The DLC exclusivity deal signed between Rockstar Games and Microsoft was indeed a timed commitment and is coming to an end as the studio revealed that Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, the single disc collection of both GTA IV episodes: The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, is scheduled to hit the PS3 and PC on March 30.

As an owner of the PS3 version myself, I would have liked to been able to get in on the action at the same time as my 360 owning friends; however, I may still dust off my copy to see how these episodes add to the experience.

"It’s been a long time coming, but we are proud to finally deliver Episodes From Liberty City for the PC and PlayStation 3," said Sam Houser. "We appreciate the patience of our PlayStation 3 and PC fans worldwide, and we look forward to putting the games in your hands this March."

The episodes will also be made available through the PlayStation Store and Games for Windows Live services for those who prefer digital purchasing.

Speaking in a recent interview with CVG, Rockstar North’s Imran Sarwar stated that both pieces of Grand Theft Auto IV DLC were planned “from the beginning.” Rather than building on top of the expansive world in GTA IV after completion, Rockstar decided to flesh everything out at the start, from concept to creation. Additionally, the aim for Niko’s persona was “to make him feel like a small part of a much larger world.”

Further, Sarwar elaborated on why including the DLC with the retail product was not possible:

“I think if we had it would have been impossible to focus on each separate aspect of gameplay properly, the stories and the gameplay are inextricably linked.

The last episode for GTA IV went live on Xbox 360 this week, The Ballad of Gay Tony.

Rockstar: GTA episodes were “plan from the beginning” [CVG]

GTA IV Episodes Not An Afterthought, Planned From The Beginning - [eXophase.com]

Rockstar Games has jumped on the bandwagon of using social media site Twitter to promote upcoming products and content, announcing today that a second batch of downloadable content is en route for Grand Theft Auto IV. Yes, instead of being surprised when the news hits, you can now start expecting it:

Details on 2nd episode of GTAIV downloadable content coming soon.

One line that will start building up hype, no doubt, taking in the success of Lost and Damned into account. Looks like we’ll have to wait it out for more details.

At a fairly informal event held at the Hoxton Pony in London last night, the winners of the Official Xbox Magazine Awards were announced. The top category of Game of the Year was a reader vote in. Here's a list of all of the winners:

• Best Racing Game - GRID
• Best Action Adventure - GTA IV
• Best Shooter - Gears of War 2
• Best RPG - Fallout 3
• Best Stretegy/Simulation - Civilization Revolution
• Innovation Award - Braid
• Best XBLA Game - Geometry Wars 2
• Best Sports - FIFA '09
• Best Xbox LIVE Enabled Game - Left 4 Dead
• Reader's Most Wanted - Bioshock 2 (Voted by readers)
• Game of the Year - Fallout 3 (Voted by readers)

So there you have it.  Not really a whole lot of surprises on there, but I personally would have gone with Castle Crashers over Geometry Wars 2 for best XBLA game.

OXM Winners [OXM UK]

Microsoft dropped quite a bit of cash to secure an exclusive Grand Theft Auto IV expansion pack for their platform, but it looks as if its paying off, so to speak.

The company announced today that first-day revenue generated from GTA IV: The Lost And Damned has eclipsed all previous downloadable content on Xbox Live. That means Johnny Klebitz and his brotherhood of scruffy gang bikers have brought in more revenue in 24 hours than any other DLC offering to date.

Oddly enough, no specific figures were released, so by how much it eclipsed other DLC is yet unknown. At least we now know it performed well, though. Which means a second GTA IV expansion is likely now inevitable, as if it wasn’t already.

“Grand Theft Auto IV” Steals A Download Record with Xbox 360 Exclusive Episode “Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned”

Already owner of the biggest entertainment launch in history, the “Grand Theft Auto IV” franchise continues its rampage on the record books with the Xbox 360 exclusive downloadable episode, “The Lost and Damned.” The highest reviewed downloadable content ever from Rockstar Games eclipsed first-day revenue for all previous downloadable content on Xbox LIVE.

“Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned” energized the already vibrant “Grand Theft Auto IV” community, resulting in a greater increase in active users the week before launch than seen from any previous downloadable content. With over ten hours of gameplay and new multiplayer modes, “The Lost and Damned” has received acclaim from critics and gamers alike, setting a new bar for quality and depth in episodic content.

“The success of ‘Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned’ redefines what consumers expect from Game Add-ons,” said Marc Whitten, general manager of Xbox LIVE. “Content like this is extending the lives of our favorite games and fundamentally changing the way we play.”

Developed by series creator Rockstar North, “Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned” follows new protagonist Johnny Klebitz and his motorcycle gang as they wreak havoc on the streets of Liberty City. Featuring new missions, multiplayer modes, weapons and vehicles, as well as a diverse soundtrack with brand new music, “The Lost and Damned” continues the epic “Grand Theft Auto IV” story exclusively on Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE.

“The Lost and Damned” is available for download on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 1600 Microsoft Points and requires the full version of Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360.

Weighing in at a hefty 1.78 GB, the exclusive Grand Theft Auto IV content ‘The Lost and Damned’ has officially hit the Live Marketplace. Sporting an ESRB M rating like the main game, the official warning tags for the content include: Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Alcohol, and Use of Drugs. Sounds like the ingredients for some nice sandbox anarchy. The Dashboard text describing the episode is as follows:

Johnny is a veteran member of The Lost, a notorious biker gang. Johnny has been creating business opportunities for The Lost in Liberty City, but his first loyalty must be to the patch he wears on his back and to Billy Grey, the club’s President. However, when Billy returns from rehab hell-bent on bloodshed and debauchery, Johnny finds himself in the middle of a vicious turf war with rival gangs for control of a city torn apart by violence and corruption. Can the brotherhood survive?

Be prepared to open up your wallet if you plan to download this however. Cost for the additional content will set you back 1600 Microsoft Points. I’ll leave you with one parting comment, be prepared to see full frontal male nudity as a part of this episode. So kids, it may not be a bad idea to have the television remote handy for a quick flick off if the parents are floating about while you’re playing.

Rockstar gave us the first look at Grand Theft Auto IV’s The Lost and Damned expansion today, but in reality we’ve only seen a small fraction of the entire package. According to the official announcement made just minutes ago, The Lost and Damned will include “new multiplayer modes, weapons and vehicles,” as well as new music tracks.

“Making these episodes has enabled us to expand the narrative and the experience of interacting with a game world in really innovative ways,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We hope fans of the game enjoy the new way of experiencing life in Liberty City contained in this first episode.”

From what has been said thus far, the DLC for GTA IV looks to be a very substantial add-on. Xbox 360 owning GTA fans are in for a treat. Full announcement is after the break.

Mainstream news outlet USA Today has the skinny on the exclusive downloadable content for the Xbox 360 edition of Grand Theft Auto IV. Given the subtitle of The Lost and Damned, this episode puts players in the role of Johnny Klebitz, a member of The Lost, Liberty City’s biker gang.

Johnny is a very different character than Niko, with a very different background,” says Dan Houser, vice president of creative development for Rockstar Games. “I can’t go into too much detail on the story, because we try not to give away too much plot before the game is released.”

Houser further noted that decisions you make in the expansion will not affect the main game, but promised that the content will show players “a different side of Liberty City.” The DLC is slated to “exclusively” hit the Xbox Live Marketplace early next year on February 17.

‘Grand Theft Auto’ yields road to the ‘Lost and Damned’ [USA Today]

Rockstar Games sent over a selection of screenshots and gameplay video clips showcasing what can be done with the exclusive built-in video editor and recording tool found in the upcoming PC edition of Grand Theft Auto IV.

For the first-time ever in a GTA title, players will be able to make real-time edits and seamlessly export footage into WMV format movie files. You can even splice multiple clips together while adding in effects such as music, text and transitions. Once finalized, clips can be shared with friends and other gamers through Rockstar’s online Social Club community.

Hit the jump for further details on this welcoming addition to the GTA series, along with screenshots and three other sample clips made with the video editor.

Speaking in a recent interview with Variety, Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser admitted that he is “not sure” if the exclusive downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV on Xbox 360 will hit this year.

I’m not sure. It’s going well. But we don’t know a date. We hope to be announcing that in the next few weeks. We’re still figuring out a few things. We’re more focused on quality than dates, always have been. But the development is going really good. It’s shaping up to be something we’re very proud of. That was our goal.

In its Q3 2008 financial report, publisher Take-Two mentioned that the DLC was slated to release fiscal 2009, which runs from November 1, 2008 to January 31, 2009. Taking Houser’s statement into consideration, all signs point to a January release.

Dan Houser on GTA IV’s Japan release and why he’s “not sure” if DLC will come out this year [Variety]