Rock Band Music Store update

STYX AND REO SPEEDWAGON HEADLINE THIS WEEK’S WiiTM ROCK BANDTM MUSIC STORE UPDATE; PLUS NEW TRACKS FROM SYSTEM OF A DOWN, THE CLASH, DEVO AND MORE!

Cambridge, Mass. – May 4, 2009 – Harmonix and MTV Games announced today 18 new tracks coming this week to the Rock Band™ Music Store catalogue of downloadable content for the Wii™ system, including seven tracks from 80s power rockers REO Speedwagon and Styx. This week’s music update also includes songs from All That Remains, The Clash, Devo, Hautewerk, The Ramones, and System of a Down.

Three of Styx’s biggest singles were recently re-recorded for Rock Band, including “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)” and “Renegade” originally featured on the band’s eighth studio album Pieces of Eight (1978), plus “Too Much Time on My Hands” originally featured on the band’s 1981 concept album Paradise Theatre.

REO Speedwagon’s timeless classics “Ridin’ the Storm Out,” originally featured on the band’s third album of the same name (1973), “Roll With the Changes,” originally featured on the band’s seventh studio album, You can Tune a Piano but You Can’t Tuna Fish (1978) and “Take It on the Run,” originally featured on the band’s 9-times platinum 1980 album Hi Infidelity will also debut in the Wii Rock Band Music Store this week.

”Can’t Stop Rockin’”, the new collaborative song between Styx and REO Speedwagon, which the bands recorded together in anticipation of their upcoming Can’t Stop Rockin’ tour, which kicks off May 13, will also be available next week.

Hautewerk adds three tracks from their debut album Stop Start Again (2006) including “Stop Start Again,” “Alone in My Head” and “I Know Where You Came From.”

As previously announced, the tracks from Styx, REO Speedwagon and Hautewerk were released last week to owners of Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

This week’s Wii update also includes eight tracks from the Rock Band back catalogue starting with three songs from Massachusetts-based metalcore band All That Remains – “Two Weeks” and “Chiron” from 2008’s Overcome as well as “This Calling” from Fall of Ideals (2006).

Politically-charged hard rockers System of a Down add two tracks with “B.Y.O.B.” from Mezmerize (2005) and title track “Toxicity” from the 2001 album. Two classic punk tracks are also on the way courtesy of The Clash’s “Complete Control” from the band’s self-titled 1977 debut album and The Ramones’ “Teenage Lobotomy” from Rocket to Russia (1977). Rounding out the content updated is Devo’s “Girl U Want,” the first single from the band’s album Freedom of Choice (1980).

Wii fans can expect a rollout of previously released downloadable Rock Band content until the entire back catalogue of more than 660 songs is available.
Release Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2009
** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change *
Tracks: REO Speedwagon “Ridin’ the Storm Out”
REO Speedwagon “Roll with the Changes”
REO Speedwagon “Take It on the Run”
Styx “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)”
Styx “Renegade”
Styx “Too Much Time On My Hands”
Styx/REO Speedwagon “Can’t Stop Rockin’”
Hautewerk “Alone in My Head”
Hautewerk “I Know Where You Came From”
Hautewerk “Stop Start Again”
The Clash “Complete Control”
Devo “Girl U Want”
The Ramones “Teenage Lobotomy”
All That Remains “Chiron”
All That Remains “This Calling”
All That Remains “Two Weeks”
System of a Down “B.Y.O.B.”
System of a Down “Toxicity”
(All tracks are original master recordings)
Price: $2.00 (200 Wii Points) per track
Location: In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store (Wii Points must be purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel)
** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **
Rock Band 2 is available now for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation®2 systems and the Wii system. The Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points purchased through the Wii Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the memory of the Wii or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.
To view a complete list of the more than 660 tracks available in the Rock Band music back catalog please visit www.rockband.com/music. With the addition of these tracks there are now 130 tracks in the Wii Rock Band Music Store.

Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 40 million paid downloads since its launch on November 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.
Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB.
For more information on Rock Band2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com