Remember when we told you about aleaked Wal-Mart memothat essentially confirmed exclusiveRock BandAC/DC songs for the retail chain? Now we’ve got proof, courtesy of aNew YorkTimesarticledetailing the promotion. In case you hadn’t heard, AC/DC is releasing a new album,Black Ice— their first one in eight years — on October 20th (October 18th in Australia), and in America, the record will be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club, and on theirWebsites.
This isn’t the first time that Wal-Mart has secured something like this — recent new albums from Journey (Revelation, 2008) and the Eagles (Long Road out of Eden, 2007) were initially only available through the same avenues. But thisisthe first time that Wal-Mart has been able to score anexclusive music videogame. Yes, you read that right: MTV has struck a deal with AC/DC and its label, Columbia Records, to produce a full-on standalone exclusive disc for Wal-Mart calledAC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack.
More after the jump.
[ViaNew YorkTimesthanks topower-glove— who else?]
The title will be available for every console thatRock Bandis produced on (i.e., PS3, 360, Wii, PS2), and according to thepromotional Web sitethat Wal-Mart has put up, it will cost $29.88 on the PS2 and $39.88 for the current-gen versions. While the promo site itself doesn’t say so, theNYTpiece confirms that the 18-track set list is, indeed, taken from the band’s seminal 1991 performance at England’s Castle Donington, which was released on DVD (and later, Blu-ray) asLive at Donington[aside: I own the Blu-ray, and it rocks].
The Web site does advertise “more than 99 minutes of game play for each instrument,” and in an important note that seems to suggest we’ll eventually see this released as DLC on the Rock Band Music Store, says, “All tracks from the AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack will also be available for play in Rock Band and Rock Band 2.”
Of course, that could just mean that you’ll be able to import the songs to your hard drive off the game disc, à laRock Band, so we’ll have to wait and see how that plays out. Either way, the prospect of playing AC/DC classics like “Back in Black” and “Highway To Hell” has produced a bulge in my pants the likes of which have rarely been seen before. Check out the full list of songs below.
