Rockstar Games announced that its delayed Xbox-360 exclusive downloadable content for
Grand Theft Auto IV, titled
The Lost and Damned, will debut worldwide on Xbox Live on February 17, 2009, with pricing details still forthcoming.
The new
GTA IV episode -- one of two announced exclusively for the Xbox 360 -- was originally scheduled for parent company Take-Two Interactive's fiscal Q1 (November 2008 to January 2009).
Take-Two Board chairman Strauss Zelnick
recently indicated, however, that the content's release would be moved to the second quarter, which starts February 2009, to ensure the highest quality results for the company.
"Looking ahead, the biggest opportunity we see for the industry, as well as for us, is downloadable content," Zelnick has previously stated, noting that
GTA IV's downloadable episodes are part of this strategy.
"We're excited about the creative opportunity; we're very excited about the profit potential, and we'll see how these things roll out," Zelnick said of the downloadable content business. "I think the entire industry is focused in this area."
In addition to featuring a new main character and a plot that intersects with
GTA IV's main storyline,
The Lost and Damned will include new missions, multiplayer modes, weapons, vehicles, and music.
According to
a USA Today report, the downloadable content stars Johnny Klebitz, a member of Liberty City biker gang The Lost.
"Making these episodes has enabled us to expand the narrative and the experience of interacting with a game world in really innovative ways," says Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser. "We hope fans of the game enjoy the new way of experiencing life in Liberty City contained in this first episode."
