GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony now available

Rockstar Games has released Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony for download from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and at retail stores everywhere as part of Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City for the Xbox 360. The retail package contains The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony on a single disc and does not require a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV.

In The Ballad of Gay Tony, players assume the role of Luis Lopez – right-hand man, bodyguard, and confidant to Tony Prince, the nightlife impresario of Liberty City. Luis’ story explores Liberty City’s nightlife as he struggles to balance the temptations of money and vice with family loyalties. In addition to new story missions, The Ballad of Gay Tony introduces new vehicles, weapons, music, television content, multiplayer features, and side activities such as base jumping and managing Tony’s various clubs.

Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony, rated M for Mature by the ESRB, is available for download now via Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 1600 MS points, and as part of Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City at retail stores everywhere for $39.99 / £34.99 / €45.

Find out more at www.rockstargames.com/episodesfromlibertycity.

Brütal Legend map pack in Nov.

Electronic Arts and Double Fine Productions announced plans to release new downloadable content for Brütal Legend in Nov. Tears of the Hextadon , a new double map pack, will be available on Xbox LIVE on November 3rd for 400 MS Points and on PlayStation Network on November 5th, where the two-map pack will be downloadable for free until November 19th, then costing $4.99 after November 19th.

The Brütal Legend Tears of the Hextadon map pack expands the Brütal Legend Stage Battle multiplayer experience with two new multiplayer maps. In the first map, Circle of Tears, vile waters have carved a rough-hewn circular battlefield into a forsaken land that players must circumvent to destroy their opponent. In the second map, Death’s Fjord, players find themselves on an icy mountain pass with a dense cluster of fans that lie below, waiting to be harvested by those brave enough to capture them without cover from enemy attack. All players who download the new map pack will receive a free axe, the Blade of Ormagöden.

Look for the maps in early Nov.

Queen headlines Rock Band DLC next week

Harmonix and MTV Games will bring Queen to the Rock Band platform next week with a 10-pack of songs in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii.

Tracks from Blink-182 and The Offspring will also be available for download next week for Rock Band Unplugged on PSP

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Oct. 20) and PlayStation 3 system (Oct. 22):

- “Another One Bites the Dust”

- “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”

- “Fat Bottomed Girls”

- “I Want It All”

- “I Want to Break Free”

- “Killer Queen”

- “One Vision”

- “Somebody to Love”

- “Tie Your Mother Down”

- “Under Pressure” (with Davi Bowie)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Queen Pack” and as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and as individual tracks on Wii. Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track; $15.99, £9.19 UK, €11.25 EU (1280 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Queen Pack”; $2.00 USD (200 Wii Points) per track

Tracks available for Rock Band Unplugged (Oct. 22):

- Blink-182 – “The Rock Show”

- The Offspring – “All I Want”

Price: $1.99, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU per track on the PSP system

IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey DLC now available

505 Games and 1C Company have released new downloadable content for the recently released WWII aerial combat game IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey. This DLC is now available on Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network. The DLC update gives players six more single-player missions across the existing six theatres of war featured in the game and players can also jump into the cockpit of a brand new plane, the American P47D. The pack is set at 400 MS points on Xbox Live and $4.99 on PlayStation Network.

IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds Of Prey is in stores now waiting for your purchase. “Please buy me,” it begs as you walk by its shrink wrapped package. But you never do, because you’re kinda mean. Your little sister told me that you’ve always be mean - for at least as long as she can remember. The game is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB, and is now available for Xbox 360 and PS3 at an MSRP of $49.99.

Dragon Age: Origins DLC available at launch

BioWare revealed that the first batch of downloadable content for Dragon Age: Origins will be released on the same day the game ships to retail in North America. The first bit of content, the Warden’s Keep, will add supernatural themed quest that unfolds deep in a dungeon and will give players six new abilities, new items, and a headquarters where players can conduct commerce with merchants.

The Warden’s Keep will be available for 560 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live Marketplace and $7 on the PC. The content will be released November 3. A release is planned for later in November on PlayStation Network.

Source: Blue’s News

Former Bungie boys form Moonshot Games

Michel Bastien, and used to work at Bungie, now they work for themselves. The trio of former Bungie Software workers has opened a new development studio called Moonshot Games, with the goal of creating simple downloadable games. Headquartered in Seattle, the company features the talents of former Bungie creative director Rob Stokes, former Halo 2 and 3 producer Michel Bastien and engineer Damian Isla.

The company is currently considering which platforms it targets first but wants to make sure that the game they do create and release will be high quality affordable to make and fun. Don’t we all. More info when we have it.

Left 4 Dead players get a Crash Course

Valve Software announced that it will release the second downloadable expansion to Left 4 Dead called Crash Course on the Xbox 360 and PC next Tuesday. The Crash Course DLC includes a brand new campaign that ties the plot missing in between the No Mercy helicopter ride and the events in Death Toll. Crash Course will be playable cooperatively and in Versus mode

And on a related note Left 4 Dead has received a few update this week offering 10 new achievements and some minor tweaks. Also related, the Left 4 Dead 2 demo will be ready for primetime on Oct. 27, according to Valve. The full game is set for released November 18.