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Players Embark on a Quest to Destroy Dracula in Konami’s New 2D Side-Scroller

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced that Castlevania ReBirth is now available for download on Nintendo WiiWare. A regenerated version of the original 2D side-scrolling Castlevania: Adventure, Castlevania ReBirth brings back the classic adventure from Transylvania to the Nintendo Wii, providing players with the first ever downloadable Castlevania title.

In Castlevania ReBirth, Dracula is back from the dead with his legion of vampires causing disorder in the realms of Transylvania. Players assume the role of Christopher Belmont, the latest vampire slaying hero from the Belmont Clan that is tasked to restore order to the universe before Dracula and his foes take over. Equipped with the legendary whip, players must locate upgradable weapons and holy water to fend off vampires and reach Dracula’s layer in order to dethrone him once and for all.

Created by Koji Igarashi, Castlevania ReBirth is rated E10+ by the ESRB and is now available for purchase for 1000 Wii Points on Nintendo WiiWare™. For assets and more information please visit www.konami.com/downloads.

Download “bittos e” for Windows-based PCs at bittos.com starting today.

MACHINE and Unconditional Studios announced today that bittos e, its innovative arcade-style puzzle game released this morning for Windows-based PCs and is available now exclusively on www.bittos.com through www.machinearcade.com for $14.99. bittos+ will also hit the Wii Shop Channel in January 2010.

“Forget about waiting in holiday lines or paying shipping fees because you can now grab bittos e online and just in time for gift-giving,” said Fox for Unconditional Studios. “Our team has worked hard to deliver a squaretastic puzzle experience that the whole family can enjoy during the Holidays. We’ve loaded the game with in-game Awards, high score boards and four stages of 10 levels in 82 rounds, making bittos e a must-have game for this holiday season.”

Developed by Unconditional Studios and rated “E” for Everyone by the ESRB, bittos e offers players a chance to take control of a variety of shapes while guiding, rotating and placing them in just the right arrangement to construct vibrant, shiny squares. Yes, squares! In fact, making squares and making squares within squares is what creating bittos is all about. The further the player progresses through the levels, the more challenging the game can become and the more unique the experience.

To learn more about the bittos franchise, please visit www.bittos.com.

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced 25 tracks from artists including Soundgarden, Motley Crue, Rush and from artists performing at this year’s Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival coming this week to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content for the Wii™ system.

Bonnaroo is a four-day annual festival in Tennessee. Named the “Best Festival” by Rolling Stone in 2008, Bonnaroo is well known for its extensive and diverse musical line-up. Now, music lovers and gamers can experience part of that line-up with Rock Band. Master recordings from Ben Harper and Relentless7, Phish, Coheed and Cambria, Shooter Jennings and TV on the Radio will be made available June 16, in the Rock Band Music Store on Wii.

Rock Band is taking care of country fans on Wii this week as well, with tracks from Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Dierks Bentley, The Dixie Chicks and Miranda Lambert available June 16 in the Rock Band Music Store on Wii.

These tracks come from the back catalog of Rock Band music already released to owners of Xbox 360 and PS3 system. Wii fans can expect a rollout of previously released downloadable Rock Band content until the entire back catalog of more than 700 songs is available. With the addition of these tracks, there are now more than 300 tracks in the Rock Band Music Store on Wii.

Release Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2009

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Tracks:

Avenged Sevenfold “Critical Acclaim”

Ben Harper and Relentless7 “Shimmer & Shine”

Brad Paisley “Mud on the Tires”

Brooks & Dunn “Hillbillie Deluxe”

Coheed and Cambria “A Favor House Atlantic”

Coheed and Cambria “The Running Free”

Crooked X “Rock & Roll Dream” +

Dierks Bentley “Free & Easy (Down the Road I Go)”

Dixie Chicks “Sin Wagon”

The Material “Moving to Seattle” +

Maximo Park “Girls Who Play Guitars”

Miranda Lambert “Gunpowder & Lead”

Motley Crue “Down at the Whisky”

The Myriad “A Clean Shot” +

Phish “Wilson (live)”

Rush “Closer to the Heart”

Shinedown “Devour”

Shinedown “Junkies for Fame”

Shooter Jennings “Steady at the Wheel”

Soundgarden “Jesus Christ Pose”

Soundgarden “Pretty Noose”

TV on the Radio “Wolf Like Me”
Them Terribles “Bullets & Guns” +

Trapt “Who’s Going Home With You Tonight?”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

Price: $2.00 (200 Wii Points) per track

+ $1.00 (100 Wii points) per track

Location: In-Game Rock Band 2 Music Store (Wii Points must be purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel)

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation®2 systems and the Wii system. The Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points purchased through the Wii Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

To view a complete list of the more than 700 tracks available in the Rock Band music back catalog, please visit www.rockband.com/music.

Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 40 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. The ESRB does not rate online downloads.

For more information on Rock Band2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that three tracks from industrial metal pioneers Ministry will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content next week for the Xbox 360, PS3and the Wii. Also coming in next week’s lineup is music from The Cranberries and The Zombies.

Ministry played together from 1981 until 2008 and, during this time, laid the foundation for American industrial metal. The “Ministry Pack 01″ will feature “Cuz U R Next,” from The Wicked Soundtrack by Al Jourgensen, the Ministry frontman-scored soundtrack to the 2008 film, Wicked Lake, as well as “The Great Satan” and the Grammy-nominated “LiesLiesLies,” both from the band’s 2006 album Rio Grande Blood. This three pack marks Ministry’s first appearance in the Rock Band catalog.

Also making Rock Band soundtrack debuts next week are 60s English rock band, The Zombies, and Irish alternative rock band, The Cranberries. “She’s Not There” and “Tell Her No,” both from The Zombies self-titled 1966 album, will be made available, as will “Linger,” from The Cranberries 1993 album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? The song was named by VH1 as one of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.

Tracks:
Ministry “Cuz U R Next”
Ministry “LiesLiesLies”
Ministry “The Great Satan”
The Zombies “She’s Not There”
The Zombies “Tell Her No”
The Cranberries “Linger”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

The Ministry tracks will be available for purchase as part of the “Ministry Pack 01″ or as individual tracks for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system. These tracks will be available for purchase as individual tracks only for Wii.

Release Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 (Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and in-game Rock Band 2 Music Store for Wii)
Thursday, May 28, 2009 (PlayStation®Store)

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Price: $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) for Xbox 360 per track
$2.00 (200 Wii Points for Wii) per track
$5.49 (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Ministry Pack 01″

Locations: Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360
PlayStation®Network
In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store for Wii

Music Videos:
Click on the track below to view the song’s corresponding music video. Videos can be embedded on your site.
Ministry “LiesLiesLies”
The Cranberries “Linger”

Website Links:
For more information, please visit:
Rock Band Website
Ministry Official Website
The Zombies Official Website
The Cranberries Official Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, PlayStation 2 system and Wii.

There are now more than 680 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 40 million paid downloads since its launch on November 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Nintendo DSiWare takes its first trip into the sports category this week with the cool, camera-enabled Real Soccer 2009. For more of a board-game feel, dive into Family Pirate Party on WiiWare and see who can collect the most gold. Finally, the out-of-this-world arcade shooter Galaxy Force II hits the Virtual Console.

Nintendo DSiWare

Real Soccer 2009 (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Nintendo DSi Points): It’s time to live the soccer season to the max with Real Soccer 2009 on Nintendo DSi. It will offer you a never-before-seen soccer experience with revolutionary yet easily accessible touch-screen controls. Take a photo of anything with the Nintendo DSi Camera and turn the image into your own custom ball or team flag, or even make yourself into your favorite player. With 198 teams using real player names, realistic opponent behaviors thanks to advanced artificial intelligence, and superior 3-D graphics, you’ll feel just like a professional soccer player. Go ahead, take your best shot!

WiiWare

Family Pirate Party (Aksys Games, 1-4 players, Rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Older – Mild Cartoon Violence and Suggestive Themes, 500 Wii Points): Daddy, Mommy, Sarah and Billy make their return as pirates sailing the seas and skies. Roll the dice and sail through the islands to gather the treasures each island holds. The person with the most gold at the end wins. Family Pirate Party shines with its appealing cel-shaded graphics and endearing music. Challenge up to three other players (friends, the CPU or both) for some four-player board-game fun. Do you have it in you to defeat your opponents and become the king of Family Pirate Party!?

Virtual Console

Galaxy Force II (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points):Galaxy Force II is an arcade shooter with a 3-D view from behind your spaceship. Fly through five different planets, taking on enemies in environments that range from a peaceful garden to lands made of fire or ice. Navigate treacherous landscapes by flying low over the planet’s surface and blowing up enemy robots, ships and turrets, then flying through a tunnel to destroy the alien stronghold on each planet. It is your duty as part of the Galaxy Force to defend against the alien invasion and maintain peace in the solar system.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com.

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today that Chinese Democracy, the sixth and most recent album from Guns N’ Roses, will be released in its entirety to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content on April 14, 2009.

The highly anticipated November 2008 release of Chinese Democracy was Guns N’ Roses’ first official music release in 15 years. It debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart, at #2 on the UK Albums chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on February 3, 2009. Chinese Democracy has already sold nearly three million copies.

Formed in the early 80s in Los Angeles, Guns N’ Roses has sold an estimated 100 million albums worldwide. The band’s 1987 major label debut Appetite for Destruction, featuring the hits “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Paradise City” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” has sold in excess of 28 million copies and remains to this day the fastest-selling debut album in history.

Next week’s Rock Band Music Store lineup will feature 13 songs from Chinese Democracy. With “Shackler’s Revenge” from Chinese Democracy already featured on the Rock Band 2 soundtrack, the DLC album includes the following tracks:
Chinese Democracy
Better
Street of Dreams
If the World
There Was a Time
Catcher in the Rye
Scraped
Riad N’ the Bedouins
Sorry
I.R.S.
Madagascar
This I Love
Prostitute

(All tracks are original master recordings)

The tracks will be available for purchase as an album or individual tracks for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system. The tracks will be available for purchase as individual tracks only for Wii.
Release Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 (Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and in-game Rock Band 2 Music Store for Wii[1])

Thursday, April 16, 2009 (PlayStation®Store)

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **
Price: $1.99 or 160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360 per track
$2.00 or 200 Wii Points for Wii per track
$19.99 (1600 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for album[2]

Locations: Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360
PlayStation®Network
In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store for Wii[3]

Website Links:
Rock Band Website
Guns N’ Roses Official Website

Rock Band 2 is available for the Xbox 360, PS3, PS2 and Wii.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points purchased through the Wii Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the hard drive of the Wii or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

There are now more than 630 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 40 million paid downloads since its launch on November 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

[1] Release date for downloadable content in the Wii Rock Band Music Store is subject to change.

[2] The Chinese Democracy tracks can be purchased as individual tracks or as a full album pack for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system only.

[3] Wii Points must be purchased through the Wii Shop Channel

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today 11 new tracks coming this week to the Rock Band Music Store catalogue of downloadable content for Wii home videogame console from Nintendo, including Journey’s definitive power ballad “Don’t Stop Believing.” This week’s music lineup also includes tracks from American hard rock band Foo Fighters, British alternative band Oasis and three family-friendly tracks from the favorite pineapple dweller, Spongebob Squarepants.
Described by Allmusic as “one of the best opening keyboard riffs in rock,” Journey’s smash 1981 hit “Don’t Stop Believing” will be released for download in the Wii Rock BandMusic Store this week. “Don’t Stop Believing” is one of the most referenced rock songs in popular culture, receiving prominent placement in the 2007 series finale of The Sopranos.

Pat Benatar’s classic single “Heartbreaker” from the In the Heat of the Night album (1979) will also be available for download along with The Von Bondies signature hit “C’Mon C’Mon” from their debut album Pawn Shoppe Heart (2004). In addition, the content update will also include the 2008 single “Geraldine” from Scottish alternative band Glasvegas.

Wii fans will also be able to purchase and download three tracks from Nickelodeon sensation SpongeBob SquarePants including “I Can’t Keep My Eyes Off of You,” “The Best Day Ever” and “Where’s Gary?” from the 2006 album SpongeBob SquarePants: The Best Day Ever.

As previously announced, the above tracks from Journey, Pat Benatar, The Von Bondies, Glasvegas and SpongeBob SquarePants were released last week to owners of Xbox 360 and PS3.

This week’s Wii Rock Band Music Store update also features four back catalogue tracks from the Rock Band music library including three tracks from the Foo Fighters. “DOA” is from the band’s fifth album In Your Honor (2005), “This is a Call” is the first track of Foo Fighters’ self-titled debut album (1995), and “Times Like These” is the second single issued from the band’s Grammy award-winning fourth album One by One (2002). In addition, Rock Band will also deliver more from Oasis with “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” featured on the band’s seminal debut album Definitely Maybe (1994).

Release Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Tracks: Journey “Don’t Stop Believing”
Pat Benatar “Heartbreaker”
The Von Bondies “C’mon C’mon”
Glasvegas “Geraldine”
Foo Fighters “DOA”
Foo Fighters “This is a Call”
Foo Fighters “Times Like These”
Oasis “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”
Spongebob Squarepants “The Best Day Ever Song”
Spongebob Squarepants “Where’s Gary?”
Spongebob Squarepants “I Can’t Keep My Eyes Off of You”

(All tracks are original master recordings)
Price: $2.00 (200 Wii Points) per track

Location: In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store (Wii Points must be purchased through the Wii Shop Channel)

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Rock Band 2 is available now for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and PS2 systems and the Wii system. The Xbox 360, PS3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points purchased through the Wii Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the hard drive of the Wii or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

To view a complete list of the more than 620 tracks available in the Rock Band music back catalog please visit www.rockband.com/music. With the addition of these tracks there are now 110 tracks in the Wii Rock Band Music Store.

Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 40 million paid downloads since its launch on November 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. For more information on Rock Band2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today the addition of 11 tracks to the Rock Band Music Store catalogue of downloadable content for WiiTM home videogame console from Nintendo, including three live recordings from iconic classic rock band The Who. The lineup also features music from funk artists Average White Band, Earth, Wind & Fire and the legendary Godfather of Soul James Brown, in addition to songs from rock bands Against Me!, The New Pornographers and Papa Roach.
This content update to the Rock Band Wii Music Store delivers the famous live recordings of “My Generation,” “Summertime Blues” and “Young Man Blues” from The Who’s 1970 album Live at Leeds. The tracks come from the back catalogue of Rock Band music already released to owners of Xbox 360 and PS3. Wii fans can expect a rollout of previously released downloadable Rock Band content until the entire back catalogue of more than 590 songs is available.

The Rock Band Music Store for Wii will also add some funk this week including James Brown’s “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine – Pt 1.” first released in 1970 as part one of a two-part single, “Shining Star” featured on Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1975 album That’s the Way of the World and Average White Band’s title track “Pick Up the Pieces” from their 1974 album.

More punk comes to the Wii with “Thrash Unreal” from Against Me! featured on the band’s 2007 album New Wave. Indie rockers The New Pornographers also come to the Wii Rock Band Music Store with “All the Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth” from the band’s 2007 album Challengers and “Use It” featured on Twin Cinema (2005). Alternative rockers Papa Roach round out this week’s lineup for Wii adding two tracks “Last Resort” from Infest (2000) and new single “Lifeline,” which is featured on their upcoming album Metamorphosis (March 24, 2009).

As previously announced, the aforementioned tracks from James Brown, Earth, Wind & Fire, Average White Band, Against Me!, The New Pornographers and Papa Roach will also be available to Rock Band owners of Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system this week.

Release Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2009

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Tracks: Average White Band “Pick Up the Pieces”
Earth Wind & Fire “Shining Star”
James Brown “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine – Pt 1″
Against Me! “Thrash Unreal”
The New Pornographers “All the Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth”
The New Pornographers “Use It”
Papa Roach “Last Resort”
Papa Roach “Lifeline”
The Who “My Generation (LIVE)”
The Who “Summertime Blues (LIVE)”
The Who “Young Man Blues (LIVE)”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

Price: $2.00 (200 Wii Points) per track

Location: In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store (Wii Points must be purchased through the Wii Shop Channel)

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today the addition of six new tracks to the Rock Band® Music Store catalog of downloadable content for Wii. The line up includes “March of the Pigs” and “The Collector” from industrial rockers Nine Inch Nails, “I Fought the Law” from English punk rock band the Clash and “Rockaway Beach” from the infamous punk rock band Ramones. The offering also features two exclusive 2008 Rock Band re-recordings of “Margaritaville” and “Volcano” from singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett.

All six tracks are part of the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content already released to owners of Xbox 360 and PS3. Wii fans can expect a rollout of the previously released downloadable content every week until the entire back catalogue of more than 500 songs is available. In addition, the regularly scheduled future DLC releases for Xbox 360 and PS3 system will also be available for Rock Band 2 Wii owners starting in February. You hear that Nintendo? Where’s the WiiHDD?

Release Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Tracks:
Nine Inch Nails “March of the Pigs”
Nine Inch Nails “The Collector”
Ramones “Rockaway Beach”
Clash “I Fought the Law”
Jimmy Buffett “Margaritaville”
Jimmy Buffett “Volcano”
(All tracks are original master recordings)
Price: $2.00 (200 Wii Points) per track

Location: In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store (Wii Points must be purchased through the Wii^TM Shop Channel)
** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Rock Band 2 is available now for Xbox 360, PS3 and PS2 systems and the Wii. The Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii versions support downloadable content