GTAIV: Episodes from Liberty City PS3, PC bound

Back in 2006, then-Xbox marketing chief Peter Moore surprised the gaming world by brandishing a mock Grand Theft Auto IV tattoo. He also announced that not only would the open-world sequel launch on the Xbox 360 at the same time as the PlayStation 3, but that Xbox owners would be getting exclusive downloadable content. That content ended up being two lengthy episodes that debuted on Xbox Live--Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony--before being later bundled onto one retail disc dubbed Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes From Liberty City.

Now, it seems the $50 million Microsoft paid for these Xbox 360 exclusives was only for a set time, with Sony and Rockstar today confirming both episodes will be heading to the PlayStation and PC this March. The PC version of Lost and Damned was revealed last November in a GFWL achievement leak, and the PS3 versions were rumored as far back as last May.

Just as with the Xbox 360 version, PS3 and PC owners will have the option of buying both episodes on one retail disc or buy them separately through either the PlayStation Network or Games for Windows Live. In a press statement, Rockstar president and cofounder Sam Houser said: "We appreciate the patience of our PlayStation 3 and PC fans worldwide, and we look forward to putting the games in your hands this March."

Both The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and Damned were critically acclaimed when they were released in October and February 2009, respectively. Episodes From Liberty City for the PS3 and the PC will hit North American stores on March 30, 2010, while The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony will be available on the same day on the PSN and Games for Windows Live. PS3 owners will have to shell out $39.99 for the retail disc or $19.99 for each of the episodes online.