Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City
Encyclopedia
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City is a standalone compilation of the downloadable content
(DLC) episodes for the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV
. Created by Rockstar North
in the United Kingdom, it contains both The Lost and Damned
and The Ballad of Gay Tony
on one disc. It was released alongside the DLC release of The Ballad of Gay Tony on 29 October 2009 for the Xbox 360
and released on 13 April 2010 for Microsoft Windows
and PlayStation 3
.
Unlike the downloadable versions of the episodes, the compilation does not require a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV to play, nor is an Xbox Live
or PlayStation Network account necessary (except for multiplayer). The content is also played straight from the disc, and does not need to be downloaded to a hard drive to play, like various other disc-based expansions for other Xbox 360 games that have been released in the past. Available exclusively on the Episodes from Liberty City disc are three new in-game radio stations – Vice City FM, RamJam FM and Self-Actualization FM.
. Additions to the game include new weapons, such as a grenade launcher
, Automatic Pistol
, half of a pool cue and pipe bomb
s, as well as sawn-off
and automatic
shotguns and new vehicles, such as Johnny's custom-made motorcycle
. However, his way of handling vehicles is less proficient than the way he handles any motorcycle. The player is able to telephone various members of the Lost to provide assistance. Terry, for instance, will drive to a location near to Johnny and sell him weapons and armour
, while Clay can deliver a bike of the player's choice to a nearby area. Another addition to The Lost and Damned is gang wars. Once the player has completed a certain amount of them, weapons spawn in either the clubhouse and/or safehouse depending on how far the player has progressed in the story, and every subsequent 10 gang wars up to 50, a new weapon will spawn.
with an overdose of guns, glitz, and grime" and that "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."
versions of the same Grand Theft Auto episodes.
The DLC episodes add music to the existing radio stations in Grand Theft Auto IV and music from the original game is available while playing the DLC episodes, enabling all three games to play a combined soundtrack of over 300 songs. Episodes from Liberty City does not contain radio music included with Grand Theft Auto IV, nor does installing both discs on an Xbox 360 hard drive combine their soundtracks. However, Episodes includes radio stations that are not available for Grand Theft Auto IV. The Episodes soundtrack features over 150 songs, one-third of which are exclusive to the disc.
The gameplay content of the newer episode, The Ballad of Gay Tony
, is identical to the Episodes disc and the DLC version, and the multiplayer features of Gay Tony are compatible regardless of version. However, because of updates to the map of Liberty City
shared by both games on the disc, the Episodes version of The Lost and Damned
cannot be used to join multiplayer sessions with users of the older DLC version of that game.
In the decision the court ordered that all copies of the game for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC should be recalled from stores. The decision also states that if the game is not recalled in 48 hours Rockstar should be billed in R$ 5,000.00 (approximately USD 3,125.00) per day.
According to the claimant lawyer this decision should be fulfilled in the US too because it is where Rockstar is located. Rockstar can still appeal to the State Court of São Paulo
and other superior courts although the decision is to be taken immediate action.
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
(DLC) episodes for the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
. Created by Rockstar North
Rockstar North
Rockstar North is a British video game developer based in Edinburgh, Scotland, best known for creating the Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings franchises in its earlier guise as DMA....
in the United Kingdom, it contains both The Lost and Damned
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned is the first of two episodic expansion packs developed for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC versions of Grand Theft Auto IV, developed by Rockstar North. It was first released for the Xbox 360 on 17 February 2009 and on PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows...
and The Ballad of Gay Tony
Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony is the second of the two episodic expansion packs available to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC versions of Grand Theft Auto IV, which was developed by Rockstar North and first released for the Xbox 360 on 29 October 2009. It was then released for both...
on one disc. It was released alongside the DLC release of The Ballad of Gay Tony on 29 October 2009 for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and released on 13 April 2010 for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
Unlike the downloadable versions of the episodes, the compilation does not require a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV to play, nor is an Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
or PlayStation Network account necessary (except for multiplayer). The content is also played straight from the disc, and does not need to be downloaded to a hard drive to play, like various other disc-based expansions for other Xbox 360 games that have been released in the past. Available exclusively on the Episodes from Liberty City disc are three new in-game radio stations – Vice City FM, RamJam FM and Self-Actualization FM.
The Lost and Damned
The Lost and Damned features similar gameplay to Grand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
. Additions to the game include new weapons, such as a grenade launcher
Grenade launcher
A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
, Automatic Pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
, half of a pool cue and pipe bomb
Pipe bomb
A pipe bomb is an improvised explosive device, a tightly sealed section of pipe filled with an explosive material. The containment provided by the pipe means that simple low explosives can be used to produce a relatively large explosion, and the fragmentation of the pipe itself creates potentially...
s, as well as sawn-off
Sawed-off shotgun
A sawed-off shotgun also called a sawn-off shotgun and a short-barreled shotgun , is a type of shotgun with a shorter gun barrel and often a shorter or absent stock....
and automatic
Automatic shotgun
An automatic shotgun is a form of shotgun that is able to fire cartridges continuously while the trigger is pressed, unlike semi-automatic weapons which require the user to depress the trigger for each projectile fired.- Design :...
shotguns and new vehicles, such as Johnny's custom-made motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
. However, his way of handling vehicles is less proficient than the way he handles any motorcycle. The player is able to telephone various members of the Lost to provide assistance. Terry, for instance, will drive to a location near to Johnny and sell him weapons and armour
Armour
Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action...
, while Clay can deliver a bike of the player's choice to a nearby area. Another addition to The Lost and Damned is gang wars. Once the player has completed a certain amount of them, weapons spawn in either the clubhouse and/or safehouse depending on how far the player has progressed in the story, and every subsequent 10 gang wars up to 50, a new weapon will spawn.
The Ballad of Gay Tony
The Ballad of Gay Tony follows the exploits of a new protagonist, Luis Fernando Lopez, an associate of a Dominican street gang, and the personal bodyguard of Anthony "Gay Tony" Prince. RockStar Games claim in their press release that this episode "injects Liberty CityLiberty City (Grand Theft Auto)
Liberty City is a fictional city in Rockstar Games' video games series Grand Theft Auto, based primarily on several major cities including New York City...
with an overdose of guns, glitz, and grime" and that "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."
Differences from downloadable episodes
There are differences in how the disc content is experienced compared to the downloadable contentDownloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
versions of the same Grand Theft Auto episodes.
The DLC episodes add music to the existing radio stations in Grand Theft Auto IV and music from the original game is available while playing the DLC episodes, enabling all three games to play a combined soundtrack of over 300 songs. Episodes from Liberty City does not contain radio music included with Grand Theft Auto IV, nor does installing both discs on an Xbox 360 hard drive combine their soundtracks. However, Episodes includes radio stations that are not available for Grand Theft Auto IV. The Episodes soundtrack features over 150 songs, one-third of which are exclusive to the disc.
The gameplay content of the newer episode, The Ballad of Gay Tony
Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony is the second of the two episodic expansion packs available to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC versions of Grand Theft Auto IV, which was developed by Rockstar North and first released for the Xbox 360 on 29 October 2009. It was then released for both...
, is identical to the Episodes disc and the DLC version, and the multiplayer features of Gay Tony are compatible regardless of version. However, because of updates to the map of Liberty City
Liberty City (Grand Theft Auto)
Liberty City is a fictional city in Rockstar Games' video games series Grand Theft Auto, based primarily on several major cities including New York City...
shared by both games on the disc, the Episodes version of The Lost and Damned
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned is the first of two episodic expansion packs developed for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC versions of Grand Theft Auto IV, developed by Rockstar North. It was first released for the Xbox 360 on 17 February 2009 and on PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows...
cannot be used to join multiplayer sessions with users of the older DLC version of that game.
Legal action in Brazil
According to the news from Folha On Line, on October 18, 2010, the 3rd Civil Court of Baurueri, in San Paulo State, Brazil, has decided that Episodes from Liberty City violates the Brazilian law concerning copyright by using a song called "Bota o dedinho pro alto", from the Brazilian composer Hamilton da Silva Lourenço in the game without his permission.In the decision the court ordered that all copies of the game for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC should be recalled from stores. The decision also states that if the game is not recalled in 48 hours Rockstar should be billed in R$ 5,000.00 (approximately USD 3,125.00) per day.
According to the claimant lawyer this decision should be fulfilled in the US too because it is where Rockstar is located. Rockstar can still appeal to the State Court of São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
and other superior courts although the decision is to be taken immediate action.
External links
- GTA IV Episodes on Grand Theft Wiki