Another half-dozen jams, all master recordings, all $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) each. The Grateful Dead Pack 02, priced at $9.99 (800 Microsoft Points) for the bundle, for Rock Band and Rock Band 2 features the following tracks.

• "Hell In a Bucket" from In the Dark
• "Don't Ease Me In" from Go To Heaven
• "Cold Rain & Snow" from Steal Your Face
• "Doin' That Rag" from Aoxomoxoa
• "Fire On the Mountain" from Shakedown Street
• "Uncle John's Band" from Workingman's Dead

Harmonix has at least one more six-pack of Grateful Dead tracks on the way, as announced way back in the Fall of 2007.

• "China Cat Sunflower" from Aoxomoxoa
• "Casey Jones" from Workingman's Dead
• "Sugar Magnolia" from American Beauty
• "Truckin" from American Beauty
• "Franklin's Tower" from Blues for Allah
• "I Need A Miracle" from Shakedown Street

Deadheads can secure the whole lot of Rock Band bonus tracks for $9.99 (800 Microsoft Points). Now about Who's Next...

I wrote up a pretty nice three-page package on Rock Band and Guitar Hero 3 for the Rocky Mountain News before I left for Australia. Most of it is geared to a pretty general audience, meaning it's a lot of explanation, impressions and factoids, but one of the stories in the package is pretty packed with interesting details for even hard-core gamers.

I spoke with Paul DeGooyer, MTV's senior vice president of home entertainment, music and games, not once but twice to write With 'Band' in hand, MTV eyes evolution. (My harddrive crashed and I lost all my notes :( ).

In the story DeGooyer touches on some interesting things, including MTV's take on whether Rock Band will be coming to the channel as its own television show, how the Grateful Dead helped tweaked the game and Metallica's deal for the game.

Hit the jump for the details.

On Metallica:

MTV and Harmonix have plans to release new music weekly for the game, eventually pushing the game's library into the thousands. And DeGooyer says that musicians, both established and up-and-coming, are lining up to get their music into the game. Some artists may even forgo the traditional route of MTV or radio and premiere new songs directly on Rock Band.

"There are a couple of things we've committed to, one of them with Metallica for example," he said. "They've reserved the right to give us their first single from their new album for the game."

In other cases, musicians might release music to the game to tie in with a new record or tour, he said.

On Grateful Dead:

Musicians have been fans of Harmonix's games almost since their original Guitar Hero hit stores. With MTV backing them, musicians are getting more hands-on time with the game earlier in the process.

The Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, drummer and quite an audiophile, even had his hand in some of the design work. "We presented the game to the Grateful Dead, and Mickey Hart, the drummer, had some suggestions about the audio and about what could be implemented and we used some of that," DeGooyer said.

DeGooyer said he helped show off the game to musicians at Abbey Road Studios, setting up Rock Band in famed Studio Three where Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon was tracked.

"Everyone who was working in the studio, from engineers to musicians, stopped by to try it out," he said.

On Rock Band TV:

While Rock Band has MTV's full support, the television network is being very careful not to overdo it. Specifically, they are holding off on any Rock Band-themed television shows, for now.

"The risk is that a show would be put together that's not very good, " DeGooyer said. "We need the right concept, one that looks at how gamers engage with the game. There really isn't this impetus to put the wrong show up. The game speaks for itself."

That last bit, which didn't make the final cut of my Rocky story, may be DeGooyer saying they're not doing a Rock Band television show, but the implication was most certainly that they weren't doing one yet.

With 'Band' in hand, MTV eyes evolution [Rocky Mountain News]

Rock Band today announced that there will be 18 master recordings from the Grateful Dead released as downloadable content for Rock Band following the game's release this holiday. Among the songs will be "Truckin'," "Uncle John's Band," "Touch of Grey," "Sugar Magnolia," and "Casey Jones."

I assume this will be released as a single Album pack, but no word on pricing. Color me worried. Hit the jump for the official press release.

Grateful Dead Join Super Group Line-up Coming to Rock Band™

Harmonix and MTV Games Partner with Rhino Entertainment
to bring 18 Classic Grateful Dead Master Recordings to the Rock Band Videogame Platform

New York, NY - September 5, 2007- Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, MTV Games, a division of MTV Networks within Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), and Rhino Entertainment, a division of Warner Music Group (NYSE:WMG), announced a deal that will bring the legendary band Grateful Dead to the highly anticipated music videogame Rock Band. The iconic group is making 18 master recordings from its diverse catalog available as digitally distributed game levels following Rock Band's release this holiday season. Among the songs available will be the classic Dead tracks "Truckin'," "Uncle John's Band," "Touch of Grey," "Sugar Magnolia," and "Casey Jones."

"Grateful Dead's unique fusion of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, and jazz challenged traditional musical boundaries and pushed the limits of creativity to produce a signature sound that is undeniably their own," stated Paul DeGooyer, MTV's Senior Vice President of Audio, Home Video and Electronic Games. "With an enormous legion of fans all over the world, Rock Band will give players a chance to interact with the music of these beloved rock pioneers and experience what Grateful Dead did best - jam from the depths of their souls."

Distributed by Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), 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. Built on an unprecedented partnership with artists, record labels and music publishers, the music featured in Rock Band will span the full range of rock music and include original master recordings from the greatest songs and artists of all time.

"Grateful Dead, with their 30 year career and their timeless music, are the perfect addition to Rock Band," says Mark Pinkus, Rhino's Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing, Custom Product & Sync Licensing. "It's going to be a blast playing along to songs ranging from the Dead's earliest hit 'Truckin'' to their final hit 'Touch of Grey.' I'm confident that Rock Band will be instrumental in introducing kids to the magical music of Grateful Dead."

Grateful Dead's journey ignited in San Francisco's Haight and Ashbury district during the psychedelic '60s. The band, well known for constantly touring, continued to spread their message of peace and love for another three decades with a devoted community of fans known as Dead Heads, many of whom traveled the country with them. Earlier this year, the Recording Academy awarded Grateful Dead a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for its contribution to the evolution of rock music.

Grateful Dead is the latest artist to join the vast musical downloadable multi-track master offerings of Rock Band, joining the list of epic artists such as Metallica and The Who's iconic Who's Next album, the first full album scheduled for downloadable content, in addition to the dozens of on-disc tracks spanning every genre of rock from alternative to classic to heavy metal.

Rock Band is slated for release on Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system this Holiday 2007 in North America. For more information on Rock Band and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.
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