How did we miss this, a nine-page article in the New York Times about The Beatles: Rock Band? Is it overkill? Perhaps. Rock Band isn’t exactly new, and The Beatles aren’t exactly some unsigned band, but you have to consider the Times’ audience: older folks who probably saw The Beatles live at Shea Stadium, and who would be genuinely excited to see the band show up on iTunes one day (despite the fact that ripping their CDs is quite simple).

So, nine pages later, what have I learned?

• Releasing the game the same date as newly remastered CDs, which will be ripped to FLAC two days before the official release, is an “irresistible marketing tactic.”

• Harmonix thinks that, yeah, Rock Band has been big, but with The Beatles, well, the music genre will explode.

• It took months to convert The Beatles’ master tapes into digital versions, primarily because the band used to record only on two- and four-track tapes.

• Harmonix focused on “fun” songs rather than “iconic” songs, if that makes any sense

• Yoko really does come across as an insufferable woman. (“Stop talking about the technology. Let’s talk about the idea of what we are trying to accomplish here. John needs to own the performance, he needs to own the room. Where he’s looking and the look in his eye at every moment matters and affects people.”) She does, at one point, call the game “legitimate art,” though.

• People who say, “why don’t you play a real guitar, dork” suffer from schizophonia. It’s related to the fact that, generally, people disapprove of lip-syncing.

• Even though Harmonix will sell the downloadable songs as whole albums, you’ll still be able to buy individual songs.

That’s about it.

I can honestly say that I’ve never heard a Beatles album. How many of you can say that?

Oh, and to answer my own question from the headline, I’m probably about a two out of 10. A one seems too callous, but these games just aren’t my thing. Not to hate on those who do, of course, but I’ll pass.

The good news: the downloadable content is live. The bad news: not everything is available yet. Harmonix has promised that it will continue to update the store as the rest of the catalog is converted.

For now, here’s a list of what’s available:

30 Seconds to Mars “The Kill”
All-American Rejects “Move Along”
Avenged Sevenfold “Afterlife”
Black Tide “Shockwave”
Blink-182 “All the Small Things”
Blondie “Call Me”
Boston “More Than a Feeling”
Boston “Rock & Roll Band”
Disturbed “Inside the Fire”
Fall Out Boy “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race”
Jimmy Buffett “Cheeseburger in Paradise”
Lynyrd Skynyrd “Simple Man”
Metallica “And Justice For All”
Motley Crue “Saints of Los Angeles”
Muse “Hysteria”
Nine Inch Nails “The Perfect Drug”
Oasis “Wonderwall”
Papa Roach “Time is Running Out”
Paramore “Crushcrushcrush”
Red Hot Chili Peppers “Snow (( Hey Oh ))”
Rush “Working Man (vault edition)”
Serj Tankian “Beethoven’s C***”
Smashing Pumpkins “Zero”
Stone Temple Pilots “Interstate Love Song”
Stone Temple Pilots “Sex Type Thing”
The Offspring “Hammerhead”
The Police “Message in a Bottle”
The Who “Baba O’Riley”
Weezer “Buddy Holly”
Weezer “El Scorcho”

[via Nintendogal.com]

We want to apologise for the delay in getting RB2 onto the Wii and to reaffirm that we believe that Wii is an amazing and unique fit for Rock Band 2, and one that we care deeply about getting right.

Those are awful humble words, but still, where the hell is the Rock Band 2 for the Wii!

Harmonix via Kotaku

Just in time for the holiday rush, Harmonix has announced that they’re slashing prices on RB SE bundles for all major platforms. PlayStation 2 and Wii owners can pick up the bundle for $99 while the Xbox 360 and PS3 bundle will retail for $140. How much were these things before?

This is a silly, nigh inaudible video of some Harmonix developers playing Rock Band. They mostly stink, I think—I’m not a Rock Band or Guitar Hero connoisseur—but as Kotaku points out, it’s hard to fault Harmonix completely.

First of all, this video was taken at the Nottingham GameCity3 event, whatever that was—it’s fair to assume that they all had a few beers in them. Unless you’re James Hetfiled in the late 1980s, you shouldn’t be mixing alcohol and guitars.

Second, the girl isn’t even an employee of Harmonix; it’s former Edge editor Margaret Robertson. That’s no slight against Edge, mind you, but her awful playing is in no way Harmonix’s fault.

Third, why hasn’t anyone made a Hop-Hop Hero Hip-Hop Hero (I leave the typo there to encourage you kids to stay in school, forever if at all possible) game? You’d think the big game publishers would be all over that.

Harmonix just confirmed on its message board that Wii Guitar Hero III controllers will work just fine on Rock Band 2, which is due to be released on November 18.

Note that the opposite—using Rock Band 2 guitars in Guitar Hero—isn’t confirmed.

via Wii Fanboy

This is getting out of hand.

MTV is set to announce AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack today, says the NYT. The game’s launch in November will help boost awareness for the band’s new album “Black Ice.” Each Wal*Mart store will have a special section dedicated to the game, album and other memorabilia. MTV and Wal*Mart are apparently looking to set up pop-up stores in Manhattan and LA where the retail giant has not infiltrated the masses. As is the usual for anything that sells at Wal*Mart, the game will be much cheaper than most console games and will retail for $40 for all consoles.

Update: Press release filled with juicy details after the jump.

New York, NY, September 30, 2008 – AC/DC comes exclusively to Rock Band beginning this November for the worldwide release of AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band® Track Pack™ by Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks, (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B). This exclusive deal with Columbia Records and AC/DC marks the first time ever the band has included an entire album for video game play, with 18 live tracks from their prolific live performances becoming available in one electrifying, standalone game. The AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack allows players to experience this amazing set list with Rock Band, Rock Band 2 or other compatible music game peripherals. Full of the band’s classic songs, the game will be available this November in the US and throughout Europe, Australia and New Zealand beginning in early December.

“When MTV first launched in 1981, we promised that people would ‘never look at music the same way again’ and, with Rock Band, we continue to fulfill this commitment,” stated Paul DeGooyer, MTV’s Senior Vice President of Electronic Games & Music. “We’re excited to be part of AC/DC’s and Columbia’s global plan for the release of their new album, DVD and now, videogame. Being the first to present these revered songs in interactive form, exclusively on the Rock Band platform is a true honor. For those about to rock with the AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack, we salute you!”

“AC/DC fans can now experience performing live, on stage with the band,” said Columbia Records co-Chairman Steve Barnett. “An unforgettable concert is now an ultimate at-home entertainment experience with the AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack.”

AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will feature the master recordings from the best of the band’s live performances. The live recording was specially remixed for Rock Band by Mike Fraser. The game features 18 tracks, with more than 99 minutes of game play for each instrument:

“Thunderstruck”
“Shoot to Thrill”
“Back in Black”
“Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be”
“Heatseeker”
“Fire Your Guns”
“Jailbreak”
“The Jack”
“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”
“Moneytalks”
“Hells Bells”
“High Voltage”
“Whole Lotta Rosie”
“You Shook Me All Night Long”
“T.N.T.”
“Let There Be Rock”
“Highway To Hell”
“For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”

All tracks from the AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will also be available for play in Rock Band and Rock Band 2[1][1] by entering a special export authentication code for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system versions. As previously announced, AC/DC’s anthem “Let There Be Rock” is featured in Rock Band 2 – the first time the group has been included in a music-based video game. In addition, look for the epic Rock Band 2 TV commercial featuring the studio version of AC/DC’s rock anthem “Let There Be Rock” that premiered during the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards at www.rockband2.com.

The AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will be available in the U.S. on November 2nd on Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and on November 16th for Wii™. Pricing for AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack on Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and Wii is MSRP $39.88 and MSRP $29.88 for the PlayStation 2. The AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will also be available at most major retailers in Europe, Australia and New Zealand in early December on Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PlayStation 2 and Wii. In the UK, AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will be MSRP £29.99 for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and Wii and MSRP £19.99 for the PlayStation 2. In the rest of EU, the AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will be MSRP €39.99 for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and Wii and MSRP €29.99 for the PlayStation 2. In Australia, AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will be MSRP $49.99 for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii and PlayStation 2.

AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack follows the release of AC/DC’s first album of all-new material in eight years. The album, “Black Ice,” features 15 new tracks from brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, Brian Johnson, Cliff Williams, and Phil Rudd. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Train,” the album’s first single, was released on August 28. “Black Ice” will be available in the US exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club retail locations and Web sites Oct. 20 for $11.88, as well as on the band’s Web site, www.acdc.com.

Released first on Xbox 360 on September 14th, Rock Band 2 features the largest music catalogue of any music-based videogame to date including over 100 songs[2][2] on the Rock Band 2 soundtrack with an unrivaled blend of classic and new artists including AC/DC, Guns ‘N Roses, Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam, Motorhead and more! The Rock Band online music store recently surpassed 21 million paid downloads since the game’s launch in late November 2007. With more than 300 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at http://www.rockband.com/dlc), the addition of complete and immediate backwards compatibility for songs purchased from Rock Band’s ever-expanding online music store and the ability to export most songs from the original Rock Band disc, the Rock Band music library will feature more than 500 songs[3][3] by year’s end.

For more information on Rock Band and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

First, you have to unlock all the songs or else you’ll be playing the same tracks over and over again. That’s no fun and people will boo you out of your own home. It is, after all, the same cheat from RB1. Go to Modify Game then Extras and finally Enter Code where you will input the following code:

Red, Yellow, Blue, Red, Red, Blue, Blue, Red, Yellow, Blue

You will inevitably hav some really shitty people playing with you and that’s okay. Not everyone can be a Rock Band god like yourself, nerd. Again, dig into Modify Game then Extras and flip on No-Fail. Simple as that.

We have yet to test this, but you can recite the Declaration of Independence or anything for that matter during rap-like sections of songs such as the Beastie Boy’s Sabotage.

So, there you go. Everything you’ll need to make one hell of a bitchin’ RB2 party this weekend. If we’ve left anything out then let us know in Comments.

Update: Oh yeah, we forgot the BEER!

CAMBRIDGE, MA – September 10, 2008 – Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game development company, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), along with distribution partner Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced its highly anticipated music videogame Rock Band 2™is shipping to retail.

The award-winning Rock Band 2 standalone software will make its debut on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft on Sunday, September 14, 2008 with an exclusive launch window in North America. Rock Band 2 standalone wireless drums and guitars will also arrive at retail later in the week. In addition, look for the epic Rock Band 2 TV commercial featuring AC/DC’s rock anthem “Let There Be Rock” that premiered during the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards at www.rockband2.com.

“Rock Band 2 and Harmonix are raising the bar in the music game category again with an incredible music setlist, innovative online features, and new authentic instruments. With over 300 songs available on disc and via weekly downloads, no other music game can compete with the Rock Band 2 music catalog,” stated Bob Picunko, Vice President of Electronic Games and Interactive Products, MTV. “Mark your calendar, call your band mates, and get set for the best Rock Band party ever on Sunday, September 14th.”

Rock Band 2 is set to revolutionize music gaming with the ability to export most of the songs from the original Rock Band disc[1], Online World Tour, daily Battle-Of-The Band Tournaments, Auto-Calibration to eliminate TV lag, wireless drums, quieter, velocity sensitive drum heads, support for up to three cymbals (sold separately), advanced voice detection technology, No Fail Mode, and a real Drum Trainer. Rock Band 2’s massive list of innovations also includes the ability to export your in-game band avatar to the internet and order custom Rock Band merchandise including apparel and figures.

Shipping and pricing information:
Week of September 14, 2008
Rock Band 2 Standalone Software (Xbox 360) $59.99 MSRP
Rock Band 2 Standalone Wireless Drums (Xbox 360) $89.99 MSRP
Rock Band 2 Standalone Wireless Guitar (Xbox 360) $69.99 MSRP
With a focus on authenticity, quality and blurring the line between playing a game and performing music, Rock Band partners Mad Catz and Ion have introduced officially licensed high–end instruments which are already shipping to retail this week:

Mad Catz:
Rock Band Fender Precision Bass Guitar Controller: The Fender Precision Bass equipped with a split strum bar and innovative features designed to enhance the Rock Band experience. This new guitar peripheral is designed for bass players but can be used to play both lead and bass guitar portions of Rock Band and Rock Band 2.
MSRP: $69.99
ION:
Rock Band ION Drum Rocker: A real electronic drum kit with up to three color assignable cymbals that functions as a Rock Band game controller brings the Rock Band fantasy to life. A drum conversion kit is also available to transform the kit from a game controller to a real instrument (sold separately).
MSRP: $299
Rock Band 2 features the largest music catalogue of any music-based videogame to date including over 100 songs[2] on the Rock Band 2 soundtrack with an unrivaled blend of classic and new artists including AC/DC, Guns ‘N Roses, Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam, Motorhead and more! With the addition of complete and immediate backwards compatibility for songs purchased from Rock Band’s ever-expanding online music store and the ability to export most songs from the original Rock Band disc, the Rock Band music library will feature more than 500 songs[3] by year’s end.

The Rock Band online music store recently surpassed 21 million paid downloads since the game’s launch in late November 2007. With more than 300 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at http://www.rockband.com/dlc), the massive Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks, packs and albums from the vast selection of offerings available as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band 2 is rated “T” for Teen with descriptors of lyrics and suggestive themes by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

This from a Harmonix PR guy:

“We’ve talked about doing a music creator. We’ve actually done them before in other games like “Amplitude” and “Frequency”…So Harmonix is going to do something great with it [music creation] down the road, we didn’t want to rush it out and do it half-assed. This is definitely a full-on project for us. You’ll hear more about it soon.”

Rock Band groupies aren’t going to like this. It seems that Harmonix has pushed the Rock Band 2 XBOX 360 Bundle Edition’s early release back to October 19. For those not keeping track, that was the date the standalone game was shipping for all platforms.  Originally, a wanna-be-rock’r could pick up the program a month early on September 14, but that person would have to spend extra coin on the bundle rather than just the game. No word for the cause of the delay, but doesn’t it seem like Harmonix is going to sell less of the higher-priced bundle? Maybe the profit margin is smaller with all the faux instruments?

Who knows, but for a recap, the release date now looks like October 19.

Hey, look at that fancy guitar there, wouldja? That’s what you’ll get if you buy Rock Band 2 when it comes out in the fall. If you already own the first Rock Band and you purchased any songs for it, they’ll all transfer over to Rock Band 2. Glory be!

Kotaku tells us that you’ll also get new drums with “a metal reinforced pedal, quieter pads, velocity sensors” and it’ll also be wireless. The guitar itself will also be wireless and feature a “sturdier strum bar” and “quieter buttons.”

As for the game, there will be new mini-campaigns, custom set lists, Online World Tour, and a new feature called “Drum Trainer,” which I applaud. Know why? Because Rock Band actually sort of teaches you how to play drums in real life. Playing real-life guitar is a different story. I remember spending a few hours learning how to beat the Say It Ain’t So guitar solo on Expert mode (or whatever the hardest level is) and wondering to myself why in the hell I didn’t just learn it on a real guitar.

Also, here’s a handful of the 80 tracks that have been confirmed…

2000s
Dream Theater “Panic Attack “
System of a Down “Chop Suey”

1990s
Foo Fighters “Everlong”
The Muffs “Kids in America”
Red Hot Chili Peppers “Give it Away”

1980s
Motörhead “Ace of Spades”

1970s
Cheap Trick “Hello There”
Elvis Costello “Pump it Up”
Journey “Anyway You Want It”

1960s
The Who “Pinball Wizard”

Looks okay, I guess. Music purists might not appreciate Dream Theater being involved with the game, as I understand the real-life band puts out some of the most mind-blowing and complicated music arrangements around – just to be boiled down to some well-timed button mashing – but I’m just a guy who types stuff all day long.

via Kotaku

Nice little racket they’ve got going on here! New game, new controllers, new accessories. I think console owners just lost the right to complain about the cost of PC upgrades.

The blokes over at Joystiq just received two potential cover art samples for Rock Band 2. A survey conducted by Listen Research appears to be the venue from which these scans were obtained. Participants in the survey were asked the following questions.

* Indicate which of the two covers below would attract you more if you were shopping for a new game in a store.
* Indicate which game box cover you believe is a better fit with the description of the game.

The description they were given was:

“Rock Band 2 lets you and your friends play as a virtual 4-person band, in person or online, to rock out to some of the biggest rock anthems from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. Rock Band 2 will be a full featured sequel, similar to full featured sequels you see released by other big video game franchises, such as Need for Speed, Devil May Cry, Final Fantasy, Call of Duty, or Halo. In the music/rhythm genre, it is similar to the feature jumps made from Guitar Hero I to Guitar Hero II or Guitar Hero II to Guitar Hero III.”

Which one do you like better? I prefer the former as opposed to the latter. I’d rather have something fresh and new, but that’s just me.

Very funny, MTV News. You thought you’d wait a full 8 days after April Fools to try to pull one over on us, but I’m onto you.

According to the site, Harmonix is set to follow up the hit Rock Band with a larger-scope game called Record Label, where you use payola, pre-fab producers, and scantily clad teen pop stars to get as far ahead in the music biz as you can. The game uses creative direction from Sony’s BMG, one of the largest labels in the world to make it realistic, and not surprisingly would be a PS3 exclusive. You’d even likely be able to install rootkits on your CDs!

It sounds fun, but sadly it’s fake. You can’t spell “Harmonix” without “hoax”!

Rock Band’s creators say Nintendo goofed by not including a hard drive in the Wii. Without the drive, Harmonix argues, there’s no way it can offer downloadable content, or DLC in the vernacular. DLC for Rock Band usually chimes in at around 30MB per song; the Wii only has 512MB of internal storage.

What hath God wrought? Not much, apparetly.

Rock Band is coming June 22, but you won’t have the Music Store or be able to rock online. In lieu of that you’ll get five bonus songs that are more than likely ones that are downloadable now. That’s craptastic. It will retail for $170.

Rock Band Finally Rocking Wii In June [Wired]

So I’m thinking of suing Activision. I figured that since everyone else is doing it, the company might not notice and just send me a check to avoid the hassle. I’ll just go for something small like $250 and claim that since I played air guitar to Appetite for Destruction back in ‘87 — thus simulating a rock concert — I came up with the idea for Guitar Hero.

Earlier this week, Harmonix (owned by Viacom) withdrew a suit against Activision claiming that Activision never ponied up for some $14.5 million worth of royalties it owed Harmonix. The threat of the lawsuit was apparently strong enough to move Activision to settle out of court, so the suit was withdrawn.

Now Gibson, the company that licenses guitar designs to Activision for use in the Guitar Hero games, is suing on the basis that it (Gibson) came up with an idea similar to Guitar Hero that it patented back in 1999.

The abstract of the patent reads as follows,

A musician can simulate participation in a concert by playing a musical instrument and wearing a head-mounted 3D display that includes stereo speakers. Audio and video portions of a musical concert are pre-recorded, along with a separate sound track corresponding to the musical instrument played by the musician. Playback of the instrument sound track is controlled by signals generated in the musical instrument and transmitted to a system interface box connected to the audio-video play back device, an audio mixer, and the head-mounted display. An external bypass switch allows the musician to suppress the instrument sound track so that the sounds created by actual playing of the musical instrument are heard along with the pre-recorded audio and video portions.

I’ll give Gibson half credit because the separate musical tracks idea is there, but there’s no mention of a scoring system or a game-like experience. Also, Guitar Hero’s been out long enough that this suit should have been brought forward quite some time ago.

What’s more, apparently Konami had a game back in 1999 called Guitar Freaks that basically used a musical pairing system similar to how Guitar Hero is controlled and Activision’s apparently licensed a bunch of patents from Konami.

Gibson Guitar Sues Activision Over Guitar Hero Infringement [DailyTech]

It’s no secret and no surprise that Rock Band is selling quite well. The game is one of the most fun multiplayers around and is on both major gaming platforms and will hit the Wii soon. The talk of the Web today, though, is the $208.7 million payout Viacom has ready for Harmonix, the Rock Band developer.

This is a performance-based earnout, as Viacom’s MTV bought Harmonix in 2006, so the money would go to Harmonix shareholders.

This is great news for Harmonix as well as Rock Band fans; this means the promised updates are sure to materialize, which is going to be the key moneymaker for this game.

Harmonix Earns Possible $208.7 Million Bonus From Viacom [Gamasutra]