June 11, 2009
The battle for exclusive band right between MTV and Harmonix’s Rock Band and Activision and Red Octane’s Guitar Hero has been one of the bloodiest scrapes of this generation. While Guitar Hero has had an arguable lead in landing big names for their own individual IP (with Aerosmith, Metallica, and now Van Halen seeing their own discs), Rock Band has struck back with one of the biggest games shown last week at E3 with Beatles Rock Band, and have now announced a follow up punch with their partnership with the punk-rock group Green Day. While no announcements on an individual disc devoted to the band have been released, exclusive downloadable content packs are on their way to the Rock Band store from the band over the next month.
The first announced pack is a three-song selection from their latest LP, “21st Century Breakdown,” including the tracks: 21 Guns, Know Your Enemy, and East Jesus Nowhere, available on July 7th. Further announcements, both on the downloadable and possible disc fronts, are set to be made down the road.
“Green Day not only rock hard, but are also epic storytellers,” said Van Toffler, President, MTV Networks, Music, LOGO and Film. “Their message and their music have been the voice and sound of this generation. The addition of Green Day is a huge victory for MTV and our audience, and marks another landmark in our efforts to bring the best artists to Rock Band.”
“We are excited to be working with MTV and Harmonix,” said Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong. “They are leaders and visionaries in the world of music and video games, and Rock Band is a really cool way for fans of all ages to experience our music.”