Thu, Oct 29, 2009 | 15:26 GMT

GTA IV episodes were planned “from the beginning”, says Rockstar

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Rockstar’s Imran Sarwar has said that GTA IV’s downloadable episodes were “part of the plan from the beginning”, and Niko’s story was designed to “make him feel like a small part of a much larger world.”

“Even at the end of [Niko's] story, he’s not the king of the town by any means, ” the associate producer told CVG. “The idea was to use the episodes to reveal the rest of that world, to show some of the characters and events that were invisible to Niko and yet still had a bearing on events in his life.

“I think if we had [put all on one disc] it would have been impossible to focus on each separate aspect of gameplay properly, the stories and the gameplay are inextricably linked.

“We’ve always maintained that Liberty City is the real star of these games, and what makes it truly amazing is that it’s so full of potential as an environment.”

The last bit of DLC for the game, The Ballad of Gay Tony, is out now.

GTA IV Xbox 360 “episodes” are experiment, says Rockstar

Microsoft: GTA IV DLC still on track for beginning of “fall 2008″

Second trailer for Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City released

12 comments

Blerk
29/10/09, 3:30 pm

I’m listening to the Vice City soundtrack. Right now. Emotion 98.3. REO Speedwagon.

Blerk
29/10/09, 3:31 pm

/waves lighter

ChrisPilote
29/10/09, 3:42 pm

Best radios were in Vice City indeed.

TastyAcidMilkk
29/10/09, 3:51 pm

i got the vice city soundtrack boxset when the game released some years back, great soundtrack, also i got the radio stations ripped from the game, got them off soul seek few years ago, gotta say the gta games have definitly expanded my music taste alot

sennasnit
29/10/09, 4:08 pm

cutting Crew died in your arms
classic
GTA IV episodes were planned “from the beginning”, says Rockstar
especially when the M$ check for $50 million cleared.

blackdreamhunk
29/10/09, 4:22 pm

I hear rockstar are not making any money on dlc unlike other game dev.

Detale
29/10/09, 4:39 pm

Who rattled his cage?

Psychotext
29/10/09, 4:54 pm

Successful console game with a shoddy PC port. It angers him by default.

Detale
29/10/09, 4:57 pm

Thanks for clearing that up. I was under the impression that Rockstar were ‘wiping their arses with £20 notes’ rich but obviously I was misled.

#10

cookiejar
29/10/09, 5:11 pm

This is what I found at the bottom of the Episodes from… Booklet.

By installing and using this software, you consent to these information collection and usage terms, (including where applicable) transfer of data to Licensor and affiliated companies into a country outside of the European Union and The European Economic Area. If you connect to the internet when using the software, either through Xbox LIVE or PLAYSTATION Network, or any other method, Licensor may receive information from hardware manufacturers or platform hosts (such as Microsoft or Sony)….

PS3 soon eh?

(And yes!, I copied it out!! :p)

#11

Johnny Cullen
29/10/09, 5:17 pm

I really wouldn’t look into that too much.

#12

magnetic_mechanism
29/10/09, 6:40 pm

If the episodes were planned from the start, to develop the overall experience, are we supposed to believe that they never wanted ps3 players to enjoy the whole thing?

DLC for multiplatorm titles should be available for every platform they were originally released on…shouldn’t it?