Harmonix, MTV Games and EA To Ship Rock Band to Seven Additional Countries This Year

Harmonix, MTV Games and EA To Ship Rock Band to Seven Additional Countries This Year

Award-Winning Music Game Coming To Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg

GENEVA, Switzerland, July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Rock Band's global tour will stop in seven additional countries this year! 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 marketing and distribution partner Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) , today confirmed plans to release the award-winning music video game Rock Band in seven additional countries later this year.

Rock Band will have an exclusive launch window on the Xbox 360(TM) videogame and entertainment console from Microsoft in Italy, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg and will ship on July 24. Rock Band will be available for additional platforms in these territories later this fall.

Rock Band is an all-new platform for music fans and gamers to interact with music. The game challenges players to put together a band and tour for fame and fortune, mastering lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals. With more master recordings than any other music game, Rock Band features some of the world's biggest rock artists and spans every genre of rock ranging from alternative and classic rock to heavy metal and punk.

In addition to the 58 tracks from the North American release, Rock Band will feature nine additional tracks for its European release, including:

   -- Die Toten Hosen "Hier Kommt Alex"   -- Juli "Perfekte Welle"   -- H-Block X "Countdown to Insanity"   -- Blur "Beetlebum" *   -- Oasis "Rock 'n' roll star"   -- Tokio Hotel "Monsoon"   -- Muse "Hysteria"   -- Les Wampas "Manu Chao"   -- Playmo "New Wave"   (*indicates cover song)    

Rock Band features more than 200 songs available to date on disc and via purchase and download in North America and Europe, with more available every week. Tracks are available for 160 Microsoft Points each on Xbox 360. For a complete list of Rock Band songs available for purchase to date, please go to http://www.rockband.com/dlc.

Since its North American release in 2007, Rock Band has garnered over 40 awards including Game Critics Award: Best of Show E3 2007 and three awards at The 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards including Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, Family Game of the Year, and Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack.

Rock Band is rated 12+ by PEGI: Sex, Bad Language, PEGI Online.

For more information on Rock Band and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Developed by Harmonix, MTV Games is the publisher of Rock Band. EA is the exclusive distribution and marketing partner for Rock Band.

About MTV Networks

MTV Networks, a unit 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 more than 150 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, 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 300 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: 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 Freestyle(TM) and POGO(TM). In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 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/.

(C) 2008 Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Harmonix, Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., an MTV Networks company. Rock Band and Rock Band 2 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. EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Microsoft, Xbox. Xbox 360 and Xbox Live are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: MTV

CONTACT: Bryce Baer of Electronic Arts, +1-650-628-5102, bbaer@ea.com

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

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Profile: International Entertainment