Harmonix and MTV Gameshave announced that Rock Band, the follow-up to Harmonix’ hit Guitar Hero series of games, has gone gold and is set for launch.
The game will ship for the holidays in a Special Edition Bundle package for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 systems, expected to retail for $169.95, while a PlayStation 2 package will follow in mid-December at $159.95. The PlayStation versions of the game will include wired drum and microphone controllers and a wireless Fender Stratocaster guitar controller, while the Xbox 360 version will include a wired Stratocaster controller rather than wireless, along with a USB hub to accommodate the devices. A standalone version of the software, which will support third-party controllers, will also be available, while individual Rock Band controllers are expected to be released at a later date in the new year.
“Rock Band is a true symbol of Harmonix’ vision, dedication and passion for music and after two years of development, we are thrilled that Rock Band is finally ready to get in the hands of rock fans everywhere,” said Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopolous. “We have a small army filling our warehouses with final product, ready for our November 20th ship date so players can fulfill their rock and roll aspirations. Now, our focus is putting together an amazing selection of downloadable music content for players so players can continue to further customize their Rock Band experience post launch.”
The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Rock Band will ship on November 20 in North America; the PlayStation 2 release is set for December 20, with a Europe launch scheduled for the first quarter of 2008. More information is available at www.rockband.com.
