Rock Band going on tour
MTV Games revs up the synergy machine for Harmonix's rhythm game with nationwide bus-based promotion, band battles, and <i>TRL</i> appearance.
When MTV bought Harmonix for $175 million last year, it was clear it would heavily promote the studio's first project with every arm of its media empire. When that project turned out to be Rock Band, a multi-instrument, karaoke-enhanced rhythm game, that became even more obvious. Then, when Viacom announced it planned to invest a half-billion dollars in its MTV Games unit, it appeared no expense would be spared on fine-tuning Rock Band's hype machine.
This week, in conjunction with the Summer Showcase of Rock Band's distributor, Electronic Arts, MTV Games announced the latest promotional offensive for the title. Like many actual rock bands before it, the game will embark on a cross-country bus tour. The orgy of synergy will begin at the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas September 9, when several buses equipped with Rock Band demo stations will fan out across the country. Stops will include several college campuses.
MTV will also use the Rock Band bus tour to indulge in another rock-and-roll tradition, the battle of the bands. Every "band" that plays the game on the main stage will have its performance recorded, with the resulting video being sent back to the casting directors responsible for MTV's battery of reality shows. Of those, two groups will be flown to MTV's New York City headquarters to practice with an actual famous rock band before appearing on the network's popular TRL program. The winner of the two will then "open" for an unnamed top musical act by playing the game on stage during the Rock Band launch event/concert. Those who attend bus tour dates following Rock Band's still-unspecified "holiday" launch will obviously not be eligible.
Details about Rock Band bus tour venues can be found on the game's official Web site. A full list of dates is below.
Las Vegas, NV
September 9-16, 2007
Milwaukee, WI
September 13-16, 2007
Sacramento, CA
September 20-23, 2007
Columbus, OH
September 20-23, 2007
Seattle, WA
September 27-30, 2007
Chicago, IL
September 27-30, 2007
Portland, OR
October 4-7, 2007
Pittsburgh, PA
October 4-7, 2007
Oakland, CA
October 11-14, 2007
Cleveland, OH
October 11-14, 2007
San Francisco, CA
October 17-21, 2007
Philadelphia, PA
October 18-21, 2007
San Diego, CA
October 25-28, 2007
Baltimore, MD
October 25-28, 2007
Los Angeles, CA
October 31-November 18, 2007
New York, NY
November 1-4, 2007
Boston, MA
November 8-11, 2007
New Jersey
November 15-18, 2007
Phoenix, AZ
November 27-30, 2007
Atlanta, GA
November 27-December 2, 2007
Austin, TX
December 6-9, 2007
New Orleans, LA
December 6-9, 2007
Dallas, TX
December 13-16, 2007
Orlando, FL
December 13-16, 2007
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