Rock Band Making Its Way to Europe

Harmonix, MTV Games, and Electronic Arts announced today plans to release Rock Band on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PS2 in Europe in early 2008. As previously announced, Rock Band for the Xbox 360 and PS3 will be released in the U.S. this Holiday 2007.

Rock Band for the PlayStation 2 system will showcase many of the same challenging modes featured in the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 system versions, but will also debut new game elements specific to the platform. In addition, European versions of Rock Band will feature extensive localized music content for multiple territories, both on-disc and through downloadable content.

“The European continent’s rich and diverse musical pedigree transcends culture and language, which is why we are extremely pleased to announce Rock Band in Europe for early 2008,” stated Jeff Yapp, EVP, MTV Program Enterprises. “It was imperative that we have significant on-disc and downloadable localized music content for multiple European territories on the PlayStation 2 system, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 system in order for Europeans to truly get the full Rock Band experience and interact with the music they love.”

In addition, ten new songs were revealed today at the Leipzig Games Convention, bringing the total of officially announced Rock Band on-disc songs to 26, including some of the greatest rock music ever created. The new songs, all original master recordings, are as follows: Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter,” Deep Purple "Highway Star," The Clash “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” Faith No More "Epic,” Smashing Pumpkins “Cherub Rock,” Radiohead “Creep,” Beastie Boys “Sabotage,” Jet “Are You Gonna Be My Girl,” OK Go “Here It Goes Again,” and Nine Inch Nails “The Hand That Feeds.”

Official Rock Band Song List to Date:

1960s

• Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter”

1970s

• The Who "Won't Get Fooled Again"
• Mountain "Mississippi Queen"*
• David Bowie "Suffragette City"
• Black Sabbath "Paranoid"*
• Blue Oyster Cult "Don't Fear the Reaper"
• The Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop”
• Deep Purple "Highway Star"
  

1980s

• Rush "Tom Sawyer"*
• Bon Jovi "Wanted Dead or Alive"
• The Clash “Should I Stay or Should I Go”
• Faith No More "Epic”
  

1990s

• Foo Fighters “Learn to Fly”
• Metallica “Enter Sandman”
• Nirvana “In Bloom”
• Stone Temple Pilots “Vasoline”
• Weezer “Say It Ain’t So”
• Smashing Pumpkins “Cherub Rock”
• Radiohead “Creep”
• Beastie Boys “Sabotage”
  

2000s

• The Hives “Main Offender”
• Queens of the Stone Age “Go With the Flow”
• The Strokes “Reptilia”
• Jet “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”
• OK Go “Here It Goes Again”
• Nine Inch Nails “The Hand That Feeds”

*Indicates a cover song, all other songs are original master recordings

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 garnered the most nominations (five) and awards (three) at this year’s Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2007 including Best of Show.