Last week, Take-Two and Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto IV debuted to much fanfare, both critically and commercially. However, soon after the game’s record-breaking launch, word began to circulate that freezing issues were marring the experience for some gamers, with PlayStation 3 users reporting the lion’s share of the problems. In subsequent days, Rockstar forwarded all requests for comment on to Sony, and Take-Two offered a laundry list of proposed solutions through its tech-support service. With Sony saying that all parties involved are working on a fix for the freezing issue, Rockstar has today announced that a patch for GTAIV’s multiplayer component on the PS3 is now available for download. According to Rockstar’s statement, GTAIV’s multiplayer, which sold 3.7 million copies on day one and 6 million for its opening week across the PS3 and Xbox 360, was putting too much of a strain on its strain on its hosting partner’s servers. “Rockstar Games has released a GTA IV patch for Playstation 3 today that prevents Gamespy’s servers from being overloaded and therefore reduces the impact on those servers that were causing the game to stutter and lock up,” said Rockstar in a statement. “We continue to monitor the performance of the game both on and offline and will provide further updates as necessary. We want to assure everyone that, together with our hardware partners, we continue to strive to give our fans the best possible interactive entertainment experiences possible. This update will ensure that everyone will experience Grand Theft Auto IV the way it was intended. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused.” Rockstar did not elaborate on how, exactly, the patch will influence server load, and the publisher had not responded to requests for comment as of press time. The publisher also had not provided any additional information about attempts to remedy less widespread reports of the 360 edition of GTAIV locking up.

Also, in the weeks leading up to the release of Take-Two and Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto IV, predictions were in abundance as to how well the game would do. While analysts’ predictions were mixed, Take-Two execs themselves were reportedly under the impression that the game would shift 6 million units in its first week after measuring out preorder demand. It turns out that prediction was spot on. The Rockstar Games parent said today that Grand Theft Auto IV has sold through to consumers 6 million units globally in its first week, generating income of approximately $500 million. First-day sales for the game hit 3.6 million and tallied a staggering $310 million–nearly double Halo 3’s $170 million day-one take and $10 million more than the sci-fi shooter’s entire opening-week haul. Unsurprisingly, Take-Two was quick to tout GTAIV’s new position as the best-selling launch of any entertainment property, gaming or otherwise, ever. “Grand Theft Auto IV’s first week performance represents the largest launch in the history of interactive entertainment, and we believe these retail sales levels surpass any movie or music launch to date,” said Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick. GTAIV’s unprecedented launch has been a primary point of contention in the ongoing takeover talks between beleaguered Take-Two and its rival Electronic Arts. With EA saying Rockstar and its open-world crime adventure are of paramount interest in the $2 billion hostile advance on Take-Two, Take-Two has said that the company’s value won’t be fully determinable until after the launch of the game. EA’s tender offer to shareholders–which was lowered to $25.74 in light of Take-Two’s share-dilution poison pill–expires May 16.