While Armando and Henrique seem like a couple of nice guys, they aren't the type of folks I'd run into in the social circles I travel in. Brian, on the other hand...well let's just say I wouldn't be surprised to walk into my living room and find Brian or a reasonable facsimile thereof sacked out on my couch.

The Lost and Damned is this week's Xbox Live Deal of the Week, shaving $5 off the price of a new storyline and new multiplayer features for the already excellent Grand Theft Auto IV. Gold members (snicker) who've not yet given the newer content a whirl would be doing themselves a favor by snagging it this week. With the next set of DLC just around the corner, you might want to get Lost and Damned out of the way to make room for the coming of Gay Tony.

We're sure it's more of an informed estimate than a guess, really, considering the source is Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter. Mr. Pachter pegs The Lost and Damned sales at a cool 1 million, according to GameSpot, expecting to see that download figure double to more than 2 million by the end of October.

That would mean approximately $40 million in revenue, should Rockstar Games hold the price steady.

If the second Xbox 360 exclusive episode does similar business, it could make that $50 million investment in securing the two GTA IV episodes a financial success for those involved. Possible forthcoming bundles and greatest hits version could eventually make that big payout a drop in the bucket.

The second episode, which is rumored to feature Liberty City resident Luis Fernandez Lopez, is planned for a release later this year.

According to Pachter's note, he also has a "reasonable expectation" that the next fully-fledged Grand Theft Auto game would hit between November 1, 2009 and October 31, 2010. With Rockstar creative bigwigs Sam Houser, Dan Houser and Leslie Benzies only locked in to a contractual agreement until January 2012, we'd bet Take-Two want the developer to get the next one (and its expected downloadable episodes) as soon as is humanly possible.

Analyst: 2 million Lost and Damned, next GTA by Nov. '10 [GameSpot]

Gone (well, almost) is GTA IV leading man Niko Bellic, replaced by a gang of Liberty City natives with their own set of problems. The star of The Lost And Damned is Johnny Klebitz, the relatively level-headed Vice President of the drug-dealing biker gang The Lost. A few hundred murders aside, Johnny's a pretty stable guy, particularly in comparison to the gang's president Billy Grey. Fresh out of rehab, Billy returns to the Lost, only to start wreaking havoc city-wide, making Johnny's junkie ex-girlfriend Ashley the least of his problems.

Even if you already know the streets of Liberty City like the back of your hand, is Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost And Damned worth getting lost in?

Loved
Content: Even at 1600 Microsoft Points, the higher end of downloadable content for Xbox Live, price-wise, it's hard to imagine anyone feeling short-changed by the 1.8 gigabytes worth of new additions to Grand Theft Auto IV. With a single-player campaign that should take about 8 to 10 hours to blow through, not counting the 25 Gang War and 12 street race side missions, this is a good deal in terms of raw numbers. There are new relationships to max out, side stories to complete, and dozens of seagulls to exterminate. You get what you pay for.

Under The Underbelly: The Lost is headquartered in Alderney, likely a GTA IV player's least explored region of Liberty City. That, and an almost total avoidance of Dukes and Broker, Niko Bellic's original hang out, at least give the impression that one is treading new ground in The Lost and Damned. Rockstar does a respectable job, via new interiors and a darker, grittier aesthetic throughout, of making the episode feel surprisingly fresh. There are definitely moments of "been there, done that, got the Happiness Island tee shirt," but Liberty City rarely feels stale.

The Brothers: Having the majority of Johnny Klebitz's relationships already established makes jumping back into GTA IV a breeze. It also reduces much of the frustration of the original game, as you'll spend little to no time fostering or improving relationships—your brothers are willing to help you out with guns, motorcycles, mission backup or paying jobs right away—and very little time on the phone. There's no required dating to speak of, leaving Mr. Klebitz's social calendar open enough to let the player feel free to explore. The Lost and Damned does add a rudimentary leveling system, letting you "battle harden" your Lost brothers by taking them on missions. It doesn't have a huge impact, but you'll probably want to maximize Clay and Terry's toughness for your end game missions (and to get one Achievement).

Road Rash: The dozen races scattered about Liberty City bring the town's best bikers together for street races that are essentially EA's classic Road Rash. Players are armed with a baseball bat and can "whack off" bikers to get ahead. And you can do it online.

An Extra Layer of Multiplayer: The single-player additions would likely make the investment worth it for many gamers, but five all-new multiplayer game types will push it over the top. While the "Road Rash" races may wear thin quickly and "Chopper Vs. Chopper"—a battle between one biker and one helicopter pilot—feels like an excuse to have the title in print, genuinely fun new additions, modes like "Own The City" and "Witness Protection" mix multiplayer up in exciting new ways.

Hated
Johnny Is No Niko: Frankly, Johnny and his Lost brothers just aren't as interesting a set of characters as those introduced in Grand Theft Auto IV, making for a storyline that doesn't pack the punch nor have the interesting history of its bigger brother. Johnny's run ins with Niko (and other GTA IV cast members) add color, but not much else. Perhaps the most bothersome aspect of the story's progression is how forced, how confusing the motivations of its key players can be. Even in missions, few of which are memorable, some of GTA IV's gameplay feature set feel under-exploited. In particular—spoiler alert!—one prison bus carjacking feels almost silly in its mission design oversights.

Bike Quirks: While bike handling is improved enough to make the new hogs easily ridable, you may experience some bouts of frustration when game physics meet motorcycle. More than once during my play through, Johnny was launched spectacularly and bizarrely into the air courtesy of some unseen obstacle. Also, while riding in formation, the game's AI driving techniques can make the pack of expert bikers look like chumps with learners permits, bumbling and bumping into each other like the opposite of bad-ass bikers.

As far as an episodic expansion goes, The Lost and Damned is a huge success. It comes stuffed with new things to do, people to meet, and bodies to pile up in the name of brotherhood. While some of our quibbles with Grand Theft Auto IV's storytelling dynamics and game design quirks make themselves once again apparent, it also improves upon them. And although it shares some of its forebear's warts, it also addresses some of its faults, such as the welcome addition of mid-mission checkpoints.

As a side story that's a third the length of IV's, The Lost and Damned's tale of violence and friendship simply isn't as epic or satisfying as the struggle of Niko Bellic. Despite that, The Lost and Damned gameplay experience is ultimately fulfilling, if only for the new weapons, new adventures and the peculiar attachment one begins to feel for the game's motorcycles, choppers you'll feel almost obligated to ride throughout. After all, what self-respecting member of the Lost would be caught dead in a Blista?

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost And Damned was developed by Rockstar North, published by Rockstar Games for the Xbox 360, released on Xbox Live on February 17th. Retails for 1600 Microsoft Points ($20 USD). Played single-player game to completion, tested multiplayer modes.

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Your New Xbox Experience Avatar now has the option to look one percent more bad-ass or—if your Avatar is female—twice as trashy, as new gear, said to be inspired by Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, can now be applied to your virtual Xbox self. Skull rings, top hats, pixie boots and leopard print leggings are all you'll need to give your Rare-designed thing that lawless rebel or strung out junkie look.

Or, if you want an outfit that simply says "leather daddy" you can have that too.

For the full list of new wardrobe options, read on.

For the guys:

• Rocker Jacket
• Pixie Boots
• Grunge Pants
• Metal Combats
• Top Hat
• Skull Ring
• Leather Biker Gloves
• Left Feather Earring
• Right Feather Earring

For the girls::

• Punk Tee
• Black 60's Boots
• Leopard Print Leggings
• Biker Jacket
• Biker Gloves
• Skull Wrist Band
• Left Feather Earring
• Right Feather Earring

Well, I suppose you could get away with wearing the Alderney, Algonquin, Bohan, Broker & Dukes. shirt to the local chapter of the resident one percenters club.

Rockstar Games, no stranger to controversy as marketing tool, will likely come under fire for its inclusion of completely uncensored, full frontal male nudity in The Lost and Damned, giving us our very first glimpse of digital dick on the Xbox 360. To say it was a surprise would be an understatement, as the scene in question is expert at providing flirtatious glimpses of one character's fleshy business, only to give Congressman Thomas Stubbs' junk plenty of screen time.

Allow us to set the scene...

Stubbs, in his first meeting with lead character Johnny Klebbitz, is receiving a massage at the private gentleman's club Jousters when we meet him. The Congressman, dressed in nothing but a towel, quickly becomes pretty comfortable with his new biker friend, choosing to deliver his monologue in the buff.

While Rockstar's cinematics director teases the player with mere glimpses of Mr. Stubbs' junk, during the final moments of the cinematic, we get to see everything: a very poorly groomed, uncut and unabashed set of man tools.

We've opted not to include a shot of the scene, instead choosing to show the next encounter between Messrs. Klebitz and Stubbs, which also happens to be mostly clothing free.

The ESRB rating for the game—which is "M" for Mature—does make mention of the gratuitous digital dick on display, noting that the game has "Nudity" in its content. The original Grand Theft Auto IV is listed as having only "Partial nudity."

There is no lack of homosexual innuendo in the expansion, as the Lost bikers regularly question one another's sexuality and gush about the love of brotherhood throughout the game, but it certainly was surprising to see Rockstar go there.

The trailer not only features some fantastic metal flashbacks, but also a few guest appearances from familiar GTA IV faces, including our dear old Mr. Bellic. I particularly like the little sneer that Johnny Klebitz busts out at the halfway mark.

Xbox Live Marketplace got the trailer a little while ago, if you're looking for another way to watch. Who's planning on grabbing the download next Tuesday?

While we'd heard a few peeps about the new (and old) tunes from Busta Rhymes and Motorhead coming to The Lost and Damned, MTV got the near-final run down. That includes details on a new death metal show hosted by Max Cavalera of Sepultura fame and brand new hip hop recorded exclusively for the game.

Joining returning acts Iggy Pop and Juliette Lewis will be a new DJ, Statik Selektah who hosts a show on Liberty City's The Beat 102.7. While some tracks were revealed, it appears that Rockstar is keeping some of its musical cards close to its chest. We'll know soon, as we expect a copy of the game to be hand delivered later this week.

Of course, all this stuff will be available for purchase via iTunes (not Amazon), Rockstar's new partner in impulse MP3 purchases, should you find the beats good and something you can dance to.

'Grand Theft Auto IV' Expanded Soundtrack Features Busta Rhymes, More [MTV]

We really hope that means that Valve will explain what that recently announced "Survival" gameplay mode is all about and clear up any possible confusion about the two additional versus campaigns coming to Left 4 Dead.

Friday's episode, airing at the wee hours of 1 AM on Spike TV, will also give us a better look at Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, which is just around the corner. Host Geoff Keighley promises new footage and new mission info, for anyone hungry for that kind of info, as well as "much more."

GameTrailers TV Episode 202 Promo [GameTrailers]

He's the episode's anti-hero, the "reactionary prick" wrapped up in an ugly "ravaged, drug addled exterior," if those are Mr. Klebitz's own words. He's also pretty good with a grenade launcher.

Rockstar's newest The Lost and Damned sneak peek packs in plenty of bang for the bandwidth, including 'splosions, police chases (on an active Liberty City airport runway!), and maybe a hug or two. A little somethin' for the romantic lowlife miscreant in you. A high-def version of the same trailer is available at GameTrailers.

HD [GameTrailers]

Character bios only, so no gameplay of course. But Billy looks like a garden-variety bonebreaking sociopath. Malc hews to stereotype, too, in case you couldn't tell by all the wealth he flaunts and the stripper ass in his face. Enjoy.

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned trailers [Gametrailers via GayGamer]

Grand Theft Auto IV voice actor Michael Hollick made waves last year when he complained to the New York Post about not being paid enough to voice the star of Rock Star's masterpiece, Niko Bellic. His complaints left a bad taste in the mouths of video game voice actors everywhere, and likely didn't make Rock Star too happy either - perhaps not happy enough to be adamantly against calling the actor in to record new dialog for the game's first DLC, The Lost And Damned.

Of course, the "Hell no!" could have been for another reason. They could have just been voicing their heartfelt support for the new main character Johnny Klebitz, or maybe they just like the word "hell" and feel the need to type it whenever possibly. Highly doubtful, but we have to cover all the possibilities. Who the hell knows?

‘Hell No’ - No New Lines For Niko Bellic in ‘Grand Theft Auto’ Expansion [MTV Multiplayer]

We checked in with the Rockstar folks this week to check out the first downloadable episode, The Lost and Damned, which is due to hit the Xbox 360 next month. A second episode for Grand Theft Auto IV owners is planned to arrive before October 31, 2009, according to parent company Take-Two Interactive, But there is "no truth" to reports that a wholly new retail game, one on par with the scope of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, will arrive before the holidays.

And as for the chances of the next Grand Theft Auto game taking place in Tokyo, as speculated by Game Informer's regular rumor column? Consider that little more than a wild guess.

Further requests for clarification on the subject went unanswered.

So, don't be surprised if the first two downloadable episodes already confirmed for Grand Theft Auto IV are just two of many. Rockstar vice president Dan Houser recently said to USA Today "We feel like we've only scratched the surface in terms of the depth and detail" of Liberty City.

Rockstar's VP of product development, Jeronimo Barrera, has called the episodes an "experiment." If successful, it could mean an extended stay in Liberty City before finding a new home for the series.

Check back with us next week when we reveal more about the first downloadable episode.

The 8 new screens pretty much cover all the bases you'd expect shots from a motorcycle gang-based GTA IV expansion to cover. You have tough guys on bikes, tough guys shooting at things, tough guys being tough, and the odd explosion thrown in to give the whole thing a little zest. If there's one thing I know about bikers, is they like adding a little zest to things.

Rockstar Games Announces its First Episode of Downloadable Content for Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned

New York, NY – November 20, 2008 – Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), is proud to announce that the eagerly anticipated first episode of downloadable content, Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, will be coming to the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system via Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network. Available exclusively on Xbox LIVE worldwide on February 17, 2009, The Lost and Damned will feature all new content and is the first of two episodes announced for Grand Theft Auto IV on Xbox 360.

“Making these episodes has enabled us to expand the narrative and the experience of interacting with a game world in really innovative ways,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We hope fans of the game enjoy the new way of experiencing life in Liberty City contained in this first episode.”

Since its launch in April, Grand Theft Auto IV has garnered unprecedented praise and acclaim worldwide. Developed by series creator Rockstar North and set in Liberty City, The Lost and Damned features a new main character and plot that intersects with the storyline of Grand Theft Auto IV; new missions that offer an entirely fresh way to explore Liberty City with new multiplayer modes, weapons and vehicles; and a diverse soundtrack with additional music – all with the incredible production values that are the trademarks of Grand Theft Auto.

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned requires players to have the full version of Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE membership to download. Further details, including pricing, will be announced soon. For more information, please visit www.rockstargames.com/IV.