Another Game Exchange Question (MGS4)

[Wednesday_R]

Wednesday here, this time with 15% more spite!
(I wasn't sure whether this belonged in Video Game Discussion or Quality Assurance, feel free to move it if its misplaced.)

Here's my predicament:
I used to be a fairly well-known player on Metal Gear Online, pre Meme Expansion for those of you who play, but over the past few months cheaters have run rampant and the community has just gotten worse and worse, so I made it a point to play only with friends.

Now, one night, I'm connecting to the server and I get the message "Game Data is Corrupt, please delete and reinstall Game Data."

I know NOW that based on the tech my first course of action should have been to restart and try again.
I didn't.
With an annoyed sigh I did as the message asked and reinstalled the MGS4 Game Data, we all remember that 8-minute-long loop of Snake smoking a cigarette.

Here's where the nightmare starts.
After installation finishes, I select Metal Gear Online from the main menu.
My screen flickers, and I find myself back at the XMB, as if I'd quit the game.

I try again, again and again, I reinstall the game data, I surf the web for fixes, I e-mail Konami's TERRIBLE customer support multiple times with no response, nothing works.

Single player works fine, but apparently the MGO portion of the disc is for some reason inaccessible (which is the only portion that I care about, of course).

According to this and a few other sites, this glitch is fairly common, and the only fix people have found is to exchange their disc for a new one, with a 100% success rate.

Now, this becomes complicated, MGS4 came bundled with my PS3, 80gb. I don't believe we have the receipt anywhere, and even if we did, its for the system and not the faulty game.

Gamers are notoriously vague in their solutions for these types of things, and I've heard answers going both ways, so I need a good, straight one if possible.

Could I go into GameStop or such and show them the error on one of their PS3's even with no receipt, and be allowed to exchange for a working copy, or am I going to have to purchase new to get back online?

Thanks ahead guys, I hope I can get some help.


tl;dr?
Don't care. Read. Its good for you.

[school]

While this is totally anecdotal and actually not a Sony/Konami product...

I bought a bundle 360 with Forza 2 and Marvelsomethingidon'tcareabout and the Forza 2 disc had some read errors--all I had to do is call them up tell them what is going on and they mailed me a new copy (after I mailed the old one). I am fairly certain if you call up Sony tech support (or possibly Konami, who to call might be in the manual) they will do the same thing for you.

[BlitzKey]

AznSenzation has the same issue when he tried to get on MGO.
He can help you out when he sees this.

We can play MGO together!

[AznSenzation]

What I had to do was delete the game data and reinstall it with that loop of snake smoking. But seeing as how it's not working for you, the only solution for you is to get a new disc. Otherwise, keep trying to reinstall the game data.

[phillip00]

It's very, very simple

Go to Blockbuster, rent MGS4 and then switch out that game with the broken one, and then just return it.

I've done that with GTA4 and SSBB and both those games were scratched. Yours isn't, so no question should be asked.

[jackpotdante]

Hmm it happend to me twice when i finished MGS4 but i just turned of my ps3 and it worked again but then again it might not work with yours

[Wednesday_R]

Jun 27, 2009 1:42:41 GMT -5 phillip00 said:

It's very, very simple

Go to Blockbuster, rent MGS4 and then switch out that game with the broken one, and then just return it.

I've done that with GTA4 and SSBB and both those games were scratched. Yours isn't, so no question should be asked.

You know, I actually considered that.

A strange combination of conscience and paranoia has stopped me thus far.
Someone will rent it for the sole purpose of trying MGO and the FBI will show up at my house and Solid Snake will personally kick my butt to the curb.

As for the other answers, I just received a reply from Sony's customer service.

Unfortunately said reply was delivered to my Spam folder, which I empty periodically without much thought, I didn't read the Sony line until it was too late, and am currently awaiting a reply from Windows Live on recovering my spam messages from over the past 48 hours.

FUCK. FUCK. FUCK.

Edit for the above

Quick fixes haven't worked either, unfortunately.

Today marked the 6th time I've re-installed the game data.

Today also marked the first time I've sat for three minutes and lovingly cleaned a disc with a delicate polishing cloth.


On a positive note, if this were any other game I wouldn't go to the trouble.
Sure, the community is shitty.
SURE. Everyone cheats, and legit players like myself my have next to no chance of ever winning a Tournament prize, or making 20k Reward Points in one survival night.

But get with the right group of people, and its easily the most fun you'll have with any current PS3 game online, in my humble opinion.

[BlitzKey]

The 4PPC is a fun MGO group we play with, just for the fun and laughs. We talk through Skype as well.
You'll enjoy playing with us anytime xD

[phillip00]

Blitz I really feel like countering your avatar with a .gif from Gran Torino. Bang