Rockstar has revealed that Lazlow, the lovable talk show host, will be making a return in the latest expansion of Grand Theft Auto IV, The Ballad of Gay Tony, with new content. Lazlow is the host of radio station Integrity 2.0 in Grand Theft Auto IV, and also had some new content in The Lost and Damned. That’s all we know so far.

Increasing the presents of the game, Rockstar revealed a new character that will be featured in Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony, Tony “Gay Tony” Prince – who is obviously a main character in the game – via a trailer.

The exclusive 360 episode, Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony, will put players in the role of Luis Lopez, as his part-time hoodlum duties are supplemented by full-time work for nightclub impresario Tony “Gay Tony” Prince. The Ballad of Gay Tony will release on Xbox LIVE this October for $19.99 or 1600 MS points and requires players to have Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE membership to download.

If you own an iPhone, and you love Chinatown Wars, I have some very exciting news for you. Today, Rockstar confirmed that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will headed be to Apple’s handy portable system this fall. “Chinatown Wars is a perfect match for the iPhone and iPod touch,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We are very excited to bring this incredibly ambitious version of Liberty City, with this level of detail and immersive gameplay on Apple’s new gaming platforms.”

Chinatown Wars is currently available for the Nintendo DS and is also coming this fall for the PlayStation Portable system. The game follows the story of Huang Lee, a young Triad who travels to Liberty City after the mysterious death of his father. Players will navigate their way through the streets as they uncover the truth behind an epic tale of crime and corruption within the Triad crime syndicate, delivering the unprecedented amount of depth that has become a true trademark of the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Rockstar have been quite and it hasn’t said much about much about newest expansion to Grand Theft Auto IV, The Ballad of Gay Tony, ever since it was announced back in May. However, in recent weeks, they have been going all out, even releasing the first pair of screenshots and its release date. In this coming week, you’ll get to see more.

On Tuesday, September 1, they’ll finally release the first trailer for The Ballad of Gay Tony, which will be featured with the Episodes from Liberty City trailer.  The Episodes from Liberty City is a disc-based version featuring both The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony add-ons for Xbox 360. Once again, the trailer will release on Tuesday, September 1.

Updated: The episodic content will also arrive on a disc along with previous DLC episode, The Lost and Damned, as Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City, only on 360, and set to release on Oct. 29 for $39.99 and does not require a
copy of the original Grand Theft Auto IV to play.

Original: GTA IV’s second and latest piece of exclusive downloadable content for the Xbox 360, Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony will release on Oct. 29, Rockstar Games announced today.

The Ballad of Gay Tony focuses on the glitzy “high-end night life” of Liberty City. And puts players in the role of Luis Lopez, as his part-time hoodlum duties are supplemented by full-time work for nightclub impresario Tony “Gay Tony” Prince.

The DLC will release for Microsoft’s console this fall for $19.99, or 1600 MS points, and will require players to have a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV and an Xbox Live membership in order to download it.

[Next Grand Theft Auto DLC Hits Oct. 29 [Update] via Kotaku]

As it was rumored, Rockstar Games has announced that one of the highest-rated handheld games of all time, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will released for PSP this autumn.

“We’re proud to extend this truly unique handheld Grand Theft Auto experience to PSP and offer a downloadable version of Chinatown Wars for PSP GO,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “Rockstar Leeds has shown incredible talent in creating games that raise the bar in terms of depth and innovation on portables, and with Chinatown Wars we have a rich, fast-paced, and incredibly addictive entry into the series.”

“Rockstar’s work with the GTA series has been an enormous part of the success of PlayStation platforms,” added Jack Tretton, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America. “We’re excited to welcome the critically acclaimed Chinatown Wars to the outstanding line-up of great games headed to the PSP platform this fall.”

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars follows the story of Huang Lee, a young Triad who travels to Liberty City after the mysterious death of his father.

Remember Gay Tony? Well, now you can’t forget. Rockstar Games today announced that the second round of downloadable content for GTA IV is entitled The Ballad of Gay Tony.

In contrast to the seedy biker gang expansion that is The Lost and Damned, The Ballad of Gay Tony is said to focus on the glitzy “high-end night life” of Liberty City. The exclusive 360 episode will put players in the role of Luis Lopez, as his part-time hoodlum duties are supplemented by full-time work for nightclub impresario Tony “Gay Tony” Prince.

“Liberty City is the most vibrant game world we’ve created yet. The episodic structure has allowed us to interweave stories, gameplay and atmosphere in a whole new way,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games.

“The team at Rockstar North have yet again surpassed themselves, and made something that is both epic and very innovative. This episode’s focus on high-end night life contrasts with the biker gangs portrayed in The Lost and Damned, whilst giving us a lot of new gameplay possibilities.”

The DLC will release for Microsoft’s console this fall for $19.99, or 1600 MS points, and will require players to have a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV and an Xbox Live membership in order to download it.

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The GTA series has become a bit of a mixed bag throughout the years. Upon changing up formulas, catering to different audiences, and bringing change to a formula that wasn’t exactly broken, its popularity continues to surge. With the recent release of Grand Theft Auto IV and its very first DLC episode, the franchise has gained and lost a myriad of fans. However, one thing remains unchanging: the fact that Rockstar has never been, nor will be, afraid to go there.

When Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was announced for the Nintendo DS, gamers collectively sighed with noticeable disgust. And why not? The DS has never particularly been seen as a platform for which more adult-oriented games could truly shine, that is, until now. A spectacular and intense throwback to the games that kickstarted the series’ success, Chinatown Wars is destined to become one of the DS’s must-play classics.

Fire up Chinatown Wars, and you’ll get acquainted with one Huang Lee. He’s making his way to the ubiquitous Liberty City in order to pass on a sword to his uncle. It’s no ordinary sword, as it’s symbolic in nature. After the slaying of Huang’s father, it’s his job to pass on the sword to the Triad head’s father. After some shady and unfortunate events unfold, Lee finds that the sword has been stolen and he’s tossed out into the sea, thought to be dead. With this, you’re thrust into the seedy underbelly that comprisees the single-player mode of Chinatown Wars.

Perhaps the very first thing you’ll notice is the long-awaited return of the top-down perspective from the heyday of Grand Theft Auto. What’s presented here is essentially a classic console installment downsized in every proper way imaginable to fit the DS like a glove. However, though it may look entirely alike, there are many ways in which it’s a bit different from its predecessors. Though everything is seen through a bird’s-eye view, the game is entirely 3D. Of course, that’s not exactly saying too much due to the DS’s graphical restrictions, but regardless of the bells and whistles expected these days from gaming youth, there is too much fun to be had here.  The best way to describe Chinatown Wars is a modern-day GTA title with a different camera angle.

Liberty City remains relatively unchanged from the days of the console releases, and if you feel the urge to explore right away, the entire city is unlocked at the onset. GTA wouldn’t be the mother of all sandbox titles if they didn’t cater to those of us with the burning desire to explore.  Exploring the city is one of the absolute biggest draws – if you see something that could possibly take you from point A to point B,it’s up for grabs. Commandeer a truck, a car, a bike, anything you want.  However, a good portion of your time will be spent exploring every nook and cranny on foot, because you can aim much better that way. You’ll be faced with many, many missions that require the sweet sound of shots ringing out -  a regular series staple.  There is a bevy of weaponry available via the ammunition dealer, ensuring that you always receive the proper tools to get any job done right. The implementation of a targeting system will ensure that you’re shooting to kill, but as the game wears on you may find that it makes certain areas of the game a bit easier than you’d like.

If you’ve ever wanted to live out the life of a drug dealer, Chinatown Wars delivers with its network of who’s buying low and who’s particularly needing a fix. It’s a living, breathing economy that works well, even incorporating real-life elements that could completely screw up even the best-laid of plans.  That’s right, a surprise sting could ruin your precious trade, leaving you with nothing if you hadn’t the presence of time to stockpile some goods. I found myself spending loads of time on this aspect of the game, forsaking storyline elements and productivity to make some quick cash and to forge some bonds with respected dealers around Liberty City. I can’t imagine this element going over well with whiny parents, but to be honest it really made the game for me. This level of interaction with the world was rather impressive, coming from a DS title Rather than relying on a cell phone to make plans, keep in touch, and all of those other important aspects, you’re given a PDA that works fantastically – allowing you to contact NPCs, and providing a great little GPS that you can use the stylus to navigate. It’s all about making the connections and networking.

Of particular interest is the new method in which you must lose the heat. Rather than simply evading cops, you must now take an offensive stance against those pigs, er, respected members of law enforcement. Driving away just won’t be enough anymore. Now you’ll find yourself going after the cop cars, effectively disabling them in order to lose your wanted level. This is an extremely satisfying addition to the series, and personally I hope to see it implemented in future, “big brother” console ports.

Chinatown Wars looks great, considering the hardware it’s got to work with. Music tracks as well as audio fit the mood perfectly, as well as score the action to a T. Rockstar has done a truly admirable job here in utilizing every bit of power the DS has to create a smashing new entry into the Grand Theft Auto series.

Closing Statement:

If you’re a veteran of the series, or if you’re just starting to get into the madness that is Grand Theft Auto, this is a  great first choice to start with, as it’s very accessible, reasonably priced, and you can take it with you. It’s a fantastic throwback to the original days of the series, if you remember the very first few iterations. This game is indeed a breath of fresh air for the franchise, and going back to basics is always a good thing. Check it out at your first convenience.

Score: A-

Its been ten months since the release of Grand Theft Auto IV and it looks like its developers, Rockstar Games, are finally ready to put their latest work to the test in GTA IV: The Lost and Damned. But, this time we will not be taking on the role of Niko Bellic, the leading man in the Grand Theft Auto IV. You’ll be taking on the role of Johnny ‘The Jew’ Klebitz, the Vice President of The Lost (MC), which is one of the three known big Biker Gangs in the Liberty City.

Sadly, unlike some of Rockstar’s other characters, Johnny really isn’t one of those characters in where you’ll gain a strong bond with. Basically, the DLC is all about John and his gang. BOY his gang is just a group of jerks. REALLY. When we were playing through the title, we found out that Rockstar tried hard to match some of the events that happen in Grand Theft Auto IV that they just didn’t give you enough time to gain a bond with the characters in the DLC. Making the characters look like they do what they do just because they can. However, what they did manage to do right is the game’s presentation. Talk about the ability to keep busy. Not only did they add a hand full of weapons to the mix, but they also added an interesting new race type in were you use a bat to hit your opponent off their bike if they get too close. But, one thing they messed up on in the games presentation is the new grain filter. It really makes the city look ugly, but it really does fit the kind of story they were trying to tell. On the other hand, they did add in a new group of games to play and trust us when we say that it isn’t a waste of time.

Sadly, the character models in the title don’t have that ground breaking amazement like they did when GTA IV, when it was first released, but they are still very detailed. Once again, the grain filter isn’t something that I would want to play this game with, but you can’t do anything about it. This makes me mad because it makes the city look alot on the bad side. Also, the vehicles in the game have received an update and, boy, was it a great step for the developers to make. It makes everything fun and easy to control.

Another great part about the DLC is the added additional Tunes, Talk Shows and Television Shows which prove that this title is a ‘BIG Bang’ for your 20 bucks. The Stations are freaking awesome! I even spent about ten minutes just sitting there in my vehicle tuned into ‘The Beat 102.7′ checking to see what was the update with Busta Rhymes’ ‘If your car ain’t right, homie you ain’t right’. Also, there are new Television Shows. It’s just that they aren’t that entertaining, but it’s there if you want to watch it.

The multi-player is still there with added content like weapons and vehicles. But, I don’t know what it is, when you get into a good match with willing players, you’ll have one of the best mutli-player experience there is. However, one thing I wished that they had updated was the cover system. Just like the single player, you can be easy pickings when you don’t attach to the right cover spot in the right way.

Closing Statement:

The Lost and Damned will go down, in at least our book, as one of the greatest download contents ever made because it has all the things that great DLCs are made of: great content and great acting all around. And for 20 dollars it’s one of the best items you can find on Xbox Live Marketplace, which is saying alot. There’s only one thing I wished they did and that is adding the ability for you to go back and play Grand Theft Auto IV instead of you having to re-download it every time you play Grand Theft Auto IV. Also, they should have given the player a little more back story into the members of ‘The Lost’.

Score: A

Once again, this years show just keeps on surprising me, but one thing that didn’t surprise was the trailer GTA IV: The Lost And Damned, because I already knew that it was coming. Anyway, the trailer really did show a new side of the GTA seires, but it did find away to keep its style. But, I’m not going to say that I’m completely happy with the trailer, but man was it a great showing.

Some of you are probably still enjoying Grand Theft Auto IV, especially if you’re a huge fan of the online component. And if your not playing the online component, or the game all together, here’s a great reason for you to start playing again. Rockstar Games has revealed the upcoming episode for their since released game, Grand Theft Auto IV.

The game was once focused on Niko Bellic, a former Eastern European soldier, now the game has shifted its focus onto a member of a Liberty City bike gang. As I was saying, in the upcoming DLC the game shifts it’s focus onto Johnny Klebitz, member of The Lost biker gang from Liberty City. The new version of the game is entitled Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned and it’s exclusively on the 360 and will be releasing on Feb. 17.

“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.”

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned requires players to have the full version of Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE membership to download. Further details, including pricing, will be announced soon.

According to a report by RPG.tv.com, the upcoming DLC for the 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV will add almost 15 more hours of gameplay to the game. “…I also discovered that the first piece of GTA downloadable content will be arriving in November as well. Very little details were given but I was assured it would be sizeable bringing roughly 15 hours of additional play time” said an writer for RPG.tv.com. We have yet to gain official news about the upcoming DLC being this long until we do you can place this one as a rumor.

Xbox360Achievements.org has posted the achievements for the upcoming game Grand Theft Auto IV. GTA IV follows the story of Nikolai Bellic, who has come to Liberty City to pursue the American Dream. Grand Theft Auto IV the game is powered by the RAGE game engine and will be releasing worldwide on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

	Off The Boat	5
	Complete the first mission.
	One Hundred And Eighty	10
	In a darts game score 180 with 3 darts.
	Pool Shark	10
	Beat a friend at pool.
	King of QUB3D	15
	Beat the High Score in QUB3D.
	Finish Him	15
	Complete 10 melee counters in 4 minutes.
	Genetically Superior	25
	Come first in 20 singleplayer street races.
	Wheelie Rider	30
	Do a wheelie lasting at least 500 feet on a motorbike.
	Gobble Gobble	10
	Score 3 strikes in a row, a turkey, in 10-pin bowling.
	Driving Mr. Bellic	10
	Unlock the special ability of taxi.
	Rolled Over	30
	Do 5 car rolls in a row from one crash.
	Walk Free	50
	Lose a 4 star wanted rating by outrunning the cops.
	Courier Service	10
	Complete all 10 package delivery jobs.
	Retail Therapy	10
	Unlock the special ability of buying guns from a friend.
	Chain Reaction	20
	You must blow up 10 vehicles in 10 seconds.
	One Man Army	40
	Survive 5 minutes on 6 star wanted level.
	Lowest Point	5
	Complete mission “Roman’s Sorrow”.
	Order Fulfilled	10
	Complete all 10 Exotic Export orders.
	Manhunt	15
	Complete the most wanted side missions from the police computer.
	Cleaned The Mean Streets	20
	Capture 20 criminals through the police computer.
	Fed The Fish	5
	Complete the mission “Uncle Vlad”.
	It’ll Cost Ya	5
	Complete a taxi ride without skipping from one island to another.
	Sightseer	5
	Fly on all helicopter tours of Liberty City.
	Warm Coffee	5
	Successfully date a girl to be invited into her house.
	That’s How We Roll!	10
	Unlock the special ability of helicopter.
	Half Million	55
	Reach a balance of $500,000.
	Impossible Trinity	10
	Complete mission “Museum Piece”.
	Full Exploration	20
	Unlock all the islands.
	You Got The Message	20
	Deliver all 30 cars ordered through text message.
	Dare Devil	30
	Complete 100% of the unique stunt jumps.
	Assassin’s Greed	20
	Complete all 9 assassin missions.
	Endangered Species	50
	Collect every hidden package in the game.
	Under The Radar	40
	Fly underneath the main bridges in the game that cross water with a helicopter.
	Dial B For Bomb	10
	Unlock the special ability of phoning for a bomb to be placed.
	Gracefully Taken	10
	Complete mission “I’ll Take Her”.
	Liberty City (5)	20
	After meeting all possible friends, the ones left alive all like you above 90%.
	No More Strangers	5
	Meet all random characters.
	That Special Someone	10
	Complete mission “That Special Someone”.
	You Won!	60
	Complete the final mission.
	Liberty City Minute	30
	Complete the story missions in less than 30 hours.
	Key To The City	100
	Achieve 100% in “Game progress” statistic.
	Teamplayer	10
	Kill 5 players who are not in your team, in any ranked multiplayer team game.
	Cut Your Teeth	5
	Earn a personal rank promotion in multiplayer.
	Join The Midnight Club	10
	Win a ranked multiplayer race without damaging your vehicle too much and with damage enabled.
	Fly The Co-op	15
	Beat our time in ranked versions of “Deal Breaker”, “Hangman’s NOOSE” and “Bomb da Base II”.
	Taking It For The Team	10
	Be on the winning team in all ranked multiplayer team games.
	Top Of The Food Chain	10
	Kill 20 players with a pistol in a ranked multiplayer deathmatch.
	Top The Midnight Club	20
	Come first in 20 different ranked standard multiplayer races.
	Wanted	20
	Achieve the highest personal rank in multiplayer.
	Auf Wiedersehen Petrovic	30
	Win all ranked multiplayer variations, all races and “Cops ‘n Crooks”, as both sides.
	Let Sleeping Rockstars Lie	10
	Kill a Rockstar developer in a ranked multiplayer match.

Thanks to Cory for pointing this out, a memder of GT posted the first 20 mins of the game. This comes after all the leaked video which appeared yesterday and are still appearing today. GTA IV follows the story of Nikolai Bellic, who has come to Liberty City to pursue the American Dream. Grand Theft Auto IV the game is powered by the RAGE game engine and will be releasing worldwide on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Today Rockstar Games released three new screenshots for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV coming this April. These screenshots where exclusive to a few other gaming blog but was released in full size. GTA IV you follows the story of Nikolai Bellic who has come to Liberty City to pursue the American Dream. Grand Theft Auto IV the game is powered by the RAGE game engine and will be releasing worldwide on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

(You can click on the images to see them in there full page glory)