Rock Band(TM) Coming to a City Near You

Rock Band(TM) Coming to a City Near You

MTV Games, Harmonix and Electronic Arts Kickoff Nationwide Tour

Fans Play for Opportunity to Rock On-Air in MTV's 'Battle of the Bands'

NEW YORK, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, and MTV Games, a division of Viacom's MTV Networks (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) , along with distribution partner Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) , announced today that Rock Band(TM) is hitting the road on a coast-to-coast tour to give consumers the chance to try the award winning game everyone is talking about before it comes out. In addition, budding musicians can choose to participate in a "Rock Off" audition for an opportunity to appear on MTV's TRL. Two selected bands will participate in a live "Battle of the Bands," with the top group being asked to open for one of rock's biggest bands at the Rock Band launch concert this Holiday 2007.

"We're a couple months away from the launch of Rock Band and the response has already been incredible," said Jeff Yapp, EVP, MTV Program Enterprises. "We simply couldn't wait any longer to get the game into consumers' hands and give them a taste of the power of the Rock Band experience. This tour will give everyone from casual music fans, to hard core gamers and professional musicians the chance to live out their rock star fantasies on an authentic concert stage and the chance to audition for a once in a lifetime opportunity to fulfill their rock star fantasies live on MTV in front of thousands of fans."

Kicking off on Sunday, September 9th in Las Vegas, NV during the "2007 MTV Video Music Awards" Weekend, Rock Band outfitted tour rigs will spread across the country on a 24 city tour -- from California to Cleveland, Atlanta to Arizona and everywhere in between -- to give music fans the chance to play on a full concert style stage with all of the lights and monster sound systems they're used to seeing at a classic arena rock concert. Whether consumers are instrument experts or gear rookies, everyone will get a chance to rock with Rock Band.

And it doesn't stop there. Aspiring rockers will have the chance to participate in a nationwide casting call through MTV's Rock Band "Rock Off" events. All performers brave enough to play on the Rock Band tour bus main- stage will be captured on video and viewed by MTV casting directors. Two bands will be chosen and flown to New York City to spend a day with a real rock band and receive true rock star training. The auditions will culminate with the bands rocking on-air on MTV's TRL, and one band ultimately chosen to open on a real stage for a yet-to-be-named mega band at the Rock Band launch concert.

The Rock Band tour rigs will travel to local college campuses and other locations around the country including:

   Las Vegas, NV   September 9 - 16,    Milwaukee, WI   September 13 - 16, 2007    Sacramento, CA   September 20 - 23, 2007    Columbus, OH   September 20 - 23, 2007    Seattle, WA   September 27 - 30, 2007    Chicago, IL   September 27 - 30, 2007    Portland, OR   October 4 - 7, 2007    Pittsburgh, PA   October 4 - 7, 2007    Oakland, CA   October 11 - 14, 2007    Cleveland, OH   October 11 - 14, 2007    San Francisco, CA   October 17 - 21, 2007    Philadelphia, PA   October 18 - 21, 2007    San Diego, CA   October 25 - 28, 2007    Baltimore, MD   October 25 - 28, 2007    Los Angeles, CA   October 31 - November 18, 2007    New York, NY   November 1 - 4, 2007    Boston, MA   November 8 - 11, 2007    New Jersey   November 15 - 18, 2007    Phoenix, AZ   November 27 - 30, 2007    Atlanta, GA   November 27 - December 2, 2007    Austin, TX   December 6 - 9, 2007    New Orleans, LA   December 6 - 9, 2007    Dallas, TX   December 13 - 16, 2007    Orlando, FL   December 13 - 16, 2007   

Specific locations for each city will be released separately. In addition, fans can visit http://www.rockband.com/tour beginning September 9th for more information on dates, locations and Rock Band news.

Rock Band is a new platform for music fans and gamers to interact with music like never before, challenging users to master the lead/bass guitar, drums, and vocals as solo artists or cooperatively as part of their own band. Built on unprecedented deals with the world's biggest record labels and music publishers, the music featured in Rock Band will span all genres of rock and will include many master recordings from the greatest songs and artists of all time. Rock Band was the top winning game at this year's E3 show, winning the overall "Best in Show 2007" award and garnering the most Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2007 with five nominations and three awards.

EA will serve as the exclusive distribution and marketing partner for Rock Band, managing distribution for the game in North America, Europe and Australia. For more information on Rock Band and Harmonix Music Systems please visit http://www.rockband.com/ and http://www.harmonixmusic.com/.

About MTV Networks

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE: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/

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 SPORTS(TM), EA(TM), EA SPORTS BIG(TM) and POGO(TM). 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 http://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/.

Harmonix, Rock Band and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., a division of MTV Networks. 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 All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: MTV

CONTACT: Tracie Snitker of Reverb Communications, +1-209-586-1495 x104,
Tracie@reverbinc.com, for Harmonix; or Jeff Castaneda of MTV Communications,
+1-212-846-6774, jeff.castaneda@mtvstaff.com; or Bryce Baer of Electronic
Arts, +1-650-867-5208, bbaer@ea.com

Web site: http://www.mtv.com/
http://www.rockband.com/
http://www.harmonixmusic.com/
http://www.ea.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment