The Doors Are the First Band with Rock Band 3 Downloadable Content, Featuring Keys and Pro Mode

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Harmonix, the world's premier music video game developer, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom's MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced that the legendary music of The Doors will be the first available for download in Rock Band 3 when the game launches Oct. 26 in North America and Oct. 29 in the rest of the world for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Nintendo Wii™ and Nintendo DS™*, and MTV Games and Harmonix are giving away three of The Doors' songs for one week to any fan that purchases Rock Band 3 and plays online to celebrate the release of the game.

"I'm very excited that keyboards are finally a part of Rock Band. It's about time you guys got hip to the necessity of keys in rock," said Ray Manzarek, keyboardist for The Doors. "This is going to be great for all the gamers, because it's a lot more difficult.  Rock Band 3 will require some brainwork, so . . . 'Break On Through!'  The free downloads, 'Light My Fire,' 'Riders On the Storm' and 'Touch Me,' are all great keyboard songs. And look out for The Doors' lost masterpiece, Live in Vancouver, when it comes out Nov. 22!"

"At the outset of the Rock Band 3 project, we identified The Doors, and their powerful songs driven by intricately woven keyboard, guitar and drum parts, as ideal for our game," said Paul DeGooyer, Senior Vice President of Music, Electronic Games and Programming for MTV Networks. "As they are also one of the greatest rock bands of all time, we are tremendously proud that they will be the first artist featured in the Rock Band 3 download store, and that we're able to bring this special offer of their music to everyone who buys Rock Band 3 the week it releases."

On Oct. 26, twelve of The Doors' most-loved songs, including three tracks with the Pro Guitar and Pro Bass feature, will be added to the Rock Band 3 Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii. It was previously announced that The Doors' quintessential song, "Break On Through (To the Other Side)" is featured in the on-disc soundtrack of Rock Band 3 and is also the soundtrack for the game's opening cinematic clip.

A three-pack of songs that feature Pro Guitar and Pro Bass upgrade downloads will be available for free to fans that purchase Rock Band 3 and play online during the first week the game is available (Oct. 26 – Nov. 1). The free pack, which is available only through the Rock Band 3 in-game Music Store, includes "Light My Fire," "Riders on the Storm" and "Touch Me," which incorporate five-button guitar and bass, Drums, Pro Drums and Keys, Pro Keys and harmonies, where applicable, as well as a free expansion that will add Pro Guitar and Pro Bass parts.

Additionally, a nine-pack of songs from The Doors will also be available for download that week. This includes some of the classic rockers' most-loved songs, like "Hello, I Love You," "L.A. Woman," "Love Her Madly" and "Roadhouse Blues," all featuring Drums, Pro Drums, five-button guitar and bass parts and, where applicable, harmonies and Keys/Pro Keys parts. A complete list of the songs that will be available follows:

• "Light My Fire" (Free from Oct. 26 – Nov. 1 in game, features Pro Guitar and Pro Bass)
• "Riders on the Storm" (Free from Oct. 26 – Nov. 1 in game, features Pro Guitar and Pro Bass)
• "Touch Me" (Free from Oct. 26 – Nov. 1 in game, features Pro Guitar and Pro Bass)
• "Hello, I Love You"
• "L.A. Woman"
• "Love Her Madly"
• "Love Me Two Times"
• "Peace Frog"
• "People Are Strange"
• "Roadhouse Blues"
• "Soul Kitchen"
• "The Crystal Ship"

Beginning Nov. 2, The Doors' Rock Band downloads will be available for purchase only as individual songs or in a bundle of all 12 songs.

As noted above, on Nov. 22, The Doors – Live In Vancouver, a two-disc set of previously unreleased live recordings from June 6, 1970, at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, will be released by Rhino and Bright Midnight Archives. The set features a guest performance by Albert King on four songs and includes "When The Music's Over," "Five To One," an extended version of "Light My Fire" and much more from this historic performance.  Suggested pricing is $19.98 (CD) and $13.99 (digital).  More details are available at http://thedoors.shop.musictoday.com/Dept.aspx?cp=1127_40995.

To date, Rock Band fans have downloaded more than 75 million songs from the Rock Band Music Store, and the Rock Band Network Music Store. With more than 2,000* tracks available in the Rock Band platform, Harmonix and MTV Games stands next to none as the leading provider of downloadable content for rhythm video games. Rock Band pioneered offering content in a variety of ways, through on-disc game play, game export, downloadable content and the Rock Band Network. The Rock Band platform allows fans to interact with their favorite music in a unique and hands-on way, and also gives artists the ability to reach fans through a whole new channel.

Rock Band 3 will be compatible with all Rock Band™ and The Beatles™: Rock Band™ peripherals, as well as most Guitar Hero® and other authorized third-party music video game peripherals and microphones. Pro Mode requires Rock Band Pro-compatible instrument controllers.  Mad Catz is the official, licensed peripheral manufacturer and distributor for Rock Band 3 game controllers.  Rock Band Pro Guitar mode is compatible with the Rock Band 3 Fender™ Mustang™ PRO-Guitar™ Controller and the Rock Band 3 Squier® by Fender Stratocaster® Guitar Controller (manufactured and distributed by Fender). Find more information on how to pre-order Rock Band 3 today here.

For Rock Band 3 art and video assets, please visit http://www.rockband.com/press.

Follow Rock Band on Twitter (http://twitter.com/rockband) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/rockband).

*Available on-disc, via download and disc export. Internet connection and key purchase required. Wii has more than 1,500 song tracks available for purchase on the Rock Band platform on-disc, via song import, and download. Not applicable to Nintendo DS.

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.

About Electronic Arts

 Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA™, EA SPORTS™, EA Mobile™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

© 2010 Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Harmonix, Rock Band, Rock Band 2, Rock Band 3, Rock Band Network and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., a MTV Networks company. Rock Band, Rock Band 2, Rock Band 3 and Rock Band Network 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. EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile and POGO are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Microsoft, Xbox. Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. "PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks are trademarks of Nintendo. Guitar Hero is a registered trademark of Activision. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE MTV Games