GamesRadar - Rock Band

Black Friday: Rock Band Kit For $50 at Walmart (News)

Nov 19, 2009

Want to get Rock Band kit for cheap? How about for $50? Good! Be ready for Black Friday and don't miss this great deal at Walmart.

Rock Band DLC Releases (Week Beginning Nov. 15th) (News)

Nov 16, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a five pack of tracks from AFI and singles from The Bangles and Them Crooked Vultures 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 Dead Kennedys and Sleater-Kinney will be available for download next week for Rock Band Unplugged on PlayStation Portable (PSP).

Rock Band Weekly Update - November 13th, 2009 (News)

Nov 15, 2009

Mike from Project Gamers writes: Next week Harmonix brings us Rock Band gurus an AFI pack 01 including: Beautiful Theives, End Transmission, Love Like Winter, Medicate, The Leaving Song, Pt II. The AFI pack 01 will cost $8.49 or $1.99 a track. Harmonix will also bring us The Bangles – "Walk Like an Egyptian" for a Lego Rock Band family-friendly track, also available for non-Lego Rock Band owners. (All tracks are original master recordings.) Now if your a PSP owner of Rock Band don't fret (pun intended) we have you covered for two tracks next week including: Dead Kennedys – "California Über Alles" and Sleater-Kinney – "You're No Rock'n'Roll Fun". Both tracks are $1.99 each.

Update: Beatles Rock Band tracks added.

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.

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."

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."

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."

Rock Band Foot Pedal Case Dropped By Plaintiff (News)

Oct 7, 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 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!

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).

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.

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.

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

Aug 31, 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)

Aug 27, 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.

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 gets Metal Track Pack this October (News)

Aug 13, 2009

EA is not ready to give up the Rock Band - Guitar Hero fight just yet, and today announced plans to release the 'Metal Track Pack' this October. The track pack will add 20 songs to Rock Band's already epic 800-song catalog, and will release on Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii. The retail price of this pack will be $29.99.

Activision: 'Guitar Hero genre down significantly' (News)

Aug 6, 2009

Though developers and publishers may be allured by the mass-market potential in making a music game, Activision-Blizzard admitted yesterday that the genre is facing tough times.

Last night during its earnings call Activision Blizzard admitted that the music game genre is "down significantly".

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."

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

Jul 28, 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."

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."

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 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 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."

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.

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.

16 New Tracks Coming to Rock Band Wii (News)

Jun 30, 2009

Three songs each from alternative rockers Pearl Jam and Punk favourites Mission of Burma will be added this week. Additionally, songs from The Offspring, Harvey Danger, Panic at the Disco, George Thorogood and more will be released June 30th to the Wii Rock Band Music Store.

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.

16 New Tracks Available on Rock Band Wii (News)

Jun 23, 2009

Three songs each from West Coast favorites Weezer, alternative rockers Nine Inch Nails and punk staples Dead Kennedys will be added this week. Additionally, songs from Testament, Staind, Dashboard Confessional and more will be available from today on the Wii Rock Band Music Store.

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."

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.

Blur, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Iron Maiden Coming to Rock Band on Wii (News)

Jun 9, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games have announced twenty-five new tracks from artists such as Blur and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will be coming this week to the Rock Band Music Store catalogue of Downloadable Content (DLC) for Wii, including twelve new tracks from Iron Maiden, one of the world's most successful Rock bands.

Iron Maiden Tracks Downloadable For Rock Band (News)

Jun 5, 2009

Twelve Iron Maiden tracks will be available to download for the hit gaming title, Rock Band.

The tracks will be downloadable from 9 June for the Xbox 360 and Wii, 11 June for the PS3. This coincides with the release of Flight 666 on DVD and Blue Ray, a documentary of Iron Maiden's first leg in the Somewhere Back In Time World Tour.

Alice Cooper, Roy Orbison Coming To Wii Rock Band Store (News)

Jun 2, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced 22 tracks from artists including Alice Cooper, Taking Back Sunday, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Foreigner and Roy Orbison coming this week to the Wii Rock Band Music Store.

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.

David Bowie, The Police Coming To Rock Band Music Store (News)

May 25, 2009

The hits just keep on rolling into the Wii Rock Band Music Store. This week, Harmonix and MTV Games announced yet another 19 new tracks destined to hit the store on May 26th

Rock Band Wii To Get 25 New Tracks This Week (News)

May 19, 2009

BeefJack writes: "Harmonix and MTV Games are releasing 25 tracks to the Rock Band Wii Store this week and have promised that the back catalogue from other consoles, a figure close to 700, will be released progressively until they are all available on the Wii."

Weekly Game Releases - 17th-23rd May (News)

May 17, 2009

Weekly Game Releases - 17th-23rd May for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PSP, PS2, Wii and DS.

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.

16 More Rock Band Songs Announced (News)

May 11, 2009

More rock band songs are here. Just last week 9 songs were announced including some from Social Distortion and Steely Dan. However, Harmonix has thrown in 16 more songs, which are expected to hit the Rock Band Music Store tomorrow.

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.

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.

Styx, REO Speedwagon Coming to Rock Band Music Store for Wii (News)

May 4, 2009

This week, Wii gamers can expect some brand-new tracks to hit the Rock Band Music Store. A total of 18 new songs will be added on Tuesday, May 5th for your downloading pleasure. The new selection of music includes tracks by 80s power rockers Styx and REO Speedwagon, along with a host of music from other bands.

'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.

Pepsi Rock Band Contest Is A Reality (News)

Apr 22, 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)

Apr 22, 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.

12 New Tracks Coming to Rock Band on Wii (News)

Apr 21, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games have announced 12 new tracks coming this week to the Rock Band Music Store catalogue of downloadable content for Wii, including six tracks from superstar Toby Keith. This week's new music line-up also includes songs from indie stars The Shins, American hard rockers Black Tide, Welsh metalcore outfit Bullet for My Valentine and Sweedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen.

Wii Rock Band New Downloadable Songs (News)

Apr 20, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today 12 new tracks coming this week to the Rock Band Music Store catalogue of downloadable content for Wii home videogame console from Nintendo, including six tracks from superstar Toby Keith. This week's new music lineup also includes songs from indie stars The Shins, American hard rockers Black Tide, Welsh metalcore outfit Bullet for My Valentine and Sweedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen.

Six of Toby Keith's singles will be released for download in the Wii Rock...

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

Apr 8, 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.

Rock Band: Eleven new Wii tracks coming this week (News)

Apr 6, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today 11 new tracks coming this week to the Rock Band Music Store catalogue of downloadable content for Wii home videogame console from Nintendo, including Journey's definitive power ballad "Don't Stop Believing." This week's music lineup also includes tracks from American hard rock band Foo Fighters, British alternative band Oasis and three family-friendly tracks from the favorite pineapple dweller, Spongebob Squarepants.

Star Trek and Rock Band giving away 500 songs each day (News)

Apr 1, 2009

MTV Games and Harmonix's Rock Band are joining forces with Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment to celebrate the May 8th theatrical release of the film STAR TREK from director/producer J.J. Abrams. The first-of-its-kind collaboration will fuse together the massive cultural followings of both STAR TREK and the video game phenomenon Rock Band to engage fans with free music, an in-game battle of the bands, and futuristic avatar creation contest.

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

Apr 1, 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)

Mar 31, 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."

Rock Band Breaks $1 Billion in Sales (News)

Mar 26, 2009

GamePlasma writes:

"MTV Games and Harmonix have announced that the Rock Band Franchise has made over $1 Billion in sales in North American retail within the past 15 months, according to The NPD Group. Rock Band, according to NPD figures, was also the number one title of 2008 by revenue across all game genres."

The world's best game devs in their own words (Feature)

Mar 11, 2009

The secrets of their success in their own words. ...

Everything to Know About the 591 Songs Featured in the Rock Band Catalog (News)

Mar 10, 2009

The official tally of playable music in the Rock Band catalog is 591 songs. PWN or DIE wanted to take a look at this list and see what they can tell about the songs they have chosen to include so far. They took time to make graphs to show some of the data compared by genre, decade, source, and more. Some of what they found is is a little surprising.

Wii Rock Band Gets 14 Tracks from No Doubt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Jimmy Eat World (News)

Mar 2, 2009

14 tracks from Jimmy Eat World, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and No Doubt will be added to the Rock Band Music Store for Nintendo Wii this tomorrow. Wii fans should rejoice as the music is coming quicker to the platform than before. In fact, the music from No Doubt and Stevie Ray Vaughan will be released for Wii the same day as the Xbox 360 and two days before the Playstation 3, just announced on Friday. The Jimmy Eat World tracks were just added to the other two consoles the week before.

The Cars' debut album zooms into Rock Band Wii Music Store (News)

Feb 23, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today the addition of eight remaining tracks from The Cars' self-titled 1978 debut album to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content for Wii home videogame console from Nintendo.

The lineup includes classic rock hits "Good Times Roll," "My Best Friend's Girl," "I'm in Touch with Your World," "Don't Cha Stop," "You're All I've Got Tonight," "Bye Bye Love," "Moving in Stereo" and "All Mixed Up." "Just What I Needed," also featured on The Cars album, was released to the Rock Band Wii music catalog in January.

Rock Band Developer Contributing to Starlight Children's Foundation (News)

Feb 19, 2009

1UP:

"The creators of Rock Band at Harmonix and MTV Games opted to share their success with the Starlight Children's Foundation today, donating a minimum of $50,000 and over 650 Rock Band bundles to the charity organization. They're also participating in the charity's Great Escapes program, which will send children with life-threatening illnesses and their families to play Rock Band together, as well granting them opportunities to meet the developers and preview new game content before anyone else."

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

Feb 18, 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.

Snoop Dogg coming to.....Rock Band? (News)

Feb 10, 2009

An interesting press release has just surfaced from the offical Rock Band foums that states that "In addition, songs from Snoop Dogg's impressive catalogue of hits will be released on MTV's hot-selling Rock Band® music video game platform."

Rush Arrive on Rock Band for Wii (News)

Feb 10, 2009

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today the addition of seven new tracks from progressive rock band Rush to the Rock Band Music Store catalogue of downloadable content for Wii.

Rush comes to Wii Rock Band with 7 songs from Moving Pictures album (News)

Feb 9, 2009

Owners of the Nintendo Wii versions of the Rock Band games are getting another dose of classic rock music DLC. This time 7 songs from the legendary band Rush will be made available on Tuesday.

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

Feb 7, 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.

Twin Galaxies Seeking the World's Greatest Rock Band Players (News)

Feb 5, 2009

All factory-included songs for each version now only need YOU to step up to the challenge and show that you are worthy of being the first official World Record Holders for the game at Twin Galaxies

Wii Rock Band Store Receives Six New Tracks & Promise of Cross-Platform Correlation (News)

Feb 4, 2009

Wii fans can expect a rollout of the previously released downloadable content until the entire back catalogue of more than 550 songs is available. In addition, the regularly scheduled future Downloadable Content releases for Xbox360 and PLAYSTATION3 system will also be available for Rock Band 2 Wii owners soon.

Wii DLC gets 6 more Rock Band tracks (News)

Jan 28, 2009

The line up includes "Siva"from Smashing Pumpkins, "Tell Me Baby" from Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Cars' classic hit "Just What I Needed." The offering also features the hit single "Gimme Three Steps" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Live Forever" from Oasis and the 30 Seconds to Mars hit "Attack."

Rock Band to get 5,000 songs in 2009 & Guitar Hero gets weekly DLC (News)

Jan 27, 2009

From the article: "An article in the latest issue of Billboard all about the upcoming year has laid a few predictions for 2009 at the feet of the Rock Band and Guitar Hero franchises. According to the article, an unnamed MTV spokesman has said that the Rock Band Store will increase its catalog from 500 songs to 5,000 songs in 2009."

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

Jan 26, 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)

Jan 23, 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."

Rock Band Wii Gamers Get 6 New Tracks (News)

Jan 21, 2009

New Rock Band music tracks are now available for Wii gamers. Harmonix and MTV Games have announced 6 new tracks have arrived on the Wii's Rock Band Store.

Today's music track additions include:
(All tracks are original master recordings)

Nine Inch Nails "March of the Pigs"
Nine Inch Nails "The Collector"
Ramones "Rockaway Beach"
Clash "I Fought the Law"
Jimmy Buffett "Margaritaville"
Jimmy Buffett "Volcano"

Forbes Magazine slams Rockband (News)

Jan 18, 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)

Jan 16, 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.