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Dhani Harrison: Rock Band 3 will make you better at actual rocking

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 7th 2009 at 1:00PM }

In a recent interview with the Chicago Tribune, Dhani Harrison, The Beatles: Rock Band contributor (and son of the late, great George Harrison), spoke about his involvement in future iterations of the popular rhythm franchise. "I'm working on Rock Band 3 and making the controllers more real so people can actually learn how to play music while playing the game," Harrison explained toward the end of the interview. "Give me a couple years, it's going to happen."

We wish Harrison and the entire Harmonix crew the best of luck in this endeavor, if only so they can finally stymie the infinitely deplorable "why don't you learn how to play a real instrument" contingency. Man, we hate those guys.

Rock Band Weekly: The White Stripes, The Damned, Kasabian

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 6th 2009 at 11:20AM }

Forget that Jack White finds it "depressing" that kids are learning about music through rhythm games -- there's gold in them thar virtual hills! Next week's Rock Band DLC adds a pack of songs from The White Stripes, with tracks off of three different albums.

We've also added this little guy to Rock Band Weekly:

. He indicates tracks that are considered "family-friendly" enough for Lego Rock Band. Such marked songs will be available in LRB's music store, as well as appearing in the regular Rock Band music store. [Thanks to our friend Dustin Burg for the Lego head!]

Check out the update after the break, along with what Rock Band Unplugged players can expect for DLC next week.

Select a platform below to view complete DLC listing:

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'About 50%' of Lego Rock Band team was against the game concept

by Andrew Yoon { Nov 5th 2009 at 3:59PM }

"omg they're selling out. they are humpin' the cash cow like activision has been till shes dried up . they're gonna beat the rock band name to a pulp until we are absolutely sick and tired of instrument rhythm games." –fffunfarm06

"I'm so sick of these corny games. All of you people should just learn to play with REAL Legos." –Troy Powers

LEGO Rock Band's very existence is something that both the Joystiq staff and community couldn't help but question. However, animator Matt Palmer revealed that developer TT Fusion also had doubts about the bizarre collaboration. "I know people were saying, 'Oh, they're flogging a Lego license again,'" he recalled during a Develop panel. "I'd say about 50 percent of our studio were for the idea, and about 50 percent were against it."

Considering the game actually came out (this week!), it's apparent that the team eventually banded together to finish the project. Why the change of heart, though? "Many of us started realizing that we weren't just skinning one franchise on another," Palmer explained, noting the need to hand animate the blocky Lego celebrity characters to capture their various "signature styles." That's ... something. Right?

Possible free Lego Rock Band with $20 Old Navy purchase on Black Friday

by JC Fletcher { Nov 5th 2009 at 9:35AM }

We're going to approach this scanned Old Navy Black Friday ad with as much skepticism as we can muster, both because there are a lot of variables and because we, personally, are trying to convince ourselves not to join the Black Friday crowds at Old Navy, of all places.

According to the ad, the retailer will be offering free "Lego Rock Band video games" with purchases of $20 or greater on Friday, November 27. "Your preferred platform may not be available," the ad warns, presumably due to limited overall supply. We're wary that it could be a demo or something like that, but the fact that Old Navy will also be selling Rock Band 2 bundles, and giving away guitar controllers with said bundles, makes this doorbuster deal seem more likely. But it's still crazy to hand out a $50 video game with $20 worth of clothes.

If you want to check it out for yourself, Old Navy stores will be open at 3AM that day. Have fun!

[Thanks, Kneon!]

Viacom: The Beatles: Rock Band sales strong, overall RB growth slow

by David Hinkle { Nov 4th 2009 at 8:29PM }

Even though John, Paul, George and Ringo have been rocking the disc tray of your favorite console with The Beatles: Rock Band, its expectation-exceeding sales haven't helped boost overall Rock Band sales. Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman told USA Today the "economics of our Rock Band franchise are improving, though not as quickly as we'd like." There's still hope that Rock Band could at least break even or show a small profit, though Viacom CFO Tom Dooley said that will depend entirely on the franchise's performance this holiday season.

Despite tanking sales, the music genre still remains one of the best in the industry and The Beatles: Rock Band shows us that the right approach could still determine financial success in the space. Its September debut was very fortuitous and it even managed to best Guitar Hero 5 in the US -- which not only came with a free game, but is also one of the most recognizable brands to the mainstream.

Source - USA Today
Source - Viacom earnings report

Rock Band Weekly: Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Joan Jett

by Alexander Sliwinski { Oct 30th 2009 at 11:30AM }

Next week's Rock Band DLC could have been a little Dave Grohl fiesta, offering up tracks from his days back in Nirvana and now with Foo Fighters, but it turns out that he wasn't with the genre defining grunge band until after Bleach, which happens to be part of next week's DLC. But, we're pretty sure Grohl was with Foo Fighters during the time they recorded the tracks that make up the band's third DLC pack for the music game.

Completely unrelated to Grohl (maybe there's a six degrees of separation in there?), there will also be one track from Ms. Joan Jett thrown in the mix. Check out the update after the break, along with what portable players can expect from Rock Band Unplugged's DLC.

Select a platform below to view complete DLC listing:

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Use a real guitar to play Rock Band 2 AND get punched while doing so!

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 28th 2009 at 5:00AM }

Normally when people mod real instruments for use in music-rhythm games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero, they don't intentionally include the ability for someone else to play along by punching them. For Norway's Morten Skogly, that choice seemed only natural. On his website, you can see a shot-by-shot breakdown of the process necessary to transform something that creates music into something that plays along with music.

In fairness, the entire (ridiculously intricate) process leads to the hilarious video you'll find after the break. You see, rather than strum on the strings of his guitar, the punching gloves (punching him, mind you) approximate a strum for him. That means that every time he pushes a note, he gets punched. It's like penance!

[Image credit]

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Rumor: Roger Daltrey reveals The Who joining together with Rock Band

by JC Fletcher { Oct 27th 2009 at 1:00AM }

If Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who, has his facts straight, we could all be windmilling and smashing plastic instruments in a Who-themed Rock Band. Daltrey told The Republican when The Beatles: Rock Band was brought up that "The game, yeah, yeah, they're going to be doing a Who one next year. There is one planned." Daltrey called music "our last true great freedom."

As with Green Day, it could just be a Who pack for the existing games. Whatever it means, it involves playing the songs from one of the other most influential and rocking British bands ever in Rock Band, a prospect to which we can say only one thing:

Yeaaaaaaaah!

[Via RockBandAide; thanks, Sean!]

Rock Band Weekly: Rob Zombie, Wolfmother and ... 'Daisy of Love'

by JC Fletcher { Oct 23rd 2009 at 11:45AM }

Harmonix and MTV are billing next week's Rock Band DLC update as a spooky, Halloween-themed selection, mostly due to the inclusion of some Rob Zombie classics and a new Wolfmother set (zombies and wolves are scary, right?). Right? But the really scary part, for us, is the addition of two tracks from Morningwood -- now you'll be able to play the Daisy of Love theme song. Creeeeeepy.

Also, we have to raise a very important issue: How can you have a Halloween music store update with no "Monster Mash?" How is "Monster Mash" not in the Rock Band Store right now? And whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist?

Select a platform below to view complete DLC listing:

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Altec Lansing feeds rock fantasies with mini monitor

by Justin McElroy { Oct 21st 2009 at 1:00PM }

Ever have a musician friend over to your house, only to find yourself ever-so-slightly embarrassed by the pile of fake instruments filling your den? Well, you should probably never let them catch you with the Altec Lansing Stage-Gig, a replica monitor meant to give guitar heroes the sense of a real rock show by blaring their audio straight up at them from the floor.

It's kind of a cute idea, but we're not sure we're willing to pay $99 to have our 5.1 audio replaced by a single Altec Lansing speaker. Sure, you could buy two and have a really inconvenient stereo setup, but we think it's safe to chalk up another victory for imagination.

[Via Engadget]

Harmonix calls for an encore in Gibson patent case

by JC Fletcher { Oct 21st 2009 at 9:15AM }

The patent suit brought by Gibson against Harmonix and other parties related to Guitar Hero and Rock Band was stayed due to the US Patent and Trademark Office deciding to reexamine the patent. According to Patent Arcade, Harmonix and a group of retailers have asked a Tennessee court to continue proceedings -- of the case against them.

Why is Harmonix engaging in this seemingly self-destructive (but not in the cool rock star way) behavior? When the USPTO looked into the patent again, it changed the definition of "musical instrument" to include the characteristics of being "adapted for making musical sounds" and "the instrument audio signal comprising an electrical signal output by the musical instrument that varies in response to operation of the instrument by the user of the system."

Harmonix apparently believes that because of this new definition, and because of the precedent set by Gibson's other case, against Activision, the case will go in its favor in the end. If the stay is lifted, Harmonix will then file a motion for summary judgment of non-infringement.

Video: Queen is the champion of Lego Rock Band

by David Hinkle { Oct 20th 2009 at 3:00PM }

Finally, you get to see what Brian May considers "the ultimate accolade:" Queen in Lego Rock Band. Warner Bros. just dished out a new trailer and screens showing Freddie and co. strutting their stuff on the blocky stage. Sadly, the game will only have two Queen tracks, but don't be such a grumpy Gus! Theoretically, you should be able to access those Queen songs you downloaded from the Rock Band Music Store in Lego Rock Band -- granted the songs have been rated as "suitable for all ages."

Oh, and don't expect to rent Lego Rock Band and extract all of its juicy tunes to your regular old Rock Band. Remember: you'll need a special code this time around.

Gallery: Queen in Lego Rock Band

Here comes the trailer for Abbey Road from The Beatles: Rock Band (do do do)

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 20th 2009 at 2:00PM }

For those of you ready to Carry That Weight and swing Maxwell's Silver Hammer, Harmonix and MTV Games released the full "Abbey Road" album download today for The Beatles: Rock Band. Rather than simply release the songs, the DLC comes with new animations for the four British gents and, in some cases, new "dreamscapes" (the pseudo-psychedelic animations tripping our your friends while you play songs).

The trailer above offers a medley sampling of the whole album, should you not be acquainted with it. But then, we must ask, what planet are you from where "Abbey Road" is an unfamiliar album?

Gallery: The Beatles: Rock Band: Abbey Road DLC

Beatles: Rock Band bests Guitar Hero 5 in U.S. Sept. sales

by James Ransom-Wiley { Oct 20th 2009 at 12:30PM }

The Beatles: Rock Band's initial U.S. tour at retail has proven boast-worthy for its promoters. Following two promising platform appearances in NPD's top 10 software sales chart for September, MTV Games and Harmonix have declared B:RB "the top selling music video game in the U.S. for September." The Beatles–only game (released September 9) outsold Guitar Hero 5 (released September 1) with 595,000 units to 499,000 units in total U.S. sales for the month, according to a statement released by the NPD*. Additionally, charity-driven purchases of the "All You Need Is Love" DLC track exceeded 100,000 downloads on Xbox 360 in September.

The makers of B:RB have also rubbed in a few seemingly noteworthy facts; namely, (1) U.S. purchases of GH5 in September were eligible for a free mail-away copy of Guitar Hero: Van Halen, and (2) GH5 is available on one additional platform, PS2. Of course, Van Halen isn't exactly the American equivalent of The Beatles, and the PS2 is no longer the dominant platform to stage one's acts upon. Still, despite the staggering odds stacked against its success, B:RB managed to capture the mindshare of U.S. gamers. (And we all know that Americans like to speak their minds with their monies.)

The sales de-feat must feel good for MTV Games and Harmonix -- what with B:RB being burned in the sales competition with GH5 by the kingdom that birthed the band (see: Chart-Track UK September sales rankings posted after the break). What was it? Right: Guitar Hero 5 supposedly outsold The Beatles: Rock Band "2-to-1 in the UK."

So, score a victory for B:RB in the battle of the bands fought in U.S. retail last month. But let's not forget there's a bigger, "World War of Rock" being waged, as well. And our wallets are the oft-unreported collateral damage.

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The Beatles: Rock Band 'Abbey Road' album DLC detailed

by Alexander Sliwinski { Oct 19th 2009 at 3:30PM }

The Beatles: Rock Band will have the entire Abbey Road album available for download this Tuesday on Xbox 360 and Wii, followed by PS3 on Thursday. The full album won't be lonely for long, as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band will arrive in November, with Rubber Soul walking onto the scene in December.

The full Abbey Road DLC setlist and pricing details can be found after the break.

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