GTA IV DLC may not be out this year

By Ellie Gibson Published 10 November, 2008

Rockstar boss "not sure" about release date.

Rockstar bigwig Dan Houser has said he doesn't know when the downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV on Xbox 360 will be released.

In an interview with Variety, Houser was asked whether the DLC will be here by the end of 2008. He replied, "I'm not sure. It's going well, but we don't know a date.

"We hope to be announcing that in the next few weeks," Houser continued. "We're still figuring out a few things. We're more focused on quality than dates, always have been. But the development is going really good. It's shaping up to be something we're very proud of. That was our goal."

Don't get too excited, though - Rockstar wouldn't want you to be disappointed when the DLC finally gets here.

"We want to give people a rough idea so their expectations are roughly in line," said Houser. "We don't want them to imagine it's this enormous thing that it can never be."

It's new territory, the Rockstar bossman went on to explain, and not just for Rockstar. "No one ever game out with major DLC for a major game like this before... We're making it up a little bit as we go along."

Microsoft can't be happy to learn the DLC might not be out until 2009. Back in September the company was promising it would be available "this autumn", and that Xbox 360 would be "the only console with new Grand Theft Auto IV content available this Christmas". Wonder if they kept that receipt.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Zomoniac #1 3 years ago

    No one ever game out with major DLC for a major game like this before

    Oblivion? GRAW?

  • Widge #2 3 years ago

    Then begs the question of what sort of price tag will be attached to this.
    Be nice if it was Burnout style freebie though, I do believe they have a new area being developed for Paradise City.

  • TriggerHippie #3 3 years ago

    360 gets Elusive DLC

  • Steroyd #4 3 years ago

    They say they don't want to give people the impression that it's more massive than it really is, then they say it's major DLC for a major game, make up your damn mind.

  • the_dudefather #5 3 years ago

    'Ok guys, turns out people didn't like the story and got bored of the missions, so we are scrapping the current DLC (which was more or less the same thing) and instead adding jetpacks, flamethrowers, planes, missions where you collect people and deliver them to a meat processing plant and other crazy shit from the older games'

  • Darren #6 3 years ago

    Well I never expected the GTA IV DLC this year anyway despite Microsoft's claims that it would. I'm sure they always knew it wouldn't too, they've just been using as one reason for people to buy an Xbox 360 over the PS3.

  • Steroyd #7 3 years ago

    I find it strange that they haven't so much given a hint as to what the DLC is, hell do people still care enough to want to buy it?
    Edited by 1 at 10/11/08 @ 09:28

  • Widge #8 3 years ago

    I can't believe Rockstar actually, they could have farmed this game for cash. More clothes shops, safehouses, decorations... call it horse armour if you like but it'd sell and it was mysteriously absent from the main game.

    EDIT:

    oh I suppose applause for adding trophies in though.
    Edited by 1 at 10/11/08 @ 09:27

  • Widge #9 3 years ago

    Well the hint is that its a new area, but thats all is given.

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #10 3 years ago

    I'd rather wait and have something decent than a piss poor mass effect style update.

    Take your time, its not like theres a game draught this Christmas.

  • nickthegun #11 3 years ago

    Will anyone even own this by the time it comes out?

  • systems #12 3 years ago

    It's now the "Things Saints Row 2 has which make the game fun" DLC. Makes no difference to me, I got rid of GTA4 a month after it came out.

  • Les #13 3 years ago

    "Be nice if it was Burnout style freebie though."

    Highly unlikely given the amount of money MS spent and their getting a significant part of the DLC revenue.

    Personally, I think DLC that adds/complements a story is a sham and should be eradicated from this world. Either it's integral to the story and thus should have been part of the main game or it's so artificially tacked on that it adds nothing.

  • bad09 #14 3 years ago

    "Will anyone even own this by the time it comes out? "

    / gasps in sheer horror!

    Surely NO self respecting GTA fan trades in their copies?

    / eyes his GTA collection with pride (3D ones only guys, sorry!)

  • DUFFMAN5 #15 3 years ago

    I thought we knew that already ?
    I still have my copy, unplayed for many months. I will keep until the dlc.

  • Thunderbolt #16 3 years ago

    Surely you will rejoice that the DLC is not coming out this year as there are so many other great games out the moment.

    And if comes out during teh post-christmas drought all the better.

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #17 3 years ago

    they never said which autumn

  • PanStre #18 3 years ago

    @ GamesProgrammer

    Actually they (Microsoft) did say this autumn (I read the article, did you?)...Oh and the delay until 2009, I don't think anyone saw that coming /snark

  • The-Bodybuilder #19 3 years ago

    I certainly don't care; traded it in for FIFA09 after just a quarter of the game (like I always do for all GTAs).

  • muscleblade #20 3 years ago

    "I think DLC that adds/complements a story is a sham and should be eradicated from this world."

    Of course you think that Les. If it was PS3 exclusive you would think something else for sure.
    Edited by 1 at 10/11/08 @ 11:16

  • Darren #21 3 years ago

    I played a little GTA IV over the weekend after playing Saints Row 2 for the past few weeks. It's clearly the much better game IMHO, the atmosphere and feeling of being in a real living breathing city is superb and it's something that Saints Row hasn't managed to achieve yet. I mean spinning the camera around in the game causes cars and people to disappear which kinds of ruins the immersion somewhat.

    I found the missions more satisfying in GTA IV too, the story is much better and the characters more believable and better voice-acted. Saints Row 2 does have it charms though, particularly the silly mini-games and humour but it is inferior to GTA IV in every other way and a hell of a lot more glitchy/buggy too (GTA IV has never crashed for me in over 80 hours of playing it for example, Saints Row 2 crashed four times in less than ten hours of playing it).

    GTA IV is *the* current gen sandbox game for me though, the one others should aspire to, so I'm eagerly awaiting the DLC, whatever it may be. Hopefully it'll be another location with its own missions and lots of new features a la Shivering Isles (Oblivion).

  • dsmx #22 3 years ago

    My prediction that it would be a year after the release of GTA4 before the DLC gets released is getting more and more likely.

  • DanForinton #23 3 years ago

    If they don't know if they'll get it out this year (*fnar*),
    maybe... they should stop sending out emails that say they will? Anyone? Ferris?

  • T4RG4 #24 3 years ago

    If its a new area I will avoid... not even half-way through GTA, became a bit of a chore. Nice to fire it up to muck-about in multiplayer though, just driving around and causing chaos. BASE Jumping please.

  • ParanoidZombie #25 3 years ago

    The game needs a casino, or something like that, and the option to buy property, like in vice city and san andreas. Because Niko has a ton of money, but there's nothing interesting to buy with it.

    And they need to put madison square garden in the game, and/or Giants stadium, and yankee's stadium, because it really doesn't feel like NY, without the sports teams. That would be great if Niko could become the general manager of a fake version of the New York Rangers for a while, and solve contract issues in a creative way.

    What we don't need is new friends, that's for sure. Social activities are BORING, except for the ricky gervais/ katt williams stuff.

  • Blackthorned #26 3 years ago

    The vague way Rockstar talk about it almost suggests they thought people would forget DLC was even promised.

    I'm hoping for a zombie theme regardless.

  • SliderNL #27 3 years ago

    I couldn't care LESS GTA IV was an over hyped disappointment. Played it, annoyed me, completed it and gave it away. My rating 79

    Saints Row 2 and even Mercenaries 2 is much more fun.........

  • GamesConnoisseur #28 3 years ago

    Rating 79?

    That would be 8/10 in EGspeak? Still a good score!

    I also never expected DLC this year, whilst disappointments may be caused I would prefer a real proper great DLC than just a quick job and released in time for autumn 'promise'. Seem not to have made any difference to Europe market as most here get PS3 over X360 as per the other flame baited article?!