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Harmonix debuts Dance Central, its Kinect dance game
Though we caught a glimpse of it at last night's Kinect unveiling, Harmonix has put Dance Central on the stage of Microsoft's E3 2010 press conference. Published by MTV Games, the fully-featured rhythm game will offer 600 moves and 90 routines (that's dance parlance) when it launches alongside Kinect in November. It'll also support up to three players and, as with Harmonix's other titles, post-launch DLC. If Harmonix can put out Portal songs as Rock Band DLC, a "Natal Rave" download can't be outside the realms of possibility.
Interview: Harmonix's Daniel Sussman on Rock Band 3's new tune
Rock Band 3 is set to introduce a new instrument -- the keyboard -- to the performance simulation genre, and a new, more complex level of simulation in Pro Mode. At a pre-E3 event, we asked the project lead, Daniel Sussman of Harmonix, to provide us with comfort in these times of frightening music-game flux. Well, mostly we asked him to tell us things about the game. Read on to learn about the new Pro instruments and the new keyboard peripheral, and how those will interact with the Rock Band we know and love. Joystiq: First off, what was the major focus for you guys when you were looking to make Rock Band 3? It seems really ambitious, and it seems like it's less about adding more songs -- that's sort of what Rock Band Network does -- and it seems more like expanding the platform out as far as you can take it. Daniel Sussman, Rock Band 3 project lead: Kind of two main drives: one was to do a ground-up rebuild of the Rock Band platform, and rethink some of the ways that people get in and out of game sessions, and experience the music and the gameplay, and then the other big sort of movement was to innovate with gameplay and try to come up with some new experiences that build on the classic fundamentals of music games and also actual musicianship. %Gallery-94904%
Your new Rock Band 3 instruments revealed
Want to see the keyboard peripheral designed for Rock Band 3? How about the new versions of the guitar and drums you'll be strumming and smashing, respectively? Dip into our gallery for glamor shots of the instruments, including both variations of the Pro guitar -- the ridiculously button-ful Fender Mustang controller, and the Squier Strat that is both a Rock Band controller and a for-real guitar. %Gallery-94903%
Hands-on: Rock Band 3
Yes, there is a keytar peripheral (though in the game, it's just called "keys"). Yes, there is a Rock Band Pro mode, complete with its own 102-button guitar, that's more complicated than anything you've ever seen a plastic instrument do. Yes, a full band now consists of seven different instruments: two guitars, three vocalists (harmonies included, thanks to The Beatles), drums and a keyboard. But all of that stuff already reported by USA Today isn't what makes Rock Band 3 worthy of a plus one to the version number. It's everything else. Harmonix has reimagined their premiere title. They've fixed problems with the game (including the most common problem players have faced), smoothed out the rough edges, and added a ton of little extra features and fun. From the menu screen on, Rock Band 3 is very clearly, as the developers said during a pre-E3 event a few weeks ago, "a clean slate design of Rock Band. Nothing was sacred," they told us. "We decided to build the ultimate music game." %Gallery-94904%
Mega64 gets the lowdown on Rock Band 3's new logo
Oh, Mega64, is there any code you can't crack? First it was the mysterious Kojima teaser last year and now, the comedy troupe ponders on that mysterious new keyboard-like icon in the Rock Band 3 logo. They even find some similarities between Rock Band 3 and F3AR -- er, sorry, FEAR 3. It's some very high-brow deductive reasoning, as indicated in the classy image above. Head past the break to check out the video courtesy of IGN -- "solved 4 good," indeed.
Rock Band Weekly: Ozzy Osbourne six-pack
With all of the downloadable tracks available for Rock Band, it's hard to imagine Ozzy Osbourne hasn't snuck in there somewhere. Sure enough, he hasn't, but don't fret: Ozzy's set to make his Rock Band debut next week with a six-pack of songs, including three from his upcoming studio album, Scream. Rock Band fans gain access to three songs from the album on June 15, in advance of the album's release on June 22. On top of that, fans of Ozzy's classic solo stuff will get three of his older tracks, from three separate albums. Head past the break for the full list.
Rock Band Weekly: Deftones, Boys Like Girls, Crown of Thorns
Even if you don't love Green Day, you'll be able to pick up some new music to play in Rock Band next week, thanks to Harmonix's weekly delivery of DLC. Next week will see the arrival of a three-pack of songs from Deftones, as well as one track each from Boys Like Girls and Crown of Thorns. If you don't like any of those groups ... this is a good week to practice on the songs you already have, we guess. See the full DLC list after the break.
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.
Rock Band Weekly: Spoon pack, P.O.D.'s 'Alive'
[Flickr: kk+] What's your "spoon face?" Find out next week with the release of the first Spoon pack for Rock Band, featuring a four-track collection of the indie band's more recent songs -- including a pair off this year's album Transference. Also "in store" next Tuesday is P.O.D.'s life anthem, "Alive." Be warned -- the chorus will get stuck in your head. Head past the break for full details.
Rock Band 3 purportedly gaining keytar peripheral, infinite amounts of our love
Look, we've no qualms with keyboards -- Elton John is permanently embedded in our playlists, it'll be the first instrument we teach our robotic children, and it's easily the most underrated part of Justin Bieber's spectacularness. But there's no arguing that having a keytar peripheral is far, far more awesome in the grand scheme of things. According to the same mole on ArsTechnica that has correctly nailed a new PS3 bundle, the PSP go and Xbox 360 price cuts, Rock Band 3 will feature a new keytar peripheral, which will undoubtedly destroy our productivity for an indefinite amount of time. We're also told that Mad Catz will be taking over the production of RB hardware, leaving Harmonix only responsible for touching up the software. There's still no indication of when this mythical device will be hitting your local Game Stop, but it's certainly safe to slide your pre-order alert system to Orange.
Report: Rock Band 3 features keytar, 'Pro' mode
Given that Harmonix already teased the inclusion of a new instrument in Rock Band 3 -- the keyboard -- we almost feel like we've been taken for a ride. That is, if today's report from Ars Technica's mole on the game is correct and the keyboard is actually a keytar. "What?!" you cry. Much like Frankie, we must say, "Relax!" because, well, we're totally on board with the concept. Just think about the possibilities! The Ars report also alleges the addition of a "Pro" mode "that will require proper technique, and may lead to actual skills on guitar and bass." Perhaps that mode will have some tie to the peripherals, which will all be assembled by Mad Catz, apparently, (as hinted at earlier this year); meaning EA would only handle the distribution of game discs. Though Ars' mole has been accurate with rumors in the past, without confirmation from MTV Games, Harmonix, EA, or Mad Catz (yes, we tried -- only MTV Games responded, saying, "We do not comment on rumors or speculation"), this report is still, unfortunately, unconfirmed.
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]
MTV admits higher sales of Beatles: Rock Band were expected in Europe
The Beatles: Rock Band may have been a critical success, but it never achieved the levels of commercial success MTV had hoped for in Europe. MTV general manager Scott Guthrie told MCV that a combination of the bad economy and competition contributed to the game's undesirable performance. "We got caught in a few things that happened last year. It was a tough economy; there was a lot of competitive products out there, and I think Beatles probably had softer sales than it would have if some of those things weren't in play," he said. "Overall we were pleased with the sales. I think that we underestimated the competition and they took mind share away from us." This shouldn't be an issue for MTV's next game, Green Day: Rock Band, the company hopes. The competition Guthrie talks about is Guitar Hero 5, which did gangbusters in Europe. But while Guitar Hero 5 was busy selfishly generating cash for Activision, The Beatles: Rock Band managed to generate a lot of cash for charity, so that has to help MTV get through those cold nights. Right?
Green Day: Rock Band more familiar to 'core audience' than The Beatles, MTV Games says
The Beatles are a tough act to follow. And so, several weeks from the release of Green Day: Rock Band, publisher MTV Games has some promoting to do. MTV Games GM Scott Gutherie recently explained the reasoning behind picking the younger, less "classic rock"–oriented band for its next single-act music game following The Beatles: Rock Band. "We were pleased with the performance of Beatles: Rock Band, but we were expecting higher sales," Guthrie said. "Our core audience of 16- to 34-year-old males are much more familiar with Green Day music than The Beatles." Targeting the core gaming audience with a band active during their lifetimes certainly seems like a sensible business move, though it does signal a move away from the kind of market expansion MTV and Harmonix were attempting with Beatles. However, Guthrie's suggestion that "Green Day probably has a much higher awareness than perhaps The Beatles did" seems like a stretch. Everyone knows The Beatles. The clear market advantage that the Green Day game does have is the benefit of being compatible with Rock Band's existing and ever-growing library, as its tracks are exportable (for a fee) to Xbox 360 and PS3 hard drives and playable in the main iterations of the series. Though Guthrie didn't say as much, it's possible Beatles sales suffered because the game was a standalone project, which didn't mesh well with the Rock Band ethos and its core demographic. %Gallery-87997%
Rock Band Weekly: The Grateful Dead to Smithereens
We know, we know! The last thing that should happen when somebody mentions the Grateful Dead -- undeniably one of the most culturally significant bands of the 20th century -- is that our brain immediately goes to delicious ice cream. Sorry, but word association works in magical ways. Grateful Dead to Jerry Garcia to Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia. Full details on next week's Rock Band DLC, featuring the Grateful Dead and The Smithereens, can be found after the break.
Rock Band Weekly: Judas Priest's 'British Steel 30th Anniversary'
Clearly, it'd been way too long since we last used our Rob Halford tag here at Joystiq, so it was convenient when Harmonix announced today Judas Priest's "British Steel 30th Anniversary" album as next week's Rock Band DLC. This collection is taken from the 2009 30th anniversary tour when the band played the entirety of its nine-song 1980 thrasher, British Steel, for the first time live. "Breakin' the Law" live? Sold. Hit the break for all the details.
Win $10K, meet Ringo during 2nd annual Rock Band casino competition
Harrah's casinos and MTV games are teaming up for the 2nd Annual "Total Rock, Total Rewards Rock Band Competition." The winners will receive $10,000 and the opportunity to kiss the starry rings of Ringo Starr. The competitions will take place between now and June 13 at "Harrah's Total Rewards Casinos" and 15 additional US locations that host "Rock Band Bar Nights." The top scoring bands from each venue will have an opportunity to compete in the final copetition at Bally's Atlantic City on July 1-2. But wait, there's more: an online competition at Harrahs.com will find one band flying on a private jet to the finale. So, if you think your band stands a chance, get registered.
The Beatles: Rock Band value bundle for 360 just $51 on Amazon
Back when The Beatles: Rock Band's Special Value Bundle was first announced, we had some reservations about how much of a "special value" it really was. However, a recent Amazon discount has made its description irrefutable: For just $51.08 (shipping included), you can grab the 360 version of the bundle, which includes a copy of the game and a set of instruments from the original Rock Band. If you can deal with the calamitous clicking and clacking of the series' original drum kit, that's one heck of a deal. There's no telling how long this discount will be offered, or how many copies of the bundle are still available, so prospective mop-toppers should act swiftly. [Via CheapCollegeGamer]
Mad Catz now 'principal peripherals partner' for Rock Band franchise
"Mad Catz" isn't just the best name ever for a fictional group in Rock Band, it's also the new "principal peripherals partner" for the Rock Band franchise, including the upcoming Rock Band 3. The manufacturer now has worldwide rights to produce and distribute Rock Band peripherals. The company previously produced third-party peripherals for Rock Band and Rock Band 2. Mad Catz has confirmed to Joystiq that " As the official partner, accessories included in Rock Band bundles will indeed be produced by Mad Catz." "We are excited to be expanding our relationship with Mad Catz to continue to bring their video game peripheral design and manufacturing expertise to the Rock Band platform," Alex Rigopulos, CEO of Harmonix, said in the announcement. "We look forward to partnering with Mad Catz to continue to innovate and lead the music game genre through the Rock Band franchise." He has reason to be excited -- Viacom, owner of MTV Games and Harmonix, has already expressed its interest in getting away from the business of peripheral production, and now it's found a partner that has experience, and, recently, some clout in the creation of game controllers.
Rock Band Weekly: Busted, Flyleaf, Silverchair
Next week's Rock Band DLC contains three random singles and no track packs. With that said, Harmonix has already prepared for the backlash against this next update. Developer "HMXHenry" has posted a forum note to all the "Chicken Littles out there" that there is "loads more content in the pipeline, tons of awesome RBN tracks that are now coming out on the Xbox 360 AND the PS3." So, don't jump to conclusions, the sky isn't falling people! Check out next week's DLC releases after the break.
