What $50 Million Can Buy: GTA IV Episodic Content To Be 360-Only

In what has now snowballed into something of a trend, Sony has partially lost another popular game title to Microsoft.

After writing a $50 million check to Rockstar, the makers of the popular and infamous Grand Theft Auto series, the studio has said downloadable episodic content for Grand Theft Auto IV will only be available on the Xbox 360.

The information emerged during a conference call among high-level investors concerning publisher Take-Two's financials:

"The first 25 is for the first episodic content package that's supposed to go out and that is in March of '08. That's why it moved into current because it's in the next 12 months. The second 25 will be for the second episodic, the episode, and that will be later in fiscal '08."

Though the software behemoth already enjoys the upper hand against its rival because of the 360's price advantage and a one-year head start, Microsoft is clearly keen to leverage its not inconsiderable amount of capital to render its lead permanent.

Sources: Ars Technica, Gamesindustry.biz, Seeking alpha.