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PSA: All forthcoming Rock Band DLC incompatible with RB1/RB2
Rock Band DLC released after October 26, 2010, is Rock Band 3 specific and will not be compatible with previous versions of the platform. This rule applies to all future Rock Band DLC, whether it's labeled "RB3 version" or not. Songs released before that cutoff date will remain available and compatible with the first two Rock Band titles. Also, new RBN tracks will be compatible with all versions. A Harmonix representative explained to Joystiq that new tracks won't be backwards compatible "due to the new authoring standards, inclusion of new instruments, new lighting / venue cues, etc." Although it's a bummer that owners of earlier Rock Band games won't be able to play new tracks, they won't easily be able to purchase the tracks by accident. Any songs released after 10/26 will not show up in the Rock Band and Rock Band 2 in-game store, nor will they show up in the standalone music store app or under RB1 or RB2 on the console's marketplace.
Harmonix explains Rock Band 3 legacy track upgrades, pricing
This week's Bon Jovi Rock Band DLC will include previously released tracks that now have an "RB3 Version." There was confusion about whether these songs, which now include keyboard and harmony support, would have their previous "legacy" versions upgraded for free. That will not be the case. Harmonix explains those who own the legacy versions will have to pay the $2 for the new RB3 Version if they'd like to have the keyboard and harmony upgrade. Also, for those who want the Pro Guitar and Bass versions of the songs, they'll have to buy the RB3 Version, plus pay another buck for the "Pro" upgrade. A Harmonix rep explained to Joystiq that the developer hopes to have the Pro Guitar/Bass versions available for the legacy versions -- without having to pay the $2 for the RB3 Version as well -- in the future, but that this won't be available for the Bon Jovi tracks. So, the short of it is: if you want the keyboard and harmony upgrades, you'll have to pony up the Jefferson ... that's who's on the two dollar bill. Yes, there's such a thing as a two dollar bill.
Rock Band Weekly: Bon Jovi, Deftones, New Order, Talking Heads
Next week's Rock Band DLC adds the Bon Jovi Greatest Hits: Rock Band Edition album. The pack includes 12 of the band's chart-toppers, with some previously released tracks re-released for Rock Band 3 with support for Keys, Pro Keys, Pro Drums and harmonies -- you'll also have the option to add Pro Guitar and Bass parts for an extra dollar. (As for why we chose the above Bon Jovi album art for this post, the particular cover and music video always seemed inspired by Ghost in the Shell:SAC's The Laughing Man; available on Netflix instant watch.) There will also be individual songs from Deftones, New Order and Talking Heads available next week. A standalone complex of details on all the tracks can be found after the break.
PSA: Lego Rock Band export 'temporarily' not working, 'will be soon' says Harmonix
Time for another public service announcement from your civic-minded pals at Joystiq: If you were thinking about picking up Lego Rock Band on Xbox 360 hoping to suck its delicious track marrow from that disc-shaped skeleton, you're going to want to hold off until further notice from Harmonix. Also, you're going to want to work on that metaphor. Following a lengthy 20-page thread on the issue, Harmonix took to the Rock Band Forums to assure fans – and would-be track-suckers – that the feature would be back up and running soon. You see, the process for exporting tracks from Lego Rock Band is a little cumbersome: You enter the code included in the game onto RockBand.com which, in turn, provides you with a code to "purchase" the license from the Xbox Live Marketplace. At this point, you're able to actually download (it's not really an "export" at all) the tracks for the cool asking price of $10. The snag: Harmonix has "temporarily run out of Lego: Rock Band redemption tokens" but expects to remedy the situation "soon." If you've already been afflicted by this issue, Harmonix has some advice for you in its statement. Everyone else, sit tight until whatever licensing nightmare that's responsible for this goes away. The statement: Due to overwhelming demand, we've temporarily run out of Lego: Rock Band redemption tokens for Xbox 360. We're really happy so many of you were excited to bring songs from LRB over into Rock Band 3 and we're doing our best to get new tokens set up for redemption as quickly as possible. Stay tuned to this thread and watch @RockBand on twitter for updates. We'll be responding to everyone via Redemption@RockBand.com shortly, but HMXcj and I will be updating this thread to reach as many people as possible. Sorry again for the inconvenience and thanks for your patience! [Thanks, Peter]
Squier Stratocaster for Rock Band 3 set to tour March 1st for $280
We've been waiting on this one for quite awhile... and well, we've got awhile longer. Fender has come clean with the price and release date of its Squier-branded Stratocaster for Rock Band 3 will hit the road on March 1st for just a penny shy of $280. The six-stringed warrior -- which also serves as a MIDI controller and a real instrument -- has far and away been our favorite method of playing the rhythm game's new pro guitar mode, and though the button-laden Mustang is available now for just over half the price, it really doesn't compare to the real thing here. Even the January 1st pre-order seems a ways off -- guess we'll be brushing up on our keytar skills in the meantime.
Dance Central pre-release copies recalled, should still make launch [update]
Pre-release copies of Dance Central sitting in retail warehouses have been recalled, but MTV Games tells Joystiq that the Kinect launch title will be available for next week's November 4 release date. Thanks to a source, we obtained a note detailing the recall by Microsoft due to "a misprint in the owner's manual." According to the document, new copies of Dance Central, with a new SKU/UPC and, we're guessing, manual, should be shipped to stores by next week. A good thing, too, considering the Harmonix title is one of the Kinect games generating mainstream buzz. It's not like Ellen DeGeneres dances on her show all the time or something -- wait, bad example. Update: Microsoft has provided a statement. Please find it after the break.
Rock Band Weekly: The Doors, a Rush song
Okay, Rock Band 3 owners, if you haven't picked up your three free Doors songs ("Light My Fire," "Riders on the Storm," and "Touch Me,"), now would be the time. Next week, the three tracks will cost you and be added to The Doors Greatest Hits: Special Edition album pack, which will increase in price to $20. So, get those free tracks and pick up the album for $15, before you're singing the roadhouse blues for longer than you have to. Also, one lone Rush song, "Subdivisions," will be available next week. It will feature the option to add "Pro" guitar or bass to it for a buck. Break on through to the other side of this post (we're so sorry, again) to see track details.
Rock Band 3 peripherals tested as MIDI instruments
If you've elected to drop a few wads of cash on acquiring the new keyboard and Mustang guitar peripherals so you can enjoy Rock Band 3's newest features, you've secretly invested in a pair of fully functional MIDI instruments as well. Create Digital Music, a site dedicated to -- well, you can figure it out -- recently reviewed the two devices' capacity for real-life rocking; and surprisingly, they're both very capable in that regard. The Mustang guitar may not have the authenticity of real strings, but at $150, it's one of the most affordable MIDI guitars on the planet. With Synth and Strum input modes, it could have some interesting applications for those creative types. The keyboard also received high marks for its ergonomic form factor and velocity-sensitive keys. In short, it's not the best keyboard on the planet, but it can (and should) be used as an actual keytar. Why haven't you bought this yet? You're wasting everyone's time.
Unofficial Rock Band catalog search app arrives on iPhone
Here's a hypothetical situation you or someone you know has probably experienced at some point in your life: You and a friend are out at a restaurant or bar, and Wham's "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" comes on the radio. You remark how this is one of your favorite Rock Band songs, but your friend replies that this song, criminally, is not part of the Rock Band catalog. You argue about this point all night, ruining your dinner, drinks and, ultimately, friendship. There's another way -- a better way, friends. A new, unofficial and free iPhone tool from developer Three Brothers Apps titled "RB Song List" lets you scan through the game's downloadable catalog on the go. Using this app, you could have resolved this hypothetical argument in seconds, and then spent the rest of the night talking about why the hell "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" isn't available on the Rock Band Store.
Rock Band 3: how to import Rock Band 2 songs
Rock Band 3 is ready to receive the 1.93GB Rock Band 2 song export. RockBandAide details the export process (actually a track pack download) that requires $10 and the code from the back of your Rock Band 2 instruction manual, originally used for some bonus downloadable tracks. To redeem the code, go into the "Get More Songs" menu in Rock Band 3 and head on over to the "Redeem Code" option. The five songs that will not survive the export process are: AC/DC – "Let There Be Rock" Journey – "Any Way You Want It" Metallica – "Battery" Red Hot Chili Peppers – "Give It Away" Soundgarden – "Spoonman" RockBandAide reports nine songs from Harmonix bands will also not make it through the journey, but don't stop believin' in the company's bands, because they'll reportedly return as free DLC packs. Also, if you'd previously paid for the license transfer for Rock Band 1 tracks, don't worry -- those tracks are all set on your hard drive and ready for rockin'. Update: The PS3 and Wii export details will be explained once RockBand.com is live again. Also, regarding PS3 imports of Rock Band 2, users will need to wait until the PSN updates later today (same situation occurred with Fallout: New Vegas). For Xbox 360 owners who lost their RB2 manuals, there will be a code replacement service available. We'll update as we learn more. Update 2: For those who no longer have their RB2 manuals, Harmonix tweets: "if you need a new code you can get one from EA!" (though there is currently no clear way to request a code from the support page). Update 3: Harmonix now has all the particulars of exporting detailed in a guide. [Thanks, Andrew K.]
Rock Band 3 getting John Lennon's 'Imagine' album as DLC
Harmonix and MTV Games have announced that John Lennon's acclaimed 1971 album, "Imagine," will be among the first albums available for download in Rock Band 3. We imagine all the people who purchase the new keyboard peripheral will be very eager to play some of Lennon's ballads. An exact release date and price has yet to be announced (should that have been a "Gimme Some Truth" joke?), though you can expect Lennon's nine tunes (the title track is already on the disc) to join The Doors and Billy Joel online sometime after the game's October 26 launch. And even if you buy it a bit late, there's no better way to commemorate a legend's 70th birthday. Remember how disgusted Grandpa was when you gave him a quarter of a beetle inside a velvet box?
Rock Band 3 review: The only rhythm game you'll ever need
The peripheral-centric rhythm genre seems like it's been around for an eternity, doesn't it? In actuality, the genre went from relative obscurity to complete and utter saturation in just five years. From deep beneath a blanket of fake plastic instruments, it can be difficult to see where the innovation is going to come from next -- or, to put it more efficiently, it can be easy to adopt the opinion that the innovation may never come. Fortunately, Harmonix hasn't capitulated quite so easily. Though Rock Band 2 could be knocked for its lack of ambition, with its largest changes being focused on improving the user experience on a superficial level, the third generation of Harmonix's music platform has ambition to spare. Not only does it fix the few kinks left unsmoothed by previous entries into the series; it adds an unprecedented amount of new features to the Rock Band experience you, and likely your group of faux-bandmates, have come to know and love. That experience, already a relatively unparalleled source of enjoyment, is exponentially greater by the virtue of these new additions. To put it less mathematically: Rock Band 3 is the greatest rhythm game ever made, and quite possibly the only rhythm game you need to own. %Gallery-105733%
Rock Band 3 Fender Mustang Pro guitar review
Next week's Rock Band 3 launch marks a giant step for the franchise, with the pro mode edging its gameplay closer to actual musicianship. The keyboards and drums are easier transitions to make, given what's essentially one-to-one mapping for notes and logical input solutions. But what about a guitar, arguably the genre's flagship instrument? We've seen and tried two solutions to the pro guitar input conundrum: the Squier Stratocaster, an actual guitar that's still not ready for primetime, and the Mad Catz Fender Mustang, a 102-button replica more reminiscent of peripheral than instrument. Still, with a mid-November release date, the latter's likely to be your only official option for pro guitar rocking this holiday. So, how does it fare? Read on to find out! P.S. For all your other Rock Band 3 queries, check out Joystiq's exhaustive review! %Gallery-105735%
Rock Band Weekly: Stone Temple Pilots, Jimmy Eat World
The other "Creep" song will be available next week as part of Rock Band's DLC. No, not the one by TLC, and, also, not the album by White Zombie -- that was Astro-Creep. Actually, there's like a hundred or something songs called "Creep." So, we're talking about the one by Stone Temple Pilots. In fact, there's a whole track pack from the band's Core album next week, in addition to "Plush" being featured in Rock Band 3. Next week's DLC also features a second track pack from Jimmy Eat World. Check out all the track details after the break.
Rock Band DLC web widget makes sense of 2000 song setlist
So, yeah, there are a lot of songs playable in Harmonix's various Rock Band games. More than 2,000 in fact, encompassing Rock Band Network, LEGO Rock Band, Rock Band 1, 2 and soon, Rock Band 3. In an effort to help make finding out if the song you want is among those, the developer has created an embeddable web widget that lets you search by artist, song title, year and genre (then sort within those results). It's really pretty handy -- we've embedded it after the break, actually, so you can give it a try. If you'd like to stick it on your websitethingy, grab the widget here. Those familiar with iframes and other such web two-point-oh terms will know what to do with it.
Rock Band Weekly: Jimi Hendrix's 'Are You Experienced'
Jimi Hendrix's exclusive Rock Band tour continues next week with the addition of the "Are You Experienced: Rock Band Edition" album. (For more Jimi, see the "Axis: Bold as Love" album that was released earlier this year.) Also, with over 2,000 songs now in the Rock Band DLC catalog, we thought it would be helpful to share these links, which can be used for searching the regular database or the Rock Band Network for a particular artist or song: Rock Band Music Store Database Rock Band Network Music Store Database Are you experienced enough to check out next week's DLC details after the break?
Rock Band catalog reaches 2,000 downloadable and on-disc tracks
Harmonix and MTV Games have announced that the total sum of the on-disc and downloadable songs for the Rock Band franchise has surpassed 2,000 tracks. Though these songs have been contributed by over 800 recording artists and bands, Jimi Hendrix's "Are You Experienced" was the song responsible for pushing the series' catalog past the massive milestone. We find that somewhat appropriate, as if you were to play all of the Rock Band franchise's 2,000 songs, you'd be pretty experienced at playing Rock Band. The game's creators also appear to be experienced at making oodles of money from song downloads, as the press release announcement reveals that players have downloaded over 75 million tracks from the Rock Band Store and Rock Band Network. We'd bet dollars to donuts that at least 65 million of those downloads were of Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler." Dollars to donuts, we say!
PS3 Rock Band 3 keyboard bundle won't be sold in US
Recently, fans began noticing that the PS3 Rock Band 3 keyboard bundle had disappeared from US retailer listings. The $130 bundle is still available for pre-order on Xbox and WIi, and both the keyboard and game are available separately on PS3. Just ... no bundle. And that means that Rock Band 3 and the keyboard, together, are effectively ten dollars more expensive on PS3. Harmonix addressed this baffling omission today, announcing that due to "the agreement terms for the region," the PS3 keyboard bundle will not be available in the US, though the game and keyboard will be available separately. "This does not affect European customers as the Rock Band 3 keyboard/software PS3 bundles will still be available in Europe," the announcement states. We've contacted the developer to find out what exactly this agreement entails. If Harmonix sings, we'll let you know.
Rock Band Weekly: R.E.M., T. Rex
Confess! We've all sung along to R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" like this: "That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an umm, hummy, hum, something something, something something .... *bob along* ... IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT! It's the end of the world as we know it. It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine." Well, next week's Rock Band DLC includes that song, so you've got a fantastic cheat sheet to all the proper lyrics. R.E.M. and T. Rex track packs are what it's all about next week, so head past the break for the details.
Remix the new OK Go single for Rock Band 3 competition
As evidenced by their music videos, OK Go's one of the more creative bands out there -- that's why we weren't surprised to hear about a competition the quartet is holding in conjunction with Rock Band 3. The rules of the contest are simple: Remix OK Go's newest single "White Knuckles" using all of your musical prowess. Dave Fridmann, the band's producer, will highlight his favorite remixes every week on OK Go's website, until the contest's winner is decided Oct. 29 -- at which point it will be transformed into a Rock Band Network track. Like magic! The creator of the winning track will also receive a 360, a Rock Band 3 full band bundle and a signed copy of OK Go's upcoming album, "Of the Blue Colour of the Sky." Would it be too much to ask that they sign the 360 and all the instruments, too? We mean, we know creating intricate internet music videos probably keeps them busy, but remixing a song for use in a video game's gotta be hard work, too.
