mtv-games
Latest
How Rock Band 3 updates the 'core experience'
I recently got a closer look at Rock Band 3, and while I saw new elements of the game's Pro mode (you'll read more about those at a later date), I came away impressed with all the enhancements made to the interface and career structure. Harmonix project director Daniel Sussman wasn't about to let me overlook it. "Everybody wants to talk about what we're doing with the keyboard and the pro guitar," he said. "The bigger story for me is that we've taken apart and put back together the core experience." When I first previewed the game, I saw "the overshell" in action -- across the bottom of every screen hides a persistent options menu, through which players can jump in, jump out and set up their profiles and characters as they see fit. You can also change difficulty in the middle of any song, on a per-person basis, and I often found myself tweaking the difficulty up or down mid-song as I got more or less used to the drums or keyboard setup. Whenever you change difficulty, the song rewinds by a few seconds to give everyone playing a chance to get back into place.
Rock Band Weekly: Blondie, Decemberists and many more
There will be no track packs in next week's Rock Band DLC update. Instead, eight individual songs will be released, demonstrating a wide array of artists. Several bands will even be making their Rock Band debuts, including The Decemberists and dc Talk. It's an eclectic group of singles on deck -- check out the full details after the break.
Six more Rock Band 3 songs (and three for Dance Central!) revealed
As hinted at yesterday by Harmonix's Twitter, a whole gang of tracks were confirmed to be included in Rock Band 3 during the developer's recent Comic-Con panel. These ditties include: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears "Rock Lobster" by The B-52s "Foolin'" by Def Leppard "Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson "Hey Man, Nice Shot" by Filter "Cold as Ice" by Foreigner Also, three new tracks were confirmed for Dance Central: "Drop it Like it's Hot" by Snoop Dogg, "Push It" by Salt N' Pepa, and "Bust a Move" by Young MC. Never before has a rhythm game played host to a trio of tracks giving such welcome instructions.
Rock Band Weekly: Avenged Sevenfold, Juanes
Heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold joins Grammy award-winning Latin superstar Juanes' debut as Rock Band DLC next week. The song pack will include the group's title track from the album Nightmare, along with "Seize the Day" from City of Evil and "Scream" from Avenged Sevenfold. Like Juanes, Avenged Sevenfold will also be featured in Rock Band 3's on-disc track collection, releasing later this year. Head past the break if you juanes see next week's DLC details.
Rock Band 3 going pro October 26, pre-order bonuses announced
For those about to rock -- well, you should probably just cool your jets, as you've still got a little while to wait. A press release from Harmonix has announced that its upcoming, keyboard-infused rhythm title Rock Band 3 will hit North American store shelves on October 26, 2010. Accompanying this announcement was the unveiling of the pre-order bonuses being offered by major retailers. Folks who reserve the title at Wal-Mart get a $10 e-Gift card. Those who go with Amazon will unlock an exclusive in-game guitar. Pre-orderers who go with GameStop will be able to download three songs for free at launch: "My Own Summer" by The Deftones, "Blue Monday" by New Order and "Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads. So, yeah. We'll go ahead and let you guess which retailer we're going to settle on. Go ahead. Think really hard. %Gallery-94904% Note: The press release is posted after the break.
Rock Band Weekly: The Stooges, Bad Religion
The only problem with The Stooges being added to Rock Band's DLC offerings next week is that it's going to make a real mess of our living room. We like to get into character, after all, and what good is an authentic Iggy Pop impersonation if you don't spit on everything and smear food all over your body? See full details of next week's Rock Band update after the break.
Rock Band Weekly Prologue: The Vines
Aussie band The Vines is set to release DLC tracks for Rock Band next week. The DLC was outed early by Microsoft's Gamerscore Blog, pricing the track pack at 680 Microsoft Points, which normally means a five-song collection. Specific details will be part of tomorrow's standard Rock Band Weekly post. Publisher MTV Games informs us that The Vines won't be alone, so we'll have more to share tomorrow.
3DS and Rage are big winners of E3 2010 Game Critics Awards
Just one week after revealing the nominees of the E3 2010 Game Critics Awards, the numbers are in and the big winner is ... Nintendo's look-ma-no-glasses 3D handheld, the 3DS. But wait, the 3DS is just the Best of Show and Best Hardware winner! If you're looking for software, look no further than id Software's look-ma-crab-hands mutant-infested shooter, Rage, which took home the most awards in the show: Best Console Game, Best Action Game and Special Commendation for Graphics. If you think it must've been frustrating to be either Sony or Microsoft, both of which were busy showing off their newest motion-sensitive gadgetry, you'd be mostly right. Microsoft did have one small consolation prize: Dance Central, Harmonix's look-ma-no-coordination dancing game for Kinect, took the well-deserved Best Original Game and Best Motion Simulation prizes. None of Microsoft's first-party Kinect efforts and no PlayStation Move games, first-party or otherwise, made the list. Find the entire list of award winners, with links into our game pages for all of our coverage, after the break.
Rock Band 3 trailer will make you want to go Pro
A new trailer for Rock Band 3, discovered on GameStop Italy's YouTube page, highlights many of the new and exciting features of Harmonix's upcoming sequel. You'll see the brand new Music Library, with more flexible sorting options. The trailer confirms the ability to import tracks from nearly every game in the franchise, including Lego Rock Band. Most mesmerizing of all is the first direct-feed footage of the new "Pro" mode, which has you playing instruments like a real musician would. Is anyone else quivering at the sight of finger notations? Update: The trailer has been removed from YouTube. We've replaced it with an embed from GameVideos. [Thanks Anthony!]
Rock Band Weekly: Creedence Clearwater Revival
jux•ta•pose | verb [trans.] | place or deal with together for contrasting effect : Harmonix's Nickelback Rock Band DLC was juxtaposed with Creedence Clearwater Revival the following week. Head past the break for the complete track pack details.
ION making even fancier Rock Band drum set
ION has refreshed its "premium" (read: 'spensive) Drum Rocker peripheral for the upcoming Rock Band 3. The new Drum Rocker Pro includes four drums, three cymbals and the new "Pro Pedal," a kick drum pedal with "all-metal construction," plus a "dual-chain drive, adjustable beater and rubber trigger," all of which sound like they're probably very impressive. The new kit will be available for PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii this holiday season, timed with the release of Rock Band 3. The fancy new pedal will also be sold separately, for anyone with a previous ION set or regular Rock Band drums who is humiliated about the state of their kick drum pedal. No price for either item was announced, but expect to pay a premium.
Extended Preview: Dance Central
After our first body-on experience with Dance Central at E3, we wanted a more accurate feeling of what the game would be like away from the bright lights and cacophony of the annual mega show. Developed by Harmonix, best known for creating Rock Band and the original Guitar Hero (along with cult favorites Frequency and Amplitude) Dance Central is a seemingly innocent mainstream dance title which maintains the street cred and serious gaming elements we've come to expect from the Boston-based developer. I spent a couple hours at Harmonix's studio last week getting a better idea of what the game will be like in our homes this holiday. Now, granted, none of us will likely have two of the games' producers and a publicist on hand when we're playing with our families, but it's as close as I could get to an intimate test. %Gallery-95780%
Rock Band Weekly: Nickelback
Harmonix's announcement of next week's Rock Band DLC is headlined: "Nickelback. 6 Pack. 'Nuff Said." And it's true -- a Harmonix staffer has already said 'nuff on the subject of this particular Canadian outfit. Head past the break for the complete track pack details.
Dance Central could bust a move on PS3, but Wii put in a corner
Nobody puts the Wii in a corner, except Harmonix that is! Speaking to Kotaku, Harmonix's Alex Rigopulos intimated that the company's upcoming Kinect title, Dance Central, might raise the roof on PS3. Should the game shake its groove thing on PS3, it will be doing so with the help of PlayStation Move. The Wii, unfortunately, will have to sit this dance out, as Rigopulos noted that its motion tracking capabilities aren't up to snuff. Of course, it's not like the Wii is a total wallflower. After all, people have been Just Dance-ing on Nintendo's diminutive console since 2009, with an encore performance expected this October.
Preview: Rock Band 3 Pro mode
Just playing a guitar isn't hard: you buy a guitar, look at a book to learn a few chords, practice putting your fingers in the right places, and strum away at a song. But playing a guitar professionally is very hard; it takes time and practice and dedication. Likewise, Rock Band is a good time: figure out when to strum, and wail away on some pop tunes with your friends. But Rock Band 3's Pro mode isn't kidding around. It's got a difficulty curve almost as steep as the real thing, and while you still probably won't be able to play stadiums after beating a song on Pro Expert, you'll have a very good idea of what it takes to do so. We got to play a couple of songs with the Mustang Pro Guitar controller shown off by Harmonix and MadCatz at E3 this week, and it's a beast -- each string of 17 frets on the guitar is an individual button, and there are six strings where the strum bar sits. Harmonix really wanted to make a real guitar as a controller (and it eventually did with the Fender Rock Band 3 Squier), but that "comes with a little bit of baggage of its own" in the form of tuning and calluses. We asked if the developer tried a touch-based system, but reps passed on confirming any prototypes, instead saying that the 102-button setup was the best solution it found. %Gallery-94904%
Preview: Dance Central (Kinect)
As a diminutive person who jabs at buttons and keyboards for a living, I can say with the utmost accuracy that dancing isn't my forte. You'll probably come to the same conclusion after watching the video of me gyrating to the beat of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face," which I've foolishly embedded after the break. I've placed it there because I want you to see -- somewhere in that garbled body dialect -- how rapidly the "Oh my god, I can't be seen doing this" phase is supplanted by an inescapable feeling of fun. The endorphins don't lie, guys. Dance Central isn't a quick-and-dirty ditty from Harmonix, the developers behind Amplitude and Rock Band. It's an immediately accessible rhythm title that trades multi-colored buttons for body language, presented in the form of easily processed silhouette cards. A practice mode enables you to gain familiarity with the dance move associated with each silhouette card, but I found them clear enough to follow correctly on my first attempt. Glance at the upcoming move card (think of it as the "next piece" window in Tetris) and prepare to mimic it and the group of on-screen dancers in rhythm to the music. It's like dancing in front of a mirror -- if you were a vibrant cartoon person with a boombox. The reflection of your own body, as captured precisely by the Xbox 360's Kinect camera, is almost hidden compared to the in-game characters, and it makes the game feel more collaborative than judgmental. In comparison to rote stomp-'em-down Dance Dance Revolution, it's a dance dance revelation. I understand there's a mental embarrassment hurdle to be cleared here so, if it helps, better to think of Dance Central as a hip, hip-thrusting exercise game. Either way, you should also think of it as one of Kinect's least abstract games -- you're not awkwardly driving an invisible car, for example -- and certainly one of its most promising. %Gallery-95780%
Rock Band Weekly: Miley Cyrus
Five tracks from Disney Channel superstar/"Achy Breaky Heart" royalty heiress Miley Cyrus arrive on the Rock Band store next week, ready to be played along by empowered tweens everywhere. Although, if you're considering letting your tween download these, perhaps you should apply a bit of parental discretion first. Four of the songs are also playable in the family-friendly Lego Rock Band, but one ... isn't. See the full track listing after the break.
Rock Band 3 Fender Mustang Pro guitar controller and MIDI-Pro adapter eyes-on
We still can't get time with the Fender Mustang Pro guitar controller while actually playing Rock Band 3, but the gang at the Mad Catz booth were fine enough with us letting us toy around on its own, sans game. So, how does it feel just silently going through chords and scales? Sturdy as can be, sure, and the 100-plus buttons for the neck feel like they'll stand up for a good bit of time. That said, it felt harder than a real guitar locating the strings and frets -- especially a pain for faster chord changing. Also a burden? No ability to bend strings -- not that you'll be able to bend on the Squier Stratocaster either, as it turns out, but that's a whole 'nother issue. We also got some eyes on the MIDI Pro Adapter for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii; there isn't much to look at for now, but if you get your kicks from plastic dongles, hey, we've got all the photos you need below. %Gallery-95481% %Gallery-95483%
Rock Band 3 keyboard hands-on (video)
The internet at large has been joking about it long enough -- "hey, where's Keyboard Hero?" Well, here it is, and it's pretty killer. We're on the fence on how to describe our experience with Rock Band 3's not-a-keytar, because in many ways it's reflective of your own thoughts on the rhythm genre and pianos in general. Those with actual musical backgrounds are likely to scoff at the easy mode's use of five arbitrary keys for the tune -- not the groupings you see above, but a different set of colors, one per white note in the right half, with indicators just above the notes on that crevice between the top panel and keys themselves (picture's after the break). Even if the actual song calls for a F# note, hitting a F or even a B might be called for instead. It's a mentality that's as old as the genre, that what we're really doing is pantomiming instruments -- or in the case of drums, just hitting key notes and letting the game fill in the blanks on lower difficulties. This, however, is an actual piano. The over-simplification is probably a necessary illusion in standard mode -- or even when the keyboard is used as a replacement guitar / bass -- but having actual proper keys will probably drive the more musically apt insane. Then again, if you're not of that mindset, none of this will probably bother you at all, so feel free to ignore our impressions and bang away. Pro mode, on the other hand is pretty killer, for all the reasons that standard mode can be irksome. Even at the simplest levels, you're actually getting to play proper notation. Perfect for us, no matter how badly we flubbed up "Crosstown Traffic" on Expert. Sight-reading is a challenge, but nothing worse than actual notation. As we've seen before, the main lane doesn't show all two octaves, but the warning we're given before shifting to the right or left is easy enough to follow, but just like when you first grabbed the plastic axe, expect a good bit of adjustment frustration. See more pics below, and video after the break. Update: Clarification added to the different color groupings used for Pro and Standard mode. %Gallery-95363%
Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster plays both real and virtual guitar... at the same time (video)
As unfair as it is, what initially gave us hesitation about Mad Catz and Squier's Stratocaster Pro guitar controller was that, well, it's Fender's second-tier brand. Despite these prejudices from our youth, Harmonix pretty much sold us on it with one pretty badass trick: the ability to simultaneously play Rock Band 3 on Pro Expert and rock the same tune through an amplifier. Bonus: in the presentation we saw, extra notes and added fills didn't seem to affect score. So, that just about turns the uncanny valley of plastic peripherals on its head. Just make sure you crank your TV's sound system to 11 to not be drowned out from what's likely an even worse screw-up sound. See for yourself in the video after the break (caution: a few naughty words contained within).%Gallery-95362%
