RockBand
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Confirmed: Rock Band $170 on Nov. 23 for Xbox and PS3; PS2 version coming Dec. 10 at $160
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/CONFIRMED_Rock_Band_170_on_Nov_23_for_Xbox_and_PS3'; It's official folks, Rock Band will be $170 for Xbox 360 and PS3 and release Nov. 23. A Friday ... wait, Black Friday? Yes, more on that in a second. The PS2 version will release Dec. 10 for $160. Our spidey sense started tingling that something was up when we received info that Amazon was listing Rock Band for $169 -- a $30 reduction from the $199 they've had listed for months. Turns out that they received the official price today. The bundle includes the game (reg. $60, $50 on PS2), the guitar (reg. $60, but wired on Xbox 360, wireless is separate and $80), the wired drums (reg. $80), and wired microphone (reg. $30).Now the big question: What were the powers that be thinking with November 23rd? Nov. 23rd is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, the high holy "oh my gawd we're going to get trampled when the stores open" day of the year. Can you imagine what it's going to be like trying to pick up your game at retail on that day? Don't know about the rest of you, but if there were ever a time to get your game by mail -- this would be that time![Thanks to all those that sent info in]
Rock Band release end of November says Amazon 'oops' email [update]
Update: All has been revealed.Earlier this week Amazon.com dropped the ball and freaked a lot of pre-order customers out by sending emails saying Rock Band was delayed until 2008 -- it wasn't true. Interestingly, in their "oops" letter today to those same pre-order customers Amazon says: "'Rock Band Special Edition' [Video Game], Estimated arrival date: 11/27/2007 - 11/29/2007."The person we received this info from uses Amazon Prime, which gives faster shipping on items, so those dates should be the week of release. Of course, Amazon already screwed up the year this week, so what's another week? Most guesstimates have had the release the week of Nov. 20. The official Rock Band release announcement is expected next week. Still no word yet on official peripheral pricing though.Update: After receiving more of these letters, it turns out there are apparently two versions. One with an 11/23 date and another with 11/27 date. We spoke with Amazon.com and they say that there is an algorithm in the system that decides these dates based on location, but because there's no official date yet, these delivery estimates are still subject to change. The difference in date are not related to console platform. Boy it'd be nice to finally get a solid release date.[Thanks Tim]
R.E.M. (orange) crushes in new Rock Band video
There is something inherently wrong with having R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe's voice paired up with a muscular, long-haired man in a sleeveless t-shirt. It just feels wrong. Regardless, that's exactly what we see in the above video that reveals the band's contribution to EA's upcoming Rock Band.IGN also previews the game, noting that we shouldn't expect as many solo-centric songs as one would find in Guitar Hero, since the game's focus is on enjoyment for an entire band. That said, IGN assures there will be tracks to appeal the budding (virtual) shredder. We tend to think there are more than enough bands out there -- Mastodon, Minus the Bear, Tool, Neil Diamond, etc. -- where every instrument part is an enjoyable challenge. The article also discusses the Fender Stratocaster-inspired guitar controller and its special effects switch.Rock Band is (still) due out sometime in November.[Via X3F]
A look at guitar in Rock Band, new REM track
While Rock Band looks to add a great deal to the Guitar Hero formula, there is a (legitimate) fear that hardcore Guitar Hero fanatics will find the game lacking. After all, it wouldn't exactly be fun for the rest of the band if the guitarist simply spent the whole song shredding while the rest of them stood silent. IGN takes a detailed look at this problem in a recent article. To sum up, Rock Band concentrates more on riffs than solos, but that doesn't mean solos aren't there. IGN concludes that they may not be as challenging as some of the most hardcore Guitar Hero tracks, but they can still have a high degree of difficulty. Furthermore, the article discusses Rock Band's version of star power, which is called overdrive. In an interesting trade off, a guitarist must use his or her overdrive in order to bring back a failed band mate. Ouch. The article also mentions the optional extras on the Rock Band Fender guitar, including the solo buttons close to the body as well as the effects switch. The effects switch can be used to turn on effects like wah wah during overdrive and solo sections. Finally, IGN reveals a new track for the game, "Orange Crush" by R.E.M. See it for the first time in the video above.
Harmonix confirms Amazon Rock Band delay notices are wrong
We'll keep this short and sweet. Amazon sent out notices this morning to customers that Rock Band had been delayed until late 2008. That is just plain wrong says Harmonix's PR. They have absolutely no idea how it happened, but when they asked Amazon to update their information to correct the error, Amazon then shifted all Rock Band content to 2008. Rock Band is still planned for this November with an official release date being announced "very soon."A representative for Harmonix tells Joystiq, "We have asked Amazon to address this and we'll be coming out November of this year. We've requested they update their information. We have no idea where that date came from." So all those preparing to rock, and especially those that pre-ordered their Rock Band bundle off Amazon, it looks like everything's gonna be all right.[Thanks to all those who sent this in]
Rock Band wireless PS3 guitar gets FCC'd, mystery dongle discovered
FCC employees must have had a lot of fun testing out this one. Though the hipsters might call it Exhibit VFR822151, to the layman it's the Bluetooth-enabled wireless Rock Band guitar for the PlayStation 3. Shown on the site are some test reports, pictures of the guitar's innards (ew!) and snippets of the manual. Somewhat perplexing is the picture of a USB dongle (pictured after the break). Because of the Bluetooth technology, the guitar shouldn't need an intermediary device to connect to the PlayStation 3; however, the user manual included with the FCC exhibit clearly show the dongle as part of the setup process. Perhaps it'll become clearer closer to Rock Band's holiday launch.[Via Engadget]
Wireless Rock Band guitar crashes through FCC's gates
FCC employees must have had a lot of fun testing out this one. Though the hipsters might call it Exhibit VFR822151, to the layman it's the Bluetooth-enabled wireless Rock Band guitar for the PlayStation 3. Shown on the site are some test reports, pictures of the guitar's innards (ew!) and snippets of the manual. Somewhat perplexing is the picture of a USB dongle (pictured after the break). Because of the Bluetooth technology, the guitar shouldn't need an intermediary device to connect to the PlayStation 3; however, the user manual included with the FCC exhibit clearly show the dongle as part of the setup process. Perhaps it'll become clearer closer to Rock Band's holiday launch.[Via Engadget]
Rock Band wireless guitar for PS3 rocks the FCC
While there's no indication that they got the game to test it with, the folks at the FCC did at least get to spend a bit of time with the new wireless guitar for the PS3 version of Rock Band, which is more than enough to make us a tad envious. Somewhat interestingly, the guitar looks to come bundled with a fairly unassuming-looking dongle (check it out after the break), which would seem to be unnecessary if the guitar used Bluetooth, as some had previously speculated. Otherwise, the FCC filing looks to be about as standard as they come, complete with a snippet of the manual, a slew of test reports, and a few shots of the guitar's innards thrown in for good measure (click on through for a glimpse of that).
Rock Band's bundled guitar to be wired on Xbox 360, wireless for PS3
Now that you've gone and pre-ordered Rock Band, here's a tidbit about what will actually be included. According to Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos, the guitar that comes bundled in with the Xbox 360 version will not be wireless, as he reportedly states that "the cost of wireless technology on the Microsoft side is higher." Notably, the PS3 bundle will indeed include a wireless axe, and before you get too riled up, Xbox 360 users will still be able to purchase a wireless shredder separately if it's a make-or-break scenario for ya. Oh, and the drums and microphone will be wired on both platforms, but Xbox 360 buyers will purportedly get a USB hub thrown in to hook it all up.[Via GamingToday]
More Rock Band tracks: KISS, Soundgarden, RHCP
And the Rock Band tracks keep coming. EA, MTV, and Harmonix have announced three new tracks for the upcoming rock simulator. Again we see a mix of old and new tracks, in keeping with the songs that have already been revealed. Without further ado, here they are: "Detroit Rock City" by KISS "Dani California" by Red Hot Chili Peppers "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden Find a list of all tracks revealed thus far after the break.
New Rock Band tracks: KISS a Red Hot Chili in the Soundgarden
Or smooch a flaming pepper in the audio grove if you prefer your news to be less explicit. Either way, intimate and coveted relations with spicy fruit should bring to mind three new Rock Band tracks -- or is it the other way around? EA has revealed (via 1UP) that this holiday's battle of the fake bands will be graced by the following master tracks: "Detroit Rock City" by KISS "Dani California" by Red Hot Chili Peppers "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden A list of all tracks unveiled thus far can be found after the break.
Video: Rock Band goes down Highway Star
A new Rock Band trailer made an appearance over the weekend sadly featuring no in-game footage, but it does take us down the the road of chaos and craziness called Highway Star. The Rock Band Highway Star trailer (embedded above) is quite the entertaining pre-rendered CG fest that should get your blood pumping and make your inner daredevil want to rock out. We aren't sure why the band featured in the trailer likes playing on top of vehicles (maybe because they need dangerous extremes to get a natural high, since numerous drug overdoses has led to their brain's excitement nerve endings to burn out), but darned if it isn't badass and darned if they aren't a nimble few. Go ... watch ... now!
Harmonix CEO confirms Rock Band's Xbox 360 bundle guitar is wired
In the latest OXM Podcast, Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos confirms that the Xbox 360 guitars for Rock Band are wired in the bundles. There will be wired and wireless versions available for the Xbox 360, but once again, the retail bundles will come with a wired guitar. The PS3 guitars are all wireless. The Xbox 360 bundle will also come with a USB hub for all the peripherals to plug into. On both the Xbox 360 and PS3 version the microphone and drum kit will be wired. Rigopulos says, "The cost of wireless technology on the Microsoft side is higher and to be able to offer those bundles at a price point that would be reasonable for consumers it was necessary ... on the 360 side we are also bundling a hub." And no, there is no official price yet. It's starting to look like the $20 difference between the Xbox 360 wired and wireless guitar we reported after receiving an internal Game Crazy memo is holding up. So, that's that, the Xbox 360 bundle of Rock Band has a wired guitar and you'll get a little hub to plug everything in. Now comes the question if Microsoft will loosen their grip on the cost of licensing the proprietary wireless tech if the PS3 version of Rock Band sells stronger (comparatively given its lower install base) due to its wireless advantage. In the end, we don't blame Harmonix/EA/MTV for this wired issue -- although it was shady of them to hide it this long -- we're more upset that the consumer is going to get an inferior product due to an obnoxious licensing issue. It's deja vu all over again.[Thanks sm0ke]%Gallery-3923%
Rock the Rock Band truck for a chance to be on MTV
You know you're awesome at guitar games, and you want everyone to know it. Well here's your chance to rock out with your mock guitar out (or mic or drum kit, if you are so inclined) and maybe even appear on MTV.Beginning September 9th and continuing until December 13th, be on the look out for the Rock Band big rig at various cities in the contiguous 48 states. You can try out the game on a real life stage with lights and sound systems. Not only that, participants will be video taped and possibly be cast for one of two bands to appear on MTV's TRL.Let's just hope they hook up the PS3 with wireless guitars so wanna-be rockers can bust out some backflips while playing.[via Joystiq]
Rock Band US tour kicks off Sept 9th
Future rock stars and Rock Band enthusiasts will be able to take in the complete Rock Band experience this Fall with the Rock Band US tour kicking off in a few days. MTV Games just announced that a 24 city US Rock Band tour will begin September 9th in Las Vegas and wrap up on December 16th in Orlando. Tour attendees will be able to play the game on a complete concert stage and have a chance to enter MTV's casting call for their "Rock Off" event where one lucky winner will have the chance play live on TRL and open for a surprise band at a Rock Band launch concert. Get ready to rock and check out the complete tour schedule after the jump with finalized locations and times to come.[Via Joystiq]
Rock Band tour dates across US
If you've been looking to get your hands on Rock Band, here's your best chance before it launches on ... actually we still have no idea on an official release date. The 24-city tour will start in Vegas on Sept. 9, the weekend of the MTV Video Music Awards. The full list of tour stops can be found after the break.Big trucks, like the one seen above, will travel the country and allow people to play on a "full stage with lights and sound systems." That's much better than what you'll have in your living room. Further, "any rockers ... who play on the Rock Band tour bus stage will be captured on tape for consideration by MTV casting directors." Two bands will get picked and be flown to NYC to perform on TRL. The winning group will get to open for a "surprise super group" at the Rock Band launch concert. We don't fear the Reaper, but we do have concerns of what MTV will do to those people. We can only imagine this equation: Next + Dismissed + Parental Control + Super Sweet 16 + Rock Band = ???
Rock Band gets Grateful Dead
Just like a proud father when their son scores the winning home run in the neighborhood tee-ball game, MTV Games announced that they have partnered with the Grateful Dead for this Fall's release of Rock Band. As part of their multi-track downloadable offerings, Rock Band will be exclusively offering 18 Grateful Dead master tracks as downloadable content after the game ships. The 18 tracks will come from various Grateful Dead albums and is guaranteed to include the songs "Truckin'", "Uncle John's Band", "Touch of Grey", "Sugar Magnolia", and "Casey Jones". No pricing details were announced, but you can be sure that you'll have to stock up Microsoft points this holiday season.Deadheads, it's time to pull out the trippy drug chest and "lose yourself" in the sweet Rock Band melodies. Come on, trust us ... the water is safe to drink.
Rock Band gets 18 Grateful Dead tracks through DLC
Fresh from the news that Aerosmith is going to be involved with a new iteration of the Guitar Hero franchise, jam band kings the Grateful Dead have cast their patchouli-caked lot with the rhythm rival: Rock Band. The band that's the source of more bloodshot eyes than allergies and swimming pools combined will be giving up 18 tracks for download, including "Truckin'," "Uncle John's Band," "Touch of Grey," "Sugar Magnolia," and "Casey Jones."It's not yet been confirmed if fans will sell their possessions and begin following you around the country if you download the tracks. We'll keep our fingers crossed.[Thanks, Copa]
Rock Band: The next great franchise (an interview with Harmonix)
Dance Dance Revolution showed that rhythm titles had a life here in the States, but Guitar Hero proved they could also become full blown phenomenons. No one could have guessed it at the time, but Harmonix's musical masterpiece quickly became the most culturally significant video game since Master Chief became a household name. The success was long overdue for Harmonix, having already shown off their rhythmic chops with the PlayStation 2 favorites Frequency and Amplitude. Teaming up with Konami, they quickly established their dominance of the microphone on this side of the ocean with Karaoke Revolution. With 2005's Guitar Hero, they crafted the perfect blend of boyhood dreams and American rock insanity. The next step was obvious, but how could it possibly be done? Speaking with Harmonix CEO and co-founder, Alex Rigopulos, we look into the history of the great white hope of rhythm gaming and what goes into creating what, if everything goes according to plan, will be considered one of the greatest rhythm titles of all time. From the challenges of gathering licenses to taking on their own success, this is the story of the next great franchise.%Gallery-3923%
Video: Rock Band as played by the pros
Ah, delicious Rock Band. While we were able to sample of its delights at E3, we can hardly say that we were particularly good at it. The drums, while awesome, are tough. Now, if you can get a whole group of people who know what they're doing, Rock Band is a sight to behold. So, what better group of people could you get besides the folks from Harmonix themselves? Our friend DeaconBlade over at Unscripted 360 put together just such a group during PAX, including Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos and a guitarist from a real band (ooooohhh). The result: awesomeness.Now, can we get an official price on this thing? Please?
