Rock Band 3 out this holiday season

by JC Fletcher on Mar 9th 2010 2:31PM

Rather than, we don't know, a press release or any other professional method of disseminating a message (Twitter, perhaps?), Harmonix took to Facebook to tell friends and friends-of-friends that Rock Band 3 will be released "this holiday season."

The announcement is brief and detail-free, but reveals that EA will distribute the game -- apparently having renewed its Rock Band distribution deal with Viacom. With Rock Band 3, the developer promises to "innovate and revolutionize the music genre once again, just as Harmonix did with the original Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and The Beatles: Rock Band."

If previous comments by Dhani Harrison are to be believed, you may even learn something from playing RB3!

[Thanks Helloimbob!]

Source

Tags: ea, Electronic-Arts, facebook, harmonix, Microsoft, mtv-games, music, Nintendo, q4-2010, release-date, rhythm, rock-band, rock-band-3, Wii, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (67)

This is indeed great news.

Hell yeah!
I am probably in the minority saying that but being a gigantic fan of music of all genres this is my party Game of The Year pick here and now if it will be to Harmonix standards. I still hold Rock Band parties for my friends at my place at least once a month. If Rock Band 3 adds some party mode improvements my head will literally expl... no... aspl... no... impl... no... UMplode.

For me: Great news, indeed.

Was Rock Band 2 really that different than RB1 that it needed a whole sequel? I'm not trying to start anything, I'm legitamitely curious because I haven't played the second one.

I'd imagine they'll be able to do full RBN integration on all platforms, updated graphics, etc.

Yes, it was. Obviously.

If you still play, you should buy the second one. The UI changes alone are worth the $30 it costs for the disc, in addition to the extra 80 songs.

Rock Band 2 is worth it if only because you don't need to create new characters for each instrument. That was the biggest cluster**** ever in RB1.

Also, most of the songs included in RB2 are pretty great.

(p.s. - I love how the profanity filter tells me I'm not registered and I have to confirm my post with an e-mail... god I hate this comment system)

No, that's why you can import all songs from RB1 paying just 5 Dollars extra.

So, it's not like GH where you have to swap games in order to play other (I know GH V don't neet to)

RB2 made the single player experience much better with the single player world tour and challenges and stuff, and also it had online world tour which was something the first really needed. Plus it added 85 new songs. It was worth the upgrade.

Hyperspeed and hammer-on chords were the biggest changes in gameplay. That lone was worth it for me. Also, the talkies on the vocals are easier

Nearly every song, you couldn't keep Enter Sandman or Paranoid and one other that I didn't care about.

I'm kind of burnt out on the whole plastic intruments genre. As much as I love Harmonix, I really hope they have something really original to offer this time around to make me want this game (p.s. - and not 5 people being able to play the same guitar part at once *glares at Activision*).

How about some plastic instruments with reals strings?

Now, the big question on everyone's mind.

Will previous DLC be compatible?

Of course it will. This isn't Guitar Hero :P

Hey man, let's not take that for granted, not a lot is spared in a 'revolution'

As long as I don't have to buy new instruments I'm down.

Sweet. Lets hope it's as great as 2.

Guitar Hero 6...wouldn't that require, oh I don't know, a developer? You shuttered them, remember?

Awesome! I'm rather pleased, I hope they add an Expert+ mode like Guitar Hero has done. Rock Band has some insane songs with double bass, but it's mapped so you're only doing one foot. I have the official Rock Band double bass splitter for use with Guitar Hero and such, but I want double bass in Rock Band! Please Rock Band 3, don't let me down.

I would also love this.
But I have the Ion drumset and I don't really want to blow 60 dollars of the peripheral they sell for it.
http://www.drumrocker.com/store/index.php/double-kick-expansion-kit.html
I had to find out the hard way that the Rock band splitter doesn't work on the ion also.

Dammit, Reply fail. ANYWAY.

Not true. Not all Rock Band songs have double bass. The metal tracks pretty much all did, bands like The Cars do not.

They would only have to rechart the songs that they want to support it, and put it in new ones.

Rock Band 2 had all master tracks, but that didn't mean that they went back and remade all the songs that were covers in RB1. The Beatles added vocal harmony, which granted was only in RB:B, but they didn't have to go and add it to every song. I don't even think Expert+ on GH works for every song, even new ones.

Not true. Not all Rock Band songs have double bass. The metal tracks pretty much all did, bands like The Cars do not.

kotick, don't be a.. oh wait

Words fail me, Kotick.

Are you going to have Robomodo do Modern Warfare 3?

First Lady Gaga, then Rock Band 3. Quite possibly the best music game news day ever. Hopefully The Beatles Rock Band's influence extends beyond just technical features, I loved the 'story mode' progression and really the game was such a work of art. If they manage to combine that artistic flavour with a full multi-band music game, they'd have the makings of the best music game ever.

Nice. I hope it has harmonies, and they could go back and add them to some of the older songs. It might take awhile but that would be really cool.

Quick Bobby, announce Guitar Hero: Kidz Bop! You still have time to one-up them!

Here's some breaking news for ya Bobby; Guitar Hero 10 will be released two weeks after GH 6.

The big question now is, when can we expect more DLC for The Beatles Rock Band?

They'll announce that functionality at their next reunion tour.

I fail, hard. Read 'expect' as 'export.'

I'd like to know the same Zilch, The Beatles Rock Band is the only music game I'll be buying DLC for this year, and it's desperate for the rest of their catalogue.

Great news but I want more details!

I don't see a need for RB3, except possibly to keep their flagship game from being a 2 year old bargain title. Anyway, I'm curious to see what they'll do to justify a third game. Perhaps they could add visual effects based on genre and/or decade - songs from the 80s having a palette swap a la that Guitar Hero game, for example.

Addition of duet songs, lead and rythm guitar parts, expert+ drums, party friendly features like GH5 has, theres a lot of things missing from RB2 that need to be added.

the harmonized vocals from Beatles RB will likely be in this game.

Saving your favortie songs as playlists!

I like how every gaming/electronics/entertainment company calls every one of their products "innovative" and "revolutionary" even if that wasn't their goal with them at all.

What exactly was "innovative" or "revolutionary" about Rock Band 2, compared to Rock Band 1?

Well, I think the biggest gameplay differences were:

- Breakneck speed was added.
- Bigger timing window for Guitar/Bass HO/PO notes.
- Making the talkes hittable by...any sound, really. (They are hard to hit in RB1)
- Ability to do Band World Tour solo.
- Characters can play any instrument.

And of course, the ability to play ALL of RB1's DLC. (Which at the time that RB2 was released, was...quite a lot.)

Just announce Bohemian Rhapsody in RB3 with harmonies. That's all I want after being jipped in the "All of Queen's Great Songs Except for Bohemian Rhapsody Track Pack"

All I really care about are some minor UI tweaks of which I'm sure they'll throw at least most of them in there (variable Breakneck Speed, favorites list in menu, FC stars, DLC sort by release week without having to use the standalone Music Store, ability to save outfits for characters, a way to turn drum velocity sensing off although I don't reallly expect it, more Awesomeness Detection!) and I'll honestly be a happy camper. Rock Band 2's UI tweaks and on-disc music more than justified the sticker price for me, and the DLC has kept me far more than satisfied.

And then another 2 years before it reaches Australia and New Zealand.

I believe it said WORLDWIDE release in Holiday 2010.

The biggest thing I want them to add is support for separate cymbals on the the drums, instead of mapping yellow to both as they do now. I understand they can't/won't go back and re-chart all the songs, but I'll take it for just new songs.

In fact I think they are adding that because of the Harrison's comments.

Since you could export RB1 to RB2, I am going to assume we'll be able to export those into RB3. I just hope it recognizes for those who have already ported the first one.

All I ask for is a jukebox mode.

And perhaps some Archers of Loaf.

I'm looking forward to this a lot and was blown away when I saw the FB update!

Now, when will any more news come out??

this game better have "Never Gonna Give You Up."

If they say it does, but don't put it in, would that be the new form of rick rolling?

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Rock Band 3 out this holiday season

Reader Comments (67)

Posted: Mar 9th 2010 2:32PM Hooch said

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