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Dance Central DLC deeply discounted
Dance Central DLC prices have been cut like a rug for a limited time, with packs slashed by various percentages and singles half-steppin' away. Packs electric slide between 250 to 1500 Microsoft points, while singles are 160 MSP ($2) apiece.All DLC will be compatible with Dance Central 3, which gains access to the retail club on October 16. Review the entire list of discounted tracks at the Dance Central site.%Gallery-157063%
Rock Band Weekly: Green Day five-pack with single off latest album
Green Day is back for its third round of Rock Band DLC next week, featuring "Oh Love," the first single off their new album ¡Uno! The other four tracks in the Green Day five-pack were previously only available through Green Day Rock Band.
Rock Band Weekly: The Offspring, Smash Mouth
The Offspring and Smash Mouth bring some individual tracks to the Rock Band music store next week. The Offspring track, entitled "Days Go By," is actually the title track off their latest album. Smash Mouth has a pair of more classic '90s tracks with "Why Can't We Be Friends" and "Can't Get Enough of You Baby".
Rock Band Weekly: Matchbox Twenty
Next week's Rock Band DLC twists time through Matchbox Twenty's career. The first track, "Bent," comes from the band's early years and off their second album. "How Far We Come" is from 2007, and "She's So Mean" is from their latest album, North.
Rock Band Blitz coin system adjusted, more coins for all
The economy is rough all over, including inside of video games that just came out, apparently. In response to player feedback collected from Facebook, Twitter and its official forums, Harmonix has changed how coins are earned in its PSN/XBLA score-chasing music game, Rock Band Blitz.First off, power-up costs have been adjusted and Track, Note and Overdrive doodads now cost 100, 200 and 250 coins respectively. The amount of coins earned at the end of a song has also changed; players now receive 100 coins per star earned during the song. Additionally, Score Wars winners will now be granted 1,500 coins, with Score Wars losers taking home 500 coins.Basically, earning more coins more quickly means that players will have to spend less time grinding, and will be less frequently unable to purchase the power-ups needed to potentially earn a song's maximum score. Also, you ever look at a word so long you stop being able to tell whether its spelled correctly? That's where we're at with coins. Coins, coins coins. Coins coins coins -- coins. Coins?
Dance Central 3 gets an 'In a world...' movie trailer
In a world, where insane stories are added to dance video games, one stands above the rest. This October, it'll take more than smooth moves and phat beats to save dance. It'll take...[Inception horn]... you.
Rock Band World social app coming to Rock Band 3, Rock Band Blitz this month
Just in case there weren't enough ways to bug your friends online, Harmonix revealed "Rock Band World" this morning, a new social app for Facebook. The app integrates with both Rock Band 3 and Rock Band Blitz, allowing players to challenge their friends, compare scores, shop for music, and accomplish social goals. Accomplishing said goals can earn players in-game coins for Rock Band Blitz, which can then be used to purchase power-ups.The app is now available on Facebook. Rock Band Blitz arrives on PSN August 28 and on XBLA August 29.
More Dance Central 3 tracks than you can shake a leg at
Ready to stomp out rhythmic crimes across several decades with some stylish dance police? Yes, Dance Central 3's bizarro storyline is ... well, bizarro, but that just makes us all the more interested in it. Several Harmonix devs are happy to explain the game's kooky story in the latest trailer, revealed alongside several tracks for this fall's DC entry (listed after the break).In total, there are nine new songs revealed, but let's not kid ourselves – the one we're concerned with is Daft Punk's "Around the World." The fact that we've had two Dance Central games without it is the real dance crime.
Harmonix seeking 'combat designer'
Harmonix, best known for developing the Rock Band and Dance Central franchises, is currently seeking a combat designer. The job listing specifically states the person will be responsible for creating "real-time, single-player combat experiences for a brand new IP on next-generation hardware. ""In addition to finishing development on Rock Band Blitz and Dance Central 3, Harmonix is actively developing multiple new IPs on next generation hardware," the studio's John Drake told Kotaku. "We're looking for the best and most experienced devs out there to join us."The studio did state in June that it was working on several new intellectual properties. Now, whether this new IP will combine music and violence like Bugsy Malone, we'll just have to wait and see.
Rock Band Weekly: Foreigner, Nightwish
You ready to power ballad? I said, are you ready to power ballad?! Well, then you've been waiting for DLC like this. Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is" and "Waiting for a Girl Like You" will be available as Rock Band DLC next week.
Dance Central 2's August tracks are down with O.P.P.
Yes, you know them – Jeremih, Kevin Rudolf, and hip-hop greats Naughty By Nature are all headlining this month's Dance Central 2 club bangers. Each artist is bringing a single track for each week of the month, with Jeremih featuring 50 Cent's "Down On Me" getting things started tomorrow. As per usual, each track costs 240 MS Points ($3).
Rock Band Weekly: Hoobastank, Cutting Crew, Whitesnake
In the still of the night, I hear the wolf howl, honey, sniffing around next week's Rock Band DLC. Whitesnake's "Still of the Night" is on the docket for the next Rock Band Music Store update, along with hits from Hoobastank and Cutting Crew.
Rock Band Weekly: Killswitch Engage
On Tuesday, a trio of Killswitch Engage tracks will be available for download in Rock Band, which should help even out the game's ratio of singers to guys who scream a bunch.
Rock Band games to be removed from iOS App Store this month
Despite the fad of plastic instruments coming to a quiet end a few years ago, Rock Band is still a fairly popular brand, popular at parties and on the upcoming downloadable console version called Rock Band Blitz. But at least one part of Rock Band's legacy is going away for good: EA has announced that the iOS versions of the game will be off of the App Store as of July 31. Harmonix was the original creator of Rock Band, EA licensed the game and the name to put versions on the App Store (made by third-party developers), and as a result of that license expiring, Rock Band for iPhone and iPad are going bye-bye. All this means is that if you currently own one of these versions, you'll need to get it on your iPhone or Mac and back it up, because after July 31, you won't be able to reinstall it. If you haven't bought it yet, and want to, now's probably the time to do that. After the 31st, you won't be able to buy the app or any more new songs for it. Or maybe not -- Harmonix is currently at work on that Rock Band Blitz game, so there's a chance that, license back in hand, the company could release their own Rock Band game for iOS. Harmonix has released one app before (a non-game app called Vidrhythm), and while the company hasn't shown a lot of interest in Apple's platform beyond that, there's a chance the developer could take to the store itself if they thought the move would be profitable. [via Joystiq]
PSA: Rock Band iOS apps to be delisted on July 31 [update: EA explains]
If you've considered picking up one of the Rock Band iOS games, now would be the time to do it. Come July 31, all Rock Band iOS apps, including Rock Band, Rock Band Reloaded and Rock Band Reloaded for iPad, will be delisted from the App Store. After this date, the games will be gone and users will no longer be able to purchase any DLC.Earlier this year, Rock Band app users received a message saying that the app would be pulled on May 31. At the time, EA stated that the message had been "sent in error." There doesn't appear to be a mistake this time around, as the iTunes pages for each app confirm the delisting. The original error, apparently, was that the message was sent two months early.Update: EA has posted a Q&A regarding the delisting, stating that "EA's licensing agreement with Harmonix is ending and as a result, EA is discontinuing downloads of Rock Band iOS and Rock Band Reloaded iOS on the App Store after July 31. "
Dance Central 3 gets to steppin' around the world this October
Harmonix announced today that Dance Central 3 will be available in the Americas on October 16, with Europe, Asia and Australia hitting the dance floor on October 19.Along with the release date, Harmonix also shared several tracks that will be included in the game inevitably activate our sense of empathic embarrassment when played. They include, but are not limited to: Backstreet Boys' "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)", Los Del Rio's "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)", Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby," and the staple of bar mitzvah's and weddings everywhere: "Y.M.C.A." by The Village People.Thankfully, there will be less cringe-inducing tracks available too, and the ability to import tracks from the first two games. Harmonix tells us it hasn't announced an export price yet, but it's "looking to stay in the same ballpark" of $5. %Gallery-157063%
Rock Band Weekly: Foster the People, The Strokes
The Rock Band Music Store will feature two tracks from Foster the People next week, but neither is the one you're thinking of. "Helena Beat" and "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" will be available as DLC next week, while the band's hit track, "Pumped Up Kicks," will be available as part of Rock Band Blitz in August.
Rock Band Blitz takes the PSN stage Aug. 28, tours XBLA Aug. 29
Tune up your ... normal controller, because Rock Band Blitz is on the way in just over a month. Harmonix's downloadable music game will be out on PSN August 28, and on XBLA a day later, for $14.99 or its Xbox fun money equivalent.The game works with all your exported Rock Band tracks and DLC, but it'll come packed with 20 songs of its own. Today, Harmonix revealed four more of those: Avenged Sevenfold's "So Far Away," Kool & The Gang's "Jungle Boogie," My Chemical Romance's "Sing," and Fun's "We Are Young." You know, the song that's on the radio between plays of that Gotye song.All Blitz songs work in Rock Band 3, so that $15 is also an excuse to get the band back together.
Boston Festival of Indie Games starts on Sept. 22
A new show centered around the indie scene is set to kick off in Boston on September 22. The Boston Festival of Indie Games is taking submissions right now, gathering aspiring developers looking to show off their wares on the MIT campus this fall.Organized by MIT Game Lab and Boston Indies at the MIT Campus, the Boston Festival of Indie Games is open to the public and, aside from giving indie developers a soapbox to stand on, will present a digital art exhibit, film screenings, a 12-hour game jam session, guest speaker presentations and a special area to showcase games made within the MIT Game Lab. Some of the names to already sign on and judge submissions are Harmonix Senior Designer Tim Stellmach, Fire Hose Games Creative Director Eitan Glinert, Zynga Boston Creative Director Paul Neurath, and Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab US Executive Director Philip Tan.Awards will be given during the show based on public voting once cleared by the panel above. Those interested in submitting their digital game for showcase will have to pay a $10 fee if they are a student, or a $15 fee if they are a professional, by no later than August 10. If you're making something that doesn't fall into the digital category, you can submit it free of charge. Good luck!
Rock Band Weekly: The B-52s take Staind and Young the Giant to the Love Shack
Next week's Rock Band 3 DLC is a bit on the eclectic side, catering to rock fans and ... people who like The B-52s.
