HardwareGeeks.com - Rock Band for Wii Announced

Posted by: Allen on Mon, Mar 24th, 2008

After months of speculation, MTV Games, Harmonix and EA have officially announced that Rock Band is indeed coming to the Nintendo Wii; an official release date is planned for June 22, 2008. Previously, Wii owners were left in the cold as the popular music video game was available for the Xbox 360, PS3, and even the last-generation PS2, but not the Wii.

The special edition package will be sold on June 22nd for $169.99, which includes the game, the drum set, the microphone, and one wireless guitar. Standalone instruments will also be available on this date. Rock Band for the Wii will feature 63 songs, including 5 bonus songs. Unfortunately, no downloadable content (as seen in the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions) is planned for the Wii version of the game.

I think Rock Band is an awesome game! Sri and I like to get together with our other friends and play; it’s a great game for parties. View a video of us playing after the break, as well as the press release.

This was not meant to be a serious attempt, it was just for fun. We were playing the PS3 version of Rock Band. Warning: Explicit language and bad singing!

Wii Will Rock You! MTV Games, Harmonix and EA Announce Rock Band(TM) for Wii on June 22, 2008

The number one selling game in February 2008 is coming to Wii!*

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 24—Harmonix, the leading
developer of music-based games, and MTV Games, a division of MTV Networks,
which is a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), along with distribution
partner Electronic Arts, Inc. (Nasdaq: ERTS), today announced plans to
release the award-winning music video game Rock Band on the Wii(TM) home
video game system from Nintendo in the U.S. and Canada on June 22, 2008 for
the suggested retail price of $169.99.

Rock Band for Wii will be released as a Special Edition bundle
including the software, drums, microphone and a wireless guitar. Stand
alone instruments will also be available on June 22nd for people who want
to build their band one instrument at a time or want to play the drum
versus drum game mode. The game will feature 63 songs including five bonus
songs for Wii gamers to enjoy.

“The Wii’s success among casual and core gamers of all ages makes it an
ideal match for the cross-generational appeal of the music featured in Rock
Band,” says Bob Picunko, Vice President of Electronic Games and Interactive
Products, MTV.

“The social interaction and addictive nature of the Rock Band
experience is a perfect fit for the Wii and will undoubtedly be fun for the
entire family,” says Steve Singer, licensing VP from Nintendo.

Rock Band is an all-new platform for music fans and gamers to interact
with music like never before. The game challenges players to put together a
band and tour for fame and fortune—all while learning to master
lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals. Featuring the most master recordings of
any music game ever by the world’s biggest rock artists, Rock Band includes
tracks that span every genre of rock ranging from alternative and classic
rock to heavy metal and punk. Rock Band has garnered over 40 awards this
year 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 “T” for Teen (lyrics, mild suggestive themes) by the
ESRB.

Rock Band is currently available on the Xbox 360(TM) video game and
entertainment system from Microsoft(R), the PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer
entertainment system, and on the PLAYSTATION(R)2 computer entertainment
system.

EA is the exclusive distribution and marketing partner for Rock Band.

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

*According to The NPD Group/ Retail Tracking Service, Rock Band ranked
#1 in February 2008 by revenue. This ranking represents all the Rock Band
SKUs across platforms including Special Edition bundles.

About MTV Networks

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, 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: http://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 BIG(TM) and POGO(TM). In
fiscal 2007, EA posted revenue of $3.09 billion and had 24 titles that sold
more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is
http://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.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG, and POGO are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

(C) 2007 Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Harmonix,
Rock Band and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Music
Systems, Inc., a MTV Networks company. Rock Band 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 BIG and POGO are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.
“PlayStation” and “PLAYSTATION” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the
Microsoft group of companies.