New GTA IV expansion, compilation disc announced
The Ballad of Gay Tony to premiere this autumn on Xbox Live, will be bundled with previous expansion on a standalone disc
Rockstar and Take-Two have announced the next Grand Theft Auto IV expansion, The Ballad of Gay Tony, will be available digitally this autumn over Xbox Live. It will also be released bundled on a disc with the game's previous expansion for release through retail.
The expansion will be available in two formats - as a downloadable expansion that requires an original Grand Theft Auto IV disc, and as part of a retail disc titled Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City. This disc, according to Take-Two, will contain both The Ballad of Gay Tony and the game's previous expansion, The Lost and Damned, and will not require a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV to play.
"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 Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser. "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 Lost and Damned broke Xbox Live download records during its debut. In March, analyst Michael Pachter estimated that GTA IV's downloadable content will reach 2 million sales by the end of the year.