Houser talks up GTA IV episodes

By Tom Bramwell Published 13 March, 2008

A "full-on adventure".

Rockstar Games' Sam Houser has dropped hints as to what might make up the downloadable Xbox 360 episodes for Grand Theft Auto IV.

"In the game, you might be walking around and then someone will come up to you and say something like, 'Hey, I need your help', and you'll be like, 'What? this isn't a story mission', and he'll be like, 'You see that room up there? That's my wife and she's f****** some bloke, and I need you to go and do...' and this little story will unfold from there just randomly," he explained to Edge magazine.

"The opportunity for things like that I would say is enormous. Really, though, for the downloadable content in general, it's about seeing how people get turned on by the game, and then we will tailor the production. We are very tuned into the reactions of the audience and we will go a certain way or another."

Houser also insisted that the episodes would be "pretty deep, offering another full-on adventure in this world" and that "you'll get a lot of content for your money", just as you should do with a boxed game.

Grand Theft Auto IV is due out on PS3 and 360 from 29th April worldwide, and we'll start seeing the downloadable content in autumn, potentially into next year. Rockstar has yet to say whether PS3 owners will ever see anything equivalent.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • KingOfIceland #1 4 years ago

    Let's hope good ol' Sammy isn't pulling a Peter Molyneux with this

  • syphaa #2 4 years ago

    Hehe, sounds interesting...lets up they keep the fresh content coming once GTA is out.

  • JonFE #3 4 years ago

    Sounds more like a "hard-on adventure" if you ask me :)

  • skillian #4 4 years ago

    and you'll be like, 'What? this isn't a story mission', and he'll be like, 'You see that room up there? That's my wife and she's f****** some bloke, and I need you to go and do...' and this little story will unfold from there just randomly,"

    His eloquence is, like, breathtaking.

  • Golgo #5 4 years ago

    "The opportunity for things like that I would say is enormous."

    At least until you run out of ideas to steal from Taxi Driver.

    Edited by Golgo at 13/03/08 @ 10:25

  • miiiguel #6 4 years ago

    "His eloquence is, like, breathtaking."
    With due respect, I apreciate "politicaly correct" eloquence in some cases, but while hyping a video-game, that would sound ... weird ?, roll-on urban culture speach, no?

  • penhalion #7 4 years ago

    For the amount Microsoft paid, it better be a full on game per episode!

  • Steroyd #8 4 years ago

    Yeah just having extra missions would suck, I play through GTA's missions to unlock everything and everywhere not for it's riveting storyline. (-_-)

  • Hughes. #9 4 years ago

    It sounds like they don't have a clue what the downloadable content will even be yet.

    What do they care, they've got 50 million regardless!

  • yashin #10 4 years ago

    Can anyone honestly say they've felt shortchanged by a Rockstar North GTA release? I'm betting the episodic content will offer a lot more than just new missions.

  • mikew1985 #11 4 years ago

    I really can't wait for this game, have to get it on 360 though as my shiny new PS3 wont have this DLC unfortunately. But thats ok I suppose, My Xbox is new and shiny too after my third RROD which, with in shop contacts, i got it swapped out for a Premium Falcon HDMI model :) hopefully no more failures as I really love that machine.

    Anywho slightly off topic there. I reckon these DLC episode will be substantial experiences and from what i've seen so far I think Niko is my favourite GTA protaganist, so anything that fleshes out his backstory is good to me.
    Edited by mikew1985 at 13/03/08 @ 11:25

  • Benno #12 4 years ago

    these episodes sound meaty

  • DSKUK #13 4 years ago

    I'm sure the PS3 will get content too....although, if it did, the content would be released on the 360 as well. So in other words, the 360 will just see more DLC.

    Who knows, maybe the DLC that appears multi-platform will just be add on packs.

  • Lexx87 #14 4 years ago

    must...resist...urge...to...bait...

  • dsmx #15 4 years ago

    This DLC might of actually had an impact on GTA sales if it came out at the launch of GTA4 however it isn't and being launched essentially this summer means that a lot of people will of moved on from GTA4 by then.

  • agparrot #16 4 years ago

    As I've played all the other GTAs through more than once, I'll likely start it up again come DLC time.

  • mendo #17 4 years ago

    I don't know, IMO PS3 won't have any real DLC because that's what MS paid for. Maybe there'll be new cars, weapons or skins but nothing substantial!

    Anyway that's it for me: I'm gonna buy it on X360 and not on PS3. I kinda like the idea of these new adventures:)

  • el_pollo_diablo #18 4 years ago

    So reading between the lines here, this is going to be the most expensive dlc you've ever imagined.

  • KreyAtiv #19 4 years ago

    "In the game, you might be walking around and then someone will come up to you and say something like, 'Hey, I need your help', and you'll be like, 'What? this isn't a story mission', and he'll be like, 'You see that room up there? That's my wife and she's f****** some bloke, and I need you to go and do..."
    ...the camera work? :p

  • sharpfish #20 4 years ago

    Even if I was buying this for 360 I wouldn't care about DLC - Fact, after '100 hours' of gaming in GTAIV I think the DLC is pretty uneeded. For those getting all smug abou the DLC, enjoy it, when GTA5 (or GTA4 X city ) goes exclusive on PS3 (because 360 will have stopped selling/blown up) then feel free to retract smugness.

    :)

  • peteb #21 4 years ago

    @sharpfish

    by that stage one could buy a 100euro ps3 to play it on. :-P

  • mikew1985 #22 4 years ago

    bah everyone with their stupid fanboy arguments,

    Yes 360 has more/better games.. at the moment, and a good lineup on the way(looking forward to Fable2, Alan Wake etc.)

    PS3 still is a great machine with some fine games and good ones coming.

    C'mon people be platform agnostic and not boring and fanboyish. I really don't see how anyone who is above the age of 15 can argue over such silly things.

  • zedzee #23 4 years ago

    "I'm sure the PS3 will get content too...."

    Yes, but it will be things like the "Hawaiian T-Shirt Pack For Niko" or "Bumper Guns Pack" or stupid DLC like that which is irrelevant to playing the game and certainly not as valuable as "episodic downloads" that the X360 will get.

  • zedzee #24 4 years ago

    @mikew1985:

    I would beg to differ. I believe its the fanboyism, as shameless as it is sometimes, that keeps the industry, gamers and developers going.

    What's the point if everyone had one console, all the games came out for it and there was no competition?!

    It will be like The Invasion Of the Body Snatchers!