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GUITAR HERO WINS BIG AT ANNUAL DICE AWARDS
RedOctane Honored By Software Entertainment Industry
- February 14, 2006 - Sunnyvale, CA

Guitar Hero™, the hit rock ‘n roll guitar video game for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, was honored by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) at the 9th annual D.I.C.E. Summit's Interactive Achievement Awards at last week’s ceremony in Las Vegas. The RedOctane published sensation was nominated in seven categories and received a total of five awards including the Family Game of the Year award.

The Interactive Achievement Awards is a peer-based award that recognizes the outstanding products, talented individuals and development teams that have contributed to the advancement of the multi-billion dollar worldwide entertainment software industry.

“Guitar Hero was made possible through the hard work of two dedicated teams who believed in this title - Harmonix and RedOctane,” said Kai Huang, President of RedOctane. “We are thrilled to be recognized by our peers in the video game industry and we would like to thank all of those who were involved in making Guitar Hero a great success.”

Guitar Hero won five D.I.C.E. Awards including:
  • Outstanding Innovation in Gaming
  • Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack
  • Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering
  • Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
  • Family Game of the Year

    • Guitar Hero has picked up a stack of awards since its announcement. Game Rankings.com – a site that collates all press comment and reaction – lists Guitar Hero’s average review score as 93 per cent, including 10/10 from 1up.com, 9/10 from Gamespot and 4.5/5 from Official PlayStation 2 Magazine US.

    For more information on Guitar Hero please visit www.guitarherogame.com.

    About Guitar Hero
    Guitar Hero combines the best of rhythm game action with classic American music in the unique style of veteran music video game creator Harmonix. Without leaving your home experience the thrill and excitement of being a rock star – choose to be one of six rock characters and perform at concert venues that grow in size as your music career progress. Gamers can earn money to purchase unlockable characters, songs, guitar skins and music videos.

    About RedOctane
    Based in Sunnyvale, California, RedOctane® is an innovative new video game publisher, specializing in music and rhythm games. RedOctane is also the leading provider of unique, high-quality video game peripherals and accessories. For more information on RedOctane please visit www.RedOctane.com.





    Guitar Hero Release Concert: 12/10, Harper’s Ferry “Simply put, Guitar Hero is awesome.” – Gaming Age - November 22, 2005

    Fast becoming known as the rock stars of the video game industry, the folks at Harmonix Music Systems of Cambridge, MA are celebrating the launch of their latest title with the Guitar Hero show at Harper’s Ferry on Saturday, December 10th.

    The show will feature sets by seven local bands from the Guitar Hero soundtrack: Graveyard BBQ, the Acro-brats, Freezepop, Count Zero, Honest Bob and the Factory to Dealer Incentives, Artillery, and Din. Guitar Hero merchandise will be available for purchase, and a booth will be set up for concert-goers to try out the game for themselves.

    Already garnering tremendous critical and popular acclaim (“Guitar Hero might just be the best rhythm game ever made.” – GameSpot), Guitar Hero officially brings the magic of rock and roll to the video game console. The latest in the line of Harmonix beat-matching games, Guitar Hero comes with a custom guitar-shaped controller complete with buttons on the neck and a “strum bar” near the bridge so that players simulate the guitar god experience by fretting and strumming notes. Guitar Hero, published by RedOctane, includes 30 tracks of licensed music, featuring classic rock hits like “Thunderkiss ’65,” “Smoke on the Water,” “Symphony of Destruction,” and “No One Knows” (as made famous by White Zombie, Deep Purple, Megadeth, and Queens of the Stone Age, respectively.)

    In addition, Harmonix leveraged its roots in the Boston music scene to include a host of local music as “unlockable” material, including songs by all the bands performing at the show, as well as The Upper Crust, The Bags, Shaimus, and others. Guitar Hero recently won the 2005 Spike Award for Best Soundtrack.

    The Guitar Hero show is 21+ at Harper’s Ferry on Saturday, December 10th. Doors open at 8:00 PM, first band at 8:30. Tickets are available for $7 and can be purchased in advance via www.harpersferryboston.com or can be charged by phone at 1-800-594-TIXX. Harper’s Ferry is located at 156 Brighton Ave. in Allston.

    About Harmonix
    Guitar Hero is the latest in a series of groundbreaking titles from the team that brought you Frequency (2001), Amplitude (2003), the Karaoke Revolution series (2003-present), and EyeToy: Anti-Grav (2004), each game a critical hit and cult classic. Comprised of some of the Boston area’s most prominent artists and musicians, Harmonix combines a shared passion for music with cutting-edge technological innovation to create a series of games that are at once inclusive, family-friendly, and imbued with the spirit of rock. Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. is located at 675 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, MA. (www.harmonixmusic.com)

    About RedOctane: RedOctane, Inc. is a publisher, developer, and distributor of interactive entertainment software, hardware and accessories. RedOctane is also a leader in subscription based online game rentals, becoming the world's first online game rental service when it opened in 1999. RedOctane also designs, manufactures, and markets high quality video game peripherals and accessories and has won awards for the Ignition Dance Pad and the Guitar Hero SG Controller. (www.redoctane.com.)



    Guitar Hero Goes Gold and Announces World Tour! RedOctane’s rock ‘n roll video game prepares to take center stage November 8th
    - October 13, 2005 - Sunnyvale, CA

    RedOctane®’s highly anticipated rock ‘n roll guitar video game, Guitar Hero™, has achieved gold master status and is currently preparing to take center stage this holiday season. The game will be available as a game/peripheral bundle on November 8th for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system.

    Guitar Hero combines the best of rhythm game action with classic American music in the unique style of veteran music video game creator Harmonix®. Without leaving your home experience the thrill and excitement of being a rock star – choose to be one of six rock characters and perform at concert venues that grow in size as your music career progress. Gamers can earn money to purchase unlockable characters, songs, guitar skins and behind the scenes videos.

    The set list includes over 30 licensed rock songs including tracks made famous by such legendary artists as Boston, Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Bowie, Sum 41, Ozzy Osbourne, Audioslave, White Zombie, Franz Ferdinand and The Ramones.

    RedOctane has an exclusive deal with musical giant Gibson Guitar where a selection of Gibson electric guitars is featured in-game.

    Well-known as a leading creator of video game peripherals, RedOctane specifically designed the officially licensed Guitar Hero SG Controller for use with Guitar Hero. This sleek, guitar-shaped controller is held just like a real guitar and features five responsive fret buttons, a durable strum bar, a working whammy bar, and stylized START and SELECT buttons that resemble a guitar’s actual volume knobs.

    The game has met rave reviews in the gaming community, winning “Best of Show 2005” at the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) and was invited to be unveiled to the general public for the first time at the annual “G-Phoria®” 2005 – G4 videogame TV’s ‘The Mother of All Videogame Award Shows’ in Los Angeles.

    Guitar Hero is rated T for Teen and the game bundle will retail for $69.99. The bundle includes the Guitar Hero game, the Guitar Hero SG Controller, adjustable guitar strap and sticker sheet. The game bundle can now be pre-ordered through ebgames.com and gamestop.com.

    For more on Guitar Hero, please visit www.guitarherogame.com.

    About RedOctane
    Based in Sunnyvale, California, RedOctane® is an innovative new video game publisher, specializing in music and rhythm games. RedOctane is also the leading provider of unique, high-quality video game peripherals and accessories. For more information on RedOctane please visit www.RedOctane.com.

    About Harmonix Music Systems, Inc
    Veteran music video game creator Harmonix® is developing Guitar Hero. Based in Cambridge, MA, Harmonix® previously developed Frequency, Amplitude, Karaoke Revolution and EyeToy: AntiGrav. www.harmonixmusic.com

    Karaoke Revolution™ is a registered trademark KONAMI CORPORATION. ©2004 KONAMI. Developed by Harmonix Music System. Harmonix is a registered trademark of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. Frequency and Amplitude are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

    RedOctane® is a registered trademark of RedOctane, Inc. “Guitar Hero” is trademark of RedOctane ,Inc. Developed by Harmonix Music Systems. ©2005 RedOctane, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Sony Computer Entertainment America takes no responsibility for this offer.






    Gibson Media Contact:
    Gibson Guitar Corporation
    Caroline Galloway
    440-338-3469/440-725-9265
    Caroline.galloway@gibson.com

    RedOctane Signs Deal With Gibson Guitar For New Video Game Launch
    Guitar Hero Video Game to Feature Gibson Guitar Models

    Sunnyvale, Calif., August 30, 2005 – RedOctane®, a leading creator of music video games and peripherals, has announced an exclusive deal with musical giant Gibson Guitar where several famous Gibson models will be featured in the new game Guitar Hero™, the highly anticipated rock ‘n roll guitar video game coming in the fall of 2005 to the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system.

    “Gibson guitars are an essential American rock element revered by musical artists worldwide for their incredible style and amazing sound.” said Kai Huang, CEO of RedOctane. “This is the first time a guitar manufacturer has been exclusively featured in a video game, and we’re excited to be working with such an iconic company.”

    “Gibson Guitar is the perfect partner for this high energy game from RedOctane,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO Gibson Guitar. “Gibson is every Guitar Hero’s instrument of choice and now they can have it in a rock-n-roll simulation game too.”

    Guitar Hero, developed by veteran music video game creator Harmonix®, combines the best of rhythm game action with classic American music. The game puts you at center stage of your very own rock band, featuring unique characters, a selection of Gibson electric guitars to play and concert venues that grow in size as your music career progress. The title includes over 30 licensed rock songs including tracks originally made famous by such artists as Ozzy Osbourne, David Bowie, Boston, Sum 41, Audioslave, White Zombie, Franz Ferdinand, and The Ramones.

    “Seeing Gibson guitars in the game adds a sense of realism to Guitar Hero, that we feel will really appeal to rock fans.” said John Tam, game producer of Guitar Hero. “The game is going to feature a number of legendary Gibson guitars, and players will be able to choose from a number of different paint schemes for each.”

    The game has been met with rave reviews in the gaming community, winning “Best of Show 2005” at the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) and was one of twenty-five games invited to demonstrate at “G-Phoria” – G4 videogame TV’s annual award show in Los Angeles.

    For more information on Guitar Hero and game bundle pre-order information, please visit www.guitarherogame.com

    About RedOctane
    Based in Sunnyvale, California, RedOctane® is an innovative new video game publisher, specializing in music and rhythm games. RedOctane is also the leading provider of unique, high-quality video game peripherals and accessories. For more information on RedOctane please visit www.RedOctane.com.

    About Gibson Guitars
    Gibson is known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins and banjos. Gibson’s digital guitar represents the biggest advancement in electric guitar design in over 70 years. Gibson Guitar Corp’s family of brands now includes Epiphone, Dobro, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Slingerland, Valley Arts, Maestro, Baldwin, Hamilton and Wurlitzer. For more information on Gibson go to www.gibson.com/press.

    Harmonix is a registered trademark of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.
    RedOctane® is a registered trademark of RedOctane, Inc. “Guitar Hero” is trademark of RedOctane, Inc. Developed by Harmonix Music Systems. ©2005 RedOctane, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.





    RedOctane Seeks Entries For Its Be A Guitar Hero Competition
     Get Your Band’s Music In The PlayStation®2 Game Guitar Hero

    Sunnyvale, Calif., June 15th, 2005 – RedOctane®, a leading creator of music video games and peripherals, today announced its Be A Guitar Hero Competition. Bands nationwide are invited to submit original music for potential inclusion in Guitar Hero™ the innovative new video game scheduled for release on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system in the fall of 2005.

    The Be A Guitar Hero Competition is a way for aspiring bands to gain incredible exposure by having their song included into the video game Guitar Hero!

    “This is the first time a competition winner has ever had a song actually playable in a video game. Potentially millions of gamers could be jamming to the winning band’s song,” said John Tam, game producer for Guitar Hero.

    RedOctane will announce one Grand Prize winning song, and the winning band will take their place in the Guitar Hero song list alongside songs made famous by such artists as The Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Bowie, Boston, The Donnas, Black Sabbath, The Ramones, White Zombie, and Jimi Hendrix.

    All interested parties need to visit www.BeAGuitarHero.com for competition rules and to download an entry form. The deadline for entries to the Be A Guitar Hero Competition is August 1st, 2005.

    Guitar Hero is a guitar simulation game that puts you at the center of your very own rock band. By pressing down on fret buttons on a specially designed guitar controller, players can form notes and chords to be played by strumming in time on a “strum bar” representing the strings of an electric guitar. These notes and chords are represented onscreen by scrolling note markers. Players can choose from multiple rock characters and play at concert venues that grow in size as your rock career progresses.

    For more information on Guitar Hero, please visit www.guitarherogame.com.

    About RedOctane
    Based in Sunnyvale, California, RedOctane® is an innovative new video game publisher, specializing in music and rhythm games. RedOctane is also the leading provider of unique, high-quality video game peripherals and accessories. For more information on RedOctane please visit www.RedOctane.com.






    Guitar Hero™ wins E3 2005 Editor's Choice Award for “BEST OF SHOW”

    GameSpot Ranks Guitar Simulation Game #1 Title in Puzzle/Rhythm Genre

    SUNNYVALE, Calif. – June 3, 2005 – GUITAR HERO™, the guitar playing simulation game, from publisher RedOctane and developer Harmonix has won GameSpot’s “Best of E3 2005” award in the Puzzle/Rhythm game category.

    The GameSpot E3 2005 Editors Choice Awards establish the best games shown at the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) as voted on by GameSpot staff, presenting awards to those games and technologies that impressed them among the thousands of show exhibitors. This year's expo was held Wednesday to Friday, May 18 – 20, in Los Angeles.

    GUITAR HERO makes you the star of your very own rock band. Using button combinations, sustains and the whammy bar, players will experience the essence of what it’s like to actually play some of the coolest rock songs of all time. The song list includes hits from Jimi Hendrix, Boston, Megadeath and many more. Players can choose from multiple rock characters and play at concert venues that grow in size as your rock career progresses.

    GUITAR HERO is scheduled for release on the PlayStation®2 Computer Entertainment System in Fall 2005. For more details please visit www.guitarherogame.com. GUITAR HERO is the second title from publisher RedOctane, with their first game release occurring this month with next-generation dance game IN THE GROOVE www.InTheGroove.com.

    About RedOctane®
    Based in Sunnyvale, California, RedOctane is an innovative provider of unique, high-quality video game peripherals and accessories. RedOctane has now applied that same philosophy to their new video game publishing division. RedOctane is quickly becoming the innovative leader of dance and music video game publishing. RedOctane is also the top online retailer of dance games and dance accessories in the US. For more information on RedOctane please visit www.RedOctane.com






    REDOCTANE® ANNOUNCES GUITAR HERO™ FOR PLAYSTATION®2 COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM

    LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 17th, 2005 - At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), RedOctane® announced today it has signed an agreement with Harmonix, acclaimed developers of Frequency, Amplitude, Karaoke Revolution and EyeToy: AntiGrav, to release GUITAR HERO, the guitar playing simulation game that makes you the star of your very own rock band.

    "There is no better type of music game for the American audience than one focused on rock music and guitar-based rhythms." stated John Tam, game producer at RedOctane. "When you pick up the guitar controller and jam down on the strum bar, you really do feel like a total Guitar Hero!” GUITAR HERO is a guitar simulation game that puts you at the center of your very own rock band. By pressing down on fret buttons on a specially designed guitar controller, players can form notes and chords to be played by strumming in time on a “strum bar” representing the strings of an electric guitar. These notes and chords are represented onscreen by scrolling note markers. Using button combinations, sustains and the whammy bar, players will experience the essence of what it’s like to actually play some of the coolest rock songs of all time. Players can choose from multiple rock characters and play at concert venues that grow in size as your rock career progresses.

    “People who actually play guitar are amazed at how well Harmonix has captured the electrifying thrill of playing the guitar into the game,” continued Tam. “Your rock star dreams can come true with this game."

    About RedOctane®
    Based in Sunnyvale, California, RedOctane is an innovative provider of unique, high-quality video game peripherals and accessories. RedOctane has now applied that same philosophy to their new video game publishing division. RedOctane is quickly becoming the innovative leader of dance and music video game publishing. RedOctane is also the top online retailer of dance games and dance accessories in the US. For more information on RedOctane please visit www.RedOctane.com

    About Harmonix® Music Systems, Inc
    GUITAR HERO is being developed by veteran music videogame creator Harmonix. (http://www.harmonixmusic.com) Based in Cambridge, MA, Harmonix® previously developed Frequency, Amplitude, Karaoke Revolution and EyeToy: AntiGrav.

    Karaoke Revolution™ is a registered trademark KONAMI CORPORATION. ©2004 KONAMI. Developed by Harmonix Music System. Harmonix is a registered trademark of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. Frequency and Amplitude are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.




    RedOctane® is a registered trademark of RedOctane, Inc. Guitar Hero™ is a trademark of RedOctane, Inc. Game engine code © 2005 Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. Developed by Harmonix Music Systems. Protected by US Patent number 6,429,863. © 2005 RedOctane, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. Sony Computer Entertainment America takes no responsibility for this offer.