Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Sony, Harmonix show support for UK's National Videogame Archive]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/25/sony-harmonix-show-support-for-uks-national-videogame-archive/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/25/sony-harmonix-show-support-for-uks-national-videogame-archive/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/25/sony-harmonix-show-support-for-uks-national-videogame-archive/#commentsFiled under:

As difficult as it is for us to get motivated to show support for saving the yellow-tailed woolly monkey, a UK effort to preserve video game history is one that managed to get us to stop pounding away at the keyboard and give a second look. Apparently both Sony Europe and Harmonix agree, and during the recent GameCity festival in Nottingham both made donations to the UK's newly founded National Videogame Archive, including the first ever EyeToy prototype and a prototype drum kit and guitar from Rock Band.

A collaborative effort between the National Media Museum and Nottingham Trent University, the National Videogame Archive promises to keep the dust from settling on important pieces of gaming history while documenting the "full life of games." First announced last September, the archive's organizers are currently debating the scope of the project, which currently is expected to preserve everything from early development art to advertising media. Even fan art and community activities will be on display, and we cannot wait to hear the screams of horror echoing from the fan fiction wing of the museum.

JoystiqSony, Harmonix show support for UK's National Videogame Archive originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eyetoyharmonixnational-videogame-archivenvarock-bandrockbandsceesonySony-Computer-Entertainment-EuropeTue, 25 Nov 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rolling Stone names the 50 best rock & roll games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/rolling-stone-names-the-50-best-rock-and-roll-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/rolling-stone-names-the-50-best-rock-and-roll-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/rolling-stone-names-the-50-best-rock-and-roll-games/#commentsFiled under:


The game industry's head-banging love affair with rock and/or roll stretches back as far as we can remember -- sometime around the late '70s. Now Rolling Stone has strummed its keyboard to capture what it calls the Top 50 Rock & Roll Video Games of All Time, laying accolades at the leather boots of Rock Band and Guitar Hero, while giving the likes of Revolution X and Crüe Ball the chance to scream into the mic one last time as if to shout, "Remember me!!?"

Lumping together the good (Loom, Frequency) with the awful (Spice World, really?) and just plain odd (are Simon's 'bleeps' and 'boops' really considered music?), the laundry list is something of a mixed bag. Though admittedly we're still reeling from the fact that whoever put together the feature managed to overlook Audiosurf and Gitaroo Man, but managed to give props to Sensible Software's canceled flamebait, Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll.

JoystiqRolling Stone names the 50 best rock & roll games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>guitar-heroguitarheromusicrock-bandrockandrollrockbandrolling-stonerollingstoneTue, 11 Nov 2008 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Warner Music wants more money for licensed songs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/07/warner-music-wants-more-money-for-licensed-songs/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/07/warner-music-wants-more-money-for-licensed-songs/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/07/warner-music-wants-more-money-for-licensed-songs/#commentsFiled under: ,


Developers vying for a slice of the rhythm game pie may soon find the cost to dig in to be increasing -- at least if they want players to nod along with music they know. According to Reuters, Warner Music's top exec Edgar Bronfman has come forward, stating that game companies should pay more to the music industry in order to include licensed tunes in their music-based games.

Says Bronfman, who compared the relationship to the likes of MTV or Apple's iPod, "The amount being paid to the music industry, even though their games are entirely dependent on the content we own and control, is far too small." Given Warner's interest in music currently flowing through both Guitar Hero III and Rock Band, not to mention the war that is about to unfold on living room stages later this year, it will be interesting to see who will 5-star this game of financial tug-of-war.

JoystiqWarner Music wants more money for licensed songs originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ghwtguitar-heroguitar-hero-4guitarheromusicprofitrock-bandrock-band-2rockbandwarnerwarner-musicThu, 07 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band adding seven countries to ticket in July]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/14/rock-band-adding-seven-countries-to-ticket-in-july/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/14/rock-band-adding-seven-countries-to-ticket-in-july/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/14/rock-band-adding-seven-countries-to-ticket-in-july/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


No longer will Belgium virtual rockers have to settle for playing air guitar to dreams of living room stardom, as Harmonix and MTV have announced plans to bring Rock Band to Belgians, as well as those in six other countries later this month, including Italy, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

According to the duo, the Xbox 360 version of Rock Band will be the lead SKU in these territories, shipping on July 24, with other fake instrument flavors arriving sometime later in the fall. As with the existing European release, the disc will include all 58 tracks found on the North American version as well as nine non-English tunes such as Die Toten Hosen's Hier Kommt Alex, Oasis' Rock 'n' roll star, and Playmo's New Wave. We welcome our new friends to the stage -- may you never fail out and your fingers never cramp.

JoystiqRock Band adding seven countries to ticket in July originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>E3-2008EAelectronic-artselectronicartseuropeharmonixMTVmusicPS3rock-bandrockbandWiiXbox-360Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band 2: Ion drum kit, real Fender Strats, 7 new songs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/11/rock-band-2-ion-drum-kit-real-fender-strats-7-new-songs/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/11/rock-band-2-ion-drum-kit-real-fender-strats-7-new-songs/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/11/rock-band-2-ion-drum-kit-real-fender-strats-7-new-songs/#commentsFiled under:


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]

JoystiqRock Band 2: Ion drum kit, real Fender Strats, 7 new songs originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>harmonixrock-bandrock-band-2rockbandFri, 11 Jul 2008 11:45:00 EST<![CDATA[DIY: Make your Rock Band drum kit wheelchair accessible]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/01/diy-make-your-rock-band-drum-kit-wheelchair-accessible/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/01/diy-make-your-rock-band-drum-kit-wheelchair-accessible/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/01/diy-make-your-rock-band-drum-kit-wheelchair-accessible/#commentsFiled under: ,


The raw, unbridled power of The Rocking is an equal opportunity force that can be tapped by anyone with a strong enough desire to evoke its boundless energies. Unfortunately, physical restrains can often limit a person's personal rocking aptitude, as most instruments are not created with those with disabilities in mind. Take, for instance, the Rock Band drum kit, which has a pedal that cannot be operated by those inflicted with paraplegia and other ailments affecting the lower body.

Fortunately, for every peripheral made unaccessible to those with disabilities, there's an altruistic, MacGuyver-esque modder with a solution. The folks over at Kinetic Communications recently solved the bass drum dilemma with a doorbell receiver and some audio cable, placing the foot pedal substitute directly onto a pair of drumsticks -- and it only cost them around $20. If you're in need for a stick-pedal, they've got simple instructions on how to make your own. Rick Allen would be so very proud.

JoystiqDIY: Make your Rock Band drum kit wheelchair accessible originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>drumdrumsdrumstickhandicapkineticcommunicationsmodparaplegiapedalperipheralrock-bandrockbandSun, 01 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band Weekly: The Cars' self-titled debut album]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/rock-band-weekly-the-cars-self-titled-debut-album/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/rock-band-weekly-the-cars-self-titled-debut-album/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/rock-band-weekly-the-cars-self-titled-debut-album/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


This week The Cars' 1978 self-titled debut record becomes the latest full album available from Rock Band's music store. Currently, it's keeping Judas Priest's Screaming for Vengeance company. Who's Next? Yeah, we're wondering that too.

The Cars album (1200 MS points / $15) -- All songs are also sold individually (160 MS Points / $2)
  • "Good Times Roll"
  • "My Best Friend's Girl"
  • "Just What I Needed"
  • "I'm in Touch with Your World"
  • "Don't Cha Stop"
  • "You're All I've Got Tonight"
  • "Bye Bye Love"
  • "Moving in Stereo"
  • "All Mixed Up"
Videos for all this week's songs (the second week in a row of large Rock Band Weekly post video hunts) can be found after the break. The Cars will be available tomorrow on Xbox 360 and Thursday on PlayStation 3.

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: The Cars' self-titled debut album

JoystiqRock Band Weekly: The Cars' self-titled debut album originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 May 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>harmonixPS3rock-bandrock-band-weeklyrockbandthe-carsXbox-360Mon, 26 May 2008 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Mötley Crüe single downloaded on Rock Band five times more than on iTunes]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/motley-crue-single-downloaded-on-rock-band-five-times-more-than/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/motley-crue-single-downloaded-on-rock-band-five-times-more-than/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/motley-crue-single-downloaded-on-rock-band-five-times-more-than/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We've heard tell of the incredible success Harmonix has seen with their weekly downloadable tracks for Rock Band. Often, their sales numbers are matched up against those of Guitar Hero III, where tracks are more seldom, but also sell like diamond-encrusted hotcakes. As enjoyable as these track packs are, we've yet to see any comparison between them and actual music retailers, digital or otherwise -- that is, until Mötley Crüe's new single simultaneously rocked the faces off of music downloaders and DLC collectors alike.

The song, "Saints of Los Angeles", came from the glam-band's upcoming album, and dropped onto iTunes, Zune, Amazon, and the Xbox 360 version of Rock Band on April 15. In it's first week of availability, digital distributors sold 10,000 copies of the single, but dedicated faux-rockers downloaded 47,000 copies of the track from the 360 Rock Band Music Store, according to Reuters. Could this inspire more record labels to debut new albums and singles on Harmonix's golden goose title? We certainly hope so.

[Via Evil Avatar]

JoystiqMötley Crüe single downloaded on Rock Band five times more than on iTunes originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 May 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazondlcdownloadharmonixitunesmotleycruemusicPS3rockbandsaintsoflosangelesXbox-360zuneSat, 24 May 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band Weekly: European release tracks]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/16/rock-band-weekly-european-release-tracks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/16/rock-band-weekly-european-release-tracks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/16/rock-band-weekly-european-release-tracks/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Hopefully, people have been brushing up on their non-English. This week's Rock Band Weekly brings us the songs packaged with the European release of Rock Band. We've known for a while these tracks were coming as DLC, and Harmonix has seen fit to do it the week of Rock Band's European release. Also, all DLC available in North America should be available in Europe beginning May 20.

Individual songs
  • "Beetlebum" - Blur (Cover, 160 MS Points / $2)
  • "Hier Kommt Alex" - Die Toten Hosen (160 MS Points / $2)
  • "Countdown to Insanity" - H-BlockX (160 MS Points / $2)
  • "Perfekte Welle" - Juli (160 MS Points / $2)
  • "Manu Chao" - Les Wampas (160 MS Points / $2)
  • "Hysteria" - Muse (160 MS Points / $2)
  • "Rock N Roll Star" - Oasis (160 MS Points / $2)
  • "New Wave" - Pleymo (160 MS Points / $2)
  • "Monsoon" - Tokio Hotel (160 MS Points / $2)

Le sigh, videos for all of next week's tracks can be found after the break. The DLC will be available next Tuesday and Thursday for Xbox 360 and PS3 respectively.

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: European release tracks

JoystiqRock Band Weekly: European release tracks originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 May 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europePS3rock-bandrock-band-weeklyrockbandXbox-360Fri, 16 May 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band ships 3 million 'bundled' units, 10 million songs downloaded]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/rock-band-ships-3-million-bundled-units-10-million-songs-down/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/rock-band-ships-3-million-bundled-units-10-million-songs-down/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/rock-band-ships-3-million-bundled-units-10-million-songs-down/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Harmonix's grand-parent company, Viacom, announced today as part of its Q1 earnings that Rock Band has shipped three million "bundled units." GameDaily reports that the company also stated that Harmonix has had over 10 million songs downloaded for the game.

The last report we had was that Harmonix hit the six million DLC song mark in mid-March, which means the new music store apparently did help accelerate sales. Viacom's CEO said that Rock Band is emerging as a valuable long-term franchise and he expects further success from the Wii and European launches.

JoystiqRock Band ships 3 million 'bundled' units, 10 million songs downloaded originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 May 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>harmonixmtv-gamesPS3rock-bandrockbandviacomXbox-360Fri, 02 May 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band Weekly: Judas Priest's Screaming for Vengeance]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/rock-band-weekly-judas-priests-screaming-for-vengeance/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/rock-band-weekly-judas-priests-screaming-for-vengeance/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/rock-band-weekly-judas-priests-screaming-for-vengeance/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The Rock Band store gets its first full album this week with Judas Priest's Screaming for Vengeance. The Rock Band forums also mention that The Cars' The Cars and the Pixies' Doolittle are coming in the "near future." The Who's Who's Next is still on the docket, but apparently isn't what's next.

Screaming for Vengeance album (1200 MS points / $15) -- All songs are also sold individually (160 MS Points / $2), except "The Hellion" and "Electric Eye," which are bundled at the price of one track.
  • "The Hellion"
  • "Electric Eye"
  • "Riding on the Wind"
  • "Bloodstone"
  • "(Take These) Chains"
  • "Pain and Pleasure"
  • "Screaming for Vengeance"
  • "You've Got Another Thing Comin'"
  • "Fever"
  • "Devil's Child"
The videos for this week's Rock Band DLC are after the break ... and sweet mercy, it'd better be appreciated this week. Screaming for Vengeance will be available today on Xbox 360 and Thursday for the PS3.

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: Judas Priest's Screaming for Vengeance

JoystiqRock Band Weekly: Judas Priest's Screaming for Vengeance originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>judas-priestjudaspriestPS3rock-bandrock-band-weeklyrockbandXbox-360Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band Wii 'bonus songs' already released on 360/PS3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/15/rock-band-wii-bonus-songs-already-released-on-360-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/15/rock-band-wii-bonus-songs-already-released-on-360-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/15/rock-band-wii-bonus-songs-already-released-on-360-ps3/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


"Bonus" means different things to different people. Harmonix has revealed the Wii's additional Rock Band tracks, and they're a collection of songs you might have already downloaded on the 360 and PS3. There's nothing wrong with that, but why all the secrecy and hype? Here's the list of the five tracks that supplement the original roster:
  • "Dirty Little Secret" - The All American Rejects
  • "Don't Look Back in Anger" - Oasis
  • "Roam" - The B-52's
  • "Rockaway Beach" - The Ramones
  • "Roxanne" - The Police

JoystiqRock Band Wii 'bonus songs' already released on 360/PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bonus-tracksbreaking-newsbreakingnewsrock-bandrock-band-bonus-tracksrock-band-wiirockbandWiiwii-bonus-trackswii-exclusive-tracksTue, 15 Apr 2008 06:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band Weekly: Mötley Crüe stumbles in with 'Saints of Los Angeles']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/14/rock-band-weekly-motley-crue-stumbles-in-with-saints-of-los-an/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/14/rock-band-weekly-motley-crue-stumbles-in-with-saints-of-los-an/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/14/rock-band-weekly-motley-crue-stumbles-in-with-saints-of-los-an/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Coming out of nowhere, a single off of Mötley Crüe's new album will be available as Rock Band downloadable content this week. This marks the first time a brand-new song is released as a playable track in the game. Needless to say, it is a master track.

Individual song
  • "Saints of Los Angeles" - Mötley Crüe (80 MS points/ $1)
We've placed what we believe is the song after the break -- we're not sure if there's an actual video yet. The rest of this week's Rock Band DLC was previously announced last Friday. The song releases tomorrow on Xbox 360 and this Thursday on the new PSN.

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: Mötley Crüe stumbles in with 'Saints of Los Angeles'

JoystiqRock Band Weekly: Mötley Crüe stumbles in with 'Saints of Los Angeles' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>motley-cruePS3rock-bandrock-band-weeklyrockbandXbox-360Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: Europe's Rock Band rollin' onto PS3, PS2 and Wii Aug. 29]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/14/rumor-europes-rock-band-rollin-onto-ps3-ps2-and-wii-aug-29/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/14/rumor-europes-rock-band-rollin-onto-ps3-ps2-and-wii-aug-29/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/14/rumor-europes-rock-band-rollin-onto-ps3-ps2-and-wii-aug-29/#commentsFiled under: , ,


VideoGamer reports that EA has slated Rock Band's release on PS3, PS2 and Wii in Europe for August 29. This means the Xbox 360 will have three months of exclusivity on the exorbitantly priced enhanced cost game before it releases on other consoles.

Harmonix's PR states it has not made an official announcement on a European release for any other consoles beyond the Xbox 360. We'll update this story if things change, but for now this release date is still in the rumor territory. Either way, there's still plenty of time for non-Xbox 360 owners to sell a kidney (remember, keep at least one!) to afford the game.

JoystiqRumor: Europe's Rock Band rollin' onto PS3, PS2 and Wii Aug. 29 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europelaunchPS2PS3releaserock-bandrockbandWiiMon, 14 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Harmonix: Wii needs hard drive for DLC]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/09/harmonix-wii-needs-hard-drive-for-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/09/harmonix-wii-needs-hard-drive-for-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/09/harmonix-wii-needs-hard-drive-for-dlc/#commentsFiled under: ,


Speaking to CVG, Harmonix Design Director Rob Kay states the Wii needs a hard drive for Rock Band to offer downloadable content on the console. Actually, Kay does more of plea, "Come on Nintendo, we need a hard drive."

Kay explains that Harmonix would "jump on" offering content if it could -- given sales of the DLC it's not surprising -- but notes that Nintendo's console just doesn't have the capabilities currently. He says that a three-song pack is about 100MB and the Wii only has 512MB of internal storage. The whole SD card issue probably gets messy due to retrieval times and DRM issues. Harmonix obviously wants to make more money, but it appears the company won't try to do it while running into a very clear storage (and possibly technological) issue.

JoystiqHarmonix: Wii needs hard drive for DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>harmonixmtv-gamesrock-bandrockbandWiiWed, 09 Apr 2008 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Harmonix blames taxes, other 'little differences' for Rock Band Europe price]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/harmonix-blames-taxes-other-little-differences-for-rock-band/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/harmonix-blames-taxes-other-little-differences-for-rock-band/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/harmonix-blames-taxes-other-little-differences-for-rock-band/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Reaction to Rock Band's European pricing -- the equivalent of about $360 combined (instrument bundle and game are sold separately) -- has been swift and vocal. For example, Guitar Hero III (with guitar) costs £65, while a Rock Band game disc and single guitar will cost roughly £110. VideoGamer spoke to Rob Kay, design director at Harmonix, during the London press event today who said the price difference is caused by "a myriad of little differences that all add up."

Kay explained that VAT adds 17.5% to the total UK price, adding, "We're not trying to screw people." He believes that people who purchase the game will think it's worth the money. Great, hopefully those people will remember to take the silver spoon out of their mouth before trying to sing.

JoystiqHarmonix blames taxes, other 'little differences' for Rock Band Europe price originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaElectronic-Artseuropeharmonixmtv-gamesPS3rock-bandrockbandXbox-360Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Exclusive Euro Rock Band tracks will become DLC]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/exclusive-euro-rock-band-tracks-will-become-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/exclusive-euro-rock-band-tracks-will-become-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/exclusive-euro-rock-band-tracks-will-become-dlc/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Exclusive just ain't the word it used to be. Rock Band's European debut was going to have some exclusive tracks just for the continent, but ShackNews reports that MTV Games says those tracks will be available in North America as downloadable content. MTV Games did not specify price or timetable for release of the DLC. Now, let's be serious, did anybody ever think those songs would stay exclusive to the continent?

Also, there's some clarification going on in the Rock Band forums that the new songs will be "treated as DLC" in the European version. We're not sure exactly what this means, but we believe that the new songs (some which are sung in French or German) won't be part of the standard campaign.

JoystiqExclusive Euro Rock Band tracks will become DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europePS3rock-bandrockbandXbox-360Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band touring Europe in May, 360 getting it first]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/rock-band-touring-europe-in-may-360-gets-it-first/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/rock-band-touring-europe-in-may-360-gets-it-first/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/rock-band-touring-europe-in-may-360-gets-it-first/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Electronic Arts has finally announced a release date for fake instrument extravaganza, Rock Band, in the chronically shafted land of Europe. Eurogamer reports that the music-and-rhythmer will launch as a timed Xbox 360 exclusive on May 23rd, with PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2 and Wii versions following "later this summer."

The game will be sold separately from an "Instrument Edition," which is comprised of the drum set, guitar and microphone, priced at GBP 129.99 / EUR 169. Including the cost of the game (we're assuming you want to play something with all that kit), folks in the region are looking to shell out about $360 for tickets to their own concert. Sounds like there'll be less rocking and more wailing among this poor band of gamers. In addition, wireless guitars will be sold separately for GBP 59.99 / EUR 79.99, while the drum kit will go for GBP 69.99 / EUR 89.99.

As a minor consolation, the European version of Rock Band will come with several exclusive tracks from bands such as Oasis, Blur and Muse (you'll find the complete list after the break). If none of those appeal to you, Rock Band's extensive online store will open on May 27th, fully stocked with all existing downloadable tracks. New songs will then become available every week alongside the American releases.

Continue reading Rock Band touring Europe in May, 360 getting it first

JoystiqRock Band touring Europe in May, 360 getting it first originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BreakingNewsEAElectronic-ArtsEuropeHarmonixMTVMusicPS2PS3Rock-BandRockBandWiiXbox-360Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band Weekly: OXM disc now for download]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/rock-band-weekly-oxm-disc-now-for-download/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/rock-band-weekly-oxm-disc-now-for-download/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/rock-band-weekly-oxm-disc-now-for-download/#commentsFiled under: ,


The Rock Band songs featured in the February issue of OXM are now available to download for a dollar each. For those looking to save a couple bucks, there's always the option of hunting down an old issue of OXM at the local library and checking if the disc is still miraculously in there.

HMX pack (240 MS points / $3)
  • "Rock Rebellion" - Bang Camaro (80 MS points / $1)
  • "Shake" - Count Zero - (80 MS points / $1)
  • "Super Sprode" - Freezepop (80 MS Points / $1)
Videos for this week's Rock Band DLC can be found after the break ... yes, enough people asked, so we're going to keep doing it. Don't forget to download "Still Alive," which is available for free. The songs will be available next Tuesday for Xbox 360 and PSN owners will have it available when the store goes back up sometime in April.

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: OXM disc now for download

JoystiqRock Band Weekly: OXM disc now for download originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bang-camarocount-zerofreezepopoxmPS3rock-bandrock-band-weeklyrockbandXbox-360Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[April Fools' Alert #2: The Double Bass controller]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/april-fools-alert-3-the-double-bass-controller/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/april-fools-alert-3-the-double-bass-controller/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/april-fools-alert-3-the-double-bass-controller/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Fantasy Guitar Hero controllers aren't new territory for April Fool's Day, but rarely have we wanted one to be real so badly. Imagine the class, the prestige of striding into the neighboring dorm with GAME's massive double bass controller slung over your back! Imagine how angry your significant other would be when you tried to explain it to him or her!

Also we love the feature bullet points like "Doesn't fold away for easy storage,""May facilitate escape from villains. On ski slopes," and "Fully compatible with Guitar Hero II, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Rock Band and the slopes of Val d'Isere." Well done, GAME ... now, could you actually make it?

[Thanks, Zak]

JoystiqApril Fools' Alert #2: The Double Bass controller originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aprilfools08guitar-heroPS3rockbandXbox-360Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band: Jonathan Coulton's Still Alive on PSN April 17]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/rock-band-john-coultons-still-alive-on-psn-april-17/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/rock-band-john-coultons-still-alive-on-psn-april-17/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/rock-band-john-coultons-still-alive-on-psn-april-17/#commentsFiled under:

So, by now you should all be familiar with Jonathan Coulton's "Still Alive" aka "The Portal Song." In case you don't recognize the name, perhaps listening to the dude sing it himself would make you remember. If not, then you probably didn't play Portal and therefore the song becomes a lie. Anyway, the popular song will be available for free on Rock Band this coming April 17.

Why so late as compared to the Xbox 360 gamers who are getting it tomorrow? Did you already forget that the PSN is undergoing a redesign? Seriously guys, we might have to check you into the doctor for all that sudden memory loss.

[Via Joystiq]

JoystiqRock Band: Jonathan Coulton's Still Alive on PSN April 17 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dlcrock-bandrockbandMon, 31 Mar 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Counting Rupees: Battle of the brands]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/counting-rupees-battle-of-the-brands/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/counting-rupees-battle-of-the-brands/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/counting-rupees-battle-of-the-brands/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks contribute Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming:

When Guitar Hero 3 launched last year it was an immediate success, selling out at a fairly quick pace throughout the holiday season. Following just behind it was Rock Band, selling very well, but not nearly as quickly as Guitar Hero. So far, all versions of Guitar Hero III have sold about 9.1M copies, versus just roughly 1.5M for Rock Band. Of course, part of the discrepancy lies in the fact that Rock Band launched on two platforms while Guitar Hero 3 launched on four, but that is about to be remedied with Harmonix's recent announcement of Rock Band for Wii. While Rock Band was a more ambitious game and representative of an evolution of the music game, it did seem like Activision may have made the right choice in buying the Guitar Hero publisher (and thus the Guitar Hero brand), but not the developer. With so much brand awareness already built into Guitar Hero, was there any way that Harmonix could possibly top the original creation that it no longer owned the rights to?

Continue reading Counting Rupees: Battle of the brands

JoystiqCounting Rupees: Battle of the brands originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ActivisionAerosmithCounting-RupeesDSEAElectronic-ArtsGuitar-HeroGuitarHeroHarmonixMTVNeversoftPCPS2PS3Red-OctaneRedOctaneRock-BandRockBandWiiXbox-360Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Amazon selling Rock Band for $148, drums on sale too]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/26/amazon-selling-rock-band-for-148-drums-on-sale-too/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/26/amazon-selling-rock-band-for-148-drums-on-sale-too/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/26/amazon-selling-rock-band-for-148-drums-on-sale-too/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Amazon.com has a little sale going on for those who haven't jumped on the Rock Band tour bus yet. Cheapy D and his frugal army point the way to savings, with both the PS3 and Xbox 360 Special Editions priced for $148 (which include the game, drums, guitar and mic). The $22 saved won't even come back to bite back on shipping with the use of "Super Saver Shipping."

For those who've already picked up the game and are just in the market for the drum set, the normally $80 peripheral is currently $54 on Xbox 360 and $69 for PS3. Feel free to use the money saved on some Rock Band DLC.

JoystiqAmazon selling Rock Band for $148, drums on sale too originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazonpricePS3rock-bandrockbandsaleXbox-360Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band Weekly: Boston six-pack]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/rock-band-weekly-boston-six-pack/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/rock-band-weekly-boston-six-pack/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/rock-band-weekly-boston-six-pack/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We've got more than a feeling that next week's Rock Band DLC is bringing a six-pack of songs by Boston. All the tracks hail from the band's self-titled debut album which has sold over 17 million copies. Not bad for a bunch of guys from the small Minnesota town of Lake Wobegon -- no, they're actually from Boston.

Boston pack (800 MS points / $9.99)
  • Hitch a Ride (160 MS points/ $2)
  • More Than a Feeling (160 MS points/ $2)
  • Peace of Mind (160 MS Points / $2)
  • Rock & Roll Band (160 MS Points / $2)
  • Smokin' (160 MS Points / $2)
  • Something About You (160 MS Points / $2)
Videos for this week's Rock Band DLC can be found after the break and this may be our last week doing them as audio previews are now available through the Rock Band music store patch available now. The Boston songs will be available next Tuesday and Thursday for Xbox 360 and PS3 respectively.

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: Boston six-pack

JoystiqRock Band Weekly: Boston six-pack originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bostonPS3rockrock-bandrock-band-weeklyrockbandXbox-360Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band store now up and ready to take orders [Updated]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/rock-band-store-now-up-and-ready-to-take-orders/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/rock-band-store-now-up-and-ready-to-take-orders/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/rock-band-store-now-up-and-ready-to-take-orders/#commentsFiled under:


We're sharing the same enthusiasm our Joystiq brothers are feeling over the new Rock Band store. So, when we heard about the store finally up and running, we immediately fired up our PS3 copies and upgraded to version 1.03 to test it out.

The store is definitely pretty with CD cover art for all musicians. It's also informative on the song choices; the previously known ability to preview songs and see difficulty ratings for individual instruments is a major plus. Purchasing songs is quick and easy.

Those are the good parts, but some things are not that great. For example, songs can't be bought in a batch like on the PSN, and must be bought individually (unless you're buying an artist pack). Unfortunately, to play your freshly downloaded songs, you'll still have to exit the game and install the tracks on your PS3. While the latter criticism is something we didn't expect to happen anyway, it does make the swiftness of an in-game store a tad cumbersome. In short, the store is good at driving a sale; it just needs to work on getting those tracks integrated quicker. That was the whole point of the store, was it not?

[Update: Just to clarify, the game does install tracks, but only when you download songs one at a time and if you wait until the song fully downloads. If you choose to 'perform in the background' and/or proceed to get more songs, you'll have to install manually and exit the game.]

JoystiqRock Band store now up and ready to take orders [Updated] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>harmonixmtvmtv-gamesrock-bandrockbandFri, 21 Mar 2008 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band Store launches, is awesome]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/rock-band-store-launches-is-awesome/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/rock-band-store-launches-is-awesome/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/rock-band-store-launches-is-awesome/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The much-improved Rock Band store announced to the world yesterday is now available on Xbox Live and PSN. A 30-second download and installation gives players access to the streamlined song-buying interface, which features audio previews and individual instrument difficulties for each song, as well as a much simpler way to sort and browse through the growing selection of music.

Besides the cool new store, we're also extremely gratified by the much-needed faster loading of DLC provided by the patch. After a one-time file creation upon the first post-patch load, the annoying little "loading additional content" animation was reduced from roughly ten seconds to about one second in our tests on Xbox Live. The physical "download data file" that actually speeds up the process takes up a paltry 112KB on our system, meaning there's no reason not to rock out faster!

Gallery: Rock Band Music Store

JoystiqRock Band Store launches, is awesome originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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click to enlarge

Rock Band keeps rocking the downloadable content market as Harmonix announced today the game has sold over 6 million songs in just over three months. The title has set the bar for DLC with fresh weekly content and the last update we had about sales numbers stated that Rock Band had sold 2.5 million pieces of DLC around mid-January. We've placed a master list of all the songs available on Rock Band after the break.

Although we'll probably never get a straight answer, it would be nice to find out how much of an impact the new Rock Band music store is expected to make on sales. Having all that DLC available from directly inside the game, rather than making potential customers wander through the virtual aisles of the Xbox Marketplace or PlayStation Store, should make some noticeable difference.

Gallery: Rock Band Music Store

Continue reading Rock Band surpasses 6 million song downloads

JoystiqRock Band surpasses 6 million song downloads originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingnewsdlcharmonixPS3rock-bandrockbandXbox-360Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:38:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band patch also fixing incidental issues]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/20/rock-band-patch-also-fixing-incidental-issues/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/20/rock-band-patch-also-fixing-incidental-issues/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/20/rock-band-patch-also-fixing-incidental-issues/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The Rock Band music store won't be the only thing added by the forthcoming patch, with several fixes to the game included as well. Harmonix states that the patch fixes "some of the common issues" it's heard about on Rockband.com.
  • Fan cap revision -- Increase on number of fans possible before cap. Easy players can travel across Atlantic, Medium players have a wider range of venues and Hard players on the Xbox 360 can unlock "One Million Fans" achievement.
  • Increased diversity in Band World Tour song selection.
  • Improved phoneme recognition -- Improved detection and scoring for phoneme recognition. Examples are songs like Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld and Blitzkrieg Bop.
  • Microphone latency on PS3 improved.
  • Xbox 360 band logos now visible through Xbox LIVE -- Parental controls prevented band logos from being visible over Xbox LIVE.
  • Faster loading of DLC -- Songs are cached for a one time wait.
The company admits that this does not fix every issue out there and states Harmonix is "listening to all of your requests, and actively want to get these features onto the Rock Band platform in the future."

JoystiqRock Band patch also fixing incidental issues originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>harmonixmtvmtv-gamespatchPS3rock-bandrockbandXbox-360Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:35:00 EST<![CDATA[New Rock Band Store reminds us full albums are still 'coming soon']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/20/new-rock-band-store-reminds-us-full-albums-are-still-coming-soo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/20/new-rock-band-store-reminds-us-full-albums-are-still-coming-soo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/20/new-rock-band-store-reminds-us-full-albums-are-still-coming-soo/#commentsFiled under: , ,

One thing we noticed when perusing over these hawt new pics of the in-game Rock Band music store was a listing for "Albums (Coming Soon)." Downloadable albums are something we've heard about since July 2007, with Nirvana's Nevermind and The Who's Who's Next cited as the first contenders.

When contacted for a statement, a Harmonix spokesperson told us, "No ETA yet - expect an announcement soon." For now, all we can recommend is you download the patch later this week and ogle at the inaccessible Albums tab, dreaming of the day when the text goes from light grey to white.

Gallery: Rock Band Music Store

JoystiqNew Rock Band Store reminds us full albums are still 'coming soon' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>albumalbumsbreakingnewsharmonixmtvmtv-gamesmtvgamesmusicmusic-storePS3rhythmrock-bandrock-band-music-storerockbandXbox-360Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band music store rockin' consoles this week]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/20/rock-band-music-store-rockin-consoles-this-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/20/rock-band-music-store-rockin-consoles-this-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/20/rock-band-music-store-rockin-consoles-this-week/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


At some point this week Harmonix will finally launch the Rock Band music store, a fully integrated shop allowing players to preview and purchase tracks without ever leaving the comfy confines of the game. Songs in the store will provide a difficulty metric for each instrument and the DLC can be organized by artist, genre, difficulty and year of release.

Harmonix tells us that this is the "only patch planned" at this time, so players looking to streamline their multiplayer registration experience or do Band World Tour online are gonna have to sit tight. Also, be sure to continue checking with us every Friday for the latest Rock Band DLC announcements with Rock Band Weekly.

Gallery: Rock Band Music Store

JoystiqRock Band music store rockin' consoles this week originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingnewsharmonixmtvmtv-gamesmtvgamesPS3rock-bandrock-band-music-storerock-band-weeklyrockbandXbox-360Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: New tracks with Europe's Rock Band]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/new-tracks-with-europes-rock-band/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/new-tracks-with-europes-rock-band/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/new-tracks-with-europes-rock-band/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


This weekend's Play.com event may have unveiled the PAL version of Rock Band and some exclusive songs for Euro rockers. ButtonBandits wrote down the list of tracks available (found after the break), which includes songs in French, German and English (not to be confused with Americanish or UKish).

We're currently trying to find out from Harmonix if the Euro tracks are accurate and if they'll be available through DLC in North America. If they aren't released, we're expecting some technical answer about licensing, with a heavy dose of lawyer speak as justification.

Continue reading Rumor: New tracks with Europe's Rock Band

JoystiqRumor: New tracks with Europe's Rock Band originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europePS3rock-bandrockbandrumorWiiXbox-360Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[European Rock Band graced with exclusive tracks]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/european-rock-band-graced-with-exclusive-tracks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/european-rock-band-graced-with-exclusive-tracks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/european-rock-band-graced-with-exclusive-tracks/#commentsFiled under:

Our friends in Europe have been going through a thumb-twiddling hell for a long time now, having to somehow accept the fact that they have no access to Rock Band while North American gamers have been jamming for the past few months. But know it is coming friends and know that Harmonix cares. They care so much that they'll be including a set of exclusive tracks in the PAL release.

During this weekend's UK Play.com festival, the crew over at button bandits had a chance to play the PAL version of Rock Band (yes, it exists) and obtained a complete track list. The list is nearly identical to its NTSC cousin, except for ten new exclusive additions which we posted after the break. Of course, we can't be sure how exclusive these ten tracks are to the PAL version or if North American Rock Band players will ever have a chance to purchase them. Knowing that, we're fine if we never see these tracks on North American XBLM soil. We'll let our fellow Europeans have this one ... they've suffered enough.

Continue reading European Rock Band graced with exclusive tracks

JoystiqEuropean Rock Band graced with exclusive tracks originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaharmonixmtv-gamesrock-bandrockbandMon, 17 Mar 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band Weekly: The Earache Thrash Pack]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/14/rock-band-weekly-the-earache-trash-pack/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/14/rock-band-weekly-the-earache-trash-pack/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/14/rock-band-weekly-the-earache-trash-pack/#commentsFiled under: , ,

You'd be advised to buy some throat lozenges before you attempt to sing along to any of this week's Rock Band downloadable tracks. Behold the thrash pack, which in three songs manages to overpower twice as many Grateful Dead tunes.

Earache Thrash Pack (440 Microsoft Points / $5.49)
  • Blinded By Fear - At the Gates (master) (160 MS Points / $2)
  • Thrasher - Evile (160 MS Points / $2)
  • D.O.A. - The Haunted (160 MS Points / $2)
Videos for this week's Rock Band DLC can be found after the break. As usual, the songs should be available Tuesday for Xbox 360 and Thursday for PS3.

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: The Earache Thrash Pack

JoystiqRock Band Weekly: The Earache Thrash Pack originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>at-the-gatesdlcevileharmonixhauntedPS3rock-bandrock-band-dlcrock-band-weeklyrockbandthe-hauntedthrashXbox-360Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Harmonix wants user-created music in Rock Band]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/harmonix-wants-user-created-music-in-rock-band/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/harmonix-wants-user-created-music-in-rock-band/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/harmonix-wants-user-created-music-in-rock-band/#commentsFiled under:


In a recent interview, Greg LoPiccolo of Harmonix shared his insight into what the company plans to do with Rock Band's future. He said that the direction Harmonix is heading for is to make Rock Band more personal for gamers, giving them a better vehicle for musical self-expression. Greg spoke of one major potential change regarding this, and that's the possibility of allowing users to create their own music in the game.

The biggest snag holding the company back from actually pursuing this is that there's going to be a whole lot of paperwork and legal technicalities over IP claims and ratings. Despite this, LoPiccolo still feels that user-created music is the natural next step for the franchise. Rock Band as a stepping stone to fame, fortune, and most of all groupies? Sign us up.

On another interesting note, LoPiccolo also talked about potentially supporting the keyboard for use in Rock Band tracks. If Harmonix does decide to support this, our first request is to get more Queen songs on there pronto.

[Via Joystiq]

JoystiqHarmonix wants user-created music in Rock Band originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaharmonixlopiccolomtv-gamesmtvgamesrock-bandrockbandTue, 11 Mar 2008 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Harmonix' LoPiccolo wants user music in Rock Band]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/harmonix-lopiccolo-wants-user-music-in-rock-band/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/harmonix-lopiccolo-wants-user-music-in-rock-band/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/harmonix-lopiccolo-wants-user-music-in-rock-band/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Harmonix' Greg LoPiccolo wants you to know that he's thinking about you. He knows that as you play Rock Band, the song that you'd really like to play and spread across the world is your own band's tune. LoPiccolo wants you to know that he wants The Cephalopods' local hit "Three Is a Tragic Number" in the game as much as you do, saying "We would like to make it possible for people to introduce their own music into the Rock Band ecosystem, which is a pretty complicated topic."

Some of those plentiful complications include IP issues and ratings problems, but LoPiccolo still thinks it's the "natural direction" for the franchise. He also talks about the feasibility of a keyboard peripheral for the game. Can we just be the ones to point out that he's missing the obvious? Keytar, people. Keytar. It's staring you right in the face. Pull the trigger on the fun gun. Do it.

JoystiqHarmonix' LoPiccolo wants user music in Rock Band originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaElectronic-ArtsharmonixmtvPS3rock-bandrockbandugcWiiXbox-360Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band Weekly: Black Tide, Paramore and Serj Tankian]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/rock-band-weekly-black-tide-paramore-and-serj-tankian/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/rock-band-weekly-black-tide-paramore-and-serj-tankian/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/rock-band-weekly-black-tide-paramore-and-serj-tankian/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Due to a hiccup in the system last week, Rock Band Weekly returns for a one week engagement on a Monday. Attempting not to enrage the rock snobs, we'll just say that this week's bands are less-well-known than many who have come before as DLC offerings. Black Tide is more a classic hard rock band, Paramore brings the female vocals and Serj Tankian is for somewhere around the time you're planning to hit the 2AM drive-thru window.

Individual songs
  • Shockwave - Black Tide (80 MS points/ $1)
  • Crushcrushcrush - Paramore (80 MS points/ $1)
  • Beethoven's C*** - Serj Tankian (80 MS Points / $1)
Videos for the Rock Band DLC are after the break. This week Rock Band Weekly should return to its regularly scheduled Friday venue.

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: Black Tide, Paramore and Serj Tankian

JoystiqRock Band Weekly: Black Tide, Paramore and Serj Tankian originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Mar 2008 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Following the primary elections of Vermont, Rhode Island, Texas and Ohio on March 4, a date affectionately known by many political junkies as "Super Tuesday 2: Electric Boogaloo", the Republican party found themselves with a candidate presumptive in John McCain following Mike Huckabee's resignation. How did the former Arkansas governor recover from watching his presidential aspirations crash and burn, you ask? He did what any of us would do -- he played some Rock Band, and he macked on some 'zanya.

It was a fitting end for the bass-slapper-turned-presidential-candidate, as his staffers gathered around to enjoy the layered Italian treat, and to witness Huck's well-documented aptitude with peripheral-based rhythm games. Regardless of your political views and endorsements, we think we can all agree that the gaming community would be well-served by a president that shared Huckabee's fervor for video games of any kind. His reported Garfield-esque penchant for lasagna, however, we could take or leave.

JoystiqHuckabee decompresses after election defeat with lasagna and Rock Band originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you've ever played a rhythm game by those musical connoisseurs at Harmonix, you're probably familiar with the idiosyncratic synth-pop stylings of Boston's own Freezepop. From 2001's Frequency ("Science Genius Girl") to last year's iPod smash-hit Phase ("Pop Music is Not a Crime"), their dessert-inspired name has become synonymous with the music/rhythm genre.

We can only imagine that the boys at Mega64 leapt at the opportunity to direct the latest music video for the inimitable Bostonian trio: "Brainpower", one of the unlockable songs featured on Rock Band. As far as we know, this is Mega's first music video (apart from their bastardization of a well-traveled internet classic). What do you think of this epic gaming culture collision? Do Rocco, Derrick and Shawn have the chops to "get their Jonze on"?

JoystiqMega64 goes Jonze for Harmonix game regulars: Freezepop originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 08 Mar 2008 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Want to quiet down the extremely loud clackety-clack of the Rock Band drum kit? You could simply use a few circles of foam rubber, or, if you're like hacker David Yoon, you can create your own extremely cute miniaturized drum kit for quiet, pencil-stick, desktop drumming.

The hack, which includes a foot pedal made from two sandwiched CDs, has the added bonus of being playable in an extremely enclosed space and/or by an extremely agile mouse. So if you have either of those things (and a bit of technical know-how), give it a go. If you have neither, well ... just enjoy the picture.

[Via Engadget]

JoystiqHacker makes mini-sized Rock Band drums originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How we long for a pint of Cherry Garcia right now! Next week's Rock Band DLC brings us the sounds, colors, feelings and mind expanding experience of the Grateful Dead. Just try not to become a Deadhead kids.

Grateful Dead pack (800 MS points / $9.99)
  • China Cat Sunflower (160 MS points/ $2)
  • Casey Jones (160 MS points/ $2)
  • Sugar Magnolia (160 MS Points / $2)
  • Truckin' (160 MS Points / $2)
  • Franklin's Tower (160 MS Points / $2)
  • I Need A Miracle (160 MS Points / $2)
Videos for this week's Rock Band DLC can be found after the break. Expect our Rock Band Weekly post here every Friday as we've been informed that the DLC announcements will be made at the end of the week from now on. The songs themselves will continue to be available the following Tuesday for Xbox 360 and Thursday for the PS3.

[Thanks Quastor]

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: Grateful Dead six-pack

JoystiqRock Band Weekly: Grateful Dead six-pack originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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