Harmonix and MTV have officially announced the next "band" music game, and it's going to be based on the punk/rock band Green Day. The game is set to be released next year which would be the band's 20th year in existence.
Set for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii, Green Day Rock Band will feature the likeness of the entire band and take players through the history and defining moments of their career. On the plus side, all tracks from the game are fully exportable and can be used in any of the Rock Band platform games. There's no official count yet on just how many songs that will be.
One odd thing about this announcement, especially related to the cooperative experience, is Green Day are a 3 piece band (Vocals/Guitar, Bass, Drums), while previous bands in games have mostly been 4 piece. This will most definitely be represented on stage, but how will the players feel while performing in four player co-op and only seeing three players on stage?
GREEN DAY, MTV GAMES, HARMONIX AND WARNER BROS. / REPRISE RECORDS ANNOUNCE GREEN DAY: ROCK BAND™
Artist Likenesses, Defining Albums from the Band’s Career and Exportable Track List to be Featured in Green Day Music Game Experience Green Day 3-Pack Joins Rock Band DLC Line-Up on Tuesday, December 15th LOS ANGELES / NEW YORK – Dec. 12, 2009 – 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™. “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 Tré 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™ system from Nintendo. In addition, the track list will be fully exportable, giving players the opportunity to play the songs in Rock Band™ and Rock Band 2™ 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 theRock 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.