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Ion reveals $299.99 price for premium Rock Band drums
Thought $180 for the original Rock Band package was expensive? You ain't seen nothing yet. The official Web site for Ion's professional Drum Rocker (as recently revealed in Game Informer) lists a $299.99 price for the deluxe drum controller. Only the Xbox 360 version of the set is currently available for pre-order, though Wii and PS3 editions are "expected to ship later in the year," according to the site. It's important to note that this is not the official drum set that will be packaged with Rock Band 2, but rather an officially licensed deluxe set that works with both Rock Band games.While $300 may sound steep (soon, you could get a whole 'nother Xbox 360 for that price), Ion sounds like they've gone to great lengths to make sure serious virtual drummers get their money's worth. According to the site, the four high-durability, quiet, velocity-sensitive pads can be mounted and rearranged in any position and even outfitted with "professional drum brains" from Alesis. Add in a metal-reinforced kick pedal (with velcro and spikes to prevent slippage) and two packaged, mountable cymbals (with the option to add a third) and you've got what's unquestionably the Rolls Royce of drum controllers. The web site also has a short video and some detailed photos of the set, so check it out and figure out for yourself whether it's worth dropping three Benjamins.
Rock Band 2 special edition Ion drum kit and real Fender Stratocaster guitar controllers coming
Playing Rock Band sometimes feels like the real thing, but what if it looked like the real thing? Ion, who make real drum kits, have announced that they will release a premium Rock Band 2 drum kit that will not only have realistic pads and cymbals (which you can custom-assign), but it will also be possible to plug the thing into a drum brain to turn the kit into a real electronic drum kit. If that craziness wasn't enough, Harmonix plans to gut some actual Fender Stratocasters and turn them into Rock Band guitars, which is either amazing or complete sacrilege depending on your musical religion.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Bon Jovi and others confirmed for Rock Band 2
Soft rock god and midget Bon Jovi is amongst the latest group of artists confirmed to appear in Rock Band 2. Game Informer magazine identified seven new tracks from the instrument fest, finally confirming what we all suspected: that the "leaked" video from earlier in the week was a fake. One piece of speculation that doesn't look fake is an earlier list of rumored tracks, many of which match up to the latest official batch. And here they are, along with their YouTube links: "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi "Rock 'n Me" by Steve Miller Band "Testify" by Rage Against The Machine "White Wedding Pt. 1" by Billy Idol "Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett "Almost Easy" by Avenged Sevenfold "I Was Wrong" by Social Distortion Game Informer also reveals that the drum kit has been tweaked (to incorporate expansion slots for cymbals, velocity-sensitive pads, and a sturdier, reinforced drum pedal), and that Harmonix will release a deluxe drum kit which can double up as real electronic drums when you're not playing the game. There will also be quieter buttons on the guitar, a "less squishy" strum bar, and a mode that lets players listen to their performances. Hopefully all of this applies to the Wii version!Hold your lighter aloft and sway past the break for a full list of Rock Band 2's confirmed (and rumored) tracklist to date.
Rock Band 2: Ion drum kit, real Fender Strats, 7 new songs
Another seven songs have been revealed from Rock Band 2's tracklist of 80 songs in the latest issue of Game Informer magazine. This makes a total of 17 songs officially known so far. The 7 songs are: Bon Jovi - "Livin' on a Prayer" Steve Miller Band - "Rock 'n Me" Joan Jett - "Bad Reputation" Social Distortion - "I Was Wrong" Rage Against the Machine - "Testify" Avenged Sevenfold - "Almost Easy" Billy Idol - "White Wedding Pt. 1" Notice that every single one of these songs are on the earlier leaked list from 8bitfix, so that increases the possibility the rest of the songs on the list are correct. Other improvements disclosed in the extensive article include a more user-friendly lag calibration, quieter buttons on the guitar and quieter pads on the drums, simulated tuning during loading screens and more.Ion, a maker of real drum kits, will release a premium Rock Band drum kit which will have "amazing" cymbals and pads, and the option to plug it into a real drum brain and for usage as a real electronic drum kit. Harmonix will also be producing limited edition guitars by taking a couple of real Fender Strats, ripping out the insides, and replacing each one of them with Rock Band parts. Sounds fancy, and very expensive. Who's first in line to sell their organs for one?[Via Joystiq]
Konami takes Harmonix to court over Rock Band
When the video game music genre gets too tough to compete, Konami has a master plan. They say screw trying to develop something new and innovative or even attempting to copy their competitors. Why go through all that work when you can sue?This past Wednesday in a Texas District Court, Konami filed a lawsuit against Harmonix, MTV Games and EA claiming that Rock Band infringes on three of their patents. Specifically, Konami claims that several of their patents from older titles like Guitar Freaks, Drummania, and Pop'n Music were ignored and therefore Rock Band is a franchise based on lies and deceit. What happend to the whole idea of music bringing people together?
GI unveils Rock Band 2 'Ion' drums and 7 new tracks
Coming straight from the pages of Game Informer and landing on the ScoreHero forums is new Rock Band 2 information including sexy new drum sets as well as confirmation of seven additional tracks. Heck, there's a boatload of other information too.GI's Rock Band 2 news-fest unveils pictures of the game's new drum set as well as a limited edition "Ion" drum kit that comes complete with three additional cymbals (don't worry, the colors mirror those that are already on the pads) and can be used as an actual seven piece electric set. Though, the basic drums are no slouch, Harmonix added a metal reinforced foot pedal, expansion slots for cymbals, velocity sensitive pads and wireless connectivity. All upgrades we are happy to see and give two thumbs sign of the horns way up!But that isn't all, we also get seven additional Rock Band 2 songs to add to our ever growing list of confirmed setlist tracks. Hit the break to view the new seven and prepare to scream with excitement if you're a fan of Billy Idol, RATM or Joan Jett.
Game Informer reveals 'Ion' premium Rock Band 2 drum kit
The latest issue of Game Informer (via Score Hero) has a feature spread on Rock Band 2 and, while most of the information was released online yesterday, the magazine does have images of the new drum kit, both the upgraded basic and Ion Premium Set. The upgrades to the basic set include metal reinforcements on the foot pedal, velocity sensitive pads and expandable slots for cymbals.The Ion set is a different beast altogether. As seen in the scan, the set gives you the option of playing the yellow, green and blue pads as cymbals. There is no indication on if you can use the cymbals for songs with long stretches of red notes used for the hi-hat beats (e.g. "Everlong"). The Ion set can purportedly be used as a real, 7-piece electronic set (albeit sans hi-hat pedal, unless we can upgrade), which then begs the question if we could find a way to make this compatible with Guitar Hero World Tour. We're hoping to get a chance to try out the premium set next week at E3. The latest Game Informer is currently on newsstands.Update: Made the image text red so no one got their hopes up too high by overlooking it. It should be noted that the above set is produced by ION, although the Rock Band 2 version is admittedly prettier.
Microsoft E3 2008 press conference: Let's play bingo!
#bingochart { border: 2px solid #111; border-collapse: collapse; } #bingochart td { padding: 1px 0px 1px 0px; border: 1px solid #ccc; vertical-align: top; text-align: center; margin: 0; font-size: 80%; line-height: 90%; } #bingochart th { padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: top; text-align: center; margin: 0; } #bingochart a{ filter:progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Alpha(opacity=100); -moz-opacity: 1;} #bingochart a:hover { filter:progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Alpha(opacity=80); -moz-opacity: 0.80;} XNA GamesLaunch Deets Fable 2Online Co-op Alan Wake Demoed SecretRare Game 60 GIGHard Drive Gears 24 player Co-op HaloChronicles Too HumanXBLM Demo Rock Band 2On Stage Bungie TalksNew Game DashboardReborn J AllardReturns FREE SPACEAvatars! Cliff AppearsWith Lancer Metal GearOnline Xbox 360Price-Cut 'LIPS'Revealed Halo WarsRelease Date EternalDarkness 2 Third PartyXbox 360 Xbox LiveGoes Free DishwasherReleased NewX360 SKU MotionController Top SecretXBLA Games var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox/Microsoft_E3_2008_press_conference_Bingo'; In anticipation of next week's E3 Media and Business Summit, we've prepared bingo cards for each of the big press conferences, filled with some likely (and some not-so-likely) predictions for what each of the big three console makers intends to announce at arguably the biggest trade shows of the year.Today's card is for Microsoft (special thanks to X3F). We're going out on a limb and giving Avatars away as the free space. Click on each of the slides above for more information about our predictions. Microsoft's E3 press conference is scheduled for next Monday at 10:30 am PT (that's 1:30 pm Joystiq Time / ET). As always, we'll be liveblogging the event, so you can play along in real-time with us.Stay tuned for more press conference bingo cards in the days leading up to the conference. (Also: check out our bingo card for Sony's press conference.)Download a copy (PNG file) and play along!Update: Only hours after we post this ... N2, you hit my battleship!
Ten Rock Band 2 tracks confirmed
Looking for some hard info about Rock Band 2's tracklist? Well, look no further. Gamespot got a little bit of hands-on time with the much anticipated game, and it looks like the earlier leaked tracklist was correct. The 10 official songs released so far out of 80:"Ace of Spades" -- Motörhead "Everlong" -- Foo Fighters "Pinball Wizard" -- The Who "Panic Attack" -- Dream Theater "Any Way You Want It" -- Journey "Chop Suey" -- System of a Down "Kids in America" -- The Muffs "Give It Away" -- Red Hot Chili Peppers "Hello There" -- Cheap Trick "Pump It Up" -- Elvis CostelloLooks like the only song that wasn't in the old list is Elvis Costello's Pump It Up. Backwards compatibility with the first game's DLC is once again confirmed. Another big feature discussed is online World Tour mode -- band leaders have been eliminated and you can change your lineup whenever you wish and any character will be able to play any instrument. Other new game modes include Tour Challenge which will replace the Solo Tour from the original game -- you are able to unlock new challenges as you progress. It can also be played with up to three other players, whether they are local or online.
'Leaked' Rock Band 2 setlist fails to convince us
At first glance, this purported footage of Rock Band 2's entire tracklist could easily pass as the real thing. Fooling the entire internet is a tricky business, however, and closer examination of its contents reveal some glaring inconsistencies. For one -- well, for three -- we found a trio of song names that had been misspelt. Also, what's with the difficulty markers, and the way they move about? Hmm. And again, for effect: Hmmmmm.Still, if this is true, then it's one hell of a line-up; Comfortably Numb could seal the deal for us on its own (you can see the entire list after the break). But no, we're calling this fake, even if it is several shades of awesome -- what say you?
Rush talks Rock Band, humble beginnings
Rock legends, and Canadian Gods, Rush set a really good example for other rock icons -- they fully embrace gaming. While no one in the band is copping to late night sessions of Halo 3, they do discuss the process of getting their music into Rock Band, specifically tracking down a lost cut of "Working Man" to be released exclusively as downloadable content. Unfortunately, there is still no word if the rumor that the 1978 classic track The Trees is included in Rock Band 2 is true or not.In an interview with Rock Band's Brett Milano, band members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson talk about bringing their music to a new generation via gaming, the beginnings of Rush and name drop a few cities and spots in and around Ontario. Sure, Canada might be responsible for Celine Dion but Rush makes up for that travesty in spades. [via Rush is a Band - Blog]
Rumor: Rock Band 2 set list leaked on Youtube [Update]
[Update: This video is definitely fake. Details from a hands-on preview from Gamespot negate some of the information found in this listing. Sorry for the confusion; guess it was completely too good to be true after all.]With news of Rock Band 2's rumored (and highly contested) set list out there for public viewing, someone thought it might be a good idea to put up a Youtube video of these tracks in in-game form. The video above shows a supposed menu for the game and all its tracks. Remember, this is nothing more than speculation at the moment; nothing has been announced and most likely all will be revealed at E3 next week. We also think this list is too good to be true: Rock the Casbah? Seriously? Finally? Then there are songs with extreme explicit lyrics like A Perfect Circle's Judith which (while a great addition) doesn't seem like a likely candidate. Check out a full list of tracks, compiled courtesy of CVG.
The Guitar Hero / Rock Band guitar matrix v2.0!
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith recently released and we have Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band 2 to look forward to later this year, meaning we're getting a bunch of brand new guitar peripherals. Take into account the older guitars from Guitar Hero II and III as well as the original Rock Band and you're left with a confusing instrument compatibility mess. Our head hurts just thinking about it. But team Joystiq has done their best to make sure you understand which guitar peripherals work with which games, breaking down the information into a convenient Guitar Hero / Rock Band guitar compatibility matrix (version 2.0). Make the jump to view the complete matrix of guitar compatibility and be in complete peripheral compatibility awe and, possibly, complete compatibility disgust.
Previously leaked Rock Band 2 tracks confirmed
Gamespot got the early jump on the Rock Band 2 E3 announcements with their preview of Rock Band 2, telling about the game's features, giving some game impressions and (most importantly) confirming the first ten of 80+ tracks the game will ship with. And wouldn't you know, by chance, nine of the ten confirmed tracks we already knew about thanks to the G4 leakage. The only track that we didn't previously hear about is Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up" (video embedded above). So, to recap, the ten confirmed Rock Band 2 tracks are: "Ace of Spades" by Motörhead "Everlong" by Foo Fighters "Pinball Wizard" by The Who "Panic Attack" by Dream Theater "Any Way You Want It" by Journey "Chop Suey" by System of a Down "Kids in America" by The Muffs "Give It Away" by Red Hot Chili Peppers "Hello There" by Cheap Trick "Pump It Up" by Elvis Costello
Rock Band 2 details: wireless instruments, playlists, drum trainer
Let's get this out of the way first: Rock Band 2 isn't the innovator Rock Band 1 was. But if it walks like Rock Band 1 and rocks like Rock Band 1, then what makes it Rock Band 2? If you're afraid of getting a glorified song-pack, Harmonix has a handful of new features in store that they hope will assuage your fears, and they all seem to revolve around the user experience. That means no new instrument types and no fancy, new graphics, but a whole lot of what you love about Rock Band 1 has been fixed up and added onto. We got a chance to check the game out at EA's EA3 event last month and EA shared a fact sheet with us that lays out all the new features. The sequel's major feature seems to be "backwards compatibility" – that means all your previously purchased DLC will work, no need for redownloading or authorizing. It just works. The same philosophy extends to your equipment: all of your Rock Band 1 equipment will work with Rock Band 2. %Gallery-27156%
Rumorong: GameSpot says Rock Band 2 will support RB1 songs
And here we go again: After IGN backtracked on comments that seemed to indicate that Rock Band 2's biggest perceived shortcoming – spreading the rhythm game "platform" onto multiple discs, thereby tossing our precious monolithic library of songs to the wind – would in fact be be addressed by the sequel comes word from GameSpot who say ... well, the exact same thing and ... look at that, they backtracked later as well. Their original story said that Rock Band 2 "will feature full support for all of the original Rock Band songs, all of the downloadable content" as well as the 80 songs on the RB2 disc. GameSpot evidently got their purportedly faulty information from IGN's piece, and a Harmonix representative tells us that both stories were incorrect (both have been updated).Even so, that doesn't stop us from dreaming of our perfect solution: You mail in both the Rock Band 1 and Rock Band 2 discs; include $5 for shipping & handling along with three cereal box-tops; wait 4-6 months; get Rock Band 2: MEGA edition back in the mail including all tracks from Rock Band 1 and Rock Band 2 (including bonus Sgt. Slaughter or William "The Refrigerator" Perry action figures). See? Perfect.[Thanks, Joe]
Rumor: Rock Band 2 to feature all RB1 tracks as free DLC [update]
Rock Band 2 could provide download access to all of the tracks featured on the original Rock Band disc, according IGN Xbox 360 Editor Nate Ahearn. Responding to comments made by a poster in an IGN Insider "Grudge Match" that pits Rock Band 2 against Guitar Hero World Tour, Ahearn writes, "Immediately upon purchasing Rock Band 2 you'll have the ability to download a huge library of songs, as well as all of the songs off of the original disc as a free download." Ahearn has apparently (and probably wrongfully) answered a long-standing question about the seamless continuity between the two catalogs; from the RB1 disc to the RB2 disc. Many purchasers of the original Rock Band -- marketed as a "platform" by its developers -- had hoped that as the franchise inevitably spawned, there would be no need to swap discs. Supposedly, the solution lies in downloading the first game's disc tracks onto the hard drive. Still, there are at least two important questions that need answering: (1) Can we pick and choose our RB1 songs, or do we download all of them as one "free download?" (2) Can any RB2 purchaser access RB1 songs for free, or do we need to validate our ownership of the first game? Expect the full reveal next week.Update: According to IGN Xbox Team Editor-in-Chief Hilary Goldstein, "Nate goofed in writing that. He hopes that is allowed. Nothing about this has been announced and Nate's never even seen RB2. Sorry, guys." Honest mistake ... or covering tracks? We'll know next week. [Source - IGN Boards (registration required)][Via GameFAQs Boards]Source - IGN Insider (registration required)
Rock Band 2 will have free access to all Rock Band tracks [update]
A transcript from IGN Insider has revealed that Rock Band 2 will "have the ability to download a huge library of songs, as well as all of the songs off of the original disc as a free download." This is in addition to a CNN interview last week where it was said previously purchased DLC content could be redownloaded free-of-charge. With these revealations, it looks like Harmonix is taking real good care of both old and new comers to the virtual rock game. No pricing information or release date for the PS3 has been announced, though it will be after some time after September 14th, the release date of the Xbox 360 version.Additionally, two different track lists, one with 80 songs and another with 60 have also been uncovered, though how reliable they are is anyone's guess. There are some songs on both lists, and each list might contain future planned DLC that might never get released. The rumored lists after the jump.[Via 1UP]Source -- 8bitfixSource -- Loading RealitySource -- Kotaku [Update: According to IGN Xbox Team Editor-in-Chief Hilary Goldstein, "Nate (the originator of the above quote) goofed in writing that. He hopes that is allowed. Nothing about this has been announced and Nate's never even seen RB2. Sorry, guys." Guess we'll all find out the truth at E3 next week, huh?] Source - IGN Boards (registration required)
Rock Band 2 wireless instruments listed on Amazon
Online mega retailer Amazon.com has listed a standalone wireless drum set and wireless guitar for Rock Band 2 on Xbox 360 for $90 and $70, respectively. Of course, the bundled Xbox 360 guitar with the original Rock Band was tethered to the console and the drums were wired on all platforms, so we're hopeful this means the instruments included in Rock Band 2's big bundle will all be wireless. A Harmonix representative informs us that no prices, shipping dates, colors, astrological signs, or further details concerning Rock Band 2 will be released until next week's E3.[Via X3F]Source - Rock Band 2 wireless drumsSource - Rock Band 2 wireless guitar
It's Rock Band 2's wireless drums and guitar peripherals all boxed up
Looky here! It's Rock Band 2's wireless drum set and wireless guitar! Spotted on Amazon.com! All boxed up and hidden from view! Enough with the exclamation points already! Okay!Yes sir, Harmonix will be releasing a standalone drum set and wireless guitar that, according to folks at Amazon.com, are set to release alongside the special edition Rock Band 2 bundle and software in September. That means, unlike the original Rock Band, you won't have to wait months after the game's release to buy standalone peripherals. Both the drums and guitar (again, all boxed up) are $10 more expensive then their Rock Band brothers, with the drums retailing for $89.99 and the guitar retailing for $69.99. Ouch ... we know. While you ponder whether or not a wireless drum set is worth $90, we advise just sitting back and admiring their retail boxes. They're so boxy, so blue, so Rock Band inspired and so damn expensive.[Thanks, Willenholly]Source - Rock Band 2 wireless drumsSource - Rock Band 2 wireless guitar
