Developed by Harmonix, Rock Band is an all-new platform for gamers to experience music, giving players the chance to rock in the shoes of the biggest guitarists, bassists, drummers and singers of all time – as a solo superstar or as part of a hard rocking band.

Rock Band delivers four music games in one – challenging rockers to master lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals or play collectively as a whole band. Built on unprecedented deals with top record labels and music publishers, the music featured in Rock Band™ spans all genres of rock and includes many master recordings from legendary artists.

Major record labels and leading music publishers have signed on to provide unrivaled access to master recordings and legendary rock artists with hits from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s. Record labels partnering with MTV Games and Harmonix include EMI Music, Hollywood Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group’s Universal Music Enterprises and Warner Music Group’s Rhino Entertainment. Music publishers partnering with MTV Games and Harmonix include EMI Music Publishing and Warner/Chappel Music.

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.”

“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.

Venue Locations :

• Amsterdam
• Berlin
• Boston (confirmed: Charles Pub/Somerville, The Establishment/Cambridge and Hancock Theatre)
• Chicago
• London
• Los Angeles
• Moscow
• New York
• Paris
• Reykjavik
• Rio de Janeiro
• Rome
• Seattle
• San Francisco
• Stockholm
• Sydney
• Tokyo

First 16 Officially Announced Rock Band songs :

1970s

• The Who "Won't Get Fooled Again" (master)
• Mountain "Mississippi Queen" (cover)
• David Bowie "Suffragette City" (master)
• Black Sabbath "Paranoid" (cover)
• Blue Oyster Cult "Don't Fear the Reaper" (master)
• The Ramones "Rockaway Beach” (master)

1980s

• Rush "Tom Sawyer" (cover)
• Bon Jovi "Wanted Dead or Alive" (master)

1990s

• Nirvana "In Bloom" (master)
• Stone Temple Pilots "Vasoline" (master)
• Weezer "Say It Ain't So" (master)
• Foo Fighters “Learn to Fly” (master)
• Metallica “Enter Sandman” (master)

2000s

• The Hives "Main Offender" (master)
• The Strokes "Reptilia" (master)
• Queens of the Stone Age "Go With the Flow" (master)

Modes

• Master the basics! No need for experience. Pick your weapon of choice and ascend from beginner to rock god using Rock Band’s Tutorial Mode.
• Perfect your tune! Breakdown any part of any song at your preferred speed with Rock Band’s Practice Mode.
• Instant fix of fun! Jump into any unlocked song for some quick jam time either on your own or with other players with Rock Band’s Quickplay Mode. Take it on the road! Pack up your instrument of choice and set out on the open road for a fun and challenging single player career mode with Rock Band’s Solo Tour Mode.
• Conquer the world! Live the ultimate rock band lifestyle when you form a band locally or online and set out on tour. The journey to rock stardom takes you from small town bars to world-renowned venues. Earn fame and fortune along the way to secure rock star necessities with Rock Band’s Band World Tour Mode.

Key Features

• Unrivaled song library! Major record labels and leading music publishers have signed on to provide unrivaled access to master recordings and legendary rock artists – from punk, metal and alternative to classic and southern rock.
• Rock ‘n’ Roll Never Dies! Full support for downloadable content delivers never-ending challenges.
• Play together in your living room or across the world! Rock Band™ offers deep online functionality, allowing players to rock together whether they’re in Rhode Island or Reykjavik.
• Create your own rock avatar! Mold a unique rocker using Rock Band’s character creator. Chose from gender, body shape, face, hair, clothes, tattoos and signature moves. Don’t forget to pick your specialized rockin’ instrument. Drumming in the spotlight! Showcase a real drum solo with Rock Band’s freestyle drum fill windows featured in each song. Break out your own rhythm and style as anything goes!
• Call out the crowd! Vocalists can bring the crowd to their feet during Rock Band’s freestyle vocal fill windows. Ad-lib your own words or shout to the crowd to raise the rock intensity of the performance.
• Save your mates! Band mates can fail out of a song for poor performance, but the band still plays on. Rescue your failing mate by busting out signature moves and blistering solos to wow the crowd with showmanship.
• Boost your bonus! Earn bonus points for your band during Rock Band’s Unison Phrase opportunities if everyone plays perfectly. A single mistake blows the phrase for everyone.

While a price is not set yet, the game is scheduled for Holiday 2007 and will be released on PS3 and Xbox 360.