Rumor: MS offers free content with GTA IV preorders, launch purchase

by Xav de Matos { Feb 9th 2008 at 10:45AM }

Hot rumors are flying out of D.I.C.E. tonight after the Wired interview with corporate VP of Microsoft Game Studios, Shane Kim, went live on Thursday evening. Early in the interview Kim discussed the upcoming launch of Grand Theft Auto IV telling interviewer Chris Kohler, "making sure that we own the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV from a platform perspective is really important." At first glance that comment, and the subsequent explanation of the exclusive content on the Xbox 360, seemed like a typical bullet point listing that is better reserved for the back of a retail box.

However, according to the folks at Xbox Family Microsoft is taking steps to secure a successful Xbox 360 launch of the latest GTA title. Word around the campfire is Microsoft will offer free downloadable content to those who pre-order the Xbox 360 version of GTAIV and purchase their copies on launch day. The content in question isn't specified, but if this rumor turns out to be valid it would be interesting to see what would be given away. While the rumor isn't substantiated, the PR spin behind it makes sense. Offer an extended experience to gamers the day of release and it makes the PlayStation 3 version seem incomplete. But seriously, if this whole thing turns out to be about Gamer Pictures ... somebody's gonna get-a hurt real bad.

Tags: 2008-releases, downloadable-content, free-content, grand-theft-auto-iv, gta-iv, gtaiv, rumor, speculation

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

agelgamer @ Feb 9th 2008 11:04AM

Russell Peters FTW!!! LMAO I love that routine.

Extra free content is always a good thing. However, I think it's going to be a little more than just a gamerpic if MS really wants to kill the PS3 release.

KILL IT!

Xav de Matos @ Feb 10th 2008 2:01AM

I was hoping someone would catch the reference!

Matt @ Feb 9th 2008 11:09AM

Love the idea, but the key thing will be getting that out to the masses via some kind of marketing blitz. Have to get to the general public that would be making a choice between the two systems.

Heretic @ Feb 9th 2008 11:28AM

Gamer Pics are the new stamps, only without value.
Collect them. I've only bought like 2 packs, but I have sooooooooooooooooooo many free ones.

Xav de Matos @ Feb 10th 2008 2:00AM

Sadly. I own quite a few of them. You basically have no choice when you only have 80-100 points left on your account... at least that's what I tell myself to sleep at night.

LesbianHam @ Feb 9th 2008 11:31AM

I hate his hands in this pic..
Bump/normal mapping is great, but it looks like there's no actual texture..

ryan @ Feb 9th 2008 12:19PM

do you like...man hands?

Anthology @ Feb 9th 2008 12:12PM

Most likely free theme/gamerpics. Though the free theme/pics thats out now is very nice, so i dont really need a replacement.

CharleyTony @ Feb 9th 2008 12:17PM

since the game was delayed, maybe one of the episodic contents is ready to ship... MS did "buy" it from rockstar...
maybe this means it will be free ..

they did spend about 50 million bucks for exclusive rights to 2 episodic content packs... (which probably covered all of GTA 4's dev costs)

Xav de Matos @ Feb 10th 2008 1:59AM

Good theories. We discuss the same thing during this weeks Fancast. Stay tuned for the show!

Ozzpot @ Feb 9th 2008 2:21PM

What do they mean by "pre-order" though? Pre-order where? I buy almost everything from Amazon, usually order it a month or two before release, but that doesn't seem to count as a pre-order. Are they talking about high street retailers? Is there ever any list of which retailers participate in such things? Burnout Paradise was the last one to do this. "Free downloadable car with pre-order!". But where? My friend ordered from Amazon, a few weeks before release, and got no such content. I pre-ordered from Game's online store and did. But where's the information to tell people this?