Is Harmonix's decision to try and court the C&W market in a game called Rock Band a stupid one? Probably! Nevertheless, they're taking a swing at it with the "Going Country" track pack.
Consisting of five tracks, it'll be out on December 18, and will feature tracks by Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and the Dixie Chicks. Pricing is fairly standard, at $2/160MS for a song or $8.50/680MS for all five.
Cambridge, Mass. – December 8, 2008 – Harmonix and MTV Games announced today that Rock Band® is set to give fans a taste of country music for the first time with the addition of the “Going Country” 5-pack to the Rock Band® Music Store catalog of downloadable content. The impressive lineup of renowned country artists includes Grammy Award winner Brad Paisley with “Mud on the Tires,” the honky- tonk country classic duo Brooks & Dunn with “Hillbilly Deluxe,” and all-American trio Dixie Chicks with “Sin Wagon.”
Rock Band country lovers can also look forward to Dierks Bentley’s #1 single “Free & Easy (Down the Road I Go)” and Miranda Lambert’s standout single “Gunpowder & Lead.”
Each track will be available starting December 16, 2008, for the Xbox®360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and December 18, 2008, for PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Each individual track will be available for $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) and $8.49 (680 Microsoft Points) for the 5-pack.
Release Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 (Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for Xbox 360)
Thursday, December 18, 2008 (PlayStation®Store)Tracks:
(Click on track to view music video)
Brad Paisley “Mud on the Tires”
Brooks & Dunn “Hillbilly Deluxe”
Dierks Bentley “Free & Easy (Down the Road I Go)”
Dixie Chicks “Sin Wagon”
Miranda Lambert “Gunpowder & Lead”Price: $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$8.49 (680 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for the 5-pack(All tracks are original master recordings)
Locations: Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and PlayStation®Network
** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **
With the addition of these tracks there are now more than 500 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to fly off shelves and satisfy music fans and gamers' voracious appetite for rock with more than 28 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 allow online play and features that expand the boundaries of music gaming. Rock Band downloadable content is playable and integrated into setlists in all game modes. In order to play downloadable content for head-to-head matches or multiplayer online, all players must own the same downloadable track. Downloadable content for Xbox 360 is available for purchase via Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for Xbox 360 using Microsoft Points and is downloaded directly to the hard drive of Xbox 360. Downloadable content for the PLAYSTATION 3 system's version of Rock Band is available for purchase on the PlayStation Store through the free PlayStation Network and is downloaded directly to PLAYSTATION 3 system's built in hard drive.
Rock Band 2 for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system is now available nationwide and supports all previously downloaded content. The groundbreaking music platform that forever changed the face of music video games is committed to taking gaming to the next level with the evolution of the franchise. Rock Band 2 will be available for additional platforms later this year.
Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated "T" for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB.
For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com