NEWS:
This is probably the biggest and best move seen in the music industry. The video game obviously cannot be ignored and with the Rock Band Network this is going to be the Xbox Live for the music industry. The ability for record labels to use videogames now as an all out promotional tool is simply genius and that combination is very familiar hence the (HipHopGamer) Brand Name. The music game genre has come along way and with this announcement from MTV games this genre has become unlimited and full of success. The next move should allow for independent artist to join the fun and get discovered with this project and from there both industries will see a full fusion.
The music industry has been in a slump seriously but the gaming industry continues to rise. Rock Band Network will easily save the day because the adoption of these record labels utilizing gaming as a launch pad for their music artists, will put them in the light of a new audience. New audience New Money New Fans New Success Rock Band is incredible
MTV Games and Harmonix Empower Artists and Labels to Get Their Music in
the Game with the Rock Band Network
The Rock Band Network Gives Artists and Record Labels Tools to Author,
Promote and Sell Music for Download via the Rock Band Platform
CAMBRIDGE, MA and NEW YORK, NY July 17, 2009 Harmonix Music
Systems and MTV Games, a part of Viacoms MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA,
VIA.B), today announced the Rock Band Network, a ground-breaking initiative
that gives musicians and record labels the ability to author their own
original recordings into gameplay files and sell their music as playable
Rock Band tracks through the newly-created Rock Band Network Music Store.
The introduction of the Rock Band Network marks a fundamental shift in the
exposure music games can give emerging and established artists through
innovative technologies that will open new revenue streams and promotional
avenues.
“Our goal with Rock Band has always been to go beyond making music games
and create a true music platform,” said Alex Rigopulos, CEO and co-founder
of Harmonix. “With the Rock Band Network, we’ve evolved the platform to its
next logical step, giving players access to an incredible amount of new
music by putting the professional tools we use in the hands of the artists
themselves.”
“The Rock Band Network enables songwriters and musicians at any stage
of their careers to create their own paths through the interactive
music realm,” said Paul DeGooyer, Senior Vice President, Electronic Games
and Music, MTV Networks Music Group. “Our download store has been an
extraordinary success, and its exciting for us to provide access to our
platform through this uniquely elegant solution.”
The Rock Band Network will launch as an open beta in late August 2009 in
the U.S. and provide a sophisticated toolset, with detailed documentation
on how bands can begin the process of authoring songs into Rock Band
gameplay files. Authors will be able to submit tracks for playtesting and
peer review via a specialized Web site, [http://creators.rockband.com/]
Creators.RockBand.com. Potential publishers will need a membership to
Microsofts XNA Creators Club Online in order to test and publish game
content. The service will only be available to those who purchase a premium
membership to Microsofts XNA Creators Club Online, which can be
purchased for four months at $49.99 or for a year at $99.99.
The proven strength and stability of Microsofts game development
tools, technologies and services allowed Harmonix to focus on making an
easy-to-use experience for authors without needing to reinvent the
wheel, said Dave Mitchell, product unit manager, XNA publishing
platform. Rock Band Network is a model example of integration with XNA
Creators Club Online.
Once tracks are approved, they will be transferred to the Rock Band
Network Store, an in-game music marketplace where millions of Rock Band
fans will be able to demo samples of the songs for free before they
purchase. Songs will debut exclusively on Xbox 360 for 30 days. Artists
featured in the store will be able to choose from multiple pricing tiers
for individual tracks and will be compensated via a simple payment system
that provides automated accounting and regular royalty payments.
Tracks for the Rock Band Network will be made available later in the fall
on the Xbox 360^® video game entertainment system from Microsoft. Stand
out tracks will follow on the PLAYSTATION^®3 computer entertainment system
and Wii^ console. Joining the more than 750 tracks available to date,
the Rock Band Network Store will greatly increase the amount of music
available through the Rock Band music platform and further confirm MTV
Games and Harmonixs position as the leading provider of downloadable
content for music-based video games.
