Source : XBOX Live/Play.com

Rock Band 2, the next installment from game developers Harmonix is released in 6 days in North America. However news has been short on a EU/UK and Australian release for the game.

Well, aswell as moving all of the original content for Rock Band 1 to Rock Band 2 it seems as if the new game itself has been certificated with a 12+ if the EU XBOX Live Marketplace is anything to go by.

If correct, this means is a playable version of the near final game has been sent the BBFC and PEGI for age rating. This could very well mean a possible release in the near future.

And when discussing a possible date of release for the game? The official MadCatz controllers and peripherals for both Rock Band 1 and Rock Band 2 have been listed for a tentative release of 31st October 2008 on Play.com recently.
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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."
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GiN Reports: "The ezJam Combo Guitar Controller for Wii is the first guitar controller for the Wii that works for both music videogames Guitar Hero and Rock Band. With ezGear's proprietary DC2 Dual Connect technology, the ezJam Combo Guitar Controller contains everything you need to play either game and is ultra-responsive to meet the most intense shredder's needs. The ezJam Combo Guitar Controller comes with upgraded ezSpring chrome strum bar and chrome whammy bar, a fine tuned multi-axis tilt sensor and ezGear's standard Supra10 10 fret feature. The ezJam Combo Guitar Controller comes with the Guitar Controller, a wireless receiver, and neckstrap."
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Kotaku writes: "Returning from the Penny Arcade Expo earlier this week I was delighted to discover a giant brown box sitting in my house. Inside? The Rock Band 2 instruments: Two guitars and drum set. I haven't had a ton of time to mess around with the new drums yet, but so far I can say they're much quieter, and they feel much better to drum on. Those new pads have just the right amount of spring to them".
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Gamerdeals.net writes:

"After the a bit of a summer lull in game releases, we can look forward to a few gems prior to the run up to the holiday release onslaught.

Browse the full list of game releases (U.S.A.) on Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii for the month of September 2008."
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Screen Play Reports:

"Move over Shuffleboard, cruise ship passengers are now entertaining themselves during long voyages with Rock Band.

Passengers on P&O Cruises' Pacific Dawn and Pacific Sun cruise ships are encouraged to form groups and go head-to-head in Rock Band competitions against other guests, with the best rockers competing in "Battle of the Bands" showdown at the end of the trip.

P&O says it has introduced Rock Band "as part of its unique and exciting passenger experience" and the fact that the highly anticipated music game is still not yet available in Australia gives it added appeal."
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Brian Bright, project director of Guitar Hero World Tour explains why the games' peripherals will not be compatible.
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WorthPlaying writes: "Rock Band 2 builds upon the first music game to introduce co-op band gameplay, multiple instruments, online multiplayer, unparalleled downloadable content and raises the bar by delivering an entirely new level of depth, connectivity, authenticity and features. Currently recording their next album, Atlanta heavy metal quartet Mastodon revealed its Colony Of Birchmen track will be featured on Rock Band 2, but also let slip dates for the PS3 and Wii editions."
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It was never going to be pretty - and with Guitar Hero World Tour set to go head to head with Rock Band 2 this autumn, the rock 'n' roll royal rumble has begun in earnest.

Speaking to Eurogamer last week at Game Convention 2008, Guitar Hero director Brian Bright scorned Harmonix' attempts to match the feature set of the World Tour drum kit, while ostensibly clearing up the mystery surrounding the rumoured new peripherals for Neversoft's title.

"I don't know how far ahead they planned that - we obviously revealed [our drum kit] much earlier than they did," said Bright, referencing Harmonix' plan to release separate clip-on cymbals for Rock Band set-ups.

"I've a feeling there was a: 'Oh s***! There's cymbals! How can we put cymbals on our kit?' That would be the easiest way without having to rewire everything and re-engineer the entire circuit board."
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MTV's Stephen Totilo writes:

"With a new "Rock Band" and new "Guitar Hero" coming out this fall, gamers may find themselves faced with a choice of which music game to buy. Which bullet points on the games' boxes will sway them?

At a "Rock Band 2? demo earlier this week I asked Harmonix public relations man John Drake what he would say to people who, in trying to decide between the two games, felt swayed by the music creation mode in "Guitar Hero.""
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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."
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Stephen Totilo writes:

"Earlier this week I had another one of my personally disturbing "Rock Band 2" demos, where I learned some new details about the upcoming MTV-made game.

Note that the "RB2? demos don't disturb me because the game is unsettling, but because the powers that be at MTV stages these events on a floor in the VH1 offices where I used to work. Oh, the joy of returning to an old office. Why not set the next demo in my old middle school, MTV people? I'm sensitive about revisiting my past. OK. My fault, not theirs.

Anyway, here are some key things I learned about the game..."
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EA has announced its Games Convention line-up revealing that Harmonix's Rock Band 2 will be shown for the first time.
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Shacknews reports that while the Rock Band 2 game and individual instruments are set for an exclusive Xbox 360 release on September 14, it now appears that Harmonix's Special Edition bundle will not make it to stores until October 19, a full month later.

The official Rock Band store and retailer GameStop both list the bundle as shipping on October 19--the same day the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and Wii versions are set to arrive.

The Special Edition bundle--which includes the microphone, drums, guitar and game disc--costs only $199.99, while the separate instruments and game add up to an MSRP of $249.96.

Many fans who were planning on enjoying the early release while saving money with the bundle are upset about the apparent delay.
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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!"
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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."
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Ripten writes:

"It was only a matter of time.

As the popularity of rhythm games continues to gain purchase in the pocketbooks of gamers worldwide, Warner Music is of the opinion that the publishers are getting away with robbery.

Executive Edgar Bronfman explained that Activision and MTV, developers of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, respectively, will eventually have to pay more for the licenses for the songs from their catalogue."
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Although it's true that Rock Band at least released on Wii, the Wii version of the game is by far the worst. It lacks downloadable songs, online play, create-a-rocker and a real World Tour mode. It's no wonder that many wonder if the Wii version of Rock Band 2 will be as equally lackluster. Turns out, it won't be.
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A friendly retail tipster sends us word that Rock Band 2 has suddenly popped up in their computer system. Better still the listings for the Playstation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 versions are all dated:
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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..."
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