Recently we discussed how the rating for GTA IV: The Lost and Damned was slightly different to that of the actual game, the actual games rating lists "Partial Nudity", while The Lost and Damned lists "Nudity". At the time it was unclear as to why, however Kotaku has posted today that this is to do with some full frontal male nudity from one of the games characters during a in-game cinematic.

Who? Well who other than everyone's favorite Congressman, Thomas Stubbs:

Allow us to set the scene...

Stubbs, in his first meeting with lead character Johnny Klebbitz, is receiving a massage at the private gentleman's club Jousters when we meet him. The Congressman, dressed in nothing but a towel, quickly becomes pretty comfortable with his new biker friend, choosing to deliver his monologue in the buff.

While Rockstar's cinematics director teases the player with mere glimpses of Mr. Stubbs' junk, during the final moments of the cinematic, we get to see everything: a very poorly groomed, uncut and unabashed set of man tools.

It's the first time for full frontal nudity in a Grand Theft Auto game, and we don't doubt there will be some group yelling "Think of the children!", but as surprising as it is for Rockstar to include something so controversial, for Rockstar, controversy is all part of the gaming experience.

Rockstar has sent us over a brand-new fansite only screen shot of Grand Theft Auto IV: the Lost and Damned.

Download: TIF | PNG
(Sightseer: Look to the left on the sidewalk)

Rockstar has also released a new Weazel News video.

Thanks Rockstar!

The second trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV: the Lost and Damned has been officially released.

The official website has also been updated with screenshots, weapons, vehicles, new songs (we'll be adding them to our radio station playlists soon), and achievements.

Screenshots

Official Site: the Lost and Damned

Microsoft has jumped the gun this morning it seems and released the second trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned on the Xbox Marketplace.

Source: Xbox Marketplace

Gaming stores, such as GameStop and EB Games, should have recieved boxed versions of Grand Theft Auto: the Lost and Damned today which includes a poster and the code to download TLAD. Some boxes also include a 48 hour trial for Xbox Live (which I would wait to use if I were you as Xbox Live for GTAIV & TLAD will be free from the 17th till the 22nd).

Nothing new is revealed by the map, it's essentially a copy of the map that came with the original game, but with The Lost hangout circled. On the other side is the Biker Chick artwork with the Lost and Damned logo. The only new things revealed are by the box itself. The box says TLAD will take up about 2 gigabytes.

One interesting thing to note; the rating descriptors printed on the box say "Partial Nudity", just like the descriptors for the original game, however, there was a sticker placed over the rating descriptors indicating not partial nudity, but "Nudity". We're not exactly sure why at this moment. Perhaps the ESRB changed it's mind about the girls in the strip clubs? Was there something left in that Rockstar disclosed to avoid being AOed? Perhaps there will be a sex scene? (Mass Effect had a sex scene and it was still given a M rating) I guess we'll find out when TLAD is released for download on the 17th.

Here's some of the new information we've collected from the interview:

• Johnny was head of The Lost while Billy was incarcerated. When Billy comes back, Billy is not happy.
• The ending will have Niko and Johnny fighting with fists on top of a floating platform in a lava field.*
• When you get information, you will get a health boost and a couple of other things.
• There are mid-mission check-points.
• Johnny can use Love-Meet, you're not tied to your "old lady".
• One of the missions is where you use your grenade launcher and shoot though a Angel's of Death's club house and then you charge in.
• Multiplayer content will be talked about next week.
• When asked if there was a connection between Niko, Johnny, and Luis in the mission Museum Piece where you get the achievement "Impossible Trinity", pegging Luis as the possible main character for the next DLC, Jeronimo commented that "Those are some interesting dots to connect, that's all I'm going to say".

*Yes, we know they were joking.

If you didn't catch the interview on TV, you can see it now at GameTrailers.com.

This Friday, GameTrailers TV will be hosting their show from Rockstar's NYC office and will be showing exclusive first glimpses of various cut scenes, gameplay, and hints about the storyline of Grand Theft Auto IV: the Lost and Damned. The show will be airing on SpikeTV at 10PM PST and 1 AM EST.

If you didn't catch the episode on TV, you can see it now at GameTrailers.com.

Rockstar has sent us four new pieces of artwork for Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned. The first piece is Johnny on a bike with a shotgun, the second piece of artwork is Johnny standing with a shotgun, the third piece is Billy with a bat, and the fourth and final piece is the Biker Chick.

All four pieces are around 5000x3000 pixels in size.

Thanks Rockstar!

Rockstar has updated the official Grand Theft Auto IV website today with new goodies for content coming with the Lost and Damned and a new video.

Johnny:
Here's you, Johnny Klebitz.



Republican Space Rangers:
America's favorite righteous slaughter show comes back for another episode.

Martin Serious Show:
Howard Stern...err Martin Serious joins WKTT!

Screenshots:

Official Website: the Lost and Damned

Props to who ever finds the GTAIII Chatterbox reference on this page.

Rockstar has been so kind enough to send us a RockstarWatch exclusive, never seen before screenshot of Grand Theft Auto IV: the Lost and Damned! We have uploaded two versions, the source TIF file and a PNG version of the screenshot, both without pesky watermarks! Enjoy!

Download: TIF | PNG

Thanks Rockstar for the the screenshot!