Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. and MTV Games Make a Donation to Starlight and Bring Rock Band(R) to Thousands of Seriously Ill Children

Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. and MTV Games Make a Donation to Starlight and Bring Rock Band(R) to Thousands of Seriously Ill Children

- Harmonix and MTV Games give a minimum $50,000 contribution and more than 650 Rock Band(R) bundles in support of Starlight Children's Foundation programs

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. and MTV Games are making a generous minimum $50,000 gift to Starlight Children's Foundation to bring the power of music to children facing chronic and life-threatening illnesses. The partnership will allow Harmonix, the world's premiere music video game development company and creators of Rock Band(R), and MTV Games, publisher of Rock Band, to give Starlight children the chance to relax, enjoy and rock out to music in a fully interactive and social setting. In addition, more than 650 Rock Band(R) bundles have been provided to Starlight's seriously ill children at its Great Escape(TM) family events and to hospitals around the country.

"We're honored to work with Starlight, which has an amazing tradition of offering support to seriously ill children," said Alex Rigopulos, CEO and co-founder of Harmonix Music Systems. "We hope that our contribution will give these deserving families a new avenue to spend time together and enjoy great music."

Paul DeGooyer, Senior Vice President of Electronic Games and Music for MTV Networks Music & Logo Group, added: "We're very excited to be part of a program enabling Starlight kids and their families to rock out a bit through our placement of games in hospitals and at family events, facilitating once-in-a-lifetime getaways, and donations. It truly is a privilege to help Starlight and its mission."

   Beyond the monetary gift and product donation, the partnership will:   --  enable select Starlight families to attend the Rock Band tour events,   --  provide Rock Band bundles to Starlight families at Starlight's Great       Escapes family activities,   --  provide Rock Band bundles to pediatric patients at select Starlight       hospital partners, and   --  provide Rock Band themed Great Escape family activities, which will be       hosted for Starlight families by Harmonix and MTV Games.    

Great Escapes (www.starlight.org/greatescapes) is a program created by Starlight to provide families with seriously ill children with a chance to spend recreational time together to relax, regroup and return home with a renewed sense of strength and hope. Great Escapes include movie screenings, trips to the circus, ball games, harbor cruises, mother-daughter makeovers, picnics, pajama parties and many more special activities. Starlight currently provides regular Great Escapes in more than 30 communities throughout the country.

The Rock Band themed Great Escapes will give Starlight children and family members a behind-the-scenes look at Rock Band, a chance to meet the game's creators, a sneak peak at new content and other once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

"We all know that music is healing, and we are expecting Rock Band products to have a powerful, therapeutic effect on our children," said Paula Van Ness, CEO of Starlight Children's Foundation. "Rock Band will provide distractive entertainment therapy for thousands of seriously ill children and their families, both in the hospital setting and on an out-patient basis."

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 MTV Networks

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) , is one of the world's leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company's portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 350 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, Atom, Gametrailers and Xfire.

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.

About Starlight Children's Foundation

When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. For 25 years, Starlight Children's Foundation has been dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Starlight's programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Through a network of chapters and offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings. Programs are also delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. To learn more visit www.starlight.org.

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Source: MTV Games

CONTACT: Donna DeDario, +1-323-556-3322, donna.dedario@starlight.org

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Profile: International Entertainment