The Beatles: Rock Band Coming Soon!

I am sure that you all have been hearing the buzz surrounding this game for quite some time, but now everything is official and Apple Corps, Ltd., Harmonix, and MTV Games have announced that 9/9/09 will be the world-wide release date for "The Beatles: Rock Band". The music-based video game, an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles, will be available simultaneously worldwide in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Wii(TM) home videogame console from Nintendo.

The Beatles: Rock Band will allow fans to pick up the guitar, bass, mic or drums and experience The Beatles extraordinary catalogue of music through gameplay that takes players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the band's legendary career. In addition, The Beatles: Rock Band will offer a limited number of new hardware offerings modeled after instruments used by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr throughout their career.

The Beatles: Rock Band will be offered as standalone software and hardware as well as a limited edition bundle. The game will be compatible with all Rock Band instrument controllers and other current music-based video game peripherals.

The Beatles: Rock Band marks the first time that Apple Corps, along with EMI Music, Harrisongs Ltd, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, has agreed to present The Beatles music in an interactive video game format. The Beatles: Rock Band will be published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world's premier music video game company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band®. Electronic Arts will serve as distribution partner for the game. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles innovative LOVE album project, is providing his expertise and serving as Music Producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project.

Exclusive content created by Apple Corps, MTV Games and Harmonix will be made available to fans over the next few months who participate in a pre-order campaign through major retailers. More details on The Beatles: Rock Band game and pre-order will be revealed in the coming months.

Please visit http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com.

Crue Fest and Rock Band Nominated For Best Marketing and Promotional Partnership At The 2008 Billboard Touring Awards

Crüe Fest, the season’s top rock festival and Rock Band, the music video game phenomenon from Harmonix and MTV Games, have earned a nomination for a 2008 Billboard Award for Concert Marketing & Promotion from the Billboard Touring Conference & Awards for their innovative partnership on a North American tour, Billboard announced today.

Fans can vote for Crüe Fest/Rock Band (http://www.billboard.com/vote) for the collaboration, which included local contests at each tour date on a special second stage with the winners earning a spot as the local Rock Band champion, playing on the main stage in the slot before Mötley Crüe as well as in the backstage VIP tent with members from Trapt.

The Billboard Touring Awards honor the concert industry’s top artists and professionals based on actual data compiled through the Billboard Boxscore chart and by fan voting.

The first annual Crüe Fest featured the hottest names in rock: Mötley Crüe, Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Sixx:A.M. and Trapt.

The 5th Annual Billboard Touring Conference & Awards will be held on November 19th and 20th at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.

Rock Band and Mötley Crüe have a longstanding collaborative relationship. Earlier this year, the band released their first single, “Saints Of Los Angeles” simultaneously as a download on the video game and to traditional retailers. The track sold more than five times the number of downloads through Rock Band as it did on iTunes in its first week. Over the course of the tour, Rock Band released two Crüe Fest packs featuring songs from all of the Crüe Fest bands.

Mötley manager, Tenth Street Entertainment’s Allen Kovac who has a long history of creating innovative integrations and alliances, spearheaded the strategic partnership. “We are happy to be recognized with our partners at Harmonix and MTV Games for the Crüe Fest / Rock Band marketing alliance that really brought rock fans together and celebrates the effect that the game
has had on the overall return to rock. By providing players with an interactive experience with their favorite music, both classic and new, Rock Band has added a whole new opportunity for fans to explore and purchase music,” said Kovac.

“Teaming up with Tenth Street for Crüe Fest to deliver Rock Band firsthand to rock music’s hungry fans across the country was a perfect fit,” said Kelley Electa, Senior Director, Promotions, MTV Networks Program Enterprises. “It was a phenomenal way for us to be on the ground and engage the audience in a completely innovative, new way - transforming the traditional concert format from a passive experience to a completely interactive one.

Developed by Harmonix and published by MTV Games, 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. Released September 14th, Rock Band 2 features the largest music catalogue of any music-based videogame to date including over 100 songs on the Rock Band 2 soundtrack with an unrivaled blend of classic and new artists including AC/DC, Guns ‘N Roses, Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam, Motorhead and more! With the addition of complete and immediate backwards compatibility for songs purchased from Rock Band’s ever-expanding online music store and the ability to export most songs from the original Rock Band disc, the Rock Band music library will feature more than 500 songs by year’s end.

Pop Culture Picture: Murs and T-Pain

Murs and T-Pain jamming out on the Rock Band video game at the MTV VMA Press Forum at Paramount Studios in Hollywood!

The new album MURS FOR PRESIDENT hits stores on September 30th!