Rock Band!

[Matt Young 0]

Guitar Hero was just the opening act. MTV and the developers of that video game have a headliner in the works called Rock Band, which lets four music lovers gig together in person or online.

Expected in stores for the year-end holidays, the Electronic Arts game (no price set) for the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 will be played with four instrument-based video game controllers: two guitars (lead and bass), a drum kit and a microphone.

 

In the popular game Guitar Hero, players tap color-coded fret keys and strum a guitar-shaped controller in time with scrolling on-screen notes. Rock Band "takes the core premise of Guitar Hero and expands it tenfold," says Alex Rigopulos, co-founder of Harmonix, which developed the game and the Karaoke Revolution games. "It lets you create a complete collaborative band."

 

MTV is supplying creative and financial support to Rock Band's development, as well as helping make deals with various music publishers.

 

That means Rock Band will have performances by the original artists. In most previous music games, almost every song is done by a cover band. For Rock Band, some labels plan to supply original recordings. "This game offers a meaningful way for labels to participate in a segment of entertainment they, for the most part, have not been able to," MTV's Jeff Yapp says.

 

The songs on the new game haven't been revealed yet. Current games include the Allman Brothers, Joan Jett, Kansas, Nirvana and Wolfmother. "We'll be covering a great breadth, from metal to classic rock to Southern rock to everything in between," Rigopulos says.

 

Online connectivity is a key to the game. The developers envision additional songs for online purchase beyond those in the retail version. And players need not be together to jam. "You could have one guitarist in Germany and another one in Texas, a drummer in New York and a singer from somewhere else, and they can play together online," EA's David DeMartini says.

 

The music game phenomenon continues its crescendo. 2005's Guitar Hero and this year's Guitar Hero II (both for the Sony PlayStation 2) are top sellers, having sold about 3 million copies total, according to The NPD Group. Research firm Interpret says about 6.8 million have played Guitar Hero II.

 

A version of the game for Microsoft's Xbox 360 is in stores on Tuesday ($90), and Hands-On Mobile today is expected to announce a cellphone version.

 

Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter expects music gaming to grow. "Socially interactive musical games will work well, especially if they have a 'party game' aspect to them," he says. Rock Band "could definitely expand the game demographics."

 

 

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/...ock-band_N.htm

 

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6168388.html?...estnews;title;0

 

Official site:

 

http://www.rockbandgame.com/index.php

[Black Lushus 0]

outside of the singing part, Konami already had session mode for hooking up Guitar Freaks, Drummania and Keyboardmania together. Both in the arcades and at home.

[luke-o 0]

Id buy it soley if they had some Primus on there.

[Eclipse 0]

Looks like I have to mooch off of anyone that has PS3 or 360...

[AndrewTS 0]

I discussed it a little bit with Renegade on MSN.

 

This is undoubtedly going to involve some truly awful singing, nobody will want to play bass, and getting the most of the title will be friggin' expensive because of the extra accessories involved, I'd presume.

 

Plus, MTV acting in a producing capacity worries me. I'll hold any excitement off until a song set is released for public consumption.

 

It's going to apparently come to all of the current-gen (360, PS3, Wii) systems, though, but what that really means is you better own a 360 or be able to hook up some people locally, because otherwise you're not going to get together multiplayer, because of the obvious PS3 and Wii complications for online play.

[Sandman9000 0]

First thought: Sweet jesus this is the greatest thing ever...

 

Second thought: This is gonna be the most expensive game ever...

 

Third thought: No keyboard? How the hell am I gonna play Journey now?

[In Credible 0]

I've always thought Keytar Hero would be a funny game.

[Red Baron 0]

First thought: Sweet jesus this is the greatest thing ever...

 

Second thought: This is gonna be the most expensive game ever...

 

Third thought: No keyboard? How the hell am I gonna play Journey now?

 

 

No, but you can go all out and dress like Kiss, and play Kiss.

[Garth 0]

I'd actually been saying to friends for a while now that this was where I saw the whole GH concept going.

I really hope that it manages to be as good as it could be.

[PLAGIARISM! 0]

Please let this work.

[Guest Ninja]

They've already released some pics of the new guitar:

 

 

Now here's a look a look at the drums and mic:

 

 

Man I am so pumped. This is probably the game I am looking forward to the most this year.

 

 

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

From what I read (I may misremember it though) the guitar has the two different fret boards because one of them is used exclusively for high solos and the hammer-ons/pull-offs.

 

I don't think you're actually going to be singing on the track. The mic is just going to be used for word detection so if you get the word right the singer will "sing"it correctly. So, hopefully no tone deaf morons sounding like crap and ruining the performance.

[UZI Suicide 0]

The only bad thing about this is some of my best playing on Guitar Hero came on marathon sessions at like 3 or 4 a.m. None of my friends are going to want to stay up that late with this game.

[Matt Young 0]

The guitar and drums look amazing. Also, that article states that the 5 way selector switch, which is used on an actual guitar to switch pickups, enables players to cycle between effects which can be purchased in the game's store. Fucking awesome.

[luke-o 0]

This game will be the fucking tits.

[Ripper 0]

So whats this I hear about this game + accesories being 400 bucks?

[Ripper 0]

Nevermind. I realized that those are Gamestop prices and we all know how reliable their early pricing is.

[Nighthawk 0]

Just form an actual band. It's not that hard.

[Red Baron 0]

But you can't master a song in one hour. I mean who wants to learn how to play scales, chords and simple timing, when all you have to do is press a blue button repeatedly.

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

Hmm this could be class if only it doesn't reflect real life bands. Spending three weeks online trying to find a drummer and a singer, only for them to leave cos you don't play enough Salsa songs isn't my idea of fun. Cool idea though.

[Matt Young 0]

Yeah, drummers are pretty noncommittal and flaky.

[luke-o 0]

Oi! I'm a drummer.

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

Does your band play enough Salsa songs to satisfy your needs?

 

Personally, I'm going to wait till they throw down some prices on the bits before I get too excited.

[UZI Suicide 0]

I'm interested to see how this will play out on the screen. With Guitar Hero it's easy because there's just the one strip going down telling you what color to press. Now you need to fit in that type of thing for lead guitar, bass and drums.

[UZI Suicide 0]

Well I guess this answers my previous question

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

Haha that looks pretty cool, I may be tempted to embarrass myself and get the drums.

[luke-o 0]

That looks so sweet. May have to be something we buy as a house and split three ways.

 

I esspecially loved the "ending bonus".

[Matt Young 0]

The game bundle is priced to be $199.99 for both the X-Box 360 and PS3.

 

Stand-alone X-Box 360 and PS3 drum set is priced at $79.99.

 

Wireless Fender guitar on the X-Box 360 is priced at $79.99, while the PS3 version is priced at $59.99.

 

Microphone for the X-Box and PS3 is priced at $29.99

 

The game is set for release on November 20, 2007 (11/20/07).

 

http://www.gamespot.com/video/938870/61751...band-stage-demo

 

E3 07: Metallica, album downloads to rock Rock Band

Upcoming rhythm game to offer full-length albums, starting with The Who's Who's Next?; Song count now at 16 with Rush, Bon Jovi, and Stone Temple Pilots jumping on bandwagon; "Enter Sandman" also to be featured in the game.

By Staff, GameSpot

Posted Jul 11, 2007 2:37 pm PT

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--The Battle of the Bands is officially on. Yesterday, the Neversoft-developed Guitar Hero III revealed the python-enthused former Guns N' Roses fretter Slash would rock on a variety of unlockable guitars. Today, original Guitar Hero developer Harmonix fired back with the announcement that it will offer not just hit singles for gamers to play, but entire full-length albums from multiple labels.

 

The first band to receive the digital conversion will be classic British rockers The Who. Gamers will be able to form a virtual cover band playing guitar, hitting the drums, and singing along to the band's widely acclaimed 1971 album Who's Next. The album should hit soon after the game's release this fall, with new content planned on a weekly basis. For those a bit rusty on their classic rock, the full track list for the album follows:

 

The Who's Who's Next:

 

"Baba O' Riley"

"Bargain"

"Love Ain't for Keepin'"

"My Wife (Entwistle)"

"The Song Is Over"

"Getting in Tune"

"Going Movile"

"Behind Blue Eyes"

"Won't Get Fooled Again"

 

 

Harmonix also announced the first 15 songs from the retail edition of Rock Band. A glance at the list reveals a wide array of rock subgenres and decades represented, from David Bowie and Black Sabbath to The Hives and The Strokes.

 

Piling on the announcements, Harmonix also revealed that Steven Van Zandt had signed on to chief Rock Band's music advisory board. In addition to appearing in the HBO gangster drama The Sopranos, Van Zandt is a member of Bruce Springsteen backing band E Street Band. Van Zandt also hosts the weekly syndicated radio show Little Steven's Underground Garage, which showcases up-and-coming sub-genre rock bands, and is a program director for the Sirius Satellite Radio network.

 

But wait, there's more. Hoping to toll the bell on its competition, Harmonix revealed the Grammy-winning "Enter Sandman" from Metallica's 1991 Black album will be included in Rock Band's initial lineup shipping with the game. Announced at the end of EA's press conference, Kathy Vrabeck also made mention that a "substantial" number of songs from Metallica's catalog are slated to appear in the game.

 

The first 16 songs from Rock Band are listed below, with the new songs in bold:

 

Artist - Song (asterisk indicates a cover version of a song):

 

The Who - "Won't Get Fooled Again"

Mountain - "Mississippi Queen"*

David Bowie - "Suffragette City"

Black Sabbath - "Paranoid"*

Blue Oyster Cult - "Don't Fear the Reaper"

The Ramones - "Rockaway Beach"

Rush - "Tom Sawyer"*

Bon Jovi - "Wanted Dead or Alive"

Nirvana - "In Bloom"

Stone Temple Pilots - "Vasoline"

Weezer - "Say It Ain't So"

Foo Fighters - "Learn to Fly"

The Hives - "Main Offender"

The Strokes - "Reptilia"

Queens of the Stone Age - "Go With the Flow"

Metallica - "Enter Sandman"

[Red Baron 0]

Such a shitty song selection from the Foo's. Alone and Easy Target would have been excellent for this game.

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

Going to be tough deciding which way to go. Both tracklists have their negatives and positives (Baba O'Riley is awesome) but I'm not enthused about the price point for Rock Band. I'll probably just end up with GH3 and seeing how RB turns out before I shell out that much money.