It may only be March, but the annual E3 rumours are already starting to circulate. Of particular interest this year? Fresh gossip-mongering about Grand Theft Auto V, thanks to industry analyst Mike Hickey of Janco Partners.

"...there is building suspension for a pre-E3 GTA V announcement, although we expect nothing from Rockstar at this year’s official E3 event." - Mike Hickey

CVG and Industry Gamers have both picked up on the rumour, and if Mr. Hickey's prediction proves to be accurate, then it would prove to be quite the spring fling for Rockstar Games. With Episodes from Liberty City coming out on March 30th for PC and PS3 and Red Dead Redemption following up in early May (originally late April) for the 360 and PS3, a major announcement for Grand Theft Auto V would certainly complete a Rockstar Games trifecta.

But while a trifecta would be great, it's also highly unlikely. I doubt that Rockstar would want to distract gamers from the aforementioned titles - so please, take this GTAV announcement chatter with a grain of salt.

Nevertheless, if you're interested in discussing the potential of a pre-E3 announcement (or any other GTAV-related gossip), check out our Grand Theft Auto V forum.

A title update for the Xbox 360 versions of Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City and Grand Theft Auto IV is now available via Xbox LIVE. The update includes the following changes:

• The upwards velocity of parachutes is now capped
• Bowling alley ‘invisible pins’ are now fixed
• Updates have been made to prevent players modifying stats for online games
• Infinite Nitro is now fixed

You will be prompted to download the update the next time you sign on to Xbox LIVE.

Rockstar has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City (which features The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony) will be available on PC and PS3 on March 30, 2010.

"We are happy to announce the much anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows® - LIVE on March 30, 2010. For the first time, PlayStation 3 and Games for Windows - LIVE players will have the opportunity to experience the last two thrilling chapters of the Grand Theft Auto IV saga.

"The two action packed episodes will also be available for download on the PlayStation Network and Games for Windows® LIVE on March 30, 2010. Each episode boasts the same detailed and immersive Liberty City we all know and love. Games for Windows - LIVE players can enjoy 32-player multiplayer matches and an advanced video editor, and all fans will have the chance to once again listen to the dulcet tones of Liberty City Radio."

Related Links: T2 Press Release, GTAForums: EFLC heading to PC and PS3, The world reacts to news (In Pictures)

Join Rockstar this Thursday on Xbox LIVE from 16:00 to 21:00 Eastern Time for another official The Ballad of Gay Tony multiplayer event. Like last time, the whole event will be streamed live on Rockstar Social Club.

Visit this page for full details.

It's no secret that Grand Theft Auto is one of the most controversial titles on the market today. Mainstream media has a well-established history of lambasting the series, and all too often GTA gamers are thrown under the bus for the sake of viewership/readership.

As one of the largest networks built around the Grand Theft Auto franchise, we've taken it upon ourselves to show the naysayers that our community does give a damn about what goes on in the world around us.

That being said, we've chosen to get involved with the Child's Play Charity.

For those who are unfamiliar with Child's Play, it's essentially a toy drive for childrens hospitals around the world. Headed up by the creators of Penny Arcade, the charity brings gamers together to provide a bit of fun for hospitalized kids.

Although we're starting off by simply promoting the cause, we'll be looking at other ways to build on our level of involvement with the organization as time goes on.

To learn more about Child's Play, you can visit our dedicated Child's Play page, join in the discussion on GTAForums or head to the official Child's Play website directly.

Rockstar is hosting an official GTA: The Ballad of Gay Tony multiplayer session on Xbox LIVE this Thursday (December 17th) from 4PM - 7PM Eastern Time. Visit the Rockstar News Wire for full details.

Once again, Rockstar will be providing a live streaming broadcast of the entire event.

Today, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM Eastern Time, Rockstar Games will be hosting a Ballad of Gay Tony multiplayer event on Xbox LIVE. Look out for the following gamertags:

• GwRockstar3
• GwRockstar4
• GwRockstar5
• GwRockstar6

Visit the Rockstar Social Club for more details! Rockstar will be providing a live feed of the event.

Many fans have wondered if it's possible to obtain the Skylift in GTA: The Ballad of Gay Tony. For those of you that are unaware, the Skylift is the chopper with the magnet underneath that Yusuf uses to steal an LTA subway car during the mission For The Man Who Has Everything. It also features during the mission Caught With Your Pants Down.

The Skylift doesn't spawn anywhere, and until now it was thought to be unobtainable. Today however, forum user XTREME0235 shared a clever method for obtaining it. Read about it here, but be warned: it requires patience!

We've started working on a Weapon Guide for Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony. The guide includes a range of statistics for each weapon, icons representing what they look like in-game, and details on where to obtain them. Now you can pick out the most agile and effective weapon for keeping your operations as swift and clean as possible!

Dan Houser - one of the "big three" behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise, along with brother Sam Houser and GTA producer Leslie Benzies - recently sat down for an interview with The Times.

It's a rare glimpse into the life & opinions of an individual who usually does his best to avoid the spotlight (a subject that also comes up during the interview), so take a few moments to go through it - it's an excellent read.

There is one thing I'd like to clarify, however: the interview barely touches on the next Grand Theft Auto installment, so don't expect any groundbreaking revelations about the upcoming title. Despite what you may have read elsewhere, Houser doesn't tell The Times that the Rockstar team haven't picked a location for GTA V.

From the (misleading) MCV article:

However, the exec has told The Times that he hasn’t even thought of a City to set the game in yet – let alone a plot.

Quote from The Times:

As for the boys themselves, they are already back at work. There's a Western game in the works for next spring, and the next GTA to think of. “We'll think of a city first, then the characters,” says Houser. The script he will end up co-writing will run to around 1,000 pages, nearly ten times as much as a feature film.

Needless to say, it's a bit of a stretch to assume that work hasn't begun on the next Grand Theft Auto title based on a single statement. And let's not forget that it's been over a year since GTA IV was released to the masses.

The likelihood of an upcoming GTA sequel not being in production is very, very slim.

Related Links:
Dan Houser Interview with The Times - Times Online
GTAForums Discussion