PWNorDIE February 18, 2009 Industry 38 views Comments Print This Post  Email This Post

It seems like not a single day goes by that does not have new Rock Band news. The news is often just updates to the music library, in fact yesterday 7 Nirvana songs were added to the Wii Rock Store. Today brings a different kind of news, offbeat news like the announcement there will be summer instructional camps for Rock Band and Guitar Hero players.

This news is that MTV Games has formed a partnership with Harrah’s Entertainment of the casino fame. In this partnership the two sides will be holding a contest in 17 of the Harrah’s casinos to find the best Rock Band gamers. The contest begins next month and plays somewhat like a tournament in that there are multiple levels to be crowned champion. The first stage is to win the local contest, the second will be to win one of the 4 regional contests, and the third stage is the final four to be held in Atlantic City in May. The winner of the finals will win $10,000 and will open up for the B-52’s at the House of Blues.

A few things worth pointing out:

• You must be 21 or over and pre-register for each of the local casinos. It is first come first serve. Oh and make sure you have a full band of 21 year olds with their ID’s and your Total Rewards cards if you get to compete.
• There is a list of 30 approved songs to choose from and the winners will be picked using the in-game scoring system. Don’t worry, Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” is included.
• There will be prizes along the way that include Xbox 360 systems, Rock Band bundles, Rock Band apparel, and other Total Rewards items. There will also be Rock Band Nights at each of the venues, each complete with a stage for “fans” to enjoy the performances. The total amount of prizes available exceeds $50,000.
• There is a chance I will be at one or two of these events, but may miss the show due to a hot streak in black jack or if there is a new “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” themed slot machine that sucks out my money.
• There will be celebrity judges at the 4 regional competitions held in Las Vegas, New Orleans, Atlantic City, and Chicago Area (aka Joliet) on May 7th.
• This contest may in fact not find the best Rock Band players because many of them are 12 years old or less. This will however make some Rock Band like the Ninja Tortugas big winners. No word on whether there is betting allowed on the contests or not.

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Harrah’s Entertainment and MTV Games Announce
The Total Rock, Total Rewards Rock Band® Competition

February 17, 2009 – World class gaming and music entertainment giants Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), have joined forces to find the best Rock Band® gamers in America with the first-ever Total Rock, Total Rewards Rock Band Competition. The competition kicks off in March when Harrah’s Entertainment properties become the first in the world to have official and permanent, fully-equipped Rock Band entertainment stages.

Throughout March and April, seventeen Total Rewards casinos* will host local, weekly Rock Band Competitions, allowing fans of the popular game to win an Xbox 360 and Rock Band bundle as well as other Total Rewards items and Rock Band apparel and accessories. Four regional competitions will then offer customers the chance to win more than $50,000 in prizes.

The ultimate winning band will be given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to open for the legendary B-52’s at the House of Blues in Atlantic City on May 9th and will win $10,000 in prize money, making this the richest Rock Band competition in history. In addition, visitors at participating Total Rewards casinos across the country will be able to pick up their choice of guitar, bass, drums or vocals and rock out throughout the year during special Rock Band Nights.

“We’re thrilled to be working with such an energetic and iconic company like MTV Games to further help bring Rock Band to the masses through our Total Rewards venues,” said David Norton, chief marketing officer for Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. “We look forward to giving thousands of Rock Band fans a new reason to jam and take part in an event unlike anything they’ve ever experienced before.”

“Harrah’s is known for extraordinary entertainment and we are pumped to see the first of our fully equipped Rock Band stages hit Total Rewards casinos across the country,” said Christina Glorioso, vice president of sales and marketing partnerships for MTV Games. “The full scope of the Rock Band and Harrah’s program represents a great relationship between our two brands and will create significant value for our shared consumers.”

The local Total Rock, Total Rewards Rock Band Competition will be open at participating properties to pre-registered amateur acts, 21 years and older, on a first come first serve basis. The events will be hosted and promoted by local radio stations. The Rock Band game scoring system will be used to score the participating rock bands on skill and performance, and MTV Games will provide the pre-determined song list for all the competitions.

The winning band from each location will then have a chance to go head-to-head at celebrity-judged competitions in Las Vegas (April 16), Chicago Area (April 24), New Orleans (April 30), and Atlantic City (May 7).

The four winning bands, one from each regional competition, will then have a chance to compete for the championship title in Atlantic City on May 8th. The regional events and Atlantic City events will be produced by MTV Networks Special Events, and hosted and judged by MTV, Harrah’s, and local celebrities. Each band will compete on multiple Rock Band songs.

For more information and official rules on the competition, please visit http://www.harrahs.com/rockband.

The seventeen participating Total Rewards casinos* include:

Eastern Region
Bally’s Atlantic City
Harrah’s Atlantic City
Showboat Atlantic City
Harrah’s Chester (Philadelphia)

Southern Region
Harrah’s New Orleans
Horseshoe Bossier City (Shreveport)
Harrah’s Tunica (Memphis)
Harrah’s Metropolis (Nashville)
Horseshoe Southern Indiana (Louisville)

Central Region
Harrah’s Joliet (Chicago)
Harrah’s St. Louis
Harrah’s North Kansas City
Horseshoe Hammond (Chicago)
Harrah’s Council Bluffs (Omaha)
Caesars Windsor (Windsor, Ontario,
Canada/Detroit, MI)

Western Region
Harrah’s Rincon (San Diego)
Harrah’s Las Vegas

(* Subject to regulatory approval)