GamesRadar - Rock Band 2

BeefJack: Music DLC Roundup - 7/11 (News)

Nov 7, 2009

BeefJack writes: "You can say what you want about AFI, too emo to be goth, and too emo to be emo, and if that hasn't put you off you'll find an incredible band here. With a knack of writing insanely passionate and catchy tunes AFI have dug out a brilliant niche. Although The Leaving Song PT II could've easily taken this spot, Love Like Winter may be the better song for those new to the band."

Rock Band Weekly Update - November 6th, 2009 (News)

Nov 7, 2009

Mike from Project Gamers writes: Today we continue our weekly column highlighting the Downloadable Content that Rock Band will be receiving the next week on the Playstation Network Store. Next week will bring us rockers 3 brand new tracks from the White Stripes. Harmonix states, ""The White Stripes Pack 01" will feature "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," from the 2001 album, White Blood Cells; "Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine," from the 2003 album, Elephant; and "Icky Thump" from the 2007 album of the same name."

Are you going to get some White Stripes?

The White Stripes Make Their Rock Band Debut (News)

Nov 6, 2009

Early Friday morning, Harmonix and MTV Games announced that a three pack of tracks from The White Stripes and singles from The Damned and Kasabian will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii. Tracks from No Doubt and Dropkick Murphys will also be available for download next week for Rock Band Unplugged on PSP.

PlayStation Store Global Update 11/05/09 (News)

Nov 6, 2009

Want to see which region got what content? Look no further, as PlayStation LifeStyle has done the searching for you and compiled a list of what's new in this week's PlayStation Store Update, for all regions across the globe.

Viacom: Rock Band sales "are improving" but slower than predicted (News)

Nov 4, 2009

The Rock Band franchise, rival to Activision's Guitar Hero, isn't the financial power Viacom would like it to be but it's getting there, slowly.

The Beatles: Rock Band had a "great launch" but hopes for more with "marketing dollars" on the way. Franchise could see profit this Q4.

More Nirvana and Foo Fighters for Rock Band this week (News)

Nov 2, 2009

Rock Band fans can look forward to a bunch of new tracks this week. A three pack of Nirvana tracks, a four pack of tracks from Foo Fighters and a single track from Joan Jett & The Blackhearts will be added to the Rock Band Music Store this week for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. These tracks will also be available in the LEGO Rock Band Music Store. PSP gamers can keep an eye out for tracks from Bullet for My Valentine and System of a Down this week.

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup: 31/10 (News)

Nov 1, 2009

BeefJack writes: " The Foo Fighters annoy me, simply because they've created some absolutely amazing songs, but put them on albums fill of filler tracks, luckily with downloadable content you don't need to shift through the album to get to the best bits, and that's exactly what Best Of You is; Foo Fighters' best song. No matter what background you have it's hard to deny the sheer passion, emotion and top notch craftsmenship on display, no matter what you do, do not miss out on this one."

PlayStation Store Top Downloads 10/30/09 (News)

Oct 31, 2009

PlayStation LifeStyle Writes, "Below is a list of the top downloaded items from the PlayStation Store for the week ending October 29th. This week again sees Call of Duty: World at War and Fallout 3 dominate the charts. The number one spot is occupied by the latest COD: WAW Map Pack for the third straight week. Fallout 3's add on content has been very popular over the past few weeks. Trine makes a strong debut at the number 2 spot and a few Rock Band tracks litter the top 20. Check back each week for the lastest and most popular downloads from the PlayStation Store."

PlayStation Store Top Downloads 10/23/09 (News)

Oct 23, 2009

PlayStation LifeStyle writes, "Below is a list of the top downloaded items from the PlayStation Store for the week ending October 22nd. This week Call of Duty: World at War and Fallout 3 both dominate the chart. The number one spot is occupied by the latest COD: WAW Map Pack for the second straight week. Fallout 3's add on content has been very popular over the past few weeks. Check back each week for the lastest and most popular downloads from the PlayStation Store."

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

Oct 23, 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."

Rumored PlayStation Store Content for 10/22/09 (News)

Oct 21, 2009

PlayStation LifeStyle writes, "This week, after numerous delays, Trine finally makes it to the North American PlayStation Store. If you didn't buy Critter Crunch (shame on you!) then make sure to try the demo releasing this week. With the Halloween theme going on right now in the PS Store, we hope to see Burn Zombie Burn 2D! and possibly the long rumored Resident Evil 2 PSOne Classic. PSP owners should be on the lookout for Half Minute Hero, and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars."

Rock Band DLC Update for week of October 19, 2009 (News)

Oct 20, 2009

DefaultPrime.com has all of the Rock Band updates for the week starting October 19, 2009. Artists include Abbey Road, which will be the first downloadable album for the Beetles: Rock Band.

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup - 17/10 (News)

Oct 17, 2009

BeefJack writes: "Slim pickings this week… well that is unless you're a Queen fan. I don't know why Harmonix do this, but some weeks you're screwed for choice, Pearl Jam for example seem to get entire weeks worth of DLC deadicated to them, leaving anyone who isn't a massive fan, out in the cold, but then again there was a lot of NIN at the start. Anyway Queen need no introduction, and to be honest it'd be silly for me to pick a song, although Under Pressure may just nab it, simply because it has David Bowie in it. What's better than one classic band? A classic band and David Bowie that's what, now then when are getting I'm Affarid Of Americans?"

Rock Band to Get Queen 10-Pack, Blink-182 And The Offspring (News)

Oct 16, 2009

WorthPlaying writes "The Queen pack for Rock Band features 10 of the band's most loved songs, including "Killer Queen," "Somebody to Love," "Fat Bottomed Girls" and the Queen/David Bowie collaboration, "Under Pressure."

Rock Band Unplugged fans will enjoy the addition of Blink-182's "The Rock Show" and The Offspring's "All I Want" to the 49 tracks already available via the Rock Band Unplugged in-game music store for the PSP system."

Rock Band DLC Releases (Week Beginning Oct. 11th) (News)

Oct 12, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games have announced that in celebration of the much-anticipated release of Double Fine Productions' Brütal Legend, distributed by Electronic Arts, a three pack of songs of the Metal persuasion that are featured in the epic soundtrack to Brütal Legend will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of Downloadable Content (DLC) for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. Tracks from Black Tide, Blink-182, Joe Satriani, Kansas and L7 will also be added to the Rock Band Music Store next week, and tracks from Pearl Jam and Foreigner will be available for download for Rock Band Unplugged on PlayStation Portable (PSP).

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup - 10/10 (News)

Oct 11, 2009

BeefJack writes: "Tenacious D are one of those bands that no matter what they put out on these games, something is going to end up as a recommendation. No matter who you are, what you're into, what you think of Jack Black, Tenacious D are an undeniably awesome band on quite a few levels. The Metal is a demonstration of the duo hitting things as hard as they can, and when they bang, they bang."

Queen is Coming to Rock Band 2 (News)

Oct 2, 2009

Mike from Project Gamers writes: Announced today, via the community zine that is put out by Harmonix every week, Queen is coming to Rock Band 2! The Queen Pack includes 10 songs which are:

Another One Bites the Dust
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
One Vision
Fat Bottomed Girls
I Want It All
I want to Break Free
Killer Queen
Somebody to Love
Tie Your Mother Down
Under Pressure

I and the Rock Band community are ecstatic right now! Queen is one of the best rock bands ever. Only one band is missing from my main set-list now, The Eagles.. Make it happen Harmonix!

Release of the Queen DLC pack is slated in two weeks!

Rock Band Roundup: Alice in Chains, Breaking Benjamin and more (News)

Sep 27, 2009

The Herp of Spawn Kill gives us the latest Rock Band info, featuring a healthy mix of alternative and English rock. Check out Spawn Kill for the full list!

Rock Band 2 update debuts Audition mode (News)

Sep 26, 2009

Harmonix's rhythm game gains song-upload functionality for 360's upcoming Network initiative; wireless mics, background DLC downloading, more.

Rock Band 2 patched on 360, PS3 update going through cert (News)

Sep 25, 2009

Ludomusicians, rejoice! The Xbox 360 version of Rock Band 2 received a massive title update earlier today, adding a whole slew of oft-requested features to Harmonix's beefy music platform. The most notable of these additions is that the game now supports wireless microphones, such as those used with Lips. Other changes include improved hammer-ons and pull-offs, background downloading for music store purchases and the "Audition Mode," which allows Rock Band Network users to test out their homebrewed Rock Band tracks.

Flight of the Conchords Track Pack Coming to Rock Band (News)

Sep 22, 2009

Crazy Kiwi due Flight of the Conchords missed out on an Emmy for their now cancelled TV series yesterday, but did take time out on the red carpet to reveal that a 3 track pack from Brett & Jermaine will be headed to Rock Band at some point in the future.

When asked the guys did not know which songs would be included, but as their new album 'I Told You I Was Freaky' is due at the end of October it'd be a safe bet that at least one of those tracks will make it into the pack

Iggy Pop Snaps Onto LEGO Rock Band (News)

Sep 20, 2009

Gameinformer: "Who would you say is the one music superstar who's a natural fit for LEGO Rock Band? How about 62-year-old punk rocker Iggy Pop? The Iguana himself is going to appear in all his plastic glory in Harmonix's upcoming family friendly music game."

Rock Band DLC Releases (Week Beginning Sept. 20th) (News)

Sep 20, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games have announced that the entirety of Pearl Jam's new album Backspacer will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of Downloadable Content (DLC) for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii this week. The album hits shelves today, September 20th 2009, and will also be added to the Rock Band Music Store for Xbox 360 today, for Wii on September 22nd, and for PlayStation 3 on September 24th. Additional tracks from Megadeth and The Fratellis will be available for download next week for Rock Band Unplugged on PlayStation Portable (PSP).

Pearl Jam's Backspacer Available To Rockband After Album Release (News)

Sep 18, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that the entirety of Pearl Jam's new album Backspacer will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii immediately surrounding the album's retail release.

PlayStation Store Global Update 09/17/09 (News)

Sep 17, 2009

411mania: The Release List for the Week of September 7, 2009 (News)

Sep 8, 2009

411mania talks about this week's game releases. Highlights include Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days, Raiden IV, and The Beatles: Rock Band.

Electro-Harmonix Overdrive Pedal Coming to Europe (News)

Sep 7, 2009

Mad Catz has revealed a new officially licensed Rock Band peripheral, the Electro-Harmonix Overdrive Pedal for Rock Band 2 Guitar Controllers. Set to arrive in Europe in late September, Rock Band and The Beatles: Rock Band players will never miss a beat with this durable accessory fro PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii.

Rock Band DLC Releases (Week Beginning Sept. 7th) (News)

Sep 6, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games have announced that two three-packs of songs from bands appearing at the Penny Arcade Expo this weekend will be available for download in the Rock Band Music Store of Downloadable Content (DLC) next week for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. The packs feature Jonathan Coulton, MC Frontalot, Paul & Storm and Freezepop.

PAX Packs For Rock Band (News)

Sep 4, 2009

IncGamers reports that next week's Rock Band update will see tracks from Freezepop, Jonathan Coulton, MC Frontalot, Paul & Storm, 3 Doors Down, AFI, Audioslave, and Jackson 5, in addition to a smattering of other tracks on Wii and PSP.

ION Drum Rocker Core now available for $199.99 (News)

Sep 2, 2009

The ION Drum Rocker was released around the time Rock Band 2 came out and provided an alternative method of playing Rock Band with a set of very sturdy and durable drum pads. However, the cost of $299.99 may have been cost-prohibitive to some gamers.

Well, there is now another option. ION Audio has announced that you may buy a drum pad set without the cymbals, called the ION Drum Rocker Core. The set is now available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and soon for the Wii. This set is priced at $199.99 ($100 less than the ION Drum Rocker) and features the same great features of the original Drum Rocker, except without the cymbals. As an option, you can later upgrade it with the ION Drum Rocker 3-Cymbal Kit,which you can purchase for $129.99.

Rock Band News: Lego Songs Exportable, Deets on Queen, White Stripes (News)

Sep 1, 2009

Chris Kohler of Wired.com writes:

"Wired.com has obtained a partial list of upcoming downloadable songs for Rock Band that includes Queen, The White Stripes, and The Raconteurs.

The list, which comes from a highly-placed source close to Harmonix, features a number of interesting bits of news about the near future of the Rock Band franchise, including confirmation that the songs from the upcoming kid-oriented game Lego Rock Band will be exportable to your hard drive, if you want to play them in your main Rock Band set list instead of having to swap the disc. (Our source says a small fee will likely be attached to this feature, as was the case when exporting the songs from the original Rock Band.)"

Rock Band DLC Releases (Week Beginning Aug. 31st) (News)

Aug 31, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games have announced that a five pack of songs from new wave rockers Talking Heads, as well as singles from Avenged Sevenfold, The Jam, Oasis and Rage Against the Machine will be available in the Rock Band Music Store of Downloadable Content (DLC) next week for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Next Week in Rock Band DLC: Talking Heads (News)

Aug 28, 2009

Gamervision writes:
"Harmonix has got a pretty varied list of songs for next week's Rock Band downloadable content, with a little something for everyone. Talking Heads are the headliners with five songs, but you've also got Rage Against the Machine, Oasis, The Jam, and Avenged Sevenfold for the 360 and PS3. Wii owners get last week's Tom Petty and a bunch of other tunes to help them get caught up, and two more songs are added to the Rock Band Unplugged line-up."

Harmonix on 'Guitar Hero' Song Creator: 'Fundamentally Different' From 'Rock Band Network' (News)

Aug 28, 2009

For someone with little-to-no musical talent (like me, for example), it's easy to equate the concept of "GH Tunes" (the "Guitar Hero" franchise's in-game music creator) and "Rock Band Network." Both offer ways for fans to get their own musical creations in the game. But Harmonix sees a big difference with what they're doing versus what "GH Tunes" offers.

At a preview event for "Rock Band Network," Caleb Epps, Composer and Sound Designer at Harmonix, talked about what he sees as a vast difference between the two products.

Rock Band DLC Releases (Week Beginning Aug. 24th) (News)

Aug 23, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that singles from Fleetwood Mac, Billy Idol, Jet and, making his Rock Band debut, Tom Petty will be available in the Rock Band Music Store of Downloadable Content (DLC) next week for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3).

BeefJack - Music DLC Round Up - 22/8 (News)

Aug 23, 2009

BeefJack writes: This week sees a quiet release of songs for all 3 ofof the major music games. Available on August 25th for Rock Band:"

Available as a single.

Billy Idol
Mony Mony
Rebel Yell

Fleetwood Mac
Don't Stop
World Turning

Tom Petty Makes Rock Band DLC Debut Next Week (News)

Aug 21, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that singles from Fleetwood Mac, Billy Idol, Jet and, making his Rock Band debut, Tom Petty will be available in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content next week for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.

Harmonix DLC Announcements at Gamescom 2009 (News)

Aug 20, 2009

Speaking at Gamescom 2009, Alex Rigopulos, CEO and co-founder of Harmonix, the world's leading developer of music-based games and a part of Viacom's MTV Networks, today confirmed release details for the three Beatles albums that will be available for purchase as downloadable content in The Beatles: Rock Band Music Store by the end of this year. Abbey Road will be released on October 20, 2009, followed by the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in November and Rubber Soul in December.

Additionally, Rigopulos revealed that tracks from Queen, Nirvana, Tom Petty, Elton John, Iggy Pop, The White Stripes, Pantera, Talking Heads, Korn, The Raconteurs and more will be among the artists coming to the various offerings across the Rock Band platform.

GC 09: Beatles album DLC details, Nirvana, more to Rock Band (News)

Aug 20, 2009

At gamescom today, Harmonix CEO and co-founder Alex Rigopulos revealed that tracks from Queen, Nirvana, Tom Petty, Iggy Pop, The White Stripes, Pantera, Talking Heads, Korn, and The Rancontuers would be coming to Rock Band.

Rock Band Xbox 360, PS3, Wii & PSP DLC Releases (News)

Aug 16, 2009

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 Systems
The Foo Fighters three-pack is the second pack available from the American rockers for Rock Band fans and features All My Life and Lonely As You from the band's Grammy Award-winning fourth album One by One, as well as I'll Stick Around, from the band's self-titled 1995 debut album. Founded by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters have won three Grammy Awards, with all six of their albums being nominated.

BeefJack: Music DLC Round Up - 15/8 (News)

Aug 15, 2009

BeefJack writes: "With Guitar Hero 5 on the horizon we've been seeing a slight bump and dip in DLC. Rock Band or Haromix have been consistent as of late and this week is no exception. With over six bands this week including the second song pack by Foo Fighters which includes the huge single All My Life and a personal favourite I'll Stick Around, drummers especially should keep an eye out for that track if nothing else."

Rock Band DLC Update for week of August 18, 2009 (News)

Aug 14, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a three-pack of songs from Foo Fighters, as well as singles from Blind Melon, Blur, Dropkick Murphys, Eve 6 and Kaiser Chiefs will be available in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content next week for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

Amazon Discounts Rock Band 2 SE by $70 Today (News)

Aug 13, 2009

GamerDeals.net writes:

"Amazon is back today with a pretty incredible deal of the day...

Grab Rock Band 2 Special Editon (Nintendo Wii/PS3/Xbox 360) for $89.98 (save $70) w/ free shipping. It is the Amazon.com Video Games Deal of the Day for Thursday, August 13, 2009."

"Rock Band: Nickelback" was codename for the Rock Band Network (News)

Aug 13, 2009

...in order to "deflect all curiosity" about the project.

Harmonix knew that they had something big on their hands with the Rock Band Network, a public track development system which may produce a huge expansion in content available for the game. So big was it, that in order to keep it under wraps, they had to give it a name that nobody would be interested in.

That's where Nickelback comes in.

Gorillaz Trample Rock Band Next Week (News)

Aug 7, 2009

A heavy dose of classic rock in next week's Rock Band Music Store update gets completely overrun by the Rock Band debut of Gorillaz.

Up until now, the Gorillaz presence in music games has been limited to karaoke games and an appearance in the promising yet ultimately disappointing Battle of the Bands for the Nintendo Wii. Next week Harmonix fixes this, adding three of the virtual band's most beloved tracks to the Rock Band Music Store.

Rock Band DLC Releases (Week Beginning Aug. 3rd) (News)

Aug 2, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced they will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the theatrical release of This is Spinal Tap, by making available newly recorded versions of the song s featured in the cult classic film and its 1984 soundtrack album. The songs will be available in the Rock Band Music Store of Downloadable Content (DLC) next week on the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and Wii.

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup 1/8 (News)

Aug 1, 2009

BeefJack writes: "I hate music journalism, maybe it's just me (or more likely music journalism) but I find it far too opinionated, with other forms of media critics seem to judge the film, book or video game etc based upon facts and industry standards rather then personal preference. So it's ironic that each week I become as close to a music journalist as I've ever been when I write these sections, and I find out that it's actually pretty hard to write about music you have no favour for."

PlayStation Store Global Update 07/30/09 (News)

Jul 31, 2009

Rumored PS Store Content for 07/30/09 (News)

Jul 29, 2009

PlayStation LifeStyle writes:
"This week, after over a year long wait, Fat Princess will be hitting the PS Store and 'eating' up the spotlight for the week. That's not to say there isn't another "heavy" hitter this week, as a demo for Madden NFL 10 will be tackling the PSN."

The Top 7… 2008 games we can't stop playing (Feature)

Jul 27, 2009

Unless you’re an eagle-eyed bargain hunter, the price of videogames can put a serious dent in your finances. Here in the US, $60 a pop means the game in question needs to offer hours of content to offset the steadily increasing cost. ...

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup - 25/7 (News)

Jul 25, 2009

BeefJack writes: "Bit of a miss mash this week, with Rock Band throwing out some classics as Kiss and Weezer then sticking in pop punk gone emo Blink 182, still the Rock Show isn't a bad tune. Guitar Hero follows their suit for this month with another collection of songs from a record label, luckily this time with less emo."

Rock Band DLC - Week Beginning 27/07 (News)

Jul 25, 2009

Take a look at what tracks will be coming to both the Xbox Live Marketplace and PSN next week for Rock Band. With tracks from Blink-182, KISS, Weezer and Damone.

The Beatles: Rock Band coming to SA (News)

Jul 24, 2009

Although the Guitar Hero franchise has been in South Africa for quite some time, the Rock Band one has been conspicuously absent from the shelves. This looks set to change with confirmation coming from Kalahari.net that Rock Band will finally be distributed in South Africa with the upcoming rhythm game The Beatles: Rock Band headed to SA shores.

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

Jul 24, 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, Harmonix and BeefJack team up: Part 2 (News)

Jul 22, 2009

BeefJack writes: "Just like last time, Rock Band devs, and Pepsi, want you to become the next big star in rock music. And just like last time, you can grab all the glamorous details here:"

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup 18/7 (News)

Jul 19, 2009

BeefJack writes: "With the announcement of user uploaded songs this weekly news update may soon become history but for now we find ourselves at the tail end of another week and on the tip of a new one full of brand new tracks."

Kings of Leon & Rancid Make Their Rock Band Debut (News)

Jul 18, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that indie rockers Kings of Leon and punk rockers Rancid will make their Rock Band debuts with three packs of songs that will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of Downloadable Content (DLC) next week, as will a three pack from Rise Against and a single from Lush, for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3.

Rock Band Network Lets Anyone Upload Their Music, Launches This Year (News)

Jul 17, 2009

MTV Games and Harmonix are opening up the Rock Band music store to everyone later this year. The Rock Band Network allows any artist to upload and price their own tracks for users to download from the game's music store.

According to a report from Billboard, that service will launch sometime this year for the Xbox 360 versions of Rock Band, with plans to bring those "popular tracks" to the PlayStation 3 and Wii versions "eventually." Artists can submit their songs to a group of "Harmonix-trained freelance game developers" who will prep the tracks for use in game.

Rock Band 2 Special Edition (360/PS3/Wii) - $129.98 (Tuesday, Amazon Deal of the Day) (News)

Jul 14, 2009

GamerDeals writes:

"Grab the Rock Band 2 Special Edition (full kit) on PS3, Nintendo Wii or Xbox 360 for $129.98 (Reg. $159.99). It is the Amazon.com Video Games Deal of the Day for Tuesday, July 14, 2009."

Rock Band weekly update (07.13.09) (News)

Jul 14, 2009

The Rock Band franchise receives a "surround sound" update. Harmonix prepared a little list with all the latest musical updates for the popular series.

Rock Band Xbox 360, PS3, Wii & PSP DLC Releases (News)

Jul 11, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that three packs from new power group The Dead Weather, metal legends Judas Priest and indie rockers Big Dipper will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of Downloadable Content (DLC) next week for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3).

Additionally, back-catalogue tracks from The Pixies, Foreigner, The Killers, Spinal Tap and more will be available in the Wii Rock Band Music Store, and tracks from Radiohead and Killswitch Engage will be available for Rock Band Unplugged.

Rock Band Giveaway Pepsi and Harmonix team up (News)

Jul 11, 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."

Rock Band DLC Update for week of July 16, 2009 (News)

Jul 10, 2009

It's Friday and that means it's time for another Rock Band DLC Update. Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that three packs from new power group The Dead Weather, metal legends Judas Priest and indie rockers Big Dipper will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content next week for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Details are as follows.

Rock Band Gets Music From The Pixies, Foreigner, The Killers and more (News)

Jul 10, 2009

Cambridge, Mass. - Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that three packs from new power group The Dead Weather, metal legends Judas Priest and indie rockers Big Dipper will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content next week for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.

Additionally, back-catalog tracks from The Pixies, Foreigner, The Killers, Spinal Tap and more will be available in the Wii Rock Band Music Store, and tracks from Radiohead and Killswitch Engage will be available for Rock Band Unplugged.

Rob Thomas to Rock Band: "Call me" (News)

Jul 9, 2009

Rob Thomas admits he's not much of a gamer. And given his commitments to his burgeoning solo career and his duties as frontman of Matchbox 20, that's not surprising.

That said, he does own an Xbox 360 and a PlayStation 3. And, as the father of an 11 year old boy, he's been known to pick up a controller from time to time. The game of choice in the Thomas house? "Rock Band"

"There's something great about watching [my son] playing a Pixies song with me on 'Rock Band'," he says. "[The game] puts a kid in a world they're familiar with, but unbeknownst to them, they're being exposed to this great assortment of music."

Rumored PS Store Content for 07/09/2009 (News)

Jul 8, 2009

PlayStation LifeStyle writes:
"This week's shining star is the long anticipated Battlefield: 1943, other than that, it looks as though we are getting a normal dose of DLC. Expect some PSP titles to round out the update."

Games that would be better with a Mature rating (Feature)

Jul 8, 2009

Just because a game gets rated 'Mature' doesn't mean it's going to be grown up and serious and any better than something deemed suitable for younger gamers. However, chances are it is probably going to be more fun, simply because it'll have more violence, more sexy, more swearing, more alcohol. And all of those things, as any responsible adult will tell you, are the main ingredients for a good time. In our opinion, the following games could ...

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

Jul 7, 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."

Rock Band inspired by iTunes says Harmonix honcho (News)

Jul 7, 2009

Rock Band's emphasis on downloadable songs was partially inspired by the popularity of iTunes, according to Harmonix creative director Josh Randall.

Harmonix: music games could abandon consoles (News)

Jul 7, 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 DLC Update for week of July 7, 2009 (News)

Jul 3, 2009

Good news for Green Day fans, HMXSean has announced on the Rock Band Forums that the next DLC announcement has a 3-pack from their latest album as well as a pack from the Mayhem Festival. Full details are as follows...

Green Day Coming To Rock Band (News)

Jul 2, 2009

IncGamers reports that next week's Rock Band Music Store update will contain three track by Green Day, in addition to eight songs from artists performing at the RockStar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.

MTV: No Michael Jackson Track Pack Planned (News)

Jun 30, 2009

Any hope Rock Band owners had about playing some of Michael Jackson's greatest hits will have to put on hold for the time being.

Newly appointed Executive Vice President and General Manager of MTV Games Scott Guthrie told IGN in an interview this morning the company hasn't thought about releasing a DLC track pack in light of the artist's recent death.

"There's nothing in the works right now on that," said Guthrie.

Key words being "right now," of course.

More Warped Tour Artists Heading to Rock Band (News)

Jun 29, 2009

The Warped Tour is an annual international music and extreme sports festival that began in 1994 and features a diverse line-up of bands, as well as pro-skating and BMX exhibitions. This week, five tracks from Warped Tour artists A Day to Remember, Bad Religion, Chiodos, Escape the Fate and Underoath were made available in the Rock Band Music Store, and next week, three more tracks from Warped Tour artists - Dear and the Headlights, The Devil Wears Prada and Thrice - will be available for download.

Rumored PS Store Content for 06/25/09 (News)

Jun 24, 2009

PlayStation LifeStyle writes: "This week's update is looking rather barren as far as confirmed content is concerned. Let's hope that we get some surprises."

Pepsi Harmonix Rock Band Limited Edition Guitar Giveaway (News)

Jun 21, 2009

"Big thanks to Pepsi and Harmonix for sending us this 1 of 30 limited edition Rock Band guitars designed by artist Matt Moore. Ripten's guitar is the Xbox 360 version and numbered 22 of 30. You can enter to win it below by leaving a comment (one per reader) and telling us why you think you should win. Our editors and myself will review the submissions and pick a winner by midnight next Saturday."

Warped Tour Song Packs Coming to Rock Band (News)

Jun 19, 2009

The latest newsletter for the 2009 Warped Tour urges fans to be on the lookout for two new track packs for Rock Band, featuring tour artists The Devil Wears Prada, Bad Religion, and more.

AMP ENERGY Reveals Judges For $100,000 Rock Off (News)

Jun 19, 2009

NextGen Player writes:

"The semi-finals are over, the finals date is set, and on this coming Saturday four Rockband "bands" will compete for the ultimate glory of walking away $100,000 richer.

One of my colleagues commented that real Battle of the Band competitions rarely (if ever) give out so much prize money for the winning band. I guess in our modern gaming-obsessed society it pays to play plastic instrument over, you know, the real thing."

Spinal Tap & Evanescence Join Rock Band Line-Up (News)

Jun 12, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a four pack of tracks from icon rock stars Spinal Tap, along with a three pack from Evanescence, will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of Downloadable Content next week for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3.

Rock Band Weekly Releases (6/16 Xbox LIVE, 6/18 PlayStation Network) (News)

Jun 12, 2009

Two great Rock icons will be heading towards the Rock Band Music Store next week for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Evanescence pack - $5.49 (440 Microsoft Points) or $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) per track
"Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence
"Call Me When You're Sober" by Evanescence
"Weight of the World" by Evanescence

Spinal Tap pack - $6.99 (560 Microsoft Points) or $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) per track.
"Back from the Dead" by Spinal Tap
"Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare" by Spinal Tap
"Saucy Jack" by Spinal Tap
"Warmer Than Hell" by Spinal Tap

The packs will be released Tuesday, June 16th for Xbox Live and on Thursday, June 18th for the PlayStation network.

Rock Band: Green Day To be Announced (News)

Jun 9, 2009

Koku Gamer writes - The first info, straight from the singer Billy Joe from Green Day is that we could be seeing a Rockband: Green Day game announced soon.

AMP ENERGY Virtual Rock Bands Compete for Not-So-Virtual $100,000 Prize (News)

Jun 5, 2009

NextGen Player writes:

"The AMP ENERGY National Gaming Tour that has been visiting Canadian college campuses since late February is set to rock the Yonge-Dundas Square in downtown Toronto on June 20, 2009. Four Canadian virtual rock bands will live out their rock and roll dreams when they compete in the AMP ENERGY $100,000 Rock Off.

The competition, which will award a $100,000 grand prize to the best band, will take place at Yonge-Dundas Square on the main stage of the North by Northeast (NXNE) Music Festival."

Iron Maiden Rock Band DLC (News)

May 28, 2009

12 songs from Iron Maiden coming as DLC, confirmed via the Rock Band Zine. Posted by caliblue15.

Harmonix Hints at Big Announcement on Twitter (News)

May 28, 2009

Gamervision writes: "Joining the ever-growing number of developers breaking stories on the micro-blogging social network, the entire Harmonix community hinted at a forthcoming announcement today. Both HarmonixSean and HMXCasey strongly recommended signing up for the Rock Band newsletter over at the Rock Band 2 website. Why? Because something big may or may not be happening!"

Rumored PS Store Content for 05/28/09 (News)

May 27, 2009

This week will be the last week before the major E3 blowout that we are expecting. Next week you will have things to look forward to such as the SCEA Press Conference, as well as a ton of exclusive trailers direct from E3.

Ministry Make Rock Band Debut (News)

May 23, 2009

Ministry and The Zombies hit the Rock Band store next week.

MTV Games Gives You the Chance to Win A Moonman (News)

May 21, 2009

GamingShogun.com writes: "Today, MTV and MTV Games, a part of Viacom's MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B) and Pepsi announced a multi-platform "Drink Up, Rock Out" promotion that will give away thousands of Rock Band® DLC music tracks and games. Music lovers and gamers nationwide will be able to win prizes instantly and will have the opportunity to participate in the first-ever Pepsi Rock Band music video contest..."

Alice Cooper Hitting Rock Band (News)

May 15, 2009

IncGamers report that six Alice Cooper tracks will be going up on the Rock Band Music Store next week, in addition to three tracks by Taking Back Sunday.

Rumored PS Store Content for 05/14/09 (News)

May 13, 2009

Confirmed content this week is pretty scarce. However what is confirmed is an exciting offering, mainly due to Zen Pinball. Texas Cheat Em will make the poker fans happy. Of course there is the weekly Rock Band and Guitar Hero DLC to look forward to. We are expecting a PSP game, as Sony makes more PSP games available as a digital download.

Höfner bass guitar controller for Rock Band revealed (News)

May 13, 2009

If you're excited for the upcoming release of The Beatles: Rock Band Limited Edition Premium Bundle, then you'll be pleased to hear that you're going to have yet another guitar controller option on your hands. This time, it's a Höfner bass guitar controller.

Rock Band Pearl Jam Coming? (News)

May 11, 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.

Electronic Arts Summer Release Schedule Revealed (News)

May 9, 2009

Electronic Theatre has today received an updated release schedule for Electronic Arts' forthcoming videogame titles. Obtained through partners in the independent retail sector, the schedule reveals the intended European release dates for a handful of titles due to arrive on shop shelves throughout both May and June.

Next Week's Rock Band DLC Announced (News)

May 8, 2009

IncGamers report that next week, the Rock Band music store will see an influx of tracks from Social Distortion, Steely Dan, and Disturbed, in addition to a track each from Elvis Costello and The Replacements.

Top 10 PS3 Game Add-ons Downloaded in April (News)

May 8, 2009

The latest Playstation Pulse provided a list for the top ten game add-ons downloaded in April.

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

May 6, 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.

Upcoming RockBand Tracks Dated and Detailed (News)

May 3, 2009

Mike Hartnett at Tawkn.com writes: "Harmonix has just released the latest list of RockBand tracks set to hit the XBL Marketplace May 2nd and PS Store May 7th."

'Rock Band' reaches 666 tracks (News)

May 2, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games have announced that Rock Band has arrived at a "metal milestone", reaching 666 tracks.

Rumored PS Store Content for 04/30/09 (News)

Apr 29, 2009

PlayStation LifeStyle writes, "Back again for another weekly Rumored PS Store content. This week has me rather excited since, we get the PSN exclusive demo for Marvel Vs. Capcom 2! That's certainly not all we get to look forward to, as the first DLC pack for Killzone 2 drops, and we get more exciting DLC for Burnout Paradise."

Rock Band Delivers Jane's Addiction Nothing's Shocking (News)

Apr 24, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today Nothing's Shocking, the second album from eclectic alternative rock group Jane's Addiction will be added to the Rock Band® Music Store of downloadable content next week for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Wii home videogame console from Nintendo.

REO Speedwagon & Styx Coming to Rock Band Next Week (News)

Apr 17, 2009

Styx and REO Speedwagon are two of the most commercially successful American rock bands from the late 70s and early 80s. The REO Speedwagon/Styx Tour '09 Pack will include three of Styx's biggest singles that were recently re-recorded, including Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) and Renegade originally featured on the band's eighth studio album Pieces of Eight (1978), plus Too Much Time on My Hands originally featured on the band's 1981 concept album Paradise Theatre, the band's highest charting album of all time. Also included in the 7-pack are REO Speedwagon's timeless classics Ridin' the Storm Out, originally featured on the band's third album of the same name (1973), Roll With the Changes, originally featured on the band's seventh studio album, You can Tune a Piano but You Can't Tuna Fish (1978) and Take It on the Run, originally featured on the band's 9-times platinum 1980 album Hi Infidelity.