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GTA: Episodes From Liberty City for PC, PS3 delayed two weeks due to 'minor content changes'
If you've waited this long for Episodes from Liberty City, another two weeks shouldn't hurt, right? Rockstar Games has pushed back the PS3 and PC releases of the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto IV expansions by two weeks due to "a request by Sony Europe to make some minor content changes to the PAL PS3 version of the game." According to the press release, "the minor changes made to the game will not affect the gamers enjoyment of the games, these will not affect any gameplay elements and were not related to any local ratings requirements." All versions of the add-ons -- including the downloadable episodes "The Lost & Damned" and "The Ballad of Gay Tony" -- have been delayed to April 13th for North America, and April 16th for all other countries. A Rockstar Games blog post further elaborated on the decision to do a global delay, ensuring that "everyone can experience multiplayer simultaneously, take part in online events together, be on level ground on leaderboards, etc."
Take-Two CEO thinks Grand Theft Auto 4 DLC was late to the party
Fielding a question on today's quarterly investors call regarding the performance of Grand Theft Auto 4's DLC double-header and the accompanying retail bundle – The Lost and Damned, The Ballad of Gay Tony, and Episodes from Liberty City, respectively – Take-Two CEO Ben Feder admits, "Both we and Microsoft believed there was a big market for GTA 4 episodic content and some factors affected their performance." Calling the two companies' relationship "a historic, strategic partnership" – remember this? – and calling the episodes themselves "profitable contributors to the company," Feder nevertheless offered some insight into what his company could have done to make them even more profitable. "Both were released significantly after the launch of the core unit," Feder says, referring to the April 2008 launch of Grand Theft Auto 4. "And therefore weren't able to leverage GTA 4's initial marketing campaign and initial launch fervor." With The Lost and Damned coming out in February of this year, some 10 months after GTA 4's initial release, and The Ballad of Gay Tony this past October, 18 months after the initial release, we'd have to agree that timing played an issue; the GTA 4 hype machine had worn off. %Gallery-75593%
Take-Two's Zelnick doesn't believe in annualized GTA
If we took away one important lesson from Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick yesterday, during the company's investor call, it's this: it takes a lot of time to make "triple-A" games. That's why Zelnick isn't interested in annualizing the Grand Theft Auto franchise. "We don't feel that GTA oughta be an annualized franchise," he said, adding that he was "pleased" the series has been "testing new formats and new platforms" this year with two DLC expansions on Xbox Live and GTA: Chinatown Wars for DS and PSP. Instead of pushing out a new GTA game every year, Zelnick explained that Take-Two is focused on the "balance between how long it takes to develop such an incredible title that meets consumer expectations and how long you need to make sure than an appetite has been both satisfied and whetted [for the next game]." He padded his point with phrases like "high profitability" and "resiliency of the franchise," though when taken to task over how the publisher expects to make money in a "non-GTA release year" -- and in light of projected, continued losses from its baseball franchise -- he responded, "We remain committed to that goal [of profitability] ... naturally, we are disappointed that we're not projecting to achieve that goal in 2010." Meanwhile, somewhere in California, Bobby Kotick laughed maniacally.
GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony, Episodes from Liberty City hitting Oct. 29
Rockstar has dated the second Xbox 360-exclusive DLC expansion for Grand Theft Auto IV, The Ballad of Gay Tony, for October 29. A disc-based retail compilation of the new episode and the game's first add-on, The Lost and Damned, titled Episodes From Liberty City, will be available the same day for 360. The news comes via a tweet on the company's Twitter feed and two official site updates. The new DLC will be priced at 1600 ($20) while Episodes will run $39.99 and will not require a copy of GTA IV in order to play. To coincide with the announcement, Rockstar has updated the official Ballad of Gay Tony site with a new desktop background -- there's even an iPhone-formatted version for you mobile mobstas.
Rockstar, Media Molecule lead 2009 Develop Awards nods
Rockstar Leeds and Rockstar North, together with LittleBigPlanet dev Media Molecule have netted an impressive eleven nominations for the 2009 Develop Industry Excellence Awards, the UK's annual prize patrol for all things excellent in the industry. The Rockstar houses pocketed six of their own for work on GTA: Chinatown Wars and GTA IV: The Lost and the Damned, including nods for visual arts, technical innovation and audio. Rockstar Leeds is also up for the award for best handheld game studio, while both are in the running for being recognized as the best in-house team. Media Molecule is up for five awards as well, including best indie studio and best new IP. The Guildford studio is also up for the technical innovation award, where it's not only up against the Rockstar folks, but the teams behind Killzone 2, PlayStation Home, Football Manager Live and Fable II. We wish all nominees the best of luck and remind them not to forget to thanks their moms should they take the stage and accept an award during the July 15 ceremony.
Rockstar announces GTA: The Ballad of Gay Tony, coming to Xbox Live and retail compilation
The second episode of Rockstar's promised downloadable expansions to Grand Theft Auto IV has been announced! The cheeky developer revealed the DLC as The Ballad of Gay Tony, which places you in the (assumed) fancy shoes of Luis Lopez, a "part-time hoodlum and full-time assistant to legendary nightclub impresario Tony Prince" (or "Gay Tony"), the titular bar mogul who made a number of appearances in GTA IV.While we're sure to hear more about the particulars of Gay Tony during E3, the method of the game's release should prove to be interesting as well. Not only will the expansion hit Xbox Live this fall for $19.99, it'll also appear on a retail disc with The Lost and Damned. This retail disc, titled Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, won't contain the core GTA IV game -- nor will it require GTA IV to play. It'll hit store shelves in the fall, selling for $39.99. We'll let you know more when we know more!
CNBC ponders a Grand Theft Auto slowdown
CNBC is wondering if slow sales for The Lost and the Damned and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars are pointing to an overall slowdown for the series. The site points to analysts' estimates that only 1 million of those 13 million who bought GTA IV picked up the first DLC for the game, and to the crummy 89,000 units the DS title moved in March.We're not sure we're on board with CNBC's theory just yet, though. The market for GTA IV's DLC was already split because of its 360 exclusivity and Chinatown Wars is a hardcore game on what's largely thought of as a casual system. What do you think?
GTA IV: 13m shipped as of Jan. 31, DLC Ep. 2 in 2009
Take-Two's Q1 investor's call is going down right now, and one of the first items of news to blast its way out is the knee-wobbling figure of 13 million units; which is roughly the number of copies of GTA IV that has shipped worldwide on all platforms as of January 31, 2009 (technically, it's "over" 13 million shipped). To put that in perspective: that's more than one third of the population of Canada.Also of note, Take-Two continues to list GTA IV's second Xbox 360 DLC episode for release in "fiscal 2009" (that's before November 1, 2009 -- for all you regular calendar users). "DLC will be an important part of our business going forward," CEO Ben Feder declared during the call.
Joystiq Review: GTA IV's 'The Lost & Damned' (DLC)
Rockstar's ambitious Grand Theft Auto IV downloadable expansion, The Lost and Damned, tells a new tale in Liberty City, focusing on the vice president of The Lost Motorcycle Club, John Klebitz. Fans of the GTA series need no introduction to the content within this episode and will likely relish the opportunity to fulfill more of the series' staple quests. For those of you who couldn't care less about the franchise, however, know that Rockstar has set a wonderful precedent for the quality and size of a DLC offering with The Lost and Damned. It's practically a game within a game.Now, here's the part where you make your choice: "Continue" on to read our full review or jump to our video review below and give your reading eyes a rest. [And don't forget to enter for your chance to win The Lost and Damned right here!]
Hot flask: GTA IV's Lost, Damned and Unexpectedly Naked
Contextually appropriate character idiosyncrasy, or questionably shaped carrot dangled in front of the gaming press? Either way, Rockstar's latest addition to the Grand Theft Auto franchise -- one of controversy's more intimate acquaintances -- roasts yet another wiener on the fiery debate over mature content in games. Though we're certain most players were expecting a fair amount of dicks in The Lost and Damned's cast, the presence of a penis may come as a surprise. The folks at 1UP (NSFW) have captured the scene between protagonist Johnny Klebitz and massage-loving exhibitionist Mr. Stubbs in all its full frontal glory. If you're going to watch it, be prepared to have an important thought rushing to your head: Is Rockstar cheekily pushing our beloved medium forward, or simply erecting another financially beneficial controversy trap? We're inclined to think that IT'S A TRAP.Source [NSFW]
VGA 2008: See God of War 3, Brtal Legend, Uncharted 2 & Lost and Damned
If you missed the VGAs last night, you needn't worry, we've prepared the full virtual experience for you this morning. First, go read our liveblog of the event. Then, watch the delightful batch of trailers we've got for you after the break. Finally, imagine Jack Black is yelling at you in his underwear. You are there!Enjoy this first crop of media from Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, God of War 3, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Brütal Legend. We'll have the rest of the media for you in a bit.
First screens of GTA IV: The Lost and Damned DLC
Following yesterday's news in USA Today, Rockstar has officially announced the first of two DLC episodes for the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV, titled "The Lost and Damned." The first high-res screens of the episode are out, along with a bare minimum of new details. In addition to what yesterday's report contained – that players will control a new lead character, Johnny Klebitz, a biker with Liberty City motorcycle club The Lost – today's announcement confirms that the episode will contain "new missions that offer an entirely fresh way to explore Liberty City," along with new vehicles, weapons, multiplayer modes, and music. The episode arrives via Xbox Live Marketplace on Feb. 17, and (obviously) requires the original GTA IV to play. We've been wondering if a Gold account will be required as well, but Rockstar's announcement merely mentions an Xbox Live account as a prerequisite for download. So ... let's hear your theories on the plot. %Gallery-37692%
Chinatown Wars in Feb-April; GTA IV DLC end of Jan, tentatively
Speaking at the BMO Capital Market conference today, Take-Two fitness guru Strauss Zelnick posed some new release dates for the next entries in Rockstar's sprawling crime epic, Grand Theft Auto. All signs point to peace in the streets as we approach Chinatown War's previously marked release in late January. Strauss has pushed the downtown conflict into Take-Two's second fiscal quarter, which runs from February through April.Possibly joining the isometric pocket pusher in Q2 will be the overdue GTA IV DLC for Xbox 360. Strauss still has his heart set on January, though, as the total package is "close to completed."
Houser unsure if GTA IV DLC will release this year
Rockstar Games' Dan Houser isn't positive that the exclusive Grand Theft Auto IV downloadable content for Xbox 360 will make a 2008 release. In an interview with Variety, when asked directly if he expects the DLC to release this year, the Don of GTA fesses up he's "not sure" and hopes to announce a release date in the next few weeks.Despite Microsoft's reassurances, a delay to early next year wouldn't be wholly unexpected, with the rumor mill spewing forth a January or February release date. Really, though, does anybody have time for another romp through Liberty City when there's Sera, The Ishimura, Africa and our imaginations to visit?
Rumor: GTA IV DLC to bring quarantine, zombies [update]
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/GTA_IV_DLC_could_be_a_zombie_outbreak'; Update: It most definitely is a zombie outbreak, but it's a multiplayer tweak and not the enigmatic DLC, Rockstar confirms.Original:A new Eugenics Inc. "ad" has appeared on RockStar Social Club, issuing a vague quarantine order locking down the mysterious company's compound due to a contagious disease outbreak. Eugenics Inc. is a physical location in Grand Theft Auto IV, located in Bohan, though it doesn't play into any part of the game ... yet.The quarantine announcement is actually the second Eugenics Inc. display to appear on Social Club, following a "Sperm for Cash" ad posted in April (now removed), which, to date, has never been an actual in-game activity. Obviously, Rockstar is proliferating the company's existence for some purpose, right?Last we heard, Microsoft confirmed the exclusive GTA IV DLC for this fall -- so, any day now. The quarantine posting (unobstructed text after the break) has sparked some speculation that the DLC could be tied to Eugenics' mess. Namely, a potential zombie outbreak! With art assets already in place, what's to stop Rockstar from turning GTA IV into a "28 Days Later" scenario? Keep your eyes peeled.[Thanks, Alexander]
Microsoft confirms GTA IV DLC for Fall 2008
At last, confirmation that doesn't come from a nebulous internet entity or a gravelly voiced figure in a trench coat. Not that we have anything against those two fine and often charismatic sources of information, but we're just a teensy bit more confident in Microsoft's confirmation (and corroboration) to us that "exclusive episodes for 'Grand Theft Auto IV' will be available on Xbox 360 starting fall 2008." That's quite a bit better than the rumored January, we think.Details regarding the crime caper's new episodes are still officially non-existent, but nebulous internet entities and gravelly voiced figures in trench coats all agree: it'll likely involve car theft and other illegal shenanigans.
Take 2 News: GTA DLC into 2009 & more
We reported previously that hidden in the depths of a Take 2 shareholder's announcement lurked official news of a sequel to Bioshock, but in fact that announcement held a few other interesting gems as well. First, the news that there will continue to be DLC for GTA IV through the year 2009 (the confirmed Microsoft exclusive ones are set to hit in 2008.) Second and on the Bioshock front, was of course the sequel news, but also that Ken Levine is at work on some form of original IP. The other news regards games confirmed to be releasing this year and next year, which are Midnight Club: Los Angeles, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution, Top Spin 3, and Don King Presents: Prizefighter all for 2008, then Mafia II, Borderlands, and Bioshock 2 for 2009.
