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Harmonix is reviving Rock Band Network in 'Rock Band 4'
During a livestream on Tuesday, Harmonix announced that after a few years away, the Rock Band Network is coming back. Originally announced in 2009 near the height of plastic guitar controller mania, it allowed content creators to import their own tracks for play (and most importantly, for sale) within the Rock Band series of games.
Harmonix announces closure of moribund Rock Band Network
Despite a nearly half-decade-long run, developer Harmonix has made the decision to shutter the Rock Band Network, effective immediately. As a showcase for Rock Band Network authors to share their music with potential fans, the Rock Band Network eventually grew to include 2,121 downloadable songs. When you include the Rock Band Network alongside the series' official DLC tunes, the total Rock Band series tracklist comes to a staggering 4,221 songs. Despite its impressive utility, in the end the Rock Band Network was laid low by mounting technical problems. "Some of those problems were server side here at Harmonix, while others were entirely outside of our control," reads the developer's official announcement. "At this point, with Harmonix resources devoted to several other titles in development, we're no longer able to operate RBN with the kind of consistency that it deserves." Edit: This article initially stated that the Rock Band Network allowed users to upload their own tracks. It has since been altered. [Image: Harmonix]
Bye Bye, Miss Rock Band: Last ever weekly DLC song is 'American Pie'
The very last weekly downloadable Rock Band song is to be, very fittingly, Don McLean's "American Pie." As Polygon reports, Harmonix revealed the news at its PAX East party last night. The song will be included in the final Rock Band update on April 2.Not only is American Pie one of those timelessly brilliant songs, but it's full of lyrics that cutely mark the end of what's been a mammoth run of over 275 weeks and 4000 added songs for Rock Band DLC. We can still remember how all that music used to make us smile, and now we wait for the day the music dies.
Rock Band weekly DLC lowers the curtain April 2
The final weekly DLC release for Rock Band will be issued on April 2, Harmonix announced today. Due to other ongoing projects at the studio, production on Rock Band DLC has slowed in recent months. Up until April 2, Harmonix will release weekly DLC per usual.Harmonix has been issuing Rock Band DLC songs for over 275 consecutive weeks, which comes to over five years of consistent weekly releases. The Rock Band DLC catalog includes over 4,000 supplemental tracks, spanning all Rock Band games and the Rock Band Network.
Rock Band adds a dash of Red Hot Chili Peppers on August 30
Your Rock Band catalog lacking in spice? Come Tuesday, August 30, a total of eight new Red Hot Chili Peppers songs will be available for download, spanning the group's more recent albums -- including the band's upcoming I'm With You. If you're looking for older Chili Peppers tunes, then you can just download some of the band's classic offerings, already available. Hit the jump for the full track list.
Rock Band hits 3,000 tracks, Harmonix giving away 3,000 songs
With the release of some Yes! tracks this week, the Rock Band song catalog has reached a milestone of 3,000 songs. To celebrate this accomplishment, Harmonix is hooking up 30 Americans (sorry, international rockers) with 100 songs of their choosing each on either Xbox 360 or PS3. The mathemagicians out there have probably already figured this out but ... that's 3,000 songs total. Get it? There are a few different ways to enter, (sorry anti-social folks): Twitter, Facebook or the Rock Band forums. Sorry, there is no option to sit at home with the lights off, shades drawn, until an envelope magically shows up on your nightstand. The full list of rules can be found on the Source link below. If you're thinking about entering, act fast -- the entry period closes at 11:59pm ET on Thursday, July 28.
Pac-Man Fever infects Rock Band Network today
As was promised so many, many moons ago, it's time to take your pre-emptive dose of Dayquil and prepare for full-on Pac-Man Fever. Four of the album's eight tracks are available on the Rock Band Network today, allowing all to achieve a level of public embarrassment previously unseen on this Earth for only $2 -- unless your estimated value of $2 exceeds everyone's, of course. Additionally, another Super Meat Boy track is currently available: dB Soundworks' "Betus Blues (Retro Remix)." Hit the jump for the full list of today's additions.
Bed Intruder Song 'coming soon' to Rock Band Network
Rock Band Network production company -- er, "dude" -- Kario Charts will test the staying power of last summer's Bed Intruder meme when he releases "Bed Intruder Song" on the service in the coming days. Kario has uploaded a video preview of the Rock Band build on YouTube (sing along after the break), confirming on the Rock Band Forums that he "signed" the song's creator, The Gregory Brothers, to a contract back in December (he also has the rights to create an RBN version of the group's "Double Rainbow" ditty). The untimely delay of "Bed Intruder Song" on RBN is due in part to the integration of Rock Band 3 Pro Keys charting, and Kario continues to make tweaks to the track based on feedback in the forums. RBN members will be able to playtest the song at the end of the week, when Kario plans to upload it for the first time. Kario has also teased RBN releases of other viral virtuosos' works, including Ronald Jenkees' "Throwing Fire" ("Guitar Sound" is already available) and a collection of guitarist Erik Mongrain's songs, featuring "AirTap!"
Three Super Meat Boy tracks coming to Rock Band Network
The indefatigable Danny Baranowsky -- soundtrack composer for both Canabalt and Super Meat Boy, among others -- confirmed to us this morning that three tracks from Super Meat Boy are headed to the Rock Band Network. "The Battle of Lil' Slugger" and "Can o' Salt" will be released as remixed, extended versions, while "Betus Blues" is getting a retro remix for the RBN release. "I wanted to have some stuff in there for the people who delight in 100-percenting expert Dragonforce," Baranowsky told us of the remixes. From what we heard this morning of the extended, retro-ized "Betus Blues," we expect those folks to be handily challenged (as well as thoroughly entertained). No release date or price has been applied to the tracks yet, but the pack's author has them pegged as arriving "soon" -- it also labels them as coming to RBN 2.0, so we'd expect the tracks to arrive some time after February 15.
Rock Band Network 2.0 hits the stage in February
Posting on its Rock Band Network creators site, Harmonix has stated that version 2.0 of the do-it-yourself Rock Band track creation system will roll out on February 15. RockBandAide has all the details -- it seems that all songs currently in-process for RBN must be completed by February 14, when version 1.0 will go into the great beyond. All RBN content following the new system's activation will require a copy of Rock Band 3, sitting in your disc tray. The standard Rock Band Weekly tracks have been incompatible with any prior version of the game since RB3 launched in October.
Wii Rock Band Network releases to stop next week
All Rock Band Network tracks are available for purchase through the Xbox 360 Rock Band games, and Harmonix periodically dumps some popular tracks from the DIY authoring service onto the PS3 and Wii games as DLC. Next week's set of RBN songs (after the break), however, will be the last to make the trip over to Wii. "With the smaller online install base, limited demand for releases so far and the significant amount of work it takes for our producers and audio team to convert and process these additional tracks," Harmonix's Aaron Trites explained in the weekly DLC announcement, "we're no longer able to continue submitting RBN content to the Wii." That's not the end for all downloadable music on Wii, however: "regular Wii DLC, and RBN releases for the 360 and PS3 will continue uninterrupted."
Fallout 3 tribute song now available on Rock Band Network
There's a lot of overlap between folks who love Fallout 3 and folks who love Rock Band. Here's some news that caters to the inner portion of that particular Venn Diagram: Nerd-rock duo Kirby Krackle's Fallout tribute song "Vault 101" is now available on the Xbox Live Rock Band Network Store.
Pac-Man Fever driving Rock Band Network crazy in 2011
Next year, you'll finally be able to live out your childhood dream of being Buckner and/or Garcia, singing your heart out about arcade games with which you're casually acquainted. The 1982 novelty album Pac-Man Fever is coming to Rock Band. According to IGN, the full Pac-Man Fever album will be available as Rock Band Network DLC for the Xbox 360 version of Rock Band 3 in early 2011 and will of course include such essentials as "Pac-Man Fever," "Do the Donkey Kong" and even "Froggy's Lament." Aren't you thrilled about the chance to sing these lyrics, like "Jump over all the barrels and let out a little scream / Duck underneath the pie, 'cause it's a coconut cream," out loud? With people around?
Rock Band Network Affiliates now making sweet, sweet music together
Yesterday, Harmonix and MTV Games launched an initiative called the Rock Band Network Affiliates Program, the goal of which is to further involve bands, music distributors and promoters in the rhythm title's track creation community. In return, prolific Rock Band Network creators will have more opportunities to collaborate with all sorts of elements within the music industry, which might increase the number of tracks that ultimately end up on the platform. In short, it's kind of a win-win for companies and creators. And for us players, too. A win-win-win. Still, couldn't they have come up with a better, more rocking name for the program? We're imagining David Lee Roth shrilly screaming "are you ready for some affiliaaaaaaates," and it's making us very confused.
Two 'Lost' tracks coming soon to Rock Band Network
Harmonix knows that you and your crew of Losties will be looking for something to do on Tuesday nights now that there's no more Lost to watch, and has stepped in to help. Now you'll be able to turn those watch parties into Rock Band parties, as you play along to two songs featured in the show. G4 reports that, in the near future, the Rock Band Network will play host to both "You All Everybody," the hit song from Charlie Pace's band Drive Shaft, and "Dharma Lady," by '70s band and frequent hidden reference Geronimo Jackson. The Rock Band Network status means it'll be released on Xbox 360 first, and then possibly brought to Wii and PS3 later. It's probably a bad idea to use this music to try to introduce someone to the show. These songs are hilarious as in-jokes, but on their own, they're ... well, still hilarious, but not in a good way. [Image: Lostpedia]
First Rock Band Network tracks coming to PSN tomorrow
The first songs from the Rock Band Network to be available on PS3 will be released tomorrow, April 22, 2010. The five selected songs are "some of the most popular tracks" from the full selection: Individual Tracks (with expected prices based on Xbox 360 RBN pricing) Flogging Molly - "Drunken Lullabies" (Live) ($1) Jonathan Coulton - "Code Monkey" ($2) The Shins - "Australia" ($2) The Slip - "Even Rats" ($2) Steve Vai - "For the Love of God" (Live) ($2) Harmonix explained that, due to the way submissions work on PSN, the company is "currently capped at 5 songs per week." The developer explains that despite "practical realities that aren't in [its] immediate control," it is trying to bring out as much music as possible. [Thanks, Benji B]
Left 4 Dead 2's 'The Passing' rolls into town next week
All right, so the Left 4 Dead/Left 4 Dead 2 crossover DLC "The Passing" passed March by. Valve just announced it'll be available for download next week! We're sure the content will still be fresh, and the zombies still putrid, in April! Valve promised to update the official blog next week with more details. Additionally, in the spirit of crossover ... ing ... ness ... the Left 4 Dead blog announced that two songs by the fictional Midnight Riders band have been added to the Rock Band Network. For just one dollar each, you can play "Midnight Ride" and "One Bad Man!" It would be appropriate to gather three friends to play the songs with. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Rock Band Weekly: Serj Tankian, Smash Mouth, The Used
Serj Tankian or The Used should probably be our focus for next week's Rock Band DLC -- however, we can't get Smash Mouth's "All Star," also available next week, out of our heads. That song is the musical equivalent of one of those brain beetles from Wrath of Khan. Get it out, get it out, get it out! Ahhhhhh! Check out the full release list after the break.
Joystiq Podcast theme 'Gravity' now on Rock Band Network
Announced as a Rock Band Network release during PAX East, the Joystiq Podcast opening theme, "Gravity (Don't Let Me Go)," is now available for the Xbox 360 version of the Rock Band platform for 80 ($1). As with all RBN releases, the playable song can be demoed before purchase. The RBN version of the track, an update of the show theme, was authored for the game by Rock Band-alums The Main Drag and will also appear on Jon Black's upcoming EP The Beginning (Up From The Ground Vol. 1), available April 27. Joystiq Podcast host Justin McElroy wants fans of the show and of music to download the track immediately, saying, "If you're not using your fingers to play 'Gravity (Don't Let Me Go)' on Rock Band, just cut them off and choke yourself with them." RBN currently hosts around 210 songs, which are listed here. Now go drop "Gravity" onto your console.
More 'Splosion Man songs coming to Rock Band Network
We wish we possessed the kind of thought processes required to make the mental association between the release of the Rock Band Network and the catchy, quirky ditties from 'Splosion Man. The game's theme is already up on the RBN Store, but that's not the extent of the musical 'Splodiness -- in an interview with SavyGamer, Twisted Pixel CEO Mike Wilford revealed two other tracks from the game would soon hit the Network: "The 'Splode Beneath My 'Splosion" and "Donuts Song." No time frame has been given for the songs' release, but that hasn't stopped our excitement for the vocal part of "T'SBM'S" from growing to catastrophic, earth-quaking levels.
