Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony Announced

[modeps]

http://evavhost.com/i/news/gaytony.jpg

In this episode of "Things that make you go Hmmmm" is the strangest announcement we've heard yet this year. Originally rumored to be based upon the Irish boys from Grand Theft Auto IV, and announced at the Microsoft E3 Press Conference, Rockstar Games has announced that its second DLC for GTAIV is neither of those things and titled "The Ballad of Gay Tony."

Grand Theft Auto IV's second downloadable episode, The Ballad of Gay Tony injects Liberty City with an overdose of guns, glitz, and grime. As Luis Lopez, part-time hoodlum and full-time assistant to legendary nightclub impresario Tony Prince (aka "Gay Tony"), players will struggle with the competing loyalties of family and friends, and with the uncertainty about who is real and who is fake in a world in which everyone has a price.

As a subnote to this bombshell, Rockstar will also be releasing Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, which will include both DLC packs on a disc exclusively for the Xbox 360. This will not require the full GTAIV game to play.

Full press release after the break.

[modeps]

Full Release as follows:

NEW YORK, May 26, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!ttwo/quotes/nls/ttwo (TTWO 8.81, -0.02, -0.23%) , is proud to announce the fall release of both the second episode of Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony - exclusively for download on Xbox LIVE(R) online entertainment network, and Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, which will include both episode one The Lost and Damned, and episode two The Ballad of Gay Tony together on a single disc exclusively for Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

"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."

Grand Theft Auto IV's second downloadable episode, The Ballad of Gay Tony injects Liberty City with an overdose of guns, glitz, and grime. As Luis Lopez, part-time hoodlum and full-time assistant to legendary nightclub impresario Tony Prince (aka "Gay Tony"), players will struggle with the competing loyalties of family and friends, and with the uncertainty about who is real and who is fake in a world in which everyone has a price.

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City delivers two games on one disc - the all-new episode The Ballad of Gay Tony and the first episode, The Lost and Damned - together on disc for the first time - for Xbox 360 for $39.99 and will not require a copy of the original Grand Theft Auto IV to play.

The Ballad of Gay Tony will release on Xbox LIVE this fall 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.

[pwnophobia]

whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?

[Earth Djinn]

I still haven't even finished LaD.

[Methos]

The Lost and Damned was one of my favorite DLCs ever, it was the best 1600 MS points I've spent outside of Rock Band 2 DLC. I'm sure such title was picked to rile up a little controversy that will create definate awareness of the game.



As a subnote to this bombshell, Rockstar will also be releasing Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, which will include both DLC packs on a disc exclusively for the Xbox 360. This will not require the full GTAIV game to play.

This is a wise move and no doubt the idea of some marketing genius :rolleyes: I'd love to have a hard-copy of TLAD, for the off-chance someday I will be living in a cardboard box with a gerbil-powered TV/X360 underneath the bridge, eating birds and fish; and without XBOX LIVE due to the coming apocalypse.

[Demo_Boy]

So MS pays them millions of dollars, and Rockstar bites them back with a game about a supposedly gay guy, dressed in gay colors.

People will feel like they are buying porno when they walk into the game store to buy the disc.

At least DLC will be less affected, but there's still way too many gamer homophobes for this not to affect sales.

[JasonGrey]

Sounds pretty damn cool actually. Surprising, too. Although I was sort of hoping to play as Johnny again... but man, I've been nothing but impressed with the writing/characters in GTAIV since release. So, I'm greatly looking forward to meeting a batch of new characters.

[Entropy Effect]

I just finished TLAD recently, which had a nice bit of content for the 1600 points. Chances are pretty good that I'll be ready for another episode by the time this rolls around.

[koorb]

This is a purchase.

[senorduck]

i am like hugely interested in the sales figures for this. It ought not make a difference if you think about it. i guess we'll see how progressive the gaming community really is.

[Ulysses]

Well, it's an attention grabber.

[Pumped'Up]

This is the best Rockstar can do? Absolutely retarded. I won't buy this stupid sh*t from Rockstar. Previously I've done blind buys with their games, nope, not no more. They should fire whoever made this decision to release a GAY video game for their bread and butter franchise...no offense to you homos out there eh.

[Wyrm]

Color me interested, where previously I wouldn't have been. I think Rockstar can not only do this with style, but pull it off to boot, thanks to their writers.

Kudos to them for doing something completely off my radar.

[modeps]

Color me interested, where previously I wouldn't have been. I think Rockstar can not only do this with style, but pull it off to boot, thanks to their writers.

Kudos to them for doing something completely off my radar.

After some thoughtful deliberation with myself I agree with you. Sure they could have gone the direction everyone expected with the McCrearys, but this in general could be quite interesting and is probably going to be just as well written, produced and acted as everything else they make....

Either that, or they just have penis (http://kotaku.com/5154550/gta-iv-the-lost-and-damned-also-adds-full-frontal-nudity) envy.

[Samstag]

The all in one disc will be pretty tempting, despite the fact that I already have LaD and two copies of GTA 4.

I'd rather hang out with the Irish boys, but if I can be a steroid-popping loonie's bitch I don't see why I can't "work under" Gay Tony. I've stooped much lower as Niko and Johnny.

[thehardac]

This is the best Rockstar can do? Absolutely retarded. I won't buy this stupid sh*t from Rockstar. Previously I've done blind buys with their games, nope, not no more. They should fire whoever made this decision to release a GAY video game for their bread and butter franchise...no offense to you homos out there eh.

I dunno about you, but I think its genius. I think you're just a little bit of a homophobe. This is brilliant and sure to have that Rockstar humor that will make it great.

[lockwoodx]

Ummm april was last month.

[Cutter99]

How has no one described this as "gay" yet?
It's one of the most over-used adjective in the entire dork world, and finally we have one time that it might actually apply.

[Cutter99]

This is the best Rockstar can do? Absolutely retarded. I won't buy this stupid sh*t from Rockstar. Previously I've done blind buys with their games, nope, not no more. They should fire whoever made this decision to release a GAY video game for their bread and butter franchise...no offense to you homos out there eh.

oh wait, no - I missed it. Carry on. Someone did point the finger and yell "gay." It was capitalized, though. As if to indicate that this gay, is far more gay than other gay things - which are merely bad.

[Trencher]

This is hilariously unexpected. Awesome.

[Verruckt]

All in one disc eh? That's the kind of thing I was expecting to make its way to the PS3 one day. Still am. Might buy it before that, though.

[altaraxic]

I think that the guys over at Rockstar are just laughing their asses off (at times) when you think about all the homophobic people that are going to force themselves to buy this.

But from another angle, this could be just another angle from which to tell a great story.

[Mr.Green]

This is the best Rockstar can do? Absolutely retarded. I won't buy this stupid sh*t from Rockstar. Previously I've done blind buys with their games, nope, not no more. They should fire whoever made this decision to release a GAY video game for their bread and butter franchise...no offense to you homos out there eh.

I'm looking forward to the day where message boards have AI that automatically replaces posts like these with "I'm a huge fucking tardburger!". And no, pea-brain, I'm not gay.

[eth3rton]

They could have just poured gasoline on kittens in Central Park and set them on fire. It wouldn't have generated much worse public relations (talking about the average joe/news medias here).

[Amalor]

It sounds like a Will Ferrel movie.

[Mr.Gurbic]

I have a friend we call Gay Tony. He's gonna love this!

[Zacharai]

They should fire whoever made this decision to release a GAY video game for their bread and butter franchise...no offense to you homos out there eh.
Yeah, I'm sure no gay guy would take offense to you asserting that this DLC will suck because it's got a gay guy in it. Your quote fits the definition of 'bigoted'.

[FreezaSama]

I held off on Lost & Damned because I knew full well they'd be releasing a retail disc sooner or later. Every other developer that's released a big expansion has done the same.

[SalaciousPuck]

Taking risks, doing it different.....this can only make things interesting.

Seriously, what market segment are they going to lose....people who play GTA looking for their myopic bizarro world view of wholesome morality...People who are offended by the gay while they beat a hooker to death?

I'm all for this - and I could easily pass for a Republican (hockey playing, (VERY) straight, mixed marriage, extremely straight, etc).....so long as there is NO HOT COFFEE MODE. I can take any kind of gay, from flamer (Richard Simmons) to closeted (Tom Cruise) and militant (Rosie ODonnel) to log cabin (Karl Rove), but don't even want to imagine the sex. That goes for all gays and most straight people too, fwiw.

[LilAbner]

How has no one described this as "gay" yet?
It's one of the most over-used adjective in the entire dork world, and finally we have one time that it might actually apply.

This is gay on so many levels. :D

[BigBPlaya]

You gotta love the Internet....people don't like to read entire sentences when they skim online.

The story is about Gay Tony's assistant......NOT Gay Tony......did anybody else actually read the initial post?

[RevGored]

This is the best Rockstar can do? Absolutely retarded. I won't buy this stupid sh*t from Rockstar. Previously I've done blind buys with their games, nope, not no more. They should fire whoever made this decision to release a GAY video game for their bread and butter franchise...no offense to you homos out there eh.

hahahahahahahahahaa holy fuck if this isn't a troll, you are the best person in the world, please spread your seed far and wide, there aren't enough homophobic racist cokehead republicans in this world

[alienchild]

This is the best Rockstar can do? Absolutely retarded. I won't buy this stupid sh*t from Rockstar. Previously I've done blind buys with their games, nope, not no more. They should fire whoever made this decision to release a GAY video game for their bread and butter franchise...no offense to you homos out there eh.

Fantastic post. Thank you for making me laugh. It must be the dumbest thing I've read on a forum ever, and that is saying quite alot.

[Mojopin]

I think its funny how almost 5 people have reposted Pumped'Up's post before jumping on their soap box to tell him how bigoted/stupid/etc... he is. I think you guys have done your civic duty by reposting it 5 TIMES!! Anybody else wanna give him more than 15 mins? The key to getting rid of people with backward mentalities? Show them that they are the ones out of step with society and reality by ignoring their stupidity, works wonders.

[Rhaze]

Hahaha. Looks like a hilarious game, can't wait to give it a try.

[Dag-Sabot]

Finally I get to play a character who knows how to accessorize and coordinate. This season the Kalashnikov and cabana pants will surely be de rigeur.

[Meusli]

I think its funny how almost 5 people have reposted Pumped'Up's post before jumping on their soap box to tell him how bigoted/stupid/etc... he is. I think you guys have done your civic duty by reposting it 5 TIMES!! Anybody else wanna give him more than 15 mins? The key to getting rid of people with backward mentalities? Show them that they are the ones out of step with society and reality by ignoring their stupidity, works wonders.

I think he's posted it as a funny post and not to be taken seriuosly. I have never known Pumped'Up posts to be like this ever.

[divinechaos]

I think he's posted it as a funny post and not to be taken seriuosly. I have never known Pumped'Up posts to be like this ever.

'Cause not until now we've been playing games where we're the assistant of straight people. But now his rage has been awakened!

This episode sounds like it'll be hilarious, if I had the game then I'd get on this.

[TeeCakes]

I'm not a big fan of the "Gay Tony" character's name, and certainly not a fan of them releasing DLC that features the name in bold letters.

It's like trying to release DLC called "Italian Mario Party" or "The Legend of Black Obama," just breaks so many marketing/consumer science rules (and in general is anti-good taste) it's quite a silly publicity stunt that will probably backfire on everyone responsible.