June 5, 2009

FLIGHT 666 TOUCHES DOWN JUNE 9 ON ROCK BAND  

Iron Maiden master recordings made available as downloadable content for Rock Band for the first time!    

As previously announced, Harmonix Music, the leading developer of music-based games, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks, (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), along with distribution partner Electronic Arts Inc., will offer 12 tracks from Iron Maiden, one of the world’s most successful rock bands, June 9 in the Rock Band^® Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360^® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION^®3 computer entertainment system and the Wii™ system.  

The release of these downloadable tracks coincides with the U.S. release of Flight 666 on Blu-ray and DVD as well as a double-CD soundtrack album and limited edition double-vinyl picture disc. Flight 666 documents the first leg of Maiden’s legendary SOMEWHERE BACK IN TIME WORLD TOUR, which took them 50,000 miles around the planet, playing 23 concerts on five continents in just 45 days. One of the stars of the movie is the band’s customized Boeing 757, Ed Force One, which carried the band, all their crew and 12 tons of stage equipment and was piloted by Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson, a fully qualified and active Airline Captain with Astraeus Airlines.  

Live recordings of “Aces High,” “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” “Fear of the Dark” and “Iron Maiden,” featured on Flight 666, are among those available for download in the Rock Band  Music Store June 9. The other eight songs were among those featured on the band’s Somewhere Back in Time World Tour during the first leg of which Flight 666 was filmed. This will mark the first time master recordings from Iron Maiden have been made available on Rock Band games.

“Fans have been asking us to do something with Rock Band for some time, and this seemed to be a perfect opportunity,” said Maiden manager Rod Smallwood. “Our recent Somewhere Back in Time tour was perhaps the most enjoyable one we have ever undertaken and certainly the most successful with almost 2 million people catching the shows around the world.  So it just seemed a good idea to make some of the songs we played available now so fans can play along with the band on the tour. Then we shall see if they can keep up with the band!!”

(All tracks are original master recordings)  

Track                                                              Album

“Aces High (live)”                                Flight 666 (2009)

“2 Minutes to Midnight”                      Powerslave (1984)

“The Trooper”                                      Piece of Mind (1983)

“Wasted Years”                                    Somewhere in Time (1986)

“The Number of the Beast”                 The Number of the Beast (1982)

“Run to the Hills”                                The Number of the Beast (1982)

“Can I Play With Madness”                 Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988)

“The Clairvoyant”                                Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988)

“Powerslave”                                        Powerslave (1984)

“Hallowed Be Thy Name (live)”          Flight 666 (2009)

“Fear of the Dark (live)”                     Flight 666 (2009)

“Iron Maiden (live)”                            Flight 666 (2009)  

The Iron Maiden tracks will be available for purchase as part of the “Iron Maiden Pack” or as individual tracks for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system.  These tracks will be available for purchase as individual tracks only for Wii.  

Release Date:               Tuesday, June 9, 2009            

                                       (Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360® and in-game Rock Band 2 Music Store for Wii)

                                       Thursday, June 11, 2009  

                                       (PlayStation®Store)  

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Price:     $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) for Xbox 360 per track

               $19.99 (1600 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Iron Maiden Pack”  

               $2.00 (200 Wii Points) per track                                                                          

Locations:       

Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 PlayStation^®Network In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store for Wii  

Music Videos: 

Click on the track below to view the song’s corresponding music video.                                                                         

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:   Rock Band Website Iron Maiden Official Website  

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, PlayStation 2 system and Wii.

There are now more than 700 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers' voracious appetite for rock with more than 40 million paid downloads since its launch on Nov. 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 are rated "T" for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Online transactions are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com  and www.harmonixmusic.com.

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