Rockstar announces GTA: The Ballad of Gay Tony, coming to Xbox Live and retail compilation

by Griffin McElroy on May 26th 2009 4:35PM

The second episode of Rockstar's promised downloadable expansions to Grand Theft Auto IV has been announced! The cheeky developer revealed the DLC as The Ballad of Gay Tony, which places you in the (assumed) fancy shoes of Luis Lopez, a "part-time hoodlum and full-time assistant to legendary nightclub impresario Tony Prince" (or "Gay Tony"), the titular bar mogul who made a number of appearances in GTA IV.

While we're sure to hear more about the particulars of Gay Tony during E3, the method of the game's release should prove to be interesting as well. Not only will the expansion hit Xbox Live this fall for $19.99, it'll also appear on a retail disc with The Lost and Damned. This retail disc, titled Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, won't contain the core GTA IV game -- nor will it require GTA IV to play. It'll hit store shelves in the fall, selling for $39.99. We'll let you know more when we know more!

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Tags: dlc, episodes-from-liberty-city, grand-theft-auto-iv-the-ballad-of-gay-tony, gta-iv-dlc, gtaiv, Microsoft, rockstar, the-ballad-of-gay-tony, the-lost-and-damned, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (145)

What....

its "Fanny-Tastic".... =D

I wonder if the fact that it will also be released on disc means it'll be multi-plat. I mean, technically, that's not DLC, so doesn't break the "exclusive dlc" promise. Any word?

Which would also explain why the disc version has TLAD with it.

Well MS paid for two exclusive DLC packs, as is my understanding. The disk might just be for the people who didn't buy L&D. Griffin also says up there that it is going to be downloadable via Xbox LIve, with no mention of PSN, so at this point I think you could assume this will be exclusive.

I think it depends if Microsoft is publishing this retail pack.

Either way, if it does come to the PS3 I doubt it'll be at the same time as the 360 version. I doubt Microsoft are stupid enough to get caught out by silly loopholes like that.

Wait ... what? Really?

Wait, since this is a going to be a stand alone game does this mean 1000 Achievement points?

I would assume so.

Tomb Raider Anniversary could be downloaded as an expansion for Legend or bought as a retail game and it had 1000 points. As a proper retail game, I don't see why this wouldn't.

What...is right, but who cares. It's GTA. I'll play it. :D

Also, I'm loving the liberty city stories retail disc thing, since I didn't get to play the first DLC and I already traded my GTA IV away.

Jeez, kiddies. Don't get your panties in a bunch here. Just some speculation here. Personally, I'm not in the market for any GTA DLC, as I never finished the main story anyway. So, everybody calm down. Take a breath. You've still got your precious exclusive GTA content.

I'm going back to playing inFamous now.

What are you thinking Troy.
Swagman just lost the Fallout 3 dlc exclusivity and he needs something to rub in the faces of pc & ps3 owners.

It's okay Swagman he's only trying to scare you. And even if the rumors that the GTA dlc exclusivity is timed or this next mission pack is as crappy and overpriced as the last, just remind yourself that you still have Gears... You still have gears. Now wipe the tears off your keyboard and wrap another towel around your 360.

Good. The Lost and Damned, while pretty short, was better than the original story, and hopefully this will be too.

That's gotta set off some people... TITLE=(GTA+GAY)+USA= Oh-oh.

EDIT: Once again, really off-topic.

i dont understand how protesting gets you money?

@kill
wow, you have a lot of hate.

Ever notice when the far right protests something as bad or damaging and viola...we see the product everywhere, on the news, in print...you know FREE advertising.

yeah sure, but I dont see how youd make money off that unless you own the product being protested, but you said protest me so unless you're thinking of paid interviews i cant really see where you're going with this

EDIT: Also off-topic. No dice.

I was referring to the mindset of Rockstar when I said come protest me.

It is actually a lyric from a song by ICP.

EDIT: Off-topic.

How is it off-topic to state that certain groups protest specific lifestyles in games? And to give examples of they hypocritical nature of these same groups?

I think I was on topic of answering his inquiry but okie dokie. People seemed to agree with me on the effect of his political rants.

So it's a musical?

All I know is that it's going to be fabulous.

As someone already said once before: It's Gaybulous!

Where is the "IV" in the logo? TLAD had it (I think).

Huh. Microsoft should have held this back for E3.

Or maybe not, depending on how this title is going to be received....

Rockstar controls everything, Microsoft is basically their funding for these to DLC projects. Rockstar has always had control of the PR for the most part. Rockstar also doesn't normally get involved with E3.

I'm not sure how I'll feel when in-game friends want to go to a strip club now.

Wow, they were just talking about something like this on Rebel FM. They can predict the future and stuff.

I was saying the same thing. It's a big prediction though. Wonder if they had any inside information. Most people assumed it was the character who ruins the diamond operation...

Not waiting until E3 to reveal this means it's PROBABLY a joke. I don't see why they couldn't wait until June 1st and MS's press conference to reveal the DLC, whether it be this or something more...Serious.

well, they did say they were gonna focus on all the characters present at the diamond deal, at least I remember hearing someone say that. And Luis Lopez was the guy who shot the Jewish guy who inspected the diamonds. I hope it's not true, because Luis wasn't even as important as a character as Johnny was and he didn't seem very interesting from the small pieces we've seen of him, contrary to Johnny who I found myself wanting to play as immediately. I do hope it is a joke though, I was very much hoping for a McReary or Irish related DLC pack. It really could be a joke, especially considering most Americans attitudes toward gays, but God knows Rockstar loves to step outside the boundaries

Like I said above. And a joke? You really think they'd joke on such a topic? I know it's Rockstar but...

Rockstar controls everything, Microsoft is basically their funding for these to DLC projects. Rockstar has always had control of the PR for the most part. Rockstar also doesn't normally get involved with E3.

On a side note... if their was one company that could break the wall on having a gay character at the focus (or around the focus) it's Rockstar. I applaud them for diving head first for the past +decade.

Hot Coffee: This Time, With Extra Cream.

Wayne,

an Irish GTA. So much potential with that. I'm already excited just thinking about it.

I have no problem with a gay character at all. I'm just saying that based on what I see as Rockstar's sense of humor, this is just the kind of joke they'd go for. GTA IV, to me, was a darker and grittier GTA. L&D got even grittier, literally. Why would Rockstar go in a completely different direction with this DLC pack? I just don't see how they could make a story based on Gay Tony and Luis dark. If they were going in a dark direction, I don't think they would have titled this pack "The Ballad of Gay Tony". Like one of our fellow commenters pointed out, it sounds like a musical.

But let's have a branching discussion, here. How do you generate more hype? Announcement and some reveals at E3, or announcement beforehand and then some goodies once the show rolls around?

Look at what they have already done. They haven't shown us anything at all for this. Nothing. Just the title with the word 'Gay' in it and some lights and it's already got everyone talking.

Mission accomplished.

IDK, I can see the story of trying to live a gay life style in modern day America to be very upsetting and difficult. Maybe not dark but more upsetting. It's really up to Rockstar but I hope it doesn't... I just hope it handles it better then it's most likely going to.

judging from the way they had Florian Cravic act, I really doubt this would be a tasteful depiction about the cruelties of life as a homosexual. Just lots of penis and buttsex jokes

Maybe Rockstar is just looking for a way to get two penises on screen at the same time in this pack. Gotta one-up L&D in more departments than gameplay.

what.

Glad Rockstar is pushing some homophobic buttons with this. People need to grow up. Im just hoping Gay Tony isnt some mystical stereotypical fairy gay.

oh yeah he totally was, you met him and his partner as well as Luis in one of the missions in TLAD, specifically where you robbed their diamonds. You also encountered Luis in the bank robbery mission, he was the guy next to the guy who shot St. Micheal, and was also the guy who shot the Jewish diamond guys in the museum mission

I dont recall. Dammit. I was hoping a tough gay character like William Dafoe in The Boondock Saints.

I'd settle for a Neil Patrick Harris like character.

i doubt we'll be playing as Gay Tony as previous rumors had suggested we'd play as Luis, who wasn't flamboyant at all, and looked like your typical OG, i dont even know if he's gay

Or Omar from The Wire.

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Rockstar announces GTA: The Ballad of Gay Tony, coming to Xbox Live and retail compilation

Reader Comments (145)

Posted: May 26th 2009 4:35PM StormEagle said

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