Rockstar Games has officially announced the first details of the first downloadable content for the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto 4. It will not be released this holiday season, but now has a definite release date – February 17, 2009.

Dubbed “The Lost and Damned”, the DLC will introduce a new character and feature a plot that intersects with the main storyline of the original game. It will also include new multiplayer modes, weapons, music, vehicles and more.

No pricing was announced, but four screenshots were released.

Rockstar has revealed some details on the video editor that will be included in the upcoming PC edition of Grand Theft Auto 4 due out this December. There are screenshots and videos of the movie editor on the game’s website, showing how you will be able to splice together in-game movies, add ittles, transitions and music to your own GTA film.

The studio even offers some sample machinima movies set in Liberty City, showing off various activities including driving, shooting and spying on girls. You will be able to upload your own clips and view others’ movies on Rockstar’s Social Club once the game launches.

Eurogamer reports that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will features four of the five neighborhoods presented in GTA 4. All boroughs except Alderney will be present in the game.

The site also notes that the game will have a PDA with a GPS system for keeping track of missions and navigating the streets of Liberty. The touchscreen will be used for this, along with radio and controls for talking to people.

Additionally, the camera can be rotated through a full 360 degrees, despite the game being played from a top-down perspective.

Chinatown Wars is due out in Spring 2009 exclusively on DS.

Not surprising anyone, Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick revealed during a company presentation that both Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and the exclusive downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto 4 are being delayed.

Speaking to MTV Multiplayer, Zelnick noted that the GTA 4 DLC is “close to being complete. That said, it may move into the second quarter.” The company’s Q2 starts on February 1, 2009, which would place the DLC far beyond its Fall 2008 target.

Meanwhile, the DS game is also being shifted to the company’s second quarter to “fill out a better launch and marketing window,” according to Zelnick. The quarter runs till May 31, 2009.

With the year nearing its end, Grand Theft Auto 4 producer Dan Houser revealed that the promised Xbox 360-exclusive downloadable content may not be released this year despite persistent statements and rumors.

"I’m not sure. It’s going well. But we don’t know a date," he said, adding that they are still “figuring out a few things” and that they are “more focused on quality than dates.”

The first of two downloadable expansion packs for the game had previously been expected to launch this fall. Houser notes that they hope to announce a release date in the coming weeks.

Michael Hollick, who voiced Grand Theft Auto IV protagonist Niko Bellic, revealed to the New York Times that he was paid over $100,000 for the voice work he did for the game, with no royalties or residuals from the $500 million that was earned by the game during its first week of sales.

He, however, is thankful to Rockstar for providing him the opportunity, blaming the actors union for setting contracts without any provisions for electronic media such as video games.

“Yes, the technology is important, but it’s the human performances within them that people really connect to, and I hope actors will get more respect for the work they do within those technologies,” Hollick added.

Following rumors that the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV may be receiving more than the two formally announced exclusive pieces of downloadable content, Rockstar set the record straight, stating that there are no plans to release any more content for either version.

The company recently delayed the game to sometime next year. This has pushed back the second content pack, which is now expected in 2009.

In related news, MCV claims that sources close to Take-Two has told them that the game will be released in the UK on April 25, though it is yet to be confirmed.

Take-Two Interactive has revealed through its conference call that Grand Theft Auto IV has been delayed to 2008. Originally scheduled for release this October, the game now has no exact release date except that it is expected sometime during February and April 2008.

The guys at Kotaku have more on the issue. Apparently, company executives Strauss Zelnick and Ben Feder were there fielding questions. When asked if any specific platform was the culprit behind the delay, Zelnick responded: “I know there have been rumors in the marketplace about frame rate and some other issues. We don’t think it’s helpful or beneficial to go into exact details of what the technological issues are. We’re pushing the envelope on both the platforms.”

He also said that the decision to delay the game wasn’t something that “Rockstar took lightly;” he goes on to mention that they reviewed a build prior to this announcement and they didn’t feel that the October release date could be met.

As for the Xbox 360-exclusive episodic content, Zelnick stated that the deal with Microsoft wasn’t affected by the delay, telling analysts that “We’re not gonna send money back to Microsoft. That’s not part of the deal.”

Our favorite lunatic, Jack Thompson, had sent out a mass-email to various news outlets, stating his plans to protest the release of Grand Theft Auto IV. Apparently, he will take “various means to prohibit” the sale of the game to minors, but most surprisingly, he specifically targeted Bill Gates: “Please have your lawyers [Microsoft chairman Bill Gates', that is] contact me in order that such sales will be prevented.”

He also added: “I and others will endeavor to stop Microsoft from participating in any fashion, directly or indirectly, in such sales to minors.”

Grand Theft Auto IV is slated for release this October on both PS3 and Xbox 360.

As seen to the right, Peter Moore of Microsoft has tattooed “Grand Theft Auto IV” on his left arm the same way he did “Halo 2″. This is because Microsoft has proudly announced that GTA4 will be available on Xbox 360 on day one of release - the GTA franchise has been Sony’s jewel as of late, being released first on the PS2 and then Xbox and PC after some time.

This is part of a “groundbreaking” agreement between Microsoft and Take-Two that will have the fourth entry in the free-roaming series released simultaneously to both Xbox 360 and PS3. Separately, Microsoft and Rockstar have announced a strategic alliance to provide exclusive episodic content for the game via Xbox Live, offering ever-expanding gameplay exclusively to gamers on the console.

Grand Theft Auto IV is in development at Rockstar North and will be released in North America on October 16, 2007 and October 19 in Europe.