the buzz log

Back in 2008, Grand Theft Auto IV for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 managed to be both controversial and critically acclaimed (no easy task). You might think that after a year, the video game would no longer generate buzz. Wrong!

Rockster, the publisher of the franchise, recently announced its newest downloadable addition to the GTA saga. And from the name alone, we can tell this one's gonna be a doozy: "Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony."

Allow us to explain. In the original game, one of the side characters was a bar owner named Tony Prince. This new download, out this Fall, will allow gamers to play as Tony's right-hand-man, Luis Lopez. We presume that carnage, comedy, and fabulousness will ensue. 

Though the expansion won't be out for months, searchers are already looking for more information. Lookups on "ballad of gay tony" and "new grand theft auto expansion" both surged on Tuesday.

Blogs are also chiming in. Joystiq and 1Up.com note that in addition to being downloadable, the Ballad of Gay Tony will also be available to purchase in retail outlets along with a previous expansion.

Search indicates it could be a hit, and that's good news for Rockstar. According to Yahoo! Finance, Take-Two Interactive, which owns the rights to Grand Theft Auto, recently posted a loss in the second quarter as "revenue fell 57%."