inside the older models, I am leaning towards that.

@severeon: I have a 60G with the emotion engine chip and I couldn't get passed the intro till I unplugged the ethernet. After that it ran fine, no lag or freezes in the 10 hours I've played. So yeah I think there is a pretty good chance this will fix the intro freeze as well. (Also the ps2 chip incompat theory doesn't sound right to this computer guy. Those chips should remain unused unless playing a ps2 game so I don't think this should be an issue.

The guys at GAF are reporting that it doesn't fix the freeze...

=\

@Yukichu:

Ditto, mine works perfectly as well, and it was still fairly early when I picked it up.

Gamespy? seriously?

Its been a long time since i've used gamespy(for pc gaming) and i remember it as the most horride service i've ever used for gaming.

I haven't been having any problems playing online with my 60 gig PS3. Or with the freezing. But it is cool that Rockstar responded to the people who were having issues and are actually helping them out.

@hooligans: i remember using it for stars battle front 2 on the ps2 and it was terrible but for gta4 it is really good... except when the server is down entirely which hasn't been for over a week now.

I'm in the same boat as you: 60GB PS3 and disabling the internet connection fixed the problems with the game.

^That was intended to be a reply to badasscat...

It doesn't seemed to have solved my multiplayer problems. Even with the patch I still get that 'one or more persons has disconnected from the server' (or something like that) every 5 seconds.

@Luckyjim:
My guess is the people dropping out don't have the patch installed yet. They were probably already in the game when it was released or something. Maybe...

Let us see. *Downloading*

@severeon: I have a 60 GB with EE and the only issues I ever had was eternal loading screens which signing out of the PSN fixed. I stand by my theory that all of this was caused by bad error handling in the case of network timeouts. If some rockstar tech guy told you that it had to do with the EE just remember the 12 step fix those same guys said and then re-think their credibility. They were just shooting into the air hoping to hit something.

@greeble: Well I'm no engineer but when playing PS2 games we can't access any network features...

What is GameSpy and what does it have to do with GTA IV?

So much for Zelnick's bullshit comments about there being absolutely no problems.

@Engineer_This:

Hope so. I'll try again later.

I hear this problem also fixes the issue of not being able to load your last saved game if the Internet connection is enabled when you first start the game.

I'll find out tonight when I download it.

@db9:

Is your system a launch system? There are two types of freezes. The infinite loading freeze, and the "in-gameplay" freeze. The infinite loading freeze is network related. The in-gameplay freeze seems to have no rhyme or reason, and effects what seem to be a majority of launch 60 and 20 gig systems. Its possible that the chips sourced in these systems are slightly different from the later-production 60's.

@greeble: same here. killing the internet connection did the trick nicely.

i have a 60 gig and it never locked up on me. but i haven't played a whole lot. i keep restarting old save to get the hang of the controls and i can't read the on screen instructions or the cell phone. and i find it funny how some people are now saying good job rockstar when some were saying sony fucked up before

@duckmouth:
Gamespy is the server that Rockstar is using for MP.

@j.howlett: is it actively connected to the PSN? at least for me, it didn't lock up if i disabled the internet on the ps3.

@SnakeCL: Mine was manufactured in December of 06. I guess it is possible that there are hardware issues afoot; though I still find it unlikely. My guess was that the issue was caused when the game loaded some cell phone related code that was connecting to the multiplayer servers (loading screens and in-game).

Some other blogs are reporting freezing still after the patch is installed though and some other older posts mention bricked 360s and PS3.

good news, its reassuring that they do care and are working to fix peoples problems.

even if some of the higher ups seem to think every thing's been peachy keen..
[kotaku.com]

I'm kinda glad I held off buying the game on launch day. I will probably pick it up now that they have some of the kinks worked out. I have to admit, I'm a bit rusty on the series as the last one I played was Liberty City on PSP. But many people have said this is a good entry to get back into the game. For me personally the GTA formula was feeling a bit stale, so I hope this does indeed breathe new life into it. I'm looking forward to enjoying the game from what I've read and seen.

Infinity Ward had (still has) major issues with Demonware's server load during CoD4 play (peaks like Fri-Sun and holidays).

I would rather have more (servers) bandwidth than not enough. And after raking in $500,000,000.00, I would hope this wouldn't have been a problem.

Atleast MS attempted to double the capacity...

@db9:

Ah, mine is Oct manufacture (I assume as stockpiling for launch), and it goes anywhere from 3-15 minutes before it freezes during gameplay. Disabling internet connection, disabling autosaving, the whole 9 yards, has failed to fix anything.

I think part of the problem is that manufacture dates aren't taken into account, not to mention the people who are saying they fixed their freeze via disabling the internet. That's a completely different beast from the early-adopter freeze.

60gb launch system here.

No issues before, but I think the patch is mandatory, so I'll be getting it. ;)

LOL, so the issue was Gamespy's servers, not GTA IV.

I am sad to see all the anti Sony banter regarding this. I could not use Live for a week straight last year, and I have to pay for that service. (The limited time only free gift of Undertow was a slap in the face to me, so I do not consider that a true apology.)

I could not play GTA online on my launch day 60GB PS3 for one day this weekend before the issue was fixed on PS3, and that was awesome. Not only that, but then three days later a patch was released. Now that is what I call service.

@ phrequency: yeah i was still connected to psn. i also just checked got the update and noticed a screen of fine print about connecting to servers or something. hard to see this time of say with sun light pouring through the window directly on my tv

@badasscat:

Consider the rumor substantiated as I'm another early-editiong 60GB which won't play for more than 3 minutes without a complete lock-up network enabled or not.

I'm with SnakeCL towards thinking the EE must play some part in this, as there's absolutely no other common denominator between people with issues (the network-related freeze issues muddied the waters substantially, true).

I have no doubt that poor folk like SnakeCL and I are in the very small minority of GTA4 players... but even if we were .5% that would still be well over 25,000 players now who don't just have a "diminished" game experience... we have *no* game experience. Hence the frustration.

There's only so many times you can re-play the first mission without starting to get wistful!

@Footix:

This is actually being used as a chance to bash MS. People are comparing a software glitch on one game to the RROD because it gets massive attention.

It lets Sony fans get all defensive and it gave 360 fans a day to rub it in their face.

It's a lot like the Yankee versus Red Sox rivalry in baseball. Two massively rich corporations spending tons of money to win while a smaller competitor goes on to win it all.

@DigiMish:

I'm sorry but a 'fix' a week late is not a 'good job'.

This company just raked in 500 Million in sales...they new that was coming...perhaps an investment in quality control would have been nice. Not to mention that this doesn't 'fix' this issue for many people still.

Console owners should be able to pay and play and not have to worry that borked games are being foisted on us. Remember that little tidbit that Kotaku never got to see the PSN version of GTA..now you know why, Rockstar KNEW it was borked and didn't give a shit.

The patch deoesn't seem to help very much with online play. I still get lots of disconnects.

Has anyone else kept losing their money from online matches after logging out from multiplayer?

@Footix: yeah, but the perception is already there in the minds of people that the PS3 is a worthless machine. while it's a great system, (not without some flaws) the perception is that nothing sony does is not going to be good enough.

for what is worth, other then the loading freeze at the beginning, i haven't had any problems with the PS3 version. but hey, i've made th wrong choice in my gaming machine.

the game is unbelievably good so far, btw.......

Im playing it on my PS3 debug console without a net connection and no issues what so ever, ive never had a freeze. When I finally get around to playing online on my retail unit console I hope that the issues are fixed. Since its taken me a week to get to 54% complete Rockstar has one week to sort out the game. Then im coming!

Great, so now when are they going to fix all the 360 online issues I've been having. Random disconnects, not being able to play with friends... I'd love for that to go away.

The freezing issue that a lot of people are having is a complete system lock-up. The screen freezes and the sound continues. The PS button doesnt even work and the system has to be shutdown manually with the power touch sensor button. This has been mainly happening with launch consoles. I have taken my copy of the game to a friend's place with an 80gig and it works perfectly fine there.

@ SnakeCL: your comment is unfounded. I know 8 people with launch machines and they have had no problems. The game did hang in some cases where the ps3 could not send and receive information to the gamespy servers due to NAT issues, or the servers being down. Nothing else causes these problems. There is nothing wrong with the PS3 just the programming. YO!

@ kspraydad4: Yeah. i know how you feel. I wish someone would fix the 360, so i could play it and not worry about RROD.