ROCK BAND
DOWNLOADABLE
CONTENT GOES
"DOUBLE
PLATINUM,"
SELLING MORE
THAN 2.5
MILLION
SONGS IN
JUST OVER
EIGHT WEEKS
MUSIC
FANS/GAMERS
BURN UP XBOX
LIVE®
MARKETPLACE
AND
PLAYSTATION®NETWORK
DOWNLOADING
CHART-BUSTING
HITS FROM
METALLICA,
FOREIGNER,
WEEZER &
MORE
New York, NY
– January
18, 2007-
Eight weeks
after the
release of
the red-hot
music video
game, and
while Rock
Band
continues to
fly off
store
shelves, the
response to
the
downloadable
music is
clear, as
fans and
gamers have
propelled
its
downloadable
content to
“double
platinum”
status,
purchasing
more than
2.5 million
game levels
based on
songs since
its launch
on November
20, 2007.
"Our goal
with Rock
Band was to
create an
entirely new
way for
people to
interact
with the
music they
love,"
stated Van
Toffler,
president,
MTVN Music
Group/Logo/Films.
"The
incredible
response to
the
downloadable
content
we've
released to
date
motivates us
even more to
establish
this
platform as
a way for
people to
discover
new, up and
coming
artists
through the
game - in
addition to
delivering
great game
play
experiences
set to the
music of
mega-artists."
A Metallica
pack
featuring
three of the
mega-platinum
band’s most
electrifying
tracks—“Ride
The
Lightning,”
“Blackened”
and “And
Justice For
All”—is
currently
the game’s
top-selling
music
download,
followed by
three-song
packs from
The Police,
Queens of
the Stone
Age, David
Bowie and a
collection
of Black
Sabbath
covers.
Top-performing
singles are
Foreigner’s
early ‘80s
hit, “Juke
Box Hero,”
followed by
a cover of
Creedence
Clearwater
Revival’s
late ‘60s
smash,
“Fortunate
Son,”
Weezer’s
mid-90s
single
“Buddy
Holly” and a
cover of The
Knack’s
blockbuster
hit, “My
Sharona.”
In addition
to bringing
mega-star
and classic
rock acts to
Rock Band,
this new
distribution
method for
music has
seen fans
and gamers
also
embracing
developing
artists. The
first
selection of
up and
coming bands
included 30
Seconds To
Mars,
All-American
Rejects and
The Sounds.
These three
bands were
part of a
special
holiday
promotion,
offering
tracks such
as 30
Seconds To
Mars’
“Attack” and
“The Kill,”
All-American
Rejects’
“Dirty
Little
Secret” and
“Move Along”
and The
Sounds’
“Song With A
Mission” at
a discounted
price of
$0.99 per
song (80
Microsoft
Points for
Xbox 360)
for the
month of
January.
Fans can
expect more
music
available
for download
every week
through 2008
through a
variety of
song packs,
albums and
individual
tracks with
suggested
retail
pricing
varying from
$.99 to
$2.99 per
track (The
equivalent
of 80 to 240
Microsoft
Points for
Xbox 360),
with the
vast
majority
selling for
$1.99 (160
Microsoft
Points for
Xbox 360).
Rock Band™
allows
online play
and
possesses
features
that expand
the
boundaries
of music
gaming. Rock
Band™
downloadable
content is
playable and
integrated
into
setlists in
all game
modes
including:
Solo Tour,
Band World
Tour,
head-to-head
competition
either
locally or
online, and
from any
Quickplay
mode. In
order to
play
downloadable
content for
head-to-head
matches or
multiplayer
online, all
players must
own the same
downloadable
track.
Downloadable
content for
the Xbox
360® is
available
for purchase
via Xbox
LIVE®
Marketplace
for the Xbox
360® video
game and
entertainment
system from
Microsoft
using
Microsoft
Points and
is
downloaded
directly to
Xbox 360's
built in
hard drive.
Downloadable
content for
the
PLAYSTATION
3 system’s
version of
Rock Band is
available
for purchase
on the
PLAYSTATION®Store
through the
free
PLAYSTATION®Network
and is
downloaded
directly to
PLAYSTATION
3 system's
built in
hard drive.
Rock Band™
is rated “T”
for Teen
(lyrics,
mild
suggestive
themes) by
the ESRB.
EA is the
exclusive
distribution
and
marketing
partner for
Rock Band,
managing
distribution
for the
game.
For more
information
on Rock Band
and Harmonix
Music
Systems
please visit
www.rockband.com
<http://www.rockband.com/>
and
www.harmonixmusic.com
<http://www.harmonixmusic.com/>
#####
About MTV
Networks:
MTV
Networks, a
division of
Viacom
(NYSE: VIA,
VIA.B), is
one of the
world's
leading
creators of
programming
and content
across all
media
platforms.
MTV
Networks,
with 130
channels
worldwide,
owns and
operates the
following
television
programming
services -
MTV: MUSIC
TELEVISION,
MTV2, VH1,
mtvU,
NICKELODEON,
NICK at NITE,
COMEDY
CENTRAL, TV
LAND, SPIKE
TV, CMT,
NOGGIN/THE
N, VH1
CLASSIC,
LOGO, MTVN
INTERNATIONAL
and THE
DIGITAL
SUITE FROM
MTV
NETWORKS, a
package of
13 digital
services,
all of these
networks
trademarks
of MTV
Networks.
MTV Networks
connects
with its
audiences
through its
robust
consumer
products
businesses
and its more
than 200
interactive
properties
worldwide,
including
online,
broadband,
wireless and
interactive
television
services and
also has
licensing
agreements,
joint
ventures,
and
syndication
deals
whereby all
of its
programming
services can
be seen
worldwide.
About MTV
Games:
MTV Games is
dedicated to
creating,
marketing
and
publishing
high-quality,
innovative
interactive
products
that are
relevant to
the MTV
audience and
complement
the core
values of
the MTV
Networks
brands.
About
Harmonix
Music
Systems,
Inc:
Harmonix
Music
Systems,
Inc., based
in
Cambridge,
MA, and
established
in 1995, is
the leading
developer of
groundbreaking
music-oriented
videogames.
Harmonix was
founded by
Alex
Rigopulos
and Eran
Egozy, who
formed the
company to
invent new
ways for
non-musicians
to
experience
the unique
joy that
comes from
making music
and have
pioneered
music and
rhythm
gaming in
the US. For
more
information
please
visit:
http://www.harmonixmusic.com
<http://www.harmonixmusic.com/>
About
Electronic
Arts:
Electronic
Arts Inc.
(EA),
headquartered
in Redwood
City,
California,
is the
world's
leading
interactive
entertainment
software
company.
Founded in
1982, the
company
develops,
publishes,
and
distributes
interactive
software
worldwide
for video
game
systems,
personal
computers,
cellular
handsets and
the
Internet.
Electronic
Arts markets
its products
under four
brand names:
EA SPORTSTM,
EATM, EA
SPORTS BIGTM
and POGOTM.
In fiscal
2007, EA
posted
revenue of
$3.09
billion and
had 24
titles that
sold more
than one
million
copies. EA's
homepage and
online game
site is
www.ea.com.
More
information
about EA's
products and
full text of
press
releases can
be found on
the Internet
at http://info.ea.com.
© 2007
Harmonix
Music
Systems,
Inc. All
Rights
Reserved.
Harmonix,
Rock Band
and all
related
titles and
logos are
trademarks
of Harmonix
Music
Systems,
Inc., an MTV
Networks
company.
Rock Band
developed by
Harmonix
Music
Systems,
Inc. MTV:
Music
Television,
MTV Games
and all
related
titles and
logos are
trademarks
of MTV
Networks, a
division of
Viacom
International
Inc. EA, EA
SPORTS, EA
SPORTS BIG,
and POGO are
trademarks
or
registered
trademarks
of
Electronic
Arts Inc. in
the U.S.
and/or other
countries.
All other
marks are
the property
of their
respective
owners.