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Posts with tag rock-band

ICO and Siren creators speaking at Nordic conference

Posted May 7th 2008 12:00AM by Nick Doerr
Filed under: News

With all the excitement going on with PlayStation Day in Europe, we're going to turn your attention to another conference coming up soon. The Nordic Game 2008 conference. It's a little more technical of a conference, but it's still got some great developers giving speeches. Sony's own Fumito Ueda, creator of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus will be taking part in the "Game Creation and Technology" program. This program focuses on new game niches and continuing to innovate creatively.

Other celebrated panelists in the discussion include the creator of Silent Hill and Siren, Keiichiro Toyama, Rock Band's Roby Kay and Ninja Theory co-founder, Tameem Antoniades. We don't really expect any announcements out of these folk, but they might bring something new to the table when giving their presentation. Like whatever direction Ueda is taking with his third game. We'll keep you posted.

Harmonix and MTV announce first complete album download, more to come

Posted Apr 18th 2008 11:00AM by Majed Athab
Filed under: News

Harmonix and MTV Games have announced that the first complete album download for Rock Band will be coming next week (April 24). The first album? It's Judas Priest's 1982 hit "Screaming For Vengeance."

All 10 tracks on the album are original master recordings. The full album is priced at $14.99, but if you just want individual songs, you can still purchase any of the ten tracks for $1.99 a pop. Also, Newsweek's N'Gai Croal got the scoop on next month's downloadable album: "The Cars" by The Cars. The future of full albums will continue to grow with "Doolittle" by The Pixies, which is expected for June.

PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Nyko's Front Man guitar

Posted Apr 13th 2008 6:15PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Peripherals, Hands-on


The popularity of games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero has created an extraordinary demand for guitar peripherals. However, many PS3 fans are left cold knowing that their Guitar Hero controllers won't work in Rock Band, and vice versa. It seems ridiculous to have a small army of guitar controllers lying around to play these two games. Thankfully, Nyko has an excellent solution.

The Front Man guitar is an excellent option for those looking for an extra guitar. Unlike the official options from Activision and Harmonix, this third-party solution allows for playback on both games, with a simple flip of a switch. For those looking for one guitar that works with both music games, this is obviously an ideal choice.

However, we found that the Front Man guitar is simply the best guitar available on the PS3. Like other guitars on the platform, you will need to connect a dongle to the system for it to work wirelessly. The dongle is rather cute, looking like a guitar foot pedal. There are lights on the front of the pedal, each corresponding to the five buttons you can press on the guitar. They light up according to what you're pressing down. Neat!

Continue reading PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Nyko's Front Man guitar

Rock Band guitar modified for stompbox overdrive

Posted Apr 10th 2008 5:30PM by Majed Athab
Filed under: Hacks and Homebrew

Were you ever annoyed by the tilt activation controls for the guitar overdrive in Rock Band? One gamer apparently did, and actually decided to do something about it, too. He basically took the thing apart and re-wired his mighty axe to read the overdrive activation through an effects pedal.

Ultimately, this mod gives more control to a player as it won't accidentally trigger off the overdrive. This is especially interesting for those restless rockers out there that really want to move and grove while playing. Think you're good enough to give this a try? Read up on the instructions here.

[Via Engadget]

Harmonix justifies overpriced Euro Rock Band, exclusive songs not so exclusive

Posted Apr 9th 2008 12:30PM by Majed Athab
Filed under: News

Yesterday you may have heard about the news of Rock Band finally coming over to Europe and the kit's slightly inflated price tag. Harmonix explains that "We're not trying to screw people," and that it's all in the 17.5% (UK) VAT. We guess that makes sense as all EU goods have a Value-added tax. But what doesn't, is why the game and instrument kit are being sold separately for such a high price -- that's what's really burning a hole in the pocket of consumers.

Oh, and also, did we forget to mention that those exclusive songs are not so exclusive after all? North Americans will have those tracks available for download sometime in the future, too. So far there's no set date for the Euro songs for North Americans, but we presume it will be some time away after the Euro launch. That is ... when we get a date for the PS3 version.

[Via Joystiq]

European Rock Band info released; no PS3 date yet

Posted Apr 8th 2008 9:15AM by Jem Alexander
Filed under: News

We're not sure what's worse, here. Whether it's the fact that Rock Band isn't arriving in Europe until 6+ months after its US release, whether the pricing structure is as ridiculous as it is, or whether there's still no solid release date for the PS3 version. EA have really dropped the ball on this one.

A solid release date of May 23rd has been announced for the Xbox 360 version, after which it will remain exclusive to the console until "later this Summer" when the PS3 version is released. The price for the PS3 version will most likely be the same as the 360 version, but we hope it's not. The instruments (a drum set, a guitar and a mic) will retail in its own bundle without the game for £130/€170. The game will be sold separately for the normal £50/€60.

The only good news to come out of this announcement is that Europe will receive some exclusive songs (listed after the break) and that all of the DLC up to this point will be released on the XBLM on May 27th, with all future updates occurring simultaneously for the US and Europe. If SCEE can pull off something similar without encountering technical difficulties, we'll be very surprised.

The fact of the matter is: import the bundle from America and play the songs on the disc for a wee while, then buy the European disc in order to get your hands on the exclusive songs and DLC. Sure, you'll be buying the game twice, but it'll still be cheaper than buying the EU instrument bundle and the game. Madness.

Continue reading European Rock Band info released; no PS3 date yet

Rock Band: Jonathan Coulton's Still Alive on PSN April 17

Posted Mar 31st 2008 5:30PM by Majed Athab
Filed under: News

So, by now you should all be familiar with Jonathan Coulton's "Still Alive" aka "The Portal Song." In case you don't recognize the name, perhaps listening to the dude sing it himself would make you remember. If not, then you probably didn't play Portal and therefore the song becomes a lie. Anyway, the popular song will be available for free on Rock Band this coming April 17.

Why so late as compared to the Xbox 360 gamers who are getting it tomorrow? Did you already forget that the PSN is undergoing a redesign? Seriously guys, we might have to check you into the doctor for all that sudden memory loss.

[Via Joystiq]

Deal of the Day: Rock Band goes on sale

Posted Mar 26th 2008 11:00AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Deals and Bargains


Yes, it's a $148 deal. amazon.com has the Rock Band Special Edition (with guitar, drums and microphone) for $148 -- that's $22 cheaper than elsewhere. And with free shipping, you won't have to lug this beast of a package around.

The drum kit is also available by itself, for $69. That's $11 off the regular price.

Oh, and if you don't like music, there's the racing game DiRT for $30.

[Via CAG]

Rock Band store now up and ready to take orders [Updated]

Posted Mar 21st 2008 1:30PM by Majed Athab
Filed under: Game Patches


We're sharing the same enthusiasm our Joystiq brothers are feeling over the new Rock Band store. So, when we heard about the store finally up and running, we immediately fired up our PS3 copies and upgraded to version 1.03 to test it out.

The store is definitely pretty with CD cover art for all musicians. It's also informative on the song choices; the previously known ability to preview songs and see difficulty ratings for individual instruments is a major plus. Purchasing songs is quick and easy.

Those are the good parts, but some things are not that great. For example, songs can't be bought in a batch like on the PSN, and must be bought individually (unless you're buying an artist pack). Unfortunately, to play your freshly downloaded songs, you'll still have to exit the game and install the tracks on your PS3. While the latter criticism is something we didn't expect to happen anyway, it does make the swiftness of an in-game store a tad cumbersome. In short, the store is good at driving a sale; it just needs to work on getting those tracks integrated quicker. That was the whole point of the store, was it not?

[Update: Just to clarify, the game does install tracks, but only when you download songs one at a time and if you wait until the song fully downloads. If you choose to 'perform in the background' and/or proceed to get more songs, you'll have to install manually and exit the game.]

Rock Band patch adds in-game store

Posted Mar 20th 2008 9:30AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Game Patches


Some time this week, Rock Band players will be able to enjoy new features and functionality through a downloadable patch. The most significant addition is the inclusion of an in-game music store. Joystiq describes it as "a fully integrated shop allowing players to preview and purchase tracks without ever leaving the comfy confines of the game." As seen in the image, each song will feature a preview, and a display of difficulty for each instrument.

This is the "only patch planned" at this time, but it seems quite worth it. There are a few other notable improvements, such as:
  • Increased diversity in Band World Tour song selection.
  • Improved phoneme recognition
  • Microphone latency on PS3 improved.
  • Faster loading of DLC
Also, a sneak peek at the music store reveals that full albums appear to be in the works as Rock Band DLC. This should sound sweet to all the Rock Band fans out there.
[Update: For those looking for PS3 screens, visit Level Up. There's a fascinating rant on why developers still neglect the PS3 as a platform.]

Gallery: Rock Band Music Store

Harmonix wants user-created music in Rock Band

Posted Mar 11th 2008 7:30PM by Majed Athab
Filed under: News


In a recent interview, Greg LoPiccolo of Harmonix shared his insight into what the company plans to do with Rock Band's future. He said that the direction Harmonix is heading for is to make Rock Band more personal for gamers, giving them a better vehicle for musical self-expression. Greg spoke of one major potential change regarding this, and that's the possibility of allowing users to create their own music in the game.

The biggest snag holding the company back from actually pursuing this is that there's going to be a whole lot of paperwork and legal technicalities over IP claims and ratings. Despite this, LoPiccolo still feels that user-created music is the natural next step for the franchise. Rock Band as a stepping stone to fame, fortune, and most of all groupies? Sign us up.

On another interesting note, LoPiccolo also talked about potentially supporting the keyboard for use in Rock Band tracks. If Harmonix does decide to support this, our first request is to get more Queen songs on there pronto.

[Via Joystiq]

Rumor: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith uses microphone and drum, like a rock band

Posted Feb 17th 2008 10:30PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Rumors


For music fans, there's only one thing better than Guitar Hero. And that's Rock Band. Well, it looks like Activision isn't going to take this sitting idly by. If Best Buy's description of the upcoming Aerosmith-flavored game is correct, it looks like Guitar Hero will be matching Rock Band feature-for-feature. The text teases: "See if you can drum like Joey Kramer, play guitar like Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, play bass like Tom Hamilton and sing like Steven Tyler." Wouldn't that need a drum, microphone and bass peripheral? Looks like it to us.

Considering how Activision refuses to make Guitar Hero and Rock Band peripherals compatible, it looks like the music game enthusiast will have no choice but to buy yet another set of expensive (and space-wasting) peripherals. We say "boo" to that. But for those that really, really love their Aerosmith, this should be an opportunity of a lifetime. If this rumor is true, of course.

[Via Joystiq]

Deal of the Day: Rock Band bundle for $150

Posted Jan 25th 2008 12:00PM by Nick Doerr
Filed under: Deals and Bargains

While most deals are relative and subjective and all that jazz, a lot of people may jump at the opportunity to get the entire Rock Band set for only $150 -- the PS3 version is wireless and wireless things are usually more expensive, so ... well, it's a deal. Relative to its original price. It's still expensive, but you're getting a lot of stuff. We don't really have anything else to say. Either pick it up at this discounted price, or buy the instruments you want separately in a few weeks.

Update: Looks like the deal is dead!

[Via CAG]

Rock Band controllers priced and dated

Posted Jan 24th 2008 6:30PM by Jem Alexander
Filed under: News

While the foaming from the mouth may have subsided somewhat in the months since Rock Band's original release, we know that there's still a large number of you waiting for the instruments to finally become available individually. EA has today thrown you all a bone - but beware, it's a bit mouldy. The prices and dates for the guitar and drum controllers have finally been announced.

The drums will be available from the 12th of February for $79.99 and the guitar from April 1st for $59.99. This makes the bundle pack a damn good deal. It also means you've got another two months of waiting until PS3 owners can play four player. Pretty unimpressive, if you ask us.

Nyko will make Rock Band, GH III compatible guitar

Posted Jan 9th 2008 9:00AM by Chris Powell
Filed under: Peripherals, News

Just weeks ago, it felt as if the stalemate between Activision and Harmonix would never end. Both companies blamed the other for the lack of compatibility between guitar peripherals for Rock Band and Guitar Hero III. Thankfully, Nyko has come to save the day as it recently announced that it would develop a guitar that's compatible with both games.

Coming in March, Nyko will make available the Front Man wireless guitar. The peripheral will feature a dongle with a switch that must be set for whichever game a budding guitarist is currently playing at the time. The guitar appears to have all the features that are present in the controllers offered by Activision and Harmonix but also promises up to 80 hours of continuous play time using three AA batteries.

We're pretty sure both companies will settle this silly argument at some point in the future, but it sure feels good to know a true solution is only weeks away.

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