CES 2009: No Rock Band 3 in 2009

by Justin McElroy { Jan 7th 2009 at 7:10PM }

We were wondering why EA would pit an upcoming Beatles/Rock Band hybrid against the next numbered iteration of the series this fall, and now we have our answer: It won't. According to Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopolous, who spoke at a Billboard CES session today, the company will be breaking the annual release cycle and avoid releasing Rock Band 3 this year.

Are we alone in hoping Harmonix avoids releasing it in 2010 also?

Tags: breakingnews, ces-2009, js-twitter, rock-band-3

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

FSK405K @ Jan 7th 2009 7:11PM

YEA! RB2 should have been a PATCH anyway.

RyFar206 @ Jan 7th 2009 7:27PM

If they had released RB2 as a patch for RB, it would have been multiple gigabytes (approx 4GB for all 84 songs + over 2GB for the extra stuff), which is WAYYY over MS's limit, plus it would take up nearly 1/2 of a "20GB" HDD. So yeah, it probably was a better idea to make RB2.

343 Guilty Fart @ Jan 7th 2009 8:14PM

I still think it's silly that they released RB2 not 10 months after releasing RB1 when I was under the impression that RB was supposed to be like "it's own platform!" I would have been fine with a patch.

Michelobius @ Jan 7th 2009 9:33PM

Except they patched the instruments as well, plus added way more than price-value in terms of songs... If you think RB2 is a patch or expansion, then don't buy it, same as not downloading DLC.

Kelly @ Jan 7th 2009 9:50PM

I disagree. I learn about a lot of new bands through the rockband and GH games. I dislike the "single band 'expansions" because you only get a few bands at most, and you've probably heard them before.

Now, i know new bands are being released through DLC, but i don't like shelling out $2 for a band that i could love or hate. It's just not worth it imo.

When rockband 2 was released it was awesome because i found a lot of cool bands from it. Dinosaur Jr. and Interpol, were two for example, that i never would have bothered listening to if it wasn't for the release of rockband 2.

I think they shouldn't release a "rockband 3" but maybe a "rockband alternative" or "rockband Indie" or "rockband metal," This way i could pay a bit less for the music, and learn a thing or two about new bands.

ice~ @ Jan 7th 2009 7:13PM

Part of me says this is good because they have more time to work on their "secret music creation" project and they're not milking their franchise...but part of me wants a new rock band :(

Mr Khan @ Jan 7th 2009 7:14PM

What could they really do, though? More Rock Band as a content delivery platform, and the occasional patch to add in more band accessories/other useless junk, and you've got it set

And remember that cryptic announcement of "Beatles Rock Band," too. We might not see a Rock Band 3 this year like we didn't see a Call of Duty 5 last year

Haggard @ Jan 7th 2009 7:29PM

The problem is that they need to keep it relevant for the constant DLC strategy to work to its fullest.

And the easiest way to attract the attention of the mainstream is with a shiny new disc and some TV ads

Eh @ Jan 7th 2009 11:21PM

2 guitar tracks for one. I was surprised the first time I selected guitar and ended up with bass because someone else hit guitar first. Many songs have rhythm and lead guitar, I dont know why they didnt have that option. Imagine a song like Freebird with 2 guitar tracks.

Haggard @ Jan 8th 2009 3:02AM

They had that on Guitar Hero 2.

Totally epic.

nickels @ Jan 7th 2009 7:14PM

tbh what can they do? copy gh:wt and have cymbals?
laaame

they just need to keep the music coming out and it will be fine

Lukeyo @ Jan 7th 2009 8:25PM

Yeah.. The ION set had cymbals before GH:WT..

quadraphonic @ Jan 7th 2009 9:38PM

Yeah... adding cymbals means they copied GH:WT.

Wouldn't adding a microphone and a drum set mean GH:WT copied RB? Tone down the LAME fanboy ignorance.

Competition means more master tracks, faster development and improvement of peripherals and an overall raising of the bar for the end user experience.

Haggard @ Jan 11th 2009 6:28PM

I think all he was trying to say was that there's not really much scope for adding new gameplay to RB.

Viewtiful Jason2 @ Jan 7th 2009 7:14PM

Rock Band 3 should be held off for a good while because now that they perfected the Rock Band style, it's time to give the franchise a true revamp. Like GHII to GHIII, but actually good.

Viewtiful Jason2 @ Jan 7th 2009 7:16PM

Also the next iteration should instead be on the next round of systems anyway. No sense in continuously confusing consumers with a new game very year. Keep the Track Packs coming for the HDD-less and everyone should be peachy keen.

Odog4ever @ Jan 8th 2009 10:13AM

@Viewtiful Jason2

I was almost ready to agree with you then I remembered that a new Madden comes out every year and nobody's confused about that. They just got out and buy it. Every year. Even though it's just an incremental upgrade...

Is the average person too stupid to realize that you only have to buy the disc once you have at least one set of instruments? Guess so...

shane86 @ Jan 7th 2009 7:16PM

Good news, more DLC please

*cough* Led Zeppelin *cough*

LaBrendant @ Jan 7th 2009 7:18PM

HELL-TO THE-YES!

ice~ @ Jan 7th 2009 7:19PM

I'm with you, but Robert Plant won't let his songs go into a video game, he says it'll ruin the integrity or something like that, so when he dies, then maybe...and we don't want him to die b/c there might be a Summer '09 reunion :D

LaBrendant @ Jan 7th 2009 7:24PM

Ahh...

But I wanna play Misty Mountain Hop NOW D:

Farseer (GDI) @ Jan 7th 2009 7:27PM

I have a feeling that Plant's tune will change when they announce how much money the new Harmonix Beatles title rakes in.

ice~ @ Jan 7th 2009 7:35PM

Misty Mountain Hop, Ramblin' On, Dancing Days, All of My Love, Kashmir, What is and What will neve Be, I could go on for hours.....And maybe Plant will change his tune, because they did put their albums on iTunes. We can only hope so...hell they shud dedicate a game to Led Zeppelin, not just DLC. In my opinion, they are the greatest rock band in history, and they inspired tons of other great bands. They even inspired me to learn how to play guitar, just so i can play the intro to Stairway to Heaven....(maybe some day =( )

Sora @ Jan 7th 2009 7:51PM

I agree, as long as they keep the DLC coming I'm fine with Rock Band 2; it fixed all the problems I had with Rock Band 1 and I don't have too many qualms about RB2.

TWiNKiE @ Jan 7th 2009 9:16PM

I think I remember my bro tellin' me that Stairway to Heaven was on GHTunes, and that it was pretty decent.

That's the closest we'll be getting to Led Zeppelin I guess.

ice~ @ Jan 7th 2009 10:07PM

I know this is old, but here http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/07/led-zeppelin-un.html

They say they're "uncomfortable" with putting their songs in music games, not that they won't do it, per se :D

Eh @ Jan 7th 2009 11:31PM

You mean Jimmy Page? Jimmy Page wrote the songs and had all the control in LZ, hes surely the one stopping LZ songs from being used in games or anything else.

ice~ @ Jan 7th 2009 11:57PM

Yea i meant Jimmy Page, i didn't realize it was him in the article. But Plant also commented about giving their master tracks to music game companies in an interview as well.

AaronMD @ Jan 7th 2009 7:16PM

Just keep the DLC and artist track packs coming, and I will be happy.

Hala Madrid!! (Somebody get me a tie! And it sure as hell better be red!) @ Jan 7th 2009 7:16PM

Is this gonna have The Beatles songs?

Little Big PSN ID: johnnynumber5 @ Jan 7th 2009 8:41PM

The Beatles game will be it's own standalone game without the ability to transfer those songs into Rock Band. Think Guitar Hero Aerosmith and GH:World Tour.

Hala Madrid!! (Somebody get me a tie! And it sure as hell better be red!) @ Jan 7th 2009 9:16PM

Well, that sucks.

Tiptup300 @ Jan 8th 2009 1:45AM

Also note that it won't run on the RB engine. So it will look totally different, and most likely have a slightly different feel to it.

tmmoore_nc @ Jan 7th 2009 7:18PM

The next game Harmonix is working on is the Beetles game. It won't be called Rock Band: the Beetles. At least I don't think it will. Anyway, I think that game is going to be gold financial wise.

therpham @ Jan 7th 2009 7:32PM

No, the Rock Band about beetles is called Rock Band: The Franz Kafka Rock Opera.

Sora @ Jan 7th 2009 7:49PM

*The Beatles

(The Award-Winning) dark_inchworm @ Jan 7th 2009 11:58PM

please tell me I'm not the only one to upvote the Metamorphosis reference

Mike T. @ Jan 8th 2009 12:16AM

Nope, Inchworm, I did too. Actually, I'm just annoyed I didn't think of it first.

VanillaMummy @ Jan 8th 2009 12:13PM

I want to up-vote 97 times.

deaftly @ Jan 7th 2009 7:29PM

SON OF A BITCH BASTARD

Delgado @ Jan 7th 2009 7:36PM

I do not agree with your sentiments, but I agree with your phrasing.

jmarto @ Jan 7th 2009 7:32PM

I always wonder why so many games hasten in the releasing of sequels, rather than take the time to improve upon the franchise....

time @ Jan 7th 2009 7:35PM

No new Rock Band till next gen plz.

Samuel D. Lockhart @ Jan 7th 2009 7:35PM

Another hundred songs for a low, low price (comparative to 100 DLC songs)? There aren't many songs on the discs I'd choose to play, but when they come up randomly I'm still having a whale of a time.

So yeah, I like the discs.

MarkHawk @ Jan 7th 2009 7:49PM

Same here, I just made a post 2 below that says what you said. Wish I'd taken the time to read first. Now I got egg on my face. I hate egg on my face!

evan @ Jan 7th 2009 7:37PM

Things I would want from Rock Band 3 that a patch could just as easily (but probably will never happen) fix:

1) A running count of the number of songs beaten over total songs for a given instrument. Like in Rock Band 1. This let you know how many songs you had in your library (I've lost track at this point) and, obviously, how many you still need to work at.

2) Stars earned for songs in the menu. Another feature of the Rock Band 1 menu that was cut for Rock Band 2. Yeah, I guess I could write down all my scores and check scorehero.com, but Harmonix has been putting the number of stars (or whatever) in the menu since Frequency. Why take that away now?

3) It would be really nice if the gems on the drums track that are cymbals were a different shape or something. So the gameplay could stay the same for those without cymbals, but for those with the expansion kit or the Ion there could be an onscreen cue to let you know that note should be a cymbal hit.

4) Backup vocals. Seriously.

MarkHawk @ Jan 7th 2009 7:47PM

Why wouldn't you want a Rock Band in 2010?

I kind of hope they release a huge track pack that I can buy 80-100 songs for 60 dollars though. I really enjoyed paying 60 dollars for 104 songs last Sept.

HippoHero @ Jan 7th 2009 8:27PM

You wouldn't want a new Rock Band because there's not much to add except for new music, which can be done as DLC.
Rock Band cost about $150. I don't want to shell out that kind of cash three times for new music, I just want to pay for the DLC I want.

Actually, I don't want to pay for DLC.

I don't want to pay for anything.