Green Day

Multi-platinum selling and Grammy® Award winning group Green Day, along with Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), and Warner Bros./Reprise Records today announced at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards that they are collaborating on the standalone title Green Day: Rock Band(TM).

“We’ve worked with the Rock Band team in the past year to enable our fans to play tracks from 21st Century Breakdown, and we’re excited to now be working on a game, spanning our entire career,” said Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong. “We want people to fire this up, choose their favorite Green Day tracks, and play along with us as Rock Band avatars so they can feel what it’s like to perform on stage as Green Day.”

The game is an extension and expression of Green Day’s most-defining albums and key moments throughout their career to date. It will feature likenesses of Green Day members Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool, as well as select venues and art specific to the band’s history. The title will be available globally in 2010 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii(TM) system from Nintendo. In addition, the track list will be fully exportable, giving players the opportunity to play the songs in Rock Band(TM) and Rock Band 2(TM) on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation3.

“Green Day’s music and explosive live performances transcend age barriers,” says Tom Whalley, Chairman/CEO, Warner Bros. Records. “By partnering with the band and Harmonix, Warner Bros./Reprise is thrilled to help create a Rock Band experience devoted exclusively to their impressive catalog. This game will appeal to fans of all ages, including those who love their recent best-selling albums and those who’ve loved Green Day throughout their long, incredible career.”

“It’s very exciting to work closely with Green Day to create an experience that captures the incomparable sound, look and feel of the band,” said Paul DeGooyer, SVP of Electronic Games and Music for MTV Networks Music Group. “‘Green Day: Rock Band’ is yet another example of how music fans can connect with some of the greatest music ever recorded via the Rock Band platform.”

“This game will feel like a natural extension of Green Day and their music that will deepen the fans’ connection to the band and their history,” said Alex Rigopulos, CEO and co-founder of Harmonix Music Systems. “Fans will be able to enjoy some of the greatest songs from the Green Day catalogue in this standalone game or via Rock Band due to full export capability. We are thrilled to work with Green Day to revisit key moments from their career, including their likenesses, content and imagery, through our innovative form of musical interaction.”

This latest Rock Band title aims to encapsulate the spirit and energy of a band that has sold more than 50 million records worldwide and been hailed as one of the best live acts touring today. Green Day has won critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Album for Dookie, Best Rock Album for American Idiot and Record of the Year for their smash hit “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” Earlier this year, Green Day released their eighth studio album, 21st Century Breakdown, on Warner Music Group’s Reprise Records. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, as well as on the Rock, Active Rock and Alternative charts, fueled by the alternative radio No. 1 single “Know Your Enemy.”

In addition to the game announcement, Green Day will bring three more tracks from 21st Century Breakdown to the Rock Band Music Store as downloadable content on Tuesday, December 15th. The three pack of songs will include, “Christian’s Inferno,” “Last of the American Girls,” and “Viva La Gloria!,” all from 21st Century Breakdown. These songs, as well as Green Day tracks previously released on the Rock Band platform, will be supported in Green Day: Rock Band .

The Rock Band platform stands next to none with more than 1,000 songs available from more than 390 artists. With more choices for fans than any other music-based videogame, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists. Rock Band offers content in a unique way, through on-disc gameplay, game export, downloadable content, and soon with the Rock Band Network, which allows bands and labels to author their songs into downloadable playable Rock Band tracks. The Rock Band platform allows fans to interact with their favorite music in a unique and hands-on way, as well as giving artists the ability to reach fans through a whole new channel.

To see the world premiere package that aired during the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards, please visit www.spike.com/event/vga2009.

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., turns the heat up to “broil” as they announce today that Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked has gone to manufacturing for Wii™, and will hit retail shelves throughout North America on November 3, 2009.

Developed in partnership with Food Network, the first cable network dedicated to the power and joy of food, the game is designed to teach players real, practical cooking skills using their Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™. From introductory lessons to more advanced challenges, Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked will make everyone a star chef. Releasing just in time for the holidays, Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked is an ideal, unique gift for the foodies and aspiring chefs on anyone’s list this season.

With more than 30 recipes developed by the expert chefs of the Food Network Kitchens, the game delivers a truly authentic food experience from prep to plate. Realistic and fun challenges let Food Network fans, enthusiastic chefs and even kitchen-phobes perfect their culinary techniques mess-free with the motion-based Wii Remote and Nunchuk simulating an array of kitchen tools and utensils. From cracking an egg, to oiling a pan, to seasoning the perfect steak, Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked is designed to take the cooking experience from practice to practical, teaching skills which can ultimately be applied in the real kitchen, for a real-life delicious Food Network meal.

There are never too many cooks in the kitchen with this game. Players encounter Food Network’s Vice President of Marketing and The Next Food Network Star judge, Susie Fogelson, and Food Network Kitchens chef Mory Thomas along the way for tips, feedback and reviews. Friends and family can cook all recipes side-by-side in cooperative Hot Potato mode for up to four players, or have a competitive split-screen cook-off with two players.

Developed by Red Fly Studio, Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked is rated “E” for everyone by the ESRB and will carry a MSRP of $39.99. For more information on the game, please visit www.namcobandaigames.com or www.cookorbecooked.com.

Dead Space Extraction is a prequel to 2008’s critically acclaimed third-person action horror game for Next-Gen and PC platforms, Dead Space. A Wii exclusive,Extraction ups the action through an exciting mix of intuitive controls, co-op gameplay, puzzle-solving and branching pathways. Together with the addition of new enemies, characters, weapons and environments, Dead Space Extraction sets a new standard for action horror on the Wii that is sure to please both those new to the Dead Space game universe, and those anxious for more.

The Story: Dead Space Extraction tells the untold story of the Aegis VII Colony through a handful of survivors battling to reach the orbiting USG Ishimura amidst a horrific infection and the initial invasion by a violent alien race known as Necromorphs. As these survivors’ allies mysteriously fall victim to dementia, it becomes clear that protecting a young girl granting them a bizarre immunity may be their only hope for survival in a struggle that could have implications for all of humanity.

Gameplay: Although designed to preserve the feel of the action of the original game, gameplay in Extraction is also quite unique. First, the player perspective has been changed from third, to first-person, placing all the action right in front of you. Also, Extraction is a ‘rail shooter,’ meaning a shooter game where most of the action engaged in and paths followed are programmed into the mission play, instead of the freeform wandering ability built into the considerably larger Next-Gen and PC Dead Space release. The combination of these two changes funnels the players focus onto the combat options available in the game. In dealing with the danger of the alien Necromorphs swarming the game space, Dead Space Extraction utilizes the precision of the Wii Remote in variety of ways. Weapons like the Plasma Cutter can dispatch these enemies from a distance by taking advantage of the remote’s pointing targeting ability, while a quick wave can activate weapons like the Ripper, a guidable spinning saw blade. The Wii Remote is also handy for picking up items and hurling them at enemies using the power of Kinesis.

Other gameplay changes include new play modes. The most notable of these is the inclusion of a two player co-op play option. This allows an additional player to drop in or out of the action as he/she chooses. The game rebalances the opposition in these cases to make sure that the gameplay doesn’t become too easy. In addition, Extraction also features a Challenge mode in which after certain sections of the game are cleared, areas within those sections are unlocked for bonus arcade style action where players build up points linked to how many Necromorphs are destroyed. Taken together all these changes add up to more action, more fun and more Dead Space for players on the Wii.

Key Features:

• An action-packed cinematic horror experience currently unmatched by any game designed for Wii.
• An all-new prequel chapter in the ‘Dead Space’ universe exclusive to the Wii.
• A deep and thrilling all-new story, new characters, new weapons, new enemies, and new puzzles.
• Co-operative multiplayer gameplay that allows you to team up to fight off the invasion, combine efforts on engineering puzzles, and more.
• Intuitive controls scheme that allow you to strategically use the Wii Remote to dismember and freeze enemies, manipulate gravity with telekinesis, solve puzzles, and fight off attacks.

One of this year’s most anticipated games, Tony Hawk: RIDE, is set to skate into stores on November 17th! Check out the Trailer for the Wii version of the game below, which showcases how gamers will be able to skate as their Mii characters, as pro skaters or as pro skaters’ Mii characters. This will surely shape up to be on of the biggest hits of the holiday season.

Here is what it is all about:

Experience the true thrill of skateboarding as never before through the revolutionary new skateboardcontroller in Tony Hawk: Ride. Bundled with the Ride game, the unique motion-sensitive board controller redefines the action-sports genre by translating your body motions into the game. No buttons, no thumbs, no analog sticks—just you on the board. For the first time in video game history, anyone can jump on a skateboard and feel the freedom, creativity, and accomplishment of skateboarding.

Fans of board sports will love the authentic experience of the board controller, while the intuitive nature of the board and multiple difficulty settings make it a fun and exciting experience for people of all ages and skill levels. The ease with which anyone can pick up and play this game and each player’s unique playing style make this a fun social game for friends and family to play together. So, are you ready to Ride?

Features

• Four different modes built into the game include: Challenge, Speed, Trick, and Free Skate ¿ in epic locations across the globe.
• Includes the Innovative ‘Ride’ board controller featuring motion sensing technology, smart sensors, a contoured base and a gritty surface to ensure a good grip.
• With no complicated control schemes to master, the game is designed to allow players to get on the board and start mastering the 100+ built in moves from the beginning.
• Eight player multiplayer and online play support lets you and your friends feel the thrill of skateboarding together.
• Multiple difficulty levels make the game a fun and challenging experience for people of all skill levels.

Tony Hawk: RIDE hits stores on November 17 for $120. Check out the official site for the game at www.theride.com!

‘The Beatles: Rock Band’ has revealed 15 new songs bringing the announced track list to 25 for the game, which is set to launch on September 9, 2009.

The game will allow users to play as all four Beatles and will include 45 songs from across the band’s career. As an extra, players can download the entirety of the Abbey Road album after launching the game. Also, for the first time in a “Rock Band” game, you’ll be able to plug in three mics at once and sing three-part harmony.

Twist And Shout / Cavern Club
Do You Want To Know A Secret / Cavern Club
Can’t Buy Me Love / Ed Sullivan Theater
I Wanna Be Your Man / Ed Sullivan Theater
Eight Days A Week / Shea Stadium
Paperback Writer / Budokan
And Your Bird Can Sing / Budokan
Yellow Submarine / Abbey Road Dreamscape
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band* / Abbey Road Dreamscape
With a Little Help from My Friends* / Abbey Road Dreamscape
Within You Without You / Tomorrow Never Knows / Abbey Road Dreamscape
Revolution / Abbey Road Dreamscape
Birthday / Abbey Road Dreamscape
Dig A Pony / Rooftop Concert
I’ve Got A Feeling / Rooftop Concert

For more info visit www.thebeatlesrockband.com.

MTV Games and Harmonix have announced that the upcoming The Beatles Rock Band game  will feature three-part vocal tracks in addition to the usual drum, bass, and guitar parts.

The game which will be released on September 9th, 2009  along with reproductions of classic Beatles instruments (including a large-scale Hofner bass and a Ludwig-branded drum kit).

Two new guitars, which are eproductions of the Rickenbacker 325 and Gretsch Duo Jet, will be sold separately. The game will be compatible with existing Rock Band gear.

45 tracks will be included on disc, and the first ten were announced today, all A-list titles from the band’s catalog, including:

- I Saw Her Standing There
- I Want To Hold Your Hand
- I Feel Fine
- Taxman
- Day Tripper
- Back In The USSR
- I Am The Walrus
- Octopus’s Garden
- Here Comes The Sun
- Get Back

In addition to these tracks, “All You Need Is Love” will be available as a download (on the Xbox 360 only) on launch day to benefit the charity “Doctors Without Borders.”

All tracks will of course be masters with the addition of “previously unreleased authentic voice recordings from John, Paul, George and Ringo chatting between takes during studio sessions recorded at Abbey Road more than four decades ago.”

For more info visit www.thebeatlesrockband.com.
 

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., the leading video games publisher and developer, and Food Network, the first and only cable channel dedicated to connecting viewers to the power and joy of food, today announced they will deliver a new way of experiencing the world of cooking with the Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked game for Wii™. With inviting introductory lessons for the novice cook or for “foodies” who want to put their gastronomic skills to the test, Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked will provide players with the proper instructions and techniques to become a star chef no matter the experience level.

“Food Network is one of the most successful networks on television and we are excited to be collaborating with them to bring an enjoyable interactive experience that can help players become better cooks,” said Todd Thorson, director of marketing and public relations, NAMCO BANDAI Games America. “With bona fide real-world step-by-step instructions, Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked is the best companion to create delicious meals for beginners and experts alike.”

“Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked is an exciting new way for us to bring our brand to life for viewers and fans. Our network is one of the few that can entertain, inspire and teach in such a wide variety of ways, so we are thrilled to partner with NAMCO BANDAI Games America to bring food fans an entirely new cooking game for the Wii platform,” said Sergei Kuharsky, General Manager, Scripps Enterprises (a division of Scripps Networks Interactive, parent company of Food Network).

Designed in collaboration with the chefs of the Food Network Kitchens to ensure authenticity, Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked is a fun and entertaining game that can improve a player’s cooking skills with real-world training. Providing an engaging realistic experience, challenges explain not only how to perform tasks, but also why they are executed a specific way. The Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™’s motion-based controls will teach players how to use a wide assortment of kitchen utensils and appliances needed to create numerous delicious Food Network recipes.

Having too many cooks in the kitchen will hardly be an issue as Food Network Cook or Be Cooked offers multiplayer options where friends and family can cook side-by-side in cooperative mode or face each other in a cook-off with up to two players. Aspiring chefs can also tackle different themed Chef Challenges to unlock new recipes. These events occur in a variety of real-life situations which involve applying the techniques learned to cook an entire meal rather than just one dish.

Developed by Red Fly Studio, Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked is slated for release on Wii this fall. For more information on the game, please visit www.namcobandaigames.com.

The Beatles by Vladimir Gorsky

MTV Games has announced that “The Beatles: Rock Band” will finally hit consoles at the end of summer. The project, released alongside replica Beatles instruments that connect to the game, will ship on September 9, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the Wii.

“The Beatles: Rock Band” is being made by “Rock Band” creators at MTV-owned Harmonix Music Systems will certainly bear a strong resemble to it’s hugely popular predecessors. That means that it will include a dense track list that multiple gamers can play along to on the mic, on the guitar, on the bass or on the drums.

For those who already have one of the hit music games that have been all the rage in gaming lately, “The Beatles: Rock Band” will be available as a stand-alone disc of Beatles tracks that can be played using guitars, drums and a microphone, � la “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band.”

For Beatles fans, the game will also be sold with Beatles-style instruments, although it is not yet known what vintage Beatles instruments will be used. The official track list for the game also remains a mystery. The Wii, 360 and PS3 versions are priced at $59.99. The games will be sold with one guitar for $99.99, or in a full band kit for $249.99.

Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that development is underway to bring Hasbro’s legendary “G.I. Joe” brand to all major console and handheld gaming platforms in summer 2009 to coincide with the theatrical release of the�G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra�live-action movie from Paramount Pictures and Spyglass�Entertainment, in association with Hasbro, which opens in theaters August 7, 2009. EA will unveil a “first look” of the video game at Hasbro’s Showroom at Toy Fair on February 15-17, 2009 in New York City.

Check out the official site for the game at this location >

“As Hasbro and Paramount Pictures reignite the ‘G.I. Joe’ property this year with an all-new toy line and film, EA is excited to play a major role in bringing this icon of pop culture history to a new generation of enthusiasts through interactive gaming,” said Chip Lange, General Manager and Vice President of EA Hasbro. “‘G.I. Joe’ offers exceptionally rich storylines and a cast of characters that lends itself incredibly well to creating an over-the-top action adventure video game that will thrill gamers as well as ‘G.I. Joe’ fans.”

For fans of all ages, 2009 is gearing up to become another watershed milestone in the timeless franchise by introducing even more new ways to engage, immerse and play within the “G.I. Joe” universe. The “G.I. Joe” video game will feature an exclusive storyline that picks up where the live-action movie leaves off, allowing players to re-create and re-live the greatest moments from the film, cartoon series and action figure toy line.

The game will feature 12 “G.I. Joe” characters, each with unique abilities and weapons. Adding to the adrenaline rush will be an intense single-screen co-op mode allowing two players to easily unite as a team in a classic struggle between good and evil as they work together to defeat the powers of the COBRA organization.

The “G.I. Joe” video game is under development for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP, Nintendo DS, and mobile devices.

“‘G.I. Joe’ has been an icon of action for 45 years,” said Mark Blecher, General Manager of Digital Gaming and Media at Hasbro. “EA has tapped the legacy of the G.I. Joe vs. COBRA saga to create an amazing interactive experience inspired by the movie, comic books, animated series and iconography that we hope will resonate with millions of fans.”

For more information about the “G.I. Joe” video game and to sign up for updates, visit�GIJoe.EA.com.