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.

After the release of the NPD sales figures for February, Xbox 360 product management director Aaron Greenburn goes on the offensive and describes Sony as "hemorrhaging" at retail. Anchoring his argument in a very large 53 percent year-on-year Xbox 360 sales boost, Greenberg added, "What we're finding in our research is that a large portion of the volume we're driving with Xbox 360 purchasers is actually PS2 owners choosing Xbox for the next generation. We're switching people from the PlayStation brand over to the Xbox brand."

"You can't underestimate that we're half the price of the PS3 at a time when consumers were looking for great value," he said. "The PS3 was down in February two percent even with the launch of Killzone 2 -- that's months of year-over-year declines. Xbox continues to head north while the PS3 is heading south. We're gaining share."

"But what we hear from our partners is that it's not just PS3, it's also PS2 down 62 percent year over year," he continued. "With that business declining, and with the PS3 business declining, it's been described to me as hemorrhaging at retail right now, and it just keeps getting worse."

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 Games has sent over the first screenshots from its recently detailed Grand Theft Auto IV expansion, The Lost and Damned. Starring The Lost biker Johnny Klebitz, look for the downloadable content to be available exclusively from Xbox Live Marketplace on February 17.

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]