GamesRadar - Rock Band

Rock Band to Get Rob Zombie, Wolfmother, Morningwood, And More (News)

23 Oct 2009

WorthPlaying writes, "Grammy Award-nominated American metal rocker and former White Zombie frontman Rob Zombie adds to his Rock Band DLC catalog (currently "War Zone") with three new tracks for the Rock Band platform, including "Dragula" and "Superbeast," from his debut solo album, Hellbilly Deluxe, as well as "Burn," from his new album, Hellbilly Deluxe 2, to be released Nov. 17. Zombie also has a film currently playing in theaters – Halloween 2, which he wrote, directed and produced."

Rock Band Foot Pedal Case Dropped By Plaintiff (News)

7 Oct 2009

The plaintiff who sued developer Harmonix in November last year over cracking bass drum controller pedals in Rock Band has voluntarily dismissed his case, court records reveal.

In a court filing from September 23, obtained by Gamasutra, plaintiff Monte Morgan dropped a class action lawsuit against Rock Band developer Harmonix, its parent Viacom, Viacom-owned MTV Networks, the game's distributor Electronic Arts, and electronics retailer Best Buy.

Rock Band: Some artists "missing the point" (News)

31 Aug 2009

Music artist who criticise Rock Band and other music games of distracting kids from playing real instruments are taking "a narrow perspective of things", says Harmonix's John Drake.

"I think they're missing the point. I think that they don't understand why it's a phenomenon," Drake told CVG. "From my perspective, anything that gets kids interested in music and gets kids playing music in their house that isn't an MP3 they stole off the internet, is a good thing.

GameSoundCon Adds Rock Band Network Classes (News)

27 Aug 2009

The GameSoundCon conference is partnering with Rock Band developer Harmonix to add sessions to its novice-focused September L.A. event for those who want to create and publish music on the user-supported Rock Band Network.

Announced in July this year, Rock Band Network allows musicians to upload their own songs to the service, making their work accessible to Rock Band players as paid downloads.

But it's not just a matter of recording a piece and clicking "upload." Tracks must be mixed according to certain Harmonix specifications, outfitted with MIDI gameplay information, then peer reviewed before being put up for sale on the Network's store. As with Xbox Live Indie Games (formerly Xbox Live Community Games), authors will be paid royalties on a quarterly basis.

Viacom Quarterly Revenues Down As Rock Band Sales Decline (News)

28 Jul 2009

Viacom, parent company to MTV Games and Rock Band developer Harmonix, said sales of its music game suffered during the quarter "due to the soft retail environment", helping to drive a decline in revenues for the company.

For the fiscal quarter ended June 30, revenues in Viacom's Media Networks division, which houses MTV Games, dropped 8 percent to $1.97 billion. Viacom attributed the decline to "a 41 percent decline in ancillary revenues driven by lower sales of the music video game Rock Band."

411mania's Release List for the Week of July 20, 2009 (News)

24 Jul 2009

411mania talks about this week's game releases. Highlights include Little King's Story, Katamari Damacy Tribute, Shatter, and Wii Sports Resort.

Rock Band Giveaway Pepsi and Harmonix team up (News)

11 Jul 2009

BeefJack writes: "Rock Band devs, and Pepsi, want you to become the next big star in rock music.

While you're deciding which song to unleash your wicked headbanging skills to, you can win a $20 Rock Band giftcard, right here."

GameStop starts huge Guitar Hero, Rock Band sale (News)

7 Jul 2009

Ben Kuchera of ArsTechnica writes:

"The great thing about Guitar Hero and Rock Band packages is that they come in OMG-XBOX-HUGE packages. Why is that a great thing? Because boxes that big cost retailers money to store, which means that, with new rhythm games coming by the end of the year, it costs more to keep them around than it does to sell them at a huge discount. That means it's time to blast out existing inventory at OMG-GAMEBOY-MICRO prices. Let's take a look at what you can grab.

You have the name of the game, the system, the old price, and the price that the bundle is on sale for. If you don't have the game, or if you just need to pick up a few instruments to have as extras, this is a great time to do so."

Harmonix: music games could abandon consoles (News)

7 Jul 2009

It sometimes seems as if a new music rhythm game is released every five minutes, but Harmonix honcho Josh Randall believes things may change in the future. Randall thinks that games like Rock Band may eventually abandon consoles altogether, instead taking the form of instruments with built-in music.

Rock Band Pearl Jam Coming? (News)

11 May 2009

G4TV writes:

Harmonix developer HMXHenry posted a request on the official Rock Band boards for music fans to help contribute to a "forthcoming Rock Band" project involving Pearl Jam.

"We need your help!" reads the request. "Ten Club, MTV Games and Harmonix's Rock Band, and Rhapsody are teaming up to let you, Pearl Jam's biggest fans, help us choose the best versions of Pearl Jam live songs that will be presented for the first-ever fan voted set list for a forthcoming Rock Band project."

Here's what songs you get to choose from, courtesy of the band.

Music games off 36% this year, EA expects Rock Band sales down $400 million (News)

6 May 2009

Buried in today's Elecrtonic Arts earnings call was this amazing revelation from COO John Pleasants: Revenue for music/rhythm games was down 36% during the first quarter of the year and 42% in March, per NPD. As a result, EA has cut the gross sales revenue it expects from its EA Partner division, which distributes "Rock Band" for Viacom.

That's a huge decline. And keep in mind that there weren't any major music game releases during the first quarter of last year, while 2009 saw "Guitar Hero: Metallica" (albeit at the very end of March). As we started to see in late 2008, sales of "Rock Band 2" and "Guitar Hero: World Tour" must be down massively from the original "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero III."

And while EA CEO John Riccitiello said he feels "really bullish" about "Rock Band: Beatles Edition," the fact that the company is expecting $400 million less in sales indicates just how big an impact continued sales of "Rock Band" through last year mattered, and how far "Rock Band 2" is lagging.

Pepsi Rock Band Contest Is A Reality (News)

22 Apr 2009

From The Site...Rhythm/Music games are cash cows that everyone wants to ride and now it PEPSI's turn to ride, Last month it was rumored that in thier upcoming promotion PEPSI will have daily giveaways of Rock Band downloadable tracks, allegedly up to a million tracks.

Analyst: Guitar Hero To Lead 2009 Band Game Wars (News)

22 Apr 2009

Although music games may see moderate decreases in sales this year, the genre is "here to stay," according to Cowen Group analyst Doug Creutz -- and he's betting on Activision and Guitar Hero as the category's ultimate leader.

Band games, in attracting new audiences, have created a permanent market position, says Creutz. And as the industry is challenged to post year-over-year growth in the current climate, he expects Activision's music games will be up "modestly," or .7 percent year over year.

"We believe music genre sales for the company will be driven by an expansion of the release slate in 2009, which should broaden sales to core consumers," says Creutz.

Rock Band Kick Pedal with Double Bass Adaptor Ships (News)

8 Apr 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today that the officially licensed Rock Band Kick Pedalwith Double Bass Adaptor from Performance Designed Products (PDP) is available now at retail stores. The Rock Band Kick Pedal with Double Bass Adaptor allows players to use two Rock Band kick pedals at the same time.

Press Release: Bullet For My Valentine and alternative rockers The Shins In Rock Band Music Store (News)

3 Apr 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that metal band Bullet For My Valentine and alternative rockers The Shins will make their debut next week in the Rock Band® Music Store of downloadable content. In addition, heavy metal band Black Tide delivers another explosive track to Rock Band fans.

Nyko's Metal Pedal for Rock Band and Guitar Hero now available (News)

1 Apr 2009

Nyko's new heavy-duty drum pedal for Rock Band and Guitar Hero is now available in stores for $19.99.

The Metal Pedal is compatible with Rock Band 1 and 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Guitar Hero: Metallica on all consoles. Simply plug the pedal directly into the drum set and you are good to go!

Rumor: Pepsi Giving Away 1 Million Rock Band Tracks This Summer (News)

31 Mar 2009

Kotaku writes: "MTV Games and Pepsi appear to be teaming up for a Rock Band-themed, Pepsi-soaked promotion this Summer, giving away up to 1 million free Rock Band tracks to lucky sugared soft drink swillers."

Harrah's Entertainment and MTV Games Announce the Total Rock, Total Rewards Rock Band Competition (News)

18 Feb 2009

World class gaming and music entertainment giants Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. and MTV Games, a part of Viacom's MTV Networks, have joined forces to find the best Rock Band(R) gamers in America with the first-ever Total Rock, Total Rewards Rock Band Competition. The competition kicks off in March when Harrah's Entertainment properties become the first in the world to have official and permanent, fully-equipped Rock Band entertainment stages.

Throughout March and April, seventeen Total Rewards casinos will host local, weekly Rock Band Competitions, allowing fans of the popular game to win an Xbox 360 and Rock Band bundle as well as other Total Rewards items and Rock Band apparel and accessories. Four regional competitions will then offer customers the chance to win more than $50,000 in prizes.

The ultimate winning band will be given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to open for the legendary B-52's at the House of Blues in Atlantic City on May 9th and will win $10,000 in prize money, making this the richest Rock Band competition in history. In addition, visitors at participating Total Rewards casinos across the country will be able to pick up their choice of guitar, bass, drums or vocals and rock out throughout the year during special Rock Band Nights.

School of Rock: Guitar Hero & Rock Band Summer Camps Announced (News)

7 Feb 2009

Power Chord Academy, the nation's leading summer camp for amateur musician training, is excited to announce the addition of two new Summer programs!

GameROCKERS is an exclusive 3-day cutting edge game-musician program for the new age of musicians who play Guitar Hero or Rock Band. iROCKER is a 1-day version of the GameROCKERS program.

UK Guitar Hero World Tour Rock Band ratio closer to 4:1, says Red Octane (News)

26 Jan 2009

Off the back of the earlier news that Guitar Hero World Tour has outsold Rock Band by a ratio of 2:1, Red Octane's UK senior brand manager, Ian McClellan has said that in the UK, this figure is more like 4:1.

Forbes writer responds to Rockband comment, still thinks it is a 'knockoff' (News)

23 Jan 2009

Thatgamingsite writes: "Forbes Writer, Peter C. Beller has responded to criticisms made after calling music game 'Rockband' a shameless knockoff in comparison to Guitar Hero. Althought it looks like he's sticking to his guns on this one."

Forbes Magazine slams Rockband (News)

18 Jan 2009

That Gaming Site writes: "Is Rock band a 'shameless' rip off of Guitar Hero? According to the latest article from Forbes Magazine it is."

Nirvana Bassist Struggles at "Rock Band" Nirvana (News)

16 Jan 2009

Nirvana's bassist struggles to perform his own song in Rock Band 2.

Krist Novoselic of Nirvana fame complements music-based video games in a new blog entry on Seattle Weekly's website, introducing his post in the following way;

"Rock and roll has been proclaimed dead countless times. After a slump, rock usually bounces back in a wave of new bands and sounds. Things are different today: Rock has found new life with video games, and the phenomenon is leading to a revival of bands that have been around for a long time."

However, he wasn't too successful when it came to actually trying his hand at playing the bass line of a Nirvana song in Rock Band.

Consumers Prefer Gimped Rock Band (News)

16 Jan 2009

IGN writes: "The Wii and PlayStation 2 versions of Rock Band (released in June 2008 and December 2007, respectively) were mere shadows of their former Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 selves. Most of the key features had been gutted, there was no online play or downloadable content, no character creation, and they weren't too easy on the eyes. The masses didn't seem to mind, though, as the Wii and PS2 versions of the original game outsold both Rock Band and Rock Band 2 on the other systems last year. "

Fender: Survey Shows Music Games Drive Students To Play Real Instruments (News)

15 Jan 2009

Today Fender and Little Kids Rock, a non-profit music education organization, announced that an informal survey they conducted in November 2008 revealed that music games like "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" actually do inspire students to play real instruments. The survey polled 812 music instructors and said that enrollment in music programs has increased in the past year.

Harmonix: 'Rock Band' Inspires Would-be Musicians (News)

15 Jan 2009

Harmonix's Alex Rigopulos says that "Rock Band" has encouraged more people to learn how to play real instruments. He also speaks briefly on The Beatles licensing.

Rock Band Drum Kit Now $30 (News)

4 Jan 2009

GameStop is listing the Rock Band drum kit at the incredibly cheap price of $30 in their Weekly Ad. The offer is only valid until January 8, 2009 so take advantage of this fast. Rock Band 2 is available for PS2, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360, receiving a 9 out of 10 from Game Freaks 365.

Boom in music video games helps original artists (News)

23 Dec 2008

"...the video game "Rock Band 2," which along with "Guitar Hero" is rocking bars and living rooms across the country. Many songs' sales have more than doubled after release in one of the games, and well-known bands have started lining up to provide new music direct to the game makers. Now record labels - noticing what they are missing, and struggling as compact disc sales tumble - are looking for a bigger piece of the action."

Viacom: Talent Prefers Rock Band (News)

10 Dec 2008

Edge writes: "The Rock Band franchise has an easier time attracting music talent than its competitors, claimed Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman during the UBS 36th Annual Global Media and Communications Conference on Tuesday.

"There's a strong music orientation to our company; many of our networks are ideal vehicles to promote the game, and you'll see more and more of that as we move forward," said Dauman.

'We also have the opportunity to attract talent to [Rock Band] in a way that our competitors have greater difficulty doing.'"

Defending the Plastic Guitar! (News)

5 Dec 2008

That Gaming Site Writes: "I play real Guitar and Guitar Hero.

Being a fan of both, I've been subject to numerous arguments over and over about how playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band is a waste of time and that 'nerds' should try picking up a real instrument and do something productive for a change. It was in this week's edition of NME (a British Indie Music Publication) that brought me this comment, in an article that........"

Gene Simmons AXE Controller Launches (News)

4 Dec 2008

...Gene Simmons has a lot to say about it.

"I never do anything half way. My AXE controller is the closest thing you can have to being onstage in KISS. I created and designed the Gene Simmons AXE bass guitar and I can't wait for the fans to experience it for themselves," said Gene Simmons. "The Gene Simmons AXE guitar is such a recognizable symbol - people have been asking for a gaming replica ever since Guitar Hero was first introduced."

The Killers DLC also coming to Rock Band Music Store (News)

17 Nov 2008

The spirit of competition between Activision and Harmonix's respective rhythm franchises is still very much alive and well -- shortly after Activision announced that a trio of tunes from post-punk darlings The Killers would be making their way onto Guitar Hero: World Tour as DLC, MTV let it slip to Wired that they would be adding their own Killers triple-pack to the Rock Band Music Store on the very same day (Nov. 25). Man, what a bizarre coincidence!

Two of the three songs which are about to be thrust into Harmonix's already intimidating music library are relative oldies: "Mr. Brightside" and "Smile Like You Mean It" -- but a title from the Killers' new album, Day & Age, will also make an appearance: "Spaceman". The article on Wired mentioned nothing of pricing details -- though it's probably safe to assume they'll match the $2.00 (160) per song/ $5.50 (440) per pack price point we've all come to know and love over the past year.

MTV Games Announces $100 Rock Band Special Edition Bundle (News)

13 Nov 2008

It looks like MTV Games is trying to clear out some old stock before the Wii and PlayStation 2 versions of Rock Band 2 are released. To that end, they're now selling the original game as a "Special Edition Bundle" for just $99.99. However, it doesn't appear that the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 versions are set to come down just yet.

Viacom to Pay Bonus Exceeding $300 Million to 'Rock Band' Maker (News)

10 Nov 2008

Viacom Inc., controlled by Sumner Redstone, will pay the creators of the ''Rock Band'' video-game bonuses exceeding $300 million as part of the 2006 acquisition of their company.

Harmonix founders Alex Rigopulos, 38, and Eran Egozy, 37, received $150 million last quarter for exceeding performance targets, New York-based Viacom said in a Nov. 3 regulatory filing. A final payment in 2009 will exceed $150 million, the company said.

Rock Band Live (News)

10 Nov 2008

Todd Hargosh of GiN writes:

"It's no surprise: I'm a Rock Band addict. Sure, I'm currently in the process of testing out Guitar Hero World Tour, and am enjoying it quite a bit (despite a bum orange crash cymbal that will require a tuning kit). But I've always been partial towards Harmonix's music masterpiece.

Of course, with the release of Rock Band 2 last September (on the 360 at least, the PS3 and Wii would have to wait a month longer) MTV wanted to promote the Rock Band franchise even further, and in doing so they announced the Rock Band Live tour. I had a chance to attend last Friday's live concert at the Patriot Center in downtown Washington D.C., and despite not knowing a lot about most of the bands in attendance, I was able to enjoy myself.

The main headliners in the show included Dashboard Confessional and Panic at the Disco, whom I remember from playing their song "Nine in the Afternoon" on Rock Band 2. In addition, both the CAB and the Plain White T's performed in the opening acts, and all proved to be quite entertaining for the crowd in attendance at the arena.

But of course the show was not just about the four bands that performed, it was also a chance for fellow Rock Band aficionados to get together and partake in the game they enjoy playing. Around the venue were several Xbox 360 stations set up to play all the songs from Rock Band 2, complete with the new line of instruments, including the new Fender Precision Bass guitar."

Boston Globe names Harmonix one of the top places to work (News)

7 Nov 2008

This Sunday the Boston Globe will name Harmonix, developer of Rock Band, one of the top places to work in Massachusetts.

The rankings were based on a survey collected by an independent company of around 70,000 employees in the state. Harmonix managed to grab the #11 spot on the overall list, #5 on the list of "best small workplaces," and came in at #3 of the "most inclusive" company. If all the rankings were averaged together, Harmonix would earn a solid #2 in the overall "best small inclusive workplace" list.

Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 Gets November 17th Release (News)

6 Nov 2008

GamingShogun writes, "Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom's MTV Networks, (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), along with distribution partner Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced plans to ship Rock Band® Track Pack Volume 2 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and the Wii home video game console from Nintendo on November 17, 2008..."

Beatles Licensed to Rock Band (News)

29 Oct 2008

The Beatles have licensed songs to MTV Networks' Rock Band videogame series, according to several people familiar with the matter, a coup for the Viacom Inc. unit in its battle with rival Activision Inc. for supremacy in the world of rock and roll video games.

The deal, which is set to be announced Thursday by Viacom's MTV and the band's own Apple Corps Ltd., makes the Beatles the next and biggest major band to license its songs to a music-oriented videogame, joining Aerosmith, Metallica, AC/DC and others.

Logitech Answers Guitar Questions of Cross-Game Compatibility and Other Platforms (News)

25 Oct 2008

Yesterday, Logitech revealed its new $250 wireless guitar controller for Guitar Hero for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3. However, there were some questions about whether or not the peripheral would see a release for the Wii or Xbox 360, or if it would work with other non-Guitar Hero branded games. And now, those questions no longer remain unanswered.

Rock Band DLC Going Country? (News)

21 Oct 2008

If rumors on the game's official forums are to be believed, Rock Band may not be catering exclusively to fans of rock and roll for much longer. Rock Band 2 community members are abuzz over a CMT news report from Saturday afternoon that supposedly outed the developer's plans to release country music as downloadable content. Details are beyond scarce, but the alleged CMT report points to December as the expected release date.

While nobody is offering official confirmation at this point, a Harmonix developer with the handle HMXHenry chimed in on the thread to help calm things down. In addition to the standard, non-committal response commonly applied to rumors like this, Henry also directed the following statement toward country music detractors:

"Furthermore, this thread blows my mind. With so many genres represented in Rock Band already, why would the addition of country be such a huge shock? We'll have country in RB sooner or later. Ideally we'll have all the various subgenres that people are clamoring for (hardcore punk, goth, ska, etc) eventually. We haven't shut the door on anything."

Ship Date Announced for PS3, PS2, & Wii Rock Band 2 Software and Some Instruments (News)

16 Oct 2008

The stand alone version of Rock Band 2 has been available for a few weeks now on the Xbox 360, leaving PS3, PS2, and Wii fans of the franchise wondering when they will get their hands on the game for their respective systems. Well today is the day they will find that out. Good news for PS3 owners as their wait is almost over, but the other two systems have a ways to go still. Also announced are bundle pricing and some of the standalone instruments.

Rumor: Motley Crue's 'Dr. Feelgood' Album Coming To Rock Band (News)

2 Oct 2008

G4tv.com is reporting a rumor that Motley Crue's 'Dr. Feelgood' Album is coming to Rock Band as DLC. Check the link for details on the date and track list.

The 10 worst Rock Band performances (Feature)

2 Oct 2008

Rock Band can make anyone feel like a rock star, but feeling and being are separated by millions of dollars, obsessed fans, and a voice that anyone actually wants to hear ever. For each “Rock Band EXPERT 5 StArS!!! OMG!” video you find on YouTube, you can find another song mangling performance so atrocious that it would make Simon Cowell's man breasts explode with snideness.

Some think they can actually ...

Rock Battle NYC Winner Announced (News)

2 Oct 2008

MTV2 and Time Warner Cable announced today that NYC-area rock band Lights Resolve won the Rock Battle NYC competition, and as a result they will be the opening act for the November 2nd stop of the Rock Band Live Tour.

Crazy Rock Band vs. Guitar Hero Price War (News)

26 Sep 2008

Gameplayer has unearthed an interesting development in the pricing of Rock Band and Guitar Hero this Christmas that could change the way music game fans approach their purchases.

Girl guitars for Guitar Hero and Rock Band shown off by Aly & AJ (News)

25 Sep 2008

Aly & AJ are getting their own Guitar Hero and Rock Band girly guitars. The guitar peripherals will be available in mid-October 2008 for Wii & PS2 and will cost $69.99.

Rock Band Coming to NZ October 31st (News)

22 Sep 2008

ButtonMasher writes: EA have just sent out the official word that Rock Band will in fact be releasing this year. The date (as per the title) is set for October the 31st and it will be releasing on all four platforms, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2 and Nintendo Wii. Also released with the release date is the pricing for the various bundles and additional song packs on the platforms that do not have a download service for the game. The pricing for the full Instrument pack will be $219.99 with the Software selling separately for $99.99 (or $79.99 on the PS2/Wii)

Rock Band coming to Australia (News)

22 Sep 2008

Almost a year after it's release in the US, Rock Band 1 is finally coming to Australia. "EA confirms Harmonix-developed band simulation game finally making its way down under on November 7"

TalkRadar 19 – thievery! (Feature)

19 Sep 2008

Would you look at that, a whole new podcast done sprung up unnerneath our feet! If’n we was a bettin’ folk, we’d rightly say this week’s podcast is a durn-tootin’ romp-a-bout filled with tales of lyin’, cheatin’ and some other such nonsense. Then we scoot on to topics akin to Rock Band, Force Unleashed, Mega Man 9 and a whole mess more.

Give ol’ T-Dar a try, ya shan’t regret it! ...

Rock Band Song Packs on disc (News)

19 Sep 2008

According to GameRush.nl a distributor of videogames has listed the yet unknown "Rock Band Song Pack 1" and "Rock Band Song Pack 2". Both these packs will be available on disc.

The first pack will be released on the 25th of september on Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 2 costing 29,99 euro. The 25th is also the day some parts of Europe will finally get their Wii, PS2 and PS3 versions of Rock Band.

The second pack will be released on PS2 and Wii as well, also with a 29,99 pricecard. This is not quite that amazing because both these consoles lack the capacity to save lots of data on a harddisk. BUT... (yes there's a but) there will be a PS3 and Xbox 360 Rock Band Song Pack 2 as well!!

The Rock Band Song Pack 2 is listed with a november 20th release. The PS3 and Xbox 360 version will cost 69,99 euro.

Rumor: Rock Band AC/DC is an "Expansion Pack" (News)

18 Sep 2008

Brandon Undead of the Destructoid community blog says,

"Today we (Walmart) received some material concerning promotional efforts for the forthcoming AC/DC studio album (sold exclusively at Wally World), 'Black Ice'. In it was a bunch of stuff about selling hats, and t-shirts, and AC/DC branded stadium seats, and- WAIT! What's this!?

An AC/DC Rock Band 2 Expansion Pack? 'AC/DC Live at Donington' ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? I wondered for a long time if they were referring to DLC, and then remembered we can't sell DLC in a Wal-Mart store. Unless someone has come up with something super-flashy that I don't know about, this must be a physical disc.

By virtue of my totally lady-moistening skills of espionage, I have provided super-secret-spy-cam proof of this memo, and so will probably be terminated in short order. I hope you guys appreciate this!"

Rock Band 2: The Reality TV Show (News)

9 Sep 2008

Luke Plunkett of Kotaku says,

"It's on Craigslist, so who knows how legitimate this is, but we definitely like the feel of it. Seems Mark Burnett (pictured), the man behind everything from Survivor to The Apprentice to The Contender, might be working with MTV on a reality TV program based around Rock Band 2. Centred around competition between bands of four, it'll give you the chance to not only get on TV and win the "Ultimate Rock Band Experience", but subsequently slide into a creative and moral abyss, as the cocaine, cheap women and long tours drive a wedge between you and your bandmates, and you grow to loathe everyone and everything in your life you once held dear. So, yeah, awesome! Only catch is you've got to be over 18, and be based in the LA/SoCal area."

Rock Band Comes to PS3, PS2 and Wii in Europe, UK - Price Cut on Xbox 360 version. (News)

8 Sep 2008

Rock Band Set to Ship for the PS3, PS2 and Wii in UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria and Luxembourg. Rock Band for the PS3 and PS2 and Wii will ship to retail and will be available in the UK the week of September 8th, in France the week of September 15th, in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria and Luxembourg the week of September 22nd and in Spain the week commencing September 29th.

Rumour: Rock Band PS3 coming to Europe this September? (News)

4 Sep 2008

Although Rock Band was released on both the PS3 and Xbox 360 in North America in November 2007, Harmonix's music video game only arrived on European shores as a timed Xbox 360 exclusive in May this year.

Since then EA has skirted around the issue of when the PS3 version of the game would become available in Europe, only saying that additional platform would follow later in the year.

PS3 Rock Band fans will be interested to know that a retailer listing has popped up (thanks NeoGaf) suggesting that Rock Band will be released on the Wii, PS3 and PS2 this month across Europe. While EA has not yet confirmed the release dates, the listing does back up rumours from earlier in the year which suggested a September release date for the PS3 version of the game.

DIY Rock Band drum kit ditches everything but the bare necessities (News)

22 Aug 2008

Engadget Reports: "While there's certainly plenty of off-the-shelf options out there for folks dissatisfied by the stock Rock Band drum kit, those looking to really dial things up to eleven may want to follow the lead of this modder from EDrums.info, who created a mesh head drum set with some wood, some new components, and plenty of skill. As you can see in the multi-page how-to linked below, however, this isn't exactly a one-day project (for mere mortals, at least), and there's no shortage of opportunities for complete disaster once you start tearing the original drum kit apart. If you persevere though, you'll not only be able to impress you friends with your Rock Band skills, but your actual drumming skills as well, as it can also be turned into a real drum kit with the addition of a drum module."

Rock Band: Pay Sky-High $520! Official Australian Pricing! (News)

16 Aug 2008

From XboxOZ360:

"Well we know prices are dear here, we sort of expect it as a matter of course, but EA's official announcement of pricing for Harmonix's Rock Band is at $AU520 to fully equip yourself out with the full rig.

Now for a 'game' that is ludicrous to a major extent. It smacks of "we don't care about your market" and you'll pay it if you want it bad enough. Seriously, that's more than the cost of a top level SKU console. When we look at prices of the same item in the UK or the US, there's a huge difference in pricing."

IGN AU: Rockband, A No Show In Australia? (News)

14 Aug 2008

IGN Au Reports:

"The chequered history of Rock Band in Australia could be set to take yet another turn, as an undisclosed retail source told us today that the game's release may be delayed indefinitely. Word is that retail buyers simply aren't interested in stocking a bulky product that's a year old and will cost more than its similarly bulky – and up to date - competitor Guitar Hero: World Tour."

Light-Up Drumsticks For Rock Band (News)

8 Aug 2008

GayGamer Reports:

"Like my glowstick raver phase come back to haunt me, the Ant Commandos have produced a Rock Band accessory that lights up the night with colors and, arguably, tangible proof of substance abuse. These so-called "Illuminated Drumsticks" come in two shoutrageous flavors, "flame red" and "electric blue," and will retail for a suggested $19.99 per pair.

The whole shaft of each stick will light up with its associated color whenever the drumstick strikes a surface in a, you know, drumstick-like fashion. It's like a laser show in your hands!"

Is gaming already the new music industry? (News)

8 Aug 2008

From gameplayer: "the negotiating power of the games companies stem from their control over the track lists in their titles… The game publishers have the power. So, in a sense, they ARE the music industry."

XboxOZ360 attends GO3 in Perth WA - "pleasantly surprised and entertained" (News)

1 Aug 2008

XboxOZ360 writes:

"There's something here for everyone whether you're into Anime, Gaming, Education in ICT or general electronics this is the place to be! Entry is completely FREE with chances to play yet to be released games like RockBand and Midnight Club: Los Angeles.

GO3 is an absolute blast. The speakers of the conference were top class and extremely enjoyable to view. Attendees from nVIDIA, Sony Online Entertainment, Nokia, Military Game Technology and InterZone all made the trip to GO3 for the conference and they all had exceptional information to share on upcoming games and technology..."

Real Wood, Full-Size Guitar Controller for PlayStation Rock Band and Guitar Heroes (News)

31 Jul 2008

Not content with the plastic miniature guitar you're forced to use when you pretend rock out? Well, if you're a PlayStation 2 or 3 owner with an extra $180 lying around, you can pick up this new wooden guitar that works with Rock Band and all of the Guitar Hero games.

Rock Band Live Tour Kicks Off This October (News)

31 Jul 2008

Do you aspire to rock out on stage in front of a crowd of adoring fans, but never put in the effort to actually develop musical talent? Ever dreamed of sharing the spotlight with modern radio giants like Dashboard Confessional, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T's, and, uh, The Cab? Why start practicing now when you can just wing it at the upcoming Rock Band Live tour?

Kicking off on October 5, the first ever Rock Band Live tour will allow gamers to perform on stage between sets, with the winning "bands" being selected by local radio stations, national contests, and on-site competition. Finally, a venue that appreciates your ability to follow note charts.

It's Official: Rock Band Price/Date Screws Australians Over (News)

29 Jul 2008

Rock Band launched in the US last November, and earlier this year in Europe for an insane price. However EA looks set to take it one step further and slug Australia not only with a bigger delay, but also a complete price gouging on the game and the hardware to play it. Vooks has been sent the pricing for every configuration of Rock Band in Australia and for each console by an proven anonymous tipster, Direct from the distributor.

And you're not going to be happy.

Game Revolution: Rock Band 2 Preview (News)

23 Jul 2008

In addition to the projected 80+ track list – which is a great value considering the downloadable price scheme and that it includes everything from AC/DC to Guns N' Roses, Devo, Billy Idol, and Pearl Jam – multiple touch-ups clean up the menus. Each song's difficulty rating, which is already shown for downloadable songs in the in-game Rock Band music store, are finally available in the song selection screen. No more second-guessing how difficult a specific instrumental part is anymore.

Rock Band 2: Website is Live, plus Original Disc Import Information (News)

17 Jul 2008

Alan Tsang of PS3Fanboy says,

"We mentioned before that Rock Band 2 will allow players to "export most of the Rock Band disc tracks and upgrade them into Rock Band 2 gameplay." Most means not all. So what tracks are excluded? Joystiq got a chance to talk to senior designer Dan Teasdale, who said the final list of importable songs is still up in the air, due to licensing issues. Apparently Harmonix had to re-license all of the tracks from the first Rock Band. Sources are saying the number of songs excluded will probably be around 2 to 3. This is speculated to be caused by the new exclusivity deals with Guitar Hero: World Tour.

The official Rock Band 2 website has also been opened. No new information, but there are a couple of IM icons and wallpaper. The website also allows you to pre-order the game on the Xbox 360 on Amazon, but a quick look around also leads a pre-order for the PS3 version, including the Special Edition which includes the instruments. We did notice the Special Edition is has a release date listed as October 19th while the game by itself has it listed as November 30th, but these dates are probably inaccurate. The 360 Special Edition, which already has a confirmed release date of September, also has the release date listed as October here."

Destructoid Exclusive: Rock Axe, the guitar controller to end 'em all (News)

14 Jul 2008

Dick McVengeance of Destructoid says,

"Let's face it: the Guitar Hero controller is not the ideal item for the game. It'd be nice to hold a full-sized guitar in your hands. We've seen people build custom controllers and put them on eBay, but those were one-off deals, and usually rather expensive."

Leaked Rock Band 2 E3 video listing all songs (News)

9 Jul 2008

There's a video right now on YouTube that supposedly leaks all of the Rock Band 2 tracks! Rock Band Forum poster XxMattxX starts the discussion in their forums off by saying,

"Has anyone else seen it?"

There are a lot of personal favorites on the list, but none stuck out more than "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd. Video and full list of songs and artists below, Rock Band Forum discussion after the jump.

Here's The List:

Warmup:

If You Wanna Get to Heaven - Ozark Mountain Devils
Gold Lion - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Possum Kingdom - The Toadies
Black Betty - Ram Jam
Don't Speak - No Doubt
Black - Pearl Jam
Drain You - Nirvana
Farmhouse - Phish
Santaria - Sublime

Apprentice:

You Oughta Know - Alanis Morrisette
We Got the Beat - The Go-Gos
Float On - Modest Mouse
Kiss Me Deadly - Lita Ford
Atomic - Blondie
Heartbreaker - Pat Benatar
Piece of My Heart - Janice Joplin
Rock the Casbah - The Clash
I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones

Solid:

Panic Attack - Finger Eleven
Chop Suey - System of a Down
Give it Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Everlong - Foo Fighters
Kids in America - Kim Wilde
Ace of Spades - Motorhead
Hello There - ?Cheap Trick?
Anyway You Want It - Journey
Pinball Wizard - The Who

Moderate:

Machinehead - Bush
Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
What's the Frequency Kenneth? - REM
Want To - ?
I Write Sins Not Tragedies - Panic at the Disco
The Old Apartment - Barenaked Ladies
When I Come Around - Green Day
Zombie - The Cranberries
Soak Up the Sun - ?Sheryl Crow?

Skilled:

Waiting on the World to Change - John Mayer
Man in the Box - Alice in Chains
Ramblin' Man - The Allman Brothers
One S...

Led Zeppelin Uncomfortable With Licensing Songs To Rock Band, Guitar Hero (News)

4 Jul 2008

Wondering why there isn't any Led Zeppelin in the Rhythm Games you love? Here's what Michael McWhertor of Kotaku says,

"According to their management, the band isn't 'comfortable' giving up access to its master tapes, the very thing required to edit these things down to Rock Band and Guitar Hero ready formats.

'It ain't about the money,' says Peter Mensch of Q Prime Management who handles Led Zep's interests."

McWhertor goes on to list a few of the bands that have given up the access, including Van Halen, Steely Dan, Guns N' Roses, and the Eagles.

2008's best games so far SUCK! (Feature)

26 Jun 2008

They were critically acclaimed. They were loved by millions. Now meet the GamesRadar editors who can't STAND them. ...

Beatles Likely Coming To Rock Band and Guitar Hero (News)

23 Jun 2008

Representatives for The Beatles are currently in talks with both Mtv Games and Activision to bring the massive catalog of The Beatles songs to the game industry.

The deal is said to be worth several million dollars and could be finalized as soon as a few weeks from now. As long as the controlling interests of the Beatles recordings agree, a final deal would likely be announced around E3.

PlayStation 2 Rock Band Special Edition Bundle $99.99 for a Limited Time (News)

14 Jun 2008

Harmonix, MTV Games, and EA announced today that they would be selling the Special Edition bundle of Rock Band for the PlayStation 2 (whose instruments can be used on the PS3) for $99.99 for a limited time.

EA denies Rock Band PS3/PS2 September 26 release (News)

12 Jun 2008

Back when the European launch of the Xbox 360 version was announced the press release stated Rock Band "will be available for additional platforms later this summer", which suggested a release window of June-August.

Online retailer Play.com has now sparked a rumour that non-Xbox 360 gamers will be waiting even longer for Rock Band, listing both the PS3 and PS2 versions for release on September 26.

There's no reason to be too concerned over the release date just yet though. EA told VideoGamer.com: "We haven't had any confirmation on that release date at all. We don't know where that's come from. That's definitely not confirmed."

Rock Band DLC: Good, Bad, and Best-Selling, All in a Convenient List (News)

5 Jun 2008

Ever wondered where your favorite Rock Band DLC places when matched up against the rest of the ever-growing pack? Now you can find out.

Now, you may be wondering, how do they figure this stuff out -- especially without Harmonix's involvement in their little project? Well, there's something about Y2K and monkeys, but put simply, they "diligently they look for the poor sap who recorded the worst score ever made on any given song. Then they proceed to cackle and write down the rank, it's kind of amusing." And while lowest rank doesn't necessarily equal number of downloads, it comes pretty close.

One Guitar To Rule Them All (News)

2 Jun 2008

Playing both Guitar Hero and Rock Band isn't much of an option for many of us living in cramped quarters, but Ant Commandos has just announced the first guitar that can support both games on multiple platforms. Their Double Range Guitar plays PS2 and PS3 versions of both Guitar Hero (I, II and III) and Rock Band.

Rock Acts Ringing Up Sales Via Video Games (News)

26 May 2008

Games like "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero III" have proved their ability to breathe new life into classic rock sales. But can they do the same for new music?

Last month, Motley Crue decided to find out. The band placed its new single, the title track from "Saints of Los Angeles," for sale as a downloadable track on "Rock Band" well in advance of the album's release date, which has been pushed back to June 24. The only other place to obtain the track was iTunes.

According to data provided by the band's management, Tenth Street Entertainment, the track was downloaded more than 47,000 times via the Xbox 360 version of the game alone in the first week after it became available.

By comparison, the same track received slightly more than 10,000 downloads via digital services like iTunes and Amazon, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Mötley Crüe single downloaded on Rock Band five times more than on iTunes (News)

25 May 2008

Joystiq: "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."

Metallica "most requested" for Rock Band and Guitar Hero (News)

16 May 2008

During a promotional trailer for the band's forthcoming studio album, Metallica has declared that its music is the "most requested" on both Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

You may remember a few years back that the aging rock chuggers were on the verge of appearing in their very own videogame under the Vivendi / Sierra moniker. The "high action, third person vehicle combat game packed with fully customized vehicles and weaponry, endless ...

Survey hints at Rock Band 2 with online world tour, drum trainer (News)

15 May 2008

Joystiq Writes:

We've received a handful of anonymous tips indicating that Electronic Arts is conducting surveys (surprise!) for Rock Band 2. From what we've seen, the survey is being conducted by Listen Research for EA. The survey breaks down as follows:

EA and Harmonix Announce Track Pack Volume 1 (News)

5 May 2008

In a press release sent out today, EA and Harmonix have announced that Rock band for the Playstation 2 and Nintendo Wii will get a track pack. The new Track Pack features 20 songs and will be available July 15th.

And the beat goes on (News)

5 May 2008

In an effort to keep Wii and PS2 Rock Band fans happy (what with the total lack of downloadable songs), Harmonix and MTV Games have put together Rock Band Track Pack Volume 1 - an expansion to suit all your Stone Temple Pilots and Nine Inch Nails needs. The Pack goes on sale July 15 for the hefty sum of $29.99, but in exchange you get 20 songs and the vague assurance that there will be more Track Packs to come. So even if you don’t ...

Rock Band: 3 million Shipped, 10 million Songs (News)

2 May 2008

Kris Graft reports:

''Viacom's quarterly presentation released Friday said the Harmonix-developed Rock Band has sold over 10 million songs via Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network since the game's November release.

Viacom also said it has shipped "more than 3 million bundled units" of Rock Band to date.''

Rock Band Pushes Viacom Q1 Profits Up 33% (News)

2 May 2008

MTV and Nickelodeon parent company Viacom has reported profits up 33 percent to $270 million in its first quarter on the success of Harmonix's Rock Band, with its Media Networks division revenues rising 16 percent to $2.02 billion.

Overall, Viacom revenue rose 15 percent to $3.12 billion in the first quarter. As reported in March, the success of Rock Band saw as much as $208.7 million in performance bonuses being set aside for the developer, with further payouts due in 2009 for its sales over the coming year.

Rumor, Rock Band Europe To See Price Retraction Tomorrow? (News)

15 Apr 2008

Kotaku writes, File it under mega rumor, but Akihabara Blue is claiming that the Spanish media is very much in the know (but under embargo) that EA will be reducing Rock Band Europe's projected price to 169 € (down from 240 €)-a metric that would offer a 1:1ish dollar to euro conversion to ease the purchase a bit.

The Ant Commandos announce new music gear (News)

15 Apr 2008

As games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero continue to gobble up market and mind share, it's a safe bet gamers are going to continue to see more manufacturers trying to one-up the originals with their own take on the fake instruments. To that end, longtime guitar crafter The Ant Commandos is back with a new line-up of gear coming this spring.

First are two new wireless products, The Widow Maker Wireless Bass Guitar and The Double Range Guitar, compatible with Rock Band and Guitar Hero 1, 2 and 3 for the PS2 and PS3.

Rock Band coming to PS3, PS2 and Wii on August 29 (News)

14 Apr 2008

EA has confirmed to VideoGamer.com that Rock Band will be coming out on PS3, PS2 and Wii on August 29, giving Microsoft a full three months of Xbox 360 exclusivity.

Rock Band European Release Doesn't Include Australia (News)

9 Apr 2008

Hey, Australia. All that fuss over Rock Band that went down last night? You know, about the release, and then the price? Don't worry about it. None of it applies to you.

Euro Rock Band Instrument Pack: no game included (News)

8 Apr 2008

VG247: According to IGN, the European Rock Band Instrument Pack will not include an actual copy of the game.

"Unlike the US, which received a Special Edition that includes the game, a Fender Strat guitar, the drum kit and a mic, all for $169 Â¿ Europe will only get an Instrument Edition priced £129.99 / 169 Euros, including the three peripherals but not the game Â¿ which, bought separately, will set you back £49.99 / 69.99 Euros." The article says. "So...

Rock Band - Head to head (Video)

7 Apr 2008

This is the perfectly polished, logical extension of what Guitar Hero started and where the music genre needed to go.

Rumour: Euro Rock Band 360 in May, no PS3/PS2 until autumn (News)

4 Apr 2008

Someone over at Neogaf "got a memo" saying that Harmonix's Rock Band has finally got a release date and price for Europe.

Unfortunately for all you PS3 and PS2 owners, it seems that 360 gamers will get it on May 22, while you'll all have to wait until autumn.

The game was rumoured last week for a May release.

While details surrounding the game's European release have been locked up tighter than a nun's pants, we have been told by a 'second' highly reliable source that the announcement would be "big news": if that platform split's true, we can see why.

Details are as follows...

Are Rock Band Drums like Real World Drums? (News)

1 Apr 2008

Was Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopoulos spot on when he said that Rock Band would "training an army of a million drummers"? Maybe. It, at the very least, helped train one, Attack of the Show's Kevin Periera. He recently applied his 98% expert-level skills on Coheed and Cambria's "Welcome Home" to some real life Coheed and Cambria.

Play.com Live: Exclusive EU only Rock Band tracks revealed (News)

18 Mar 2008

Over at the EA Rock Band booth at Play.com Live, EA (or Microsoft) staff had a full PAL version track list with them. ButtonBandits.com didn't see anyone giving these out or making this information available to people while they were there but ButtonBandits.com managed to obtain the track listing anyway as track listing was found left lying around on a table near to the upstairs Rock Band area during the break between the morning and afternoon sessions.

Rock Band drum kit modded (News)

4 Mar 2008

Engadget reports: We've already seen a real drum kit modded for use with Rock Band, but that's unsurprisingly not the only bit of customization going on, as evidenced by this considerably scaled down kit created by David Yoon.

Harmonix Earn $208.7 Million Bonus From Viacom (News)

3 Mar 2008

Media giant Viacom has its most recent yearly financial report, highlighting an additional $208.7 million in performance-based earnouts for developer Harmonix, following the success of Rock Band, published by Viacom subsidiary MTV Games.

MTV Games first acquired Harmonix in late 2006 for $175 million, making the studio part of the MTV Networks' Music and LOGO Enterprises unit, led by executive vice president Jeff Yapp.

ROCK BAND Drum Kits Ship to North American Retail Stores (News)

20 Feb 2008

Harmonix, one of the world's leading developers of music-based games, and MTV Games, part of Viacom's MTV Networks , along with distribution partner Electronic Arts Inc., announced today that individual drum peripherals for Rock Band have now started shipping to U.S. and Canadian* store shelves. The Rock Band Drum Kit (Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system) has a suggested retail price of $79.99.

Unfortunately Canadians must wait 2 to 6 weeks for them to hit store shelves.

Itunes Offers Rock Band Soundtrack (News)

18 Feb 2008

iTunes has now decided to cash in on the Rock Band cash cow. They have compiled all the songs used in Rock Band into one place on the iTunes store allowing you to download all your favorites to your hearts content. If you want all of them though it's going to cost you a pretty penny. At .99 a song the whole catalog will set you back $73.26.

Hackers uncover Rock Band secrets? (News)

14 Feb 2008

Technical minded Rock Band fans digging around the game's back end have found a list of unreleased tracks that could possibly be next for the onslaught of Rock Band DLC content.Here's the full list:(I Can't Get No) SatisfactionAlabama GetawayBeetlebumBehind Blue EyesBlinded By FearBreedBrown SugarCasey JonesChina Cat SunflowerCome as You AreD.O.A.Drain YouEl ScorchoFranklin's TowerFuelHysteriaI Need A MiracleLithiumLounge ActMarch Of The ...

Music Downloads: More Total for Guitar Hero 3, But More Per Capita for Rock Band (News)

8 Feb 2008

Ben Fritz of Variety writes: "On the earnings call, Publishing President Mike Griffith said Activision has sold over five million song downloads for "Guitar Hero 3" on Xbox Live since the game launched. Recall that "Rock Band" has sold 2.5 million.

Of course, given that EA/MTV have sold 1.5 million copies of "Rock Band" in the U.S., compared to 6.5 million for "Guitar Hero 3," it appears that on a per capita basis, it's advantage: "Rock Band."

(One caveat: the vast majority of "Rock Band" units were for PS3 and 360, while many copies of "Guitar Hero III" were PS2 and Wii, which don't offer downloadable content. And Activision didn't include PS3 stats, for whatever reason. It's not clear how close the margin is just in terms of 360 owners.)"

Rumor: Rock Band European Release May Creep To September For PS3, PS2 and Wii (News)

6 Feb 2008

Kotaku reports that our friends across the Atlantic may want to drum up some patience, as a source close to EA tells us that the good news that Europe finally has a release window for Rock Band may come with a dash of bad. While Electronic Arts execs pointed to a April to June time frame for the group rhythm game, Xbox 360 owners may be the only ones rocking out this summer.

While the 360 version of Rock Band is planned for a May ship date, we heard talk that the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and Wii versions will all ship sometime in September across the pond, a fact that we've yet to confirm with EA. We've contacted folks at MTV and EA UK for clarification, so consider it rumor for now and stay tuned.

Rock Band mod adds actual guitar string, touch of class to axe (News)

5 Feb 2008

Via Engadget:

"For Rock Band players that have also had some experience with a bona fide six-string, getting used to that plastic strum bar can take some work. For one gamer in particular, he decided to spend that time doing something a bit more productive than getting acclimated, like adding in an actual guitar string. There's also a switch mechanism that gets triggered by said string, which then sends an input to the game. Pretty swank, we say -- check out the video for yourself after the jump!"

Video games boost music download sales (News)

28 Jan 2008

According to Nielsen SoundScan data, songs saw digital download sales spikes of 31 per cent, 39 per cent and 48 per cent, respectively, for the month after they were featured as a Rock Band download, over the previous month.