Rockstar Games to Present World Premier of Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned at Spike's Video Game Awards

On December 14, 2008, Rockstar Games and Spike TV will bring you the first look at Grand Theft Auto IV's first downloadable content, The Lost and Damned. This world event will be held during the 2008 Video Game Awards on Spike TV live at 9:00pm, ET. There will also be a tape delay on the West Coast.

From the press release: "The sixth annual "VGAs," hosted by Jack Black, will bring together megastars from the worlds of video games, Hollywood, music, sports and more to celebrate the outstanding achievements within the video game industry over the past year, and world premiere the hottest games of 2009 and beyond. The 2-hour extravaganza will premiere LIVE on Spike TV Sunday, December 14 at 9:00pm, ET (tape delay on West Coast) from Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, CA."

With nine nominations for the 2008 Game of the Year award, Grand Theft Auto IV has a strong chance of being 2008's pick. The competition will be stiff, with games like Fallout 3, Resistance 2, Fable 2, and Gears of War 2. With so many stellar games released this year, it is anyone's call.

Grand Theft Auto IV's soon to be downloadable episode, The Lost and the Damned, will be an Xbox Live exclusive. The Lost and the Damned will feature a new main character, and a totally new storyline. That being said, the plot will intersect with Nico, or some other part of the original story. Additionally, the downloadable content will also feature new vehicles, weapons, multiplayer modes, and most interestingly: new music. Known for having some of the best soundtracks in gaming, fans of the Grand Theft series are eagerly awaiting more news regarding the included tracks.

The Lost and the Damned will be available for download exclusively on Microsoft's Xbox Live online service starting on February 17, 2009. In order to play the downloadable content, gamers will need to have the original Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360.

One thing is for sure, The Lost and the Damned will break all kinds of records regarding downloadable content. In this new age of digital distribution for many forms of media, such as movies, music, and now video games, we have to wonder if these game add-ons will be up to snuff. Thus far, they have been pretty hit or miss, but hopefully, Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned will raise the bar for all video games.