SCEA downplays GTA IV episodic content

SCEA's VP of product marketing, Scott Steinberg, has downplayed the Xbox 360-exclusive episodic content for GTA IV which Microsoft "spent the GNP of several small Latin American countries to get."

Speaking to GameDaily, Steinberg noted that - with the enormous size of the main game - the average consumer will have the same core GTA IV experience on PS3 as they will on the Xbox 360 at the game's launch.

Even though Xbox 360 owners will be able to access episodic content in the fall, he doesn't think there will be a large percentage of people jumping into that content for another price when they're still playing through the core product.

In his view, consumers who are on the fence over what platform to purchase will choose the PS3 not only for GTA IV but for Metal Gear Solid and Gran Turismo.

"It's the elite of the elite products that actually enable hardware to be sold with software and we'll have three of them," Steinberg said.