"For the time being and until we have been able to get everybody access to GTA Online and things are running smoothly, we have disabled the option of purchasable GTA$ cash packs," Rockstar Games said in a . "Players can however keep on earning GTA$ by pulling off Jobs and other profitable gameplay activities rather than purchasing cash packs."

Rockstar also provided a status update regarding the stability of GTA Online, which has been . The developer acknowledged that there is an issue preventing some players from being able to progress past the first tutorial mission on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Players have been able to get through this bug by repeating the mission, but no permanent fix has been released yet.

"We are working on unblocking this for everyone as soon as possible," Rockstar said.

General instability across GTA Online was reported this morning, Rockstar said, affecting even those who have progressed past the tutorial mission. The developer said it is working to identify these issues and in turn restore general stability "as soon as possible."

Rockstar pointed out that it was able to fix one prominent GTA Online bug. A PlayStation Network server issue was detected today that was limiting the number of possible concurrent users. This in turn prevented "most" players from accessing GTA Online through the PS3 altogether. This issue was resolved as of this morning, Rockstar said.

"All of these initial technical issues will be ironed out as soon as we can," the developer said. "Please know that the entire team here at Rockstar and all of our relevant partners are and will continue to be working around the clock to get the experience to be as smooth as possible, as soon as possible."

Players who have been able to access GTA Online are encouraged to share their gameplay feedback with Rockstar at GTAOnline@rockstargames.com. This feedback will help the developer in determining how to grow and evolve the service over time.

The launch issues for GTA Online . Ahead of release last week, Rockstar said players should expect various "growing pains," including crashes, glitches, "crazy bugs," and gameplay modes and mechanics that need rebalancing.

These issues are "inevitable," Rockstar said at the time, due to the "massive" nature of the open-world game.

For more on GTA Online, check out GameSpot's "" feature.

From: www.gamespot.com

Around this time, Rockstar says it will release a "small" downloadable title update on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, which will unlock access to Grand Theft Auto Online from the game's menu.

Rockstar adds that the title update depends on the content becoming available on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 network, and may be delayed slightly.

When downloaded, GTA Online can be accessed by using the bottom slot from the game's character wheel, where players have previously been able to flick between the single-player campaign's protagonists Franklin, Michael, and Trevor.

Rockstar further detailed the mode in a post on its site, explaining that GTA Online is set a few months before the game's single-player campaign and will contain an invitation-based anti-griefing system so players can show off their homes and vehicles without fear of having them stolen or destroyed.

The company also reiterated will not negatively affect the experience. "To allay some concerns we#146;ve heard on this subject, we can assure you that the game is designed such that the option of purchasable GTA$ should not disrupt the playing field--and there are a few mechanics in place to help ensure that."

"All players still have to rank up with Reputation Points (RP) in order to get access to purchase high-end items. No one can begin GTA Online and simply spend a lot of money out of the gate to get a leg up. You will have to earn your stripes and play to unlock access to the aspirational clothes, guns and other items. Please also remember that in GTA Online, hustling to afford the finer things by earning GTA$ doing robberies, stick-ups, winning races and other profitable activities is a fun gameplay experience rather than ever being a #146;grind#146;."

The company also adds that it "will constantly tweak all areas of the game to make it play fairer and iron out any balancing problems (while fixing all the other problems we encounter!), but we really need your help in figuring out what those issues are. So please work with us on that!"

Global sales of Grand Theft Auto V after the game went on sale in September.

From: www.gamespot.com