Harmonix and MTV Games' Dance Central™ Available Today in North America

NEW YORK, Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Harmonix, the world's premier music video game developer, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom's MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), along with distribution partner Microsoft, today announced that Dance Central™, the first controller-free, body-tracking, fully immersive dance video game, is available today in North America, exclusively for Kinect™ for Xbox 360®.

Joining MTV Games and Microsoft at a Dance Central launch celebration in New York's Times Square last night, music superstars Ne-Yo and Lady Sovereign performed some of their biggest hits for a crowd of more than 600 people. The performers celebrated that their songs, "Because of You" and "I Got You Dancing," respectively, are among the first Dance Central downloadable content available beginning today, exclusively on Xbox LIVE, along with Sean Paul's "Temperature."  Each song will be available for $2.99, or 240 Microsoft Points.

Each downloadable track for Dance Central will deliver fresh music and new choreography and routines on Easy, Medium and Hard difficulties in Break It Down, Perform It! and Dance Battle that will keep the dance floor rocking.

In addition, fans will be able to outfit their Xbox Live Avatars beginning today with new accessories and clothes from the Xbox LIVE Store, including everything from a Dance Central boom box to new character outfits, sunglasses, hats, shoes, ELIOT the Robot and more.

Free from any controller, Dance Central™ features fun choreography and authentic routines for beginners and experts alike of all ages to master, alongside a killer 32-song soundtrack that spans a great sampling of pop, funk, hip-hop, Latin and R&B artists, including Cascada, Kool & The Gang, Kylie Minogue, Salt-N-Pepa, Nelly Furtado, Christina Milian and more. To view the full Dance Central set list click here.

Whether rehearsing in Break It Down or owning the dance floor in Perform It!, Dance Central introduces players to more than 600 moves in the game and more than 90 dance routines on-disc, created by professional choreographers. In addition, players can earn achievements, unlock new character outfits and venues and progress through the dance ranks. In Dance Battle, players can challenge friends to an epic living room showdown.

Developed by Harmonix, the world's premiere music videogame developer, published by MTV Games and distributed by Microsoft, Dance Central will be available Nov. 4, 2010, in North America exclusively for Kinect for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft (U.S. ERP: $49.99) and Nov. 10, 2010 in Europe (UK ERP: Pounds Sterling 39.99/EU ERP: Euro 49.99).

Dance Central is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB. For more information on Dance Central, as well as new art and video assets, please visit http://www.dancecentral.com/press.

Follow Dance Central on Twitter (http://twitter.com/dance_central) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/dancecentralgame).

About MTV Networks

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company's portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 350 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, Atom, Gametrailers and Xfire.

About MTV Games

MTV Games is dedicated to creating, marketing and publishing high-quality, innovative interactive products that are relevant to the MTV audience and complement the core values of the MTV Networks brands.

About Harmonix Music Systems, Inc

Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Cambridge, MA, and established in 1995, is the leading developer of groundbreaking music-oriented videogames. Harmonix was founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, who formed the company to invent new ways for non-musicians to experience the unique joy that comes from making music and have pioneered music and rhythm gaming in the US. For more information please visit www.harmonixmusic.com.

© 2010 Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Dance Central and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., a MTV Networks company. Dance Central developed by Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. MTV: Music Television, MTV Games and all related titles and logos are trademarks of MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE MTV Games