The Rock Band Thread - 10/26: Rock Band 3 Out Now With Free The Doors Pack In-Game!

[RelentlessRolento]

Go PS3 since the DLC makes more sense

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YNqc-J4Htc

This is the new Beatles: Rock Band trailer that shows off new songs and dreamscapes, which are the stylized sequences that are tailored for each song in the game. That brings to mind whether we should have a separate thread for The Beatles: Rock Band, since it's an all -inclusive game as far as DLC and importing songs are concerned, but I wouldn't mind adding a new section to this thread for the new game.

[metaly]

Needs more blue meanies.

I wonder how tricky it would have been to get the rights to use the movie imagery for the Yellow Submarine/Sgt. Pepper stages. Just imagine how mindblowingly awesome it would be if all the characters/backgrounds were 2D animations or even just cel shaded.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://rockbandaide.com/full-1-beatles-rock-band-set-list1/

The full setlist is finally here, minus one song that was left off for now:

SINGLES:


I Want To Hold Your Hand
I Feel Fine
Day Tripper
Paperback Writer
Revolution
Don’t Let Me Down

PLEASE PLEASE ME(1963)


I Saw Her Standing There
Boys
Do You Want To Know A Secret
Twist and Shout

WITH THE BEATLES (1963)


I Wanna Be Your Man

A HARD DAY’S NIGHT (1964)


A Hard Day’s Night
Can’t Buy Me Love

BEATLES FOR SALE (1964)


Eight Days a Week

HELP! (1965)


Ticket To Ride

RUBBER SOUL (1965)


Drive My Car
I’m Looking Through You
If I Needed Someone

REVOLVER (1966)


Taxman
Yellow Submarine
And Your Bird Can Sing

SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (1967)


Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band/With a Little Help From My Friends
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Getting Better
Good Morning Good Morning

MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR (1967)


I Am The Walrus
Hello Goodbye

THE BEATLES (WHITE ALBUM) (1968)


Dear Prudence
Back In the U.S.S.R.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Birthday
Helter Skelter

YELLOW SUBMARINE (1969)


Hey Bulldog

ABBEY ROAD (1969)


Come Together
Something
Octopus’s Garden
I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
Here Comes the Sun

LET IT BE (1970)


Dig a Pony
I Me Mine
I Got a Feeling
Get Back

LOVE (2006)


Within You Without You/ Tomorrow Never Knows

[Costa]

if anyones interested I have 1 AC/DC and 1 RB Track Pack V2 codes to sell $10 includes both pm if interested.

[Costa]

someone sent me a pm for my above post, I deleted it by accident, pm me again if you want 50 plus songs for $10. cheers

[FriskyTanuki]

Picked this up earlier today and have been playing a lot of it, as I'm at the second portion of the Abby Roads part of the Story mode. It's been a lot of fun and there are a lot more improvements to things I wasn't expecting, like the countdown for coming back from pausing the game and trophies have a Gears-like style to it, so you can see how close you are to getting certain trophies.

I changed up the title and will be revamping the OP later tonight after I finish off the Story mode.

[AdvOfJet]

I thought I would be able to hold of on this until next month but after everything I have read about it I think I am going to go pick up a copy of it tomorrow morning.

[evergoo]

Played Beatles for like 3 hours and its just full of win, especially if you like the band. I tried hard vocals at first, then medium/expert voxbass, and finally hard performance mode vocals (I passed so many of them on the first try 8-)). My playthru was cut short when my gf came home and hogged it for an hr. :lol:

Like FriskyTanuki said, there's a lot of subtle improvements over the RB2 engine. Even though the setlist is short compared to its counterparts, I can see myself playing this game for a looong time and possibly even in higher rotation than my 400+ RB tracklist. So many of the 45 songs are timeless classics and I can't wait for the upcoming legendary dlc albums. :bouncy:

[FroMann]

Love to get Beatles, but I rather get it as a gift.

[nbballard]

played last night- I really enjoyed it. The 3-mic set up was incredibly painless. I was expecting to fiddle with it for a while.

I picked up a Ps2 Singstar mic pack at gamestop for 25 bucks. It only uses 1 usb port. BB has the PS3 Singstar bundle for 35- and has the PS3 sale right now, so it might be a good time to look into it.

[m_d_amore]

Anyone know where Strawberry Fields is or when its coming?

[evergoo]

Anyone know where Strawberry Fields is or when its coming?
Harmonix's press statement made it seem like they're only releasing 3 albums this year plus All You Need Is Love. The omission of Strawberry Fields Forever in the original tracklist is sorely missed by me too since it's one of my favorite songs. Maybe it will appear on the Magical Mystery Tour album?

[nbballard]

I'm curious to see how they handle the DLC- 3 albums this year is 1 a month. I would really like to see HELP! and some of the others. Hopefully they keep up the pace.

[jonlubbe]

I will just assume each beatles album pack will include seperate trophies and animations and will therefore be on the order of $20 or $30 each and not your typical $2/each song price.

[FriskyTanuki]

I will just assume each beatles album pack will include seperate trophies and animations and will therefore be on the order of $20 or $30 each and not your typical $2/each song price.
No, the pricing and details for the first album, Abbey Road, were announced (http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158588) at GamesCom:

Details for downloadable albums coming to The Beatles: Rock Band Music Store are as follows:

Abbey Road (1969)
Release Date: October 20, 2009
Pricing: $16.98 (or 1360 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for album
$1.99 (or 160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for individual tracks

• “Come Together”
• “Something”
• “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”
• “Oh! Darling”
• “Octopus’s Garden”
• “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”
• “Here Comes The Sun”
• “Because”
• “You Never Give Me Your Money”
• “Sun King”
• “Mean Mr. Mustard”
• “Polythene Pam”
• “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window”
• “Golden Slumbers”
• “Carry That Weight”
• “The End”
• “Her Majesty”


In addition, purchasers of the full album download of Abbey Road will have the option to play the famous 16-minute B-side medley as a single continuous track. The medley includes “You Never Give Me Your Money,” “Sun King,” “Mean Mr. Mustard,” “Polythene Pam,” “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window,” “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight” and “The End."

[jonlubbe]

No, the pricing and details for the first album, Abbey Road, were announced (http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158588) at GamesCom:

THAT IS GREAT NEWS! (very happy about that, was assuming a heavy premium on price and all that)
This means that i will have to get it day one.

[m_d_amore]

so we get to pay for some of the same songs twice Awesomeness :)

[surak]

so we get to pay for some of the same songs twice Awesomeness :)

No, count the number of new songs.

[Costa]

someone sent me a pm for my above post, I deleted it by accident again, pm me again if you want 50 plus songs ACDC and RB TP V2 for $10. cheers

[metaly]

God dammit. Killer Queen's Rock Band note chart is a mere shadow of the Guitar Hero cover. :cry: I am really disappointed.

Also every few months I go on a Dylan kick and think it might be fun to play Tangled Up in Blue on expert again. It's not!

[pete5883]

Also every few months I go on a Dylan kick and think it might be fun to play Tangled Up in Blue on expert again. It's not!
It never is. I always have to warn guests away from it.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://kotaku.com/5399206/rock-band-3-will-teach-you-how-to-play-proper-music

An interesting bit of potential news on what to expect from Rock Band 3:
In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Dhani Harrison - son of former Beatle George Harrison - has revealed that he's not only working on Rock Band (http://kotaku.com/tag/rockband/) 3, but that it's going to take the series in a new direction.

The fact he mentions a third Rock Band should surprise only those who wake up every morning shocked to see the sun has risen. But the specifics, and why he's involved in the project, those are a little more interesting.

"I'm working on 'Rock Band 3 (http://kotaku.com/tag/rockband3/)' and making the controllers more real so people can actually learn how to play music while playing the game," he told the newspaper. "Give me a couple years, it's going to happen."
Should be interesting to see what they can come up with. I hope the bit about it happening in a couple years means they'll focus on DLC and upgrading RB2 if they're not rushing something out for next year.

[billyrox]

Is there any way to copy Rock Band songs to the Hard drive? Or does the game always have to read through the disc. I have a copy of Rock Band one, and it seems like for every song, my blu ray is always been accessed

[surak]

RockBand twitter will be giving away Sgt Pepper DLC codes if they get to 10000 followers by tomorrow. http://twitter.com/RockBand/status/5992614929

[bmulligan]

RockBand twitter will be giving away Sgt Pepper DLC codes if they get to 10000 followers by tomorrow. http://twitter.com/RockBand/status/5992614929

Sign me up for a chance at a free code!

I don't understand the appeal of the Twit, since I only use my phone to make, you know, PHONE CALLS, but this sounds like a good reason to play with my tweeter.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.mtv.com/videos/news/464452/green-day-perform-american-idiot-on-rock-band.jhtml

I'm confused. I really hope that this is just a Track Pack and not the next full game.

[Nirron]

http://www.mtv.com/videos/news/464452/green-day-perform-american-idiot-on-rock-band.jhtml

I'm confused. I really that this is just a Track Pack and not the next full game.

It has to be. They don't seem to go the Activision way of 'if it's a popular band of the past twenty years, it probably deserves its own game" but they've released quite a few albums if I recall correctly.

Just ran across a thread on it at the official RB forums (here (http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=176064)) I hope they don't start going down that same Activision route. At worst I hope they release it as a $30 or so Track Pack like they did with the Metal/Country/etc ones.

[TimPV3]

http://www.mtv.com/videos/news/464452/green-day-perform-american-idiot-on-rock-band.jhtml

I'm confused. I really that this is just a Track Pack and not the next full game.I accidentally the whole thing

[evergoo]

I guess The Beatles' followup is Green Day. I was hoping for a track pack disc or even better, a Who/Queen-like DLC Pack.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3336049#post3336049

The game is an extension and expression of Green Day’s most-defining albums and key moments throughout their career to date. It will feature likenesses of Green Day members Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool, as well as select venues and art specific to the band's history. The title will be available globally in 2010 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ system from Nintendo. In addition, the track list will be fully exportable, giving players the opportunity to play the songs in Rock Band™ and Rock Band 2™ on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation3.

[metaly]

:cry: Roger Daltrey has some explaining to do.

[surak]

Ha, least relevant band to have a RB/GH dedicated release by far. :oldman:

[FroMann]

Rock Band Green Day?

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU... :bomb:

[jsub]

First Beatles, now Green Day on Rock Band!!! Now, BOTH of my favorite bands of all time will have their own Rock Band games. I guess I have some good taste in music ;)

[surak]

TheBeatlesRB on twitter is giving away Rubber Soul DLC codes today. http://twitter.com/TheBeatlesRB

[evergoo]

I won the Rubber Soul album via Twitter. Have faith boys. It is possible to win on the internet. :)

[surak]

I won the Rubber Soul album via Twitter. Have faith boys. It is possible to win on the internet. :)

Yes, even though I posted about the twitter contests, I hadn't won until today. Rubber Soul was the album I wanted the most out of the 3 released so far, so I'm a happy camper.

[200STM]

I think they should have done a rockband Afi itll be cool to hear cereal wars, perfect fit, a single second , 3 1/2 and other nice afi songs on rockband

[DeskLaser]

If anybody is interested in a PS3 Classic Rock Track Pack code, I have one that I can sell for $10 paypal. Please help me get to Magfest, lol.

[jsub]

GREEN DAY ROCKBAND FOR THE WIN!!!

Now, BOTH of my favorite bands (Beatles) will have their own respective Rock Bands. I got good music taste.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/01/rock-band-2-ps3-software-update/

A new update will be out tomorrow to add or fix some stuff:
My name is Dan Teasdale. I’m DeliciousBees on the PlayStation Network (http://www.us.playstation.com/PSN), but more importantly I’m also the Lead Designer on Rock Band 2 (http://www.rockband.com/games/rockband2)!

We’re perfectionists over here at Harmonix (http://www.harmonixmusic.com/), and we want to make sure that everyone’s Rock Band (http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/rock-band/) experiences are as awesome as they possibly can be. With that in mind, I’m proud to announce that the Rock Band team has finalized a software update for Rock Band 2 on the PlayStation 3 (http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/playstation-hardware/ps3-playstation-hardware/) that addresses some common feature requests from our fans. We’ve also added some great new functionality that we think you’ll be excited to try out when the software update arrives this Thursday.


This update wouldn’t be possible without the feedback and suggestions that we receive from everyone in both the Rock Band (http://www.rockband.com/community) and PlayStation communities (http://blog.us.playstation.com/). Everybody here at Harmonix takes your forum posts (http://www.rockband.com/forums/index.php) and suggestions to heart, and we wouldn’t be able to make our games as awesome as they are without all of the feature requests and feedback that we get from you on a daily basis. So from all of us here at Harmonix, thank you, and please keep letting us know what you’d like to see in future updates and games!


This update includes:


“Sort by Stars” in Quickplay. If you hit the “Sort” button on the Song Select screen, you’ll come to a brand new sort that orders songs by the star ratings that you’ve achieved on each song. Each star rating gets a category, as well as an “Unplayed” category for songs that don’t have a star rating recorded. Finally, you can record your progress towards gold starring every song in your library!
Improved “Sort by Stars” fix: Players will not have to beat a previous high score to record a star rating for their songs.
Chord HOPO improvements: If you’ve played The Beatles: Rock Band (http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com/), you’ll notice much more robust handling of chord hammer-ons and pull-offs. This patch implements those changes in Rock Band 2 to provide a more natural chord hammer-on/pull-off experience.
Velocity Sensitivity on Ion Drum Kits: Ion Drum kits now support velocity sensitivity in both drum fills and Drum Freestyle mode.
Rock Band Network Store Support: When the Rock Band Network goes live, select songs will be available for PlayStation 3 users through a new storefront available in game. Stay tuned for more information closer to the launch of RBN!
SingStar Wireless Microphone Support. Rock Band 2 now supports the SingStar Wireless Microphones (http://uk.playstation.com/ps3/hardware/accessories/detail/item154578/Wireless-SingStar%C2%AE-Microphones/) currently available through Europe (http://blog.eu.playstation.com/)! Finally, you can now have a fully wireless Rock Band experience on your PlayStation 3!

We’re extremely happy to be able to finally release this update for the PlayStation 3 (http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3) version of Rock Band 2 (http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/Games/Rock_Band_2). We know many of you are rabid PlayStation rockers, and it’s a priority for us to make sure that everyone gets the best experience playing Rock Band. On behalf of everyone here at Harmonix, we hope you enjoy the new features!

[200STM]

That cool I play rockband2 still I have almost 300 songs (DLC plus RB1 and RB2 I still need LegoRB)

[jling84]

Hopefully Rock Band Network will open up Rock Band to some more alternative artists like Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz and John Mayer.

[vicesquad]

hahah

[FroMann]

Finally. I was waiting for this update.

[PS2gamerGCN]

Thanks for the info. I went to play RB2 just a few hours ago and I was wondering what the heck was up with the update!

[FriskyTanuki]

http://kotaku.com/5469576/if-all-you-need-is-love-then-youre-in-luck

Looks like All You Need Is Love will finally be coming to PSN on March 4th. Proceeds still go to the Doctors Without Borders charity.

[Nirron]

Finally. I despise timed "exclusive" DLC. Too bad Viacom (parent company) apparently wasn't happy with how well RB: Beatles was doing. It might mean no more album DLC, and I so wanted Magical Mystery Tour.

[bmulligan]

Finally. I despise timed "exclusive" DLC. Too bad Viacom (parent company) apparently wasn't happy with how well RB: Beatles was doing. It might mean no more album DLC, and I so wanted Magical Mystery Tour.


They really pissed me off with the Abbey Road ripoff, but Rubber Soul and Sgt. Peppr brought me back on board because they were fantastic deals. Doesn't make much sense to discontinue downloads, though. Those that have bought the game are locked in, so to speak, so it's not like they can lose money on downloadable content.

[FriskyTanuki]

All You Need Is Love should be out later today for Beatles: Rock Band people.

The RBN Store launched for the Xbox 360today, but there won't be anything noteworthy on PSN for a while. Just looking through the forums, the small selection of songs that are coming to PSN are exclusive to the Xbox 360 for at least 30 days.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://kotaku.com/5489368/rock-band-3-revolutionizes-the-music-genre-this-holiday-season

Rock Band 3 was just announced:
Viacom President and CEO Philippe Dauman officially outed Rock Band 3, due for release this holiday season, when it will "will innovate and revolutionize the music genre" all over again.

Dauman revealed the game while speaking at the Credit Suisse Group Global Media and Communications Conference this morning, quickly followed by Tweets (http://twitter.com/johntdrake) from several members of the Harmonix staff, relieved to finally be able to discuss what they've been working on, as well as this new entry on the Rock Band Facebook page:Harmonix is developing Rock Band 3 for worldwide release this holiday season! The game, which will be published by MTV Games and distributed by Electronic Arts, will innovate and revolutionize the music genre once again, just as Harmonix did with the original Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and The Beatles: Rock Band. Stay tuned for more details!
No details, but I'm hoping Harmonix won't be holding out for long.

[evergoo]

:whee: LADY GAGA! :whee:

LADY GAGA MAKES HER DEBUT ON ROCK BAND WITH A HOT FOUR PACK!

PLUS A SPECIAL COMEDY CENTRAL® SOUTH PARK VERSION OF “POKER FACE”

MTV NETWORKS CELEBRATING DEBUT ACROSS CHANNELS

Cambridge, Mass. – March 9, 2009 – Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a four pack of songs from pop sensation Lady Gaga, as well as a special Lady Gaga cover by COMEDY CENTRAL’s South Park’s own Eric Cartman will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

Lady Gaga joins the more than 400 artists currently available through the Rock Band platform. With more than 1,100 songs available, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 System and Wii

Musical maven and international fashionista Lady Gaga makes her Rock Band debut next week with a four pack of songs from both her Grammy® Award-winning and Diamond-certified album The Fame and her latest release The Fame Monster. Lady Gaga became the first artist in Billboard history to chart four No. 1 singles when her smash single “Paparazzi” reached No. 1 in 2009. Recently named creative director for a specialty line of Polaroid® products, Lady Gaga has proven herself to be an innovative powerhouse outside the music realm as well.

“Lady Gaga Pack 01” will include “Bad Romance,” “Just Dance,” “Monster” and “Poker Face” and will be available for purchase as “Lady Gaga Pack 01” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Lady Gaga is touring Europe and the United States this spring and fall, as part of her successful Monster Ball tour. For more information on tour dates, please visit www.ladygaga.com.

Additionally, a special version of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” made famous by South Park’s Eric Cartman, will also be available in the Rock Band Music Store next week. The track first appeared in the “Whale Whores” episode which will re-air on COMEDY CENTRAL March 16 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The 14th season of COMEDY CENTRAL’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series South Park premieres Wednesday, March 17 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

[200STM]

Awesome I like playing rockband its at times better than playing real instruments (calasis are annoying and sometimes tabs are uggg) any cags want to play send me a pm and Ill add u to my band (ICE SCREAM). Also rockband needs AT THE DRIVE-IN

[FriskyTanuki]

:whee: SOUTH PARK! :whee:

Fixed. I hope this leads the way for more songs from fictional bands, TV shows, and movies. The only stuff we've seen like that has just been free promotional stuff or bonus songs for GH2 and Rock Band.

[evergoo]

Fixed. I hope this leads the way for more songs from fictional bands, TV shows, and movies. The only stuff we've seen like that has just been free promotional stuff or bonus songs for GH2 and Rock Band.

Don't The Monkees and Spinal Tap count? ;) There was also that Timmy song in RB1 and some goofy dlc songs from SpongeBob and Stephen Colbert.

[FroMann]

Rock Band 3? WOOHOO! Of course no gameplay, setlist, or screenshots? Weak.

[FriskyTanuki]

Don't The Monkees and Spinal Tap count? ;) There was also that Timmy song in RB1 and some goofy dlc songs from SpongeBob and Stephen Colbert.
I mentioned the promotional stuff and occasional bonus songs already, but there's still a lot more out there. Two groups I'd like to see is Dethklok and Beck from Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad, but at least the former has gotten a pack on GH5, so that's more of a possibility right now.

[200STM]

how bout PUFFFY (Hi Hi PUFFY Ami Yumi) or THE BEETS (DOUG) XD some more KSM PLZ

[FriskyTanuki]

Crap. The Frontman I got from Amazon on Black Friday doesn't work, though I didn't get around to trying it out until today. It syncs but doesn't actually work as a controller, so RB2 kept freaking out and pushing every button once it started up. I guess I'll have to find a new controller and maybe trade this broken one in.

[m_d_amore]

use it on GH setting should work

[FriskyTanuki]

It doesn't work on either setting, I tried resyncing it, resetting the system, and nothing worked.

[FriskyTanuki]

Green Day: Rock Band will be out on June 8

Multi-platinum selling and Grammy® Award winning group Green Day, along with Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), and Reprise / Warner Bros. Records today announced that Green Day: Rock Band™, the full standalone music video game experience that celebrates Green Day’s historic career and genre-defining albums will launch worldwide June 8, 2010, for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Wii™ system from Nintendo.

Green Day: Rock Band allows players to step onto the stage and into the shoes of Green Day, the multi-platinum, Grammy® Award-winning band that jump-started the punk-pop revival and has continued to pave the way for American rock music into the 21st century. Taking on the likenesses of Green Day members Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool, players progress through the story and history of Green Day, gaining access into the band’s media vault, where they can unlock more than 100 collectible images, and more than 40 minutes of rare and unreleased video from interviews, outtakes and performances.

Featuring the three-part vocal harmony technology Harmonix introduced with the award-winning The Beatles™: Rock Band™, Green Day: Rock Band gives players access to an incredible setlist of 47 tracks that span the band’s career including “Brain Stew,” “Jaded,” “Hitchin’ a Ride,” “American Idiot,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” All 47 tracks are fully exportable, providing players with the opportunity to play the songs in Rock Band™, Rock Band 2™ and the recently announced Rock Band™3! In addition, the six Green Day tracks already available in the Rock Band Music Store as downloadable content can be played in Green Day: Rock Band with added vocal harmonies, unique performance visuals, and exclusive archival material.
The last part confirms the ability to import DLC into Rock Band 3 for anyone that questioned it.

[200STM]

FriskyTanuki i used a frontman and I found a solution now its kinda confusing but this is how it works:
1. Turn on the guitar first (do not plug the usb pedal in yet)

2. At the menu plug in the usb pedal on the second usb port of the ps3

3. once its in (and have it in GH mode) it should sync as blue (2P) and then just change the controller setting to 1P.

This is how I solve this problem

(by the way have a regular controller

[FriskyTanuki]

That didn't quite work, but I did manage to get it to switch to the player two slot long enough so I could quickly change it to #3 and it started working just fine, as I just played a few gigs with it. Thanks.

[FriskyTanuki]

The full tracklist for Green Day: Rock Band has been revealed (http://kotaku.com/5514179/green-day-rock-bands-full-track-list):

The Warehouse
Dookie (1994)
"Burnout"
"Having a Blast"
"Chump"
"Longview"
"Welcome to Paradise"
"Pulling Teeth"
"Basket Case"
"She"
"Sassafrass Roots"
"When I Come Around"
"Coming Clean"
"Emenius Sleepus"
"In the End"
"F.O.D."


Milton Keynes
American Idiot (2004)
"American Idiot"
"Jesus of Suburbia"
"Holiday"
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams"
"Are We the Waiting"
"St. Jimmy"
"Give Me Novacaine"
"She's a Rebel"
"Extraordinary Girl"
"Letterbomb"
"Wake Me Up When September Ends"
"Homecoming"
"Whatsername"


Warning (2000)
"Minority"
"Warning"

Nimrod (1997)
"Hitchin' a Ride"
"Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"
"Nice Guys Finish Last"

Insomniac (1995)
"Brain Stew"
"Jaded"
"Geek Stink Breath"

The Fox Theater, Oakland

21st Century Breakdown (2009)
"Song of the Century"
"21st Century Breakdown"
"Before the Lobotomy"
"Last Night on Earth"
"Peacemaker"
"Murder City"
"¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)"
"Restless Heart Syndrome"
"Horseshoes and Handgrenades"
"The Static Age"
"American Eulogy"
"See the Light"

Downloadable Content
"21 Guns"
"Know Your Enemy"
"East Jesus Nowhere"
"Last of the American Girls"
"¡Viva La Gloria!"
"Christian's Inferno"

[FroMann]

Not a bad setlist. I will probably buy this game when it is on sale like Beatles Rock Band.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=188821

The first details for RBN songs on the PS3 has been revealed:

Hey gang,

We're thrilled to announce that tomorrow (Thursday 4/22) we'll see the first batch of Rock Band Network tracks hit the PS3! We've looked at the download numbers and the feedback on the forums and we've put together a selection of some of the most popular tracks for this initial group. Here's what's hitting the PS3 tomorrow:

Flogging Molly - Drunken Lullabies (Live)
Jonathan Coulton - Code Monkey
The Shins - Australia
The Slip - Even Rats
Steve Vai - For the Love of God (Live)

We're still going to keep any eye on the forum feedback to put together future releases on the PS3, and we'll continue to work with Sony to ensure that we're able to get as much content out as consistently as possible without disrupting the regular weekly RB DLC flow. We're still working on finding the best RBN solution for the Wii, which has it's own entirely different set of technical challenges, but we'll let you know as soon as we have more news.

You can turn your eyes down one post to get some additional info from RBN guru HMXjohnd. Thanks again to the all the PS3 RBN fans for your patience!

Hi Guys:

I just wanted to take a quick second to clarify how RBN tracks will be rolling out on the PS3. As HMXHenry just confirmed, we'll be launching 5 great tracks tomorrow from the RBN catalog in the PS3 RBN store. These tracks are awesome. Get excited.

Because of the way submissions work on PS3, we will only be able to release songs when we update the normal Rock Band DLC store (currently Thursdays). Furthermore, because of the way the submissions process works, we're currently capped at 5 songs per week. We're working hard to expand the number of songs we'll be able to do each week, but for now you can expect 5 songs a week, every week, plus your normal DLC releases.

We're using a few different criteria to pick these select tracks. The best selling tracks play into it, but we're also balancing that information with songs that we know are in demand from the core Rock Band users. Keep being (politely) vocal about what songs you want to bring over! We have a long lead time for submissions, but we'll continue to tweak what we bring over based on what we're hearing from you!

To be clear, the reason that we can update in real-time on Xbox 360 is because Rock Band Network on Xbox 360 is built on the XNA infrastructure that allows users to submit their own content, with the sales and distribution of those tracks managed by the XNA backend. That infrastructure doesn't exist on other platforms. We're looking into ways to bring as much stuff over as possible, but there are practical realities that aren't in our immediate control. We hope you understand.

I can only ask you to believe us when we say that we're limited in what we can currently do, but we want to bring as much music to you as possible. We're working on it and we hope you enjoy the songs we do bring in the meantime. We want your feedback, especially if the discussion is civil and informed.

Otherwise, Rock On!

HMXJohnD
Program Manager, Rock Band Network
Manager, Communications - HMX

[def PD]

*sad panda face*
No Flight of the Conchords.

Fingers crossed for 311, Sublime, and ska to make it's way over.

[pete5883]

Good to hear they plan on maxing their submissions every week. I was kind of expecting ~5 tracks / month.

[FriskyTanuki]

This week's RBN songs:


Bang Camaro - "Push Push (Lady Lightning)" (http://www.rockband.com/songs/UGC_5001527)
Five Finger Death Punch - "Burn It Down" (http://www.rockband.com/songs/UGC_5001105)
Senses Fail - "Lady in a Blue Dress" (http://www.rockband.com/songs/UGC_5001459)
Flight of the Conchords - "Business Time" (http://www.rockband.com/songs/UGC_5001790)
Attack Attack! - "Stick Stickly" (http://www.rockband.com/songs/UGC_5001464)

[metaly]

Got Australia by the Shins yesterday, which is a lot of fun on guitar. Also got the full Axis album and it's beastly. It's fun but still humbling having to drop the difficulty for pretty much every song.

[MisterBee]

Just give my "Longwave - No Direction" Harmonix, its the only RBN song I want.

[200STM]

Man Im hoping we can get some at the drive-in or at least some movielife

[FriskyTanuki]

Next week's new RBN releases:
New to the PlayStation 3, available 5/4:

Band of Skulls - "I Know What I Am" (http://www.rockband.com/songs/UGC_5001804)
Drowning Pool - "Bodies" (http://www.rockband.com/songs/UGC_5001770)
Lacuna Coil - "Survive" (http://www.rockband.com/songs/UGC_5001288)
Stroke 9 - "Little Black Back Pack '09" (http://www.rockband.com/songs/UGC_5000990)
Third Eye Blind - "Semi-Charmed Life '09" (http://www.rockband.com/songs/UGC_5001786)


The regular releases includes the rest of the songs from the Tragic Kingdom album by No Doubt:
To add to the thirteen previously released (http://www.rockband.com/zine/no_doubt_singles_dlc) No Doubt tracks in Rock Band, next week we will be releasing the remaining 9 tracks of this breakthrough album including:


"Different People"
"End It on This"
"Happy Now?"
"Hey You"
"Sixteen"
"The Climb"
"Tragic Kingdom"
"World Go 'Round"
"You Can Do It"

[madbst]

The gf and I have new songs to play again with the new No Doubt songs. Time to dust off the instruments.

[FroMann]

Well here is the Green Day Rock Band intro. Kinda boring. I'll still buy the game, but this does not look like a 60 dollar purchase to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10GqCXg2COY

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.rockband.com/zine/rock-band-3-design-team

Harmonix is starting the hype wagon for Rock Band 3 with some teasers about the key people that will be blogging about the game:
My name's Dan Teasdale, and I'm the Lead Designer on Rock Band 3. For the last two years, the Rock Band 3 design team has been feverishly working on making not just the next Rock Band game, but also the next big leap in music gaming.

Over the next few weeks and months, we'll be taking you through the details behind Rock Band 3 through a series of designer blog posts, right here on RockBand.com.

There's so much stuff in Rock Band 3 that I can't personally blog about all of it! The rest of the Rock Band 3 design team will also be writing posts about various features. Your brave authors, in order of attractiveness:


Sylvain Dubrofsky is the senior designer in charge of gameplay on Rock Band 3. He'll be writing about some of the revolutionary new experiences you'll be able to play with in Rock Band 3.
Brian Chan is the senior designer in charge of various metagame systems. He'll be talking about some great new game modes and overhauls to how you experience the game.
Casey Malone is our designer in charge of player investment. He'll be blogging about some of the cool things that will make you keep you coming back to Rock Band 3.
Dan Teasdale is...me! I'm the lead designer on Rock Band 3, and one of two token Australians at Harmonix. I'll be talking about some other changes we've made to make Rock Band 3 the ultimate music game.

(While they won't be blogging, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the design contributions to Rock Band 3 by HMX alumni Doug Church and Grace Williams. They've made some huge impacts to the design that we'll do our best to represent in these posts.)

We'll also be taking any questions from the community that we can. If you have questions that you want answered, please check out the official discussion thread in the RockBand.com forums (http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3703134#post3703134). We'll do our best to answer these as we write our posts.

So, stay tuned over the next few weeks and months as we chat about some of the in-depth details that make up Rock Band 3. I think you'll be surprised at just how big this game really is.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/25/keyboards-teased-for-rock-band-3-in-green-day-demo/

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2010/05/gamrockband3teaser580.jpg (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/games/offers/0ddf0001-0000-4000-8000-0000454188e9)

Dookieheads (that's what Green Day fans are colloquially referred to, right?) who downloaded the two-track Green Day: Rock Band (http://www.joystiq.com/tag/green-day-rock-band) demo from Xbox Live Marketplace today (gold subscribers only) found a little bonus waiting for them when they exited the demo: The teaser image posted above. Alongside the series' four iconic instrument logos is a whole new symbol, which seems to indicate that keyboards (or perhaps ... keytars?) will be added to Rock Band 3 (http://www.joystiq.com/tag/rock-band-3).

Also, the Green Day: Rock Band demo (http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=191118) should be out on PSN later today when the store is updated:
Harmonix Music Systems and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks, announced today that a demo of Green Day: Rock Band – featuring full versions of “Welcome to Paradise” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” – will be released on Tuesday, May 25th, via Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in North America and Europe. In addition, the demo will be released on Tuesday, May 25th for the PlayStation®Network in North America and on Wednesday, June 2nd for the PlayStation®Network in Europe.

[FroMann]

I want to see a "The Doors" Rock Band now with a keyboard. Also is the Green Day Rock Band demo coming to PSN anytime soon?

[FriskyTanuki]

It's out now.

[Tony208]

Now keyboard is one instrument I can def gold star all the time. hope it comes out soon

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.rockband.com/zine/ozzy-scream-dlc

Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne makes his Rock Band debut with six songs - three classics and three from his upcoming album Scream! Ozzy has sold 50 million albums worldwide during his solo career (plus another 50 million albums as the vocalist for Black Sabbath!), won two Grammys, an MTV Movie Award, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is a living legend and the Godfather of Heavy Metal. Now rockers everywhere will now be able to enjoy his music through Rock Band.

Fans will be able to play the already hit single "Let Me Hear You Scream" and two yet-unreleased tracks from Scream - "Diggin' Me Down" and "Soul Sucker" -before the album hits stores on June 22nd. Longtime Ozzy fans shouldn't feel left out - three Ozzy classics will also be available: "Crazy Babies, "I Don't Wanna Stop," and "No More Tears."
Not sure about the newer stuff, but I'm happy to see some older songs finally coming in master form. Now he just needs to get the Foo Fighters/Pearl Jam/No Doubt treatment with many more songs.

[FroMann]

Have to purchase Crazy Babies and No More Tears now.

[FriskyTanuki]

Picked up Green Day: Rock Band today and the clerk mentioned that RB3 and the keyboard peripheral are already available for pre-orders now. The export code is on the back of the manual, though I'm not sure if that's on every new copy or just GameStop's copies.

[FriskyTanuki]

The new timed trophy is quite a bit harder, at least for me. It requires you to beat the career mode in 12 hours with a full four player band.

[m_d_amore]

obviously they have no consideration for the friendless

[FriskyTanuki]

:-(

I have friends, just not four people that I could summon for a Green Day marathon.

[m_d_amore]

I hear ya on that. is it possible to get it online? or does it not say?

[FriskyTanuki]

I'm not sure, but that presents its own challenges to play through it online in one sitting.

[pete5883]

I'm not sure, but that presents its own challenges to play through it online in one sitting.
I'm up for it.

[FroMann]

Already asking for a reserve on the keyboard controller? We have not even seen it yet! As for Green Day Rock Band, do they give you a voucher inside the case where you enter the code then pay 10 bucks to export all songs to the hard drive?

[FriskyTanuki]

And a lot of the big details have been revealed:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2010-06-10-rockband10_ST_N.htm?bctid=90946364001

Video with keyboard footage (http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid42806360001?bctid=90946364001)

Ever since Rock Band expanded the musical video-game stage in 2007 to add drums and vocals to the Guitar Hero experience, players have been clamoring for keyboards.

Consider that request filled. Rock Band 3 (due for the holidays for PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii) expands the virtual band to seven (drums, lead and bass guitar, keyboards, lead vocals and two harmony vocals). "With the introduction of keyboards, we get to bring a ton of amazing new music onto the platform, which will help feed the appetite for music for years to come," says Alex Rigopulos (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Alex+Rigopulos), CEO of game studio Harmonix (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Harmonix+Music+Systems).

Among the 83 new songs to be included, Rigopulos says, "it's hard to pick a favorite, but for The Doors (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/The+Doors) to be making an appearance on Rock Band finally with their classic Break On Through, I love that one. And Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Bohemian+Rhapsody) is endlessly fun."

The success of Rock Band and follow-up Rock Band 2 propelled sales of music games to more than $1.6 billion in 2008 — with the help of competing Guitar Hero titles. Despite a wide variety of new games in 2009 including The Beatles (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/People/Celebrities/Musicians,+Composers,+Singers,+Rappers,+Groups/The+Beatles): Rock Band and DJ Hero, annual sales fell by nearly 50%.

That slide inspired the Rock Band 3 development team to try to recapture the fun "that really started this whole phenomenon in the first place," says project director Daniel Sussman.

During the game, green, red, blue, yellow or orange keys flow on a "stream" representing the notes to be played on five corresponding keyboard keys. In a new authentic Pro mode meant to help players segue to actual instruments, all 25 keys are used; the streams shifts left and right to cover the correct keys. The keyboard also works as a MIDI keyboard that can be connected to a computer. "This is a real instrument and a real device," says senior designer Sylvain Dubrofsky.

In addition to the new keyboard controller, also due for the game's release are two advanced guitar controllers that take advantage of the Pro mode, one a full-sized, fully functional Fender guitar (all sold separately, no prices yet).

Other Rock Band 3 advances: improved animations, refined gameplay features — players can drop in and out of games, or change instruments and difficulty settings without stopping songs — and a easier-to-use song menu.

"Our ambition for Rock Band 3 was really to re-energize and reinvigorate the (music game) category and advance it and move it forward," Rigopulos says.http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2010-06-10-rockband10_VA_N.htm

Development of Rock Band 3 began immediately after the September 2008 release of Rock Band 2, says project director Daniel Sussman at Cambridge, Mass.-based Harmonix (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Harmonix+Music+Systems).

As work continued, the music category's slide in sales made the design team deepen their focus. "We saw a kind of staleness in terms of game-play innovation," Sussman says. "Really, the main focus of Rock Band 3 development was finding new ways to experience the music and actually doubling down, if you will, on our investment in compelling game play.

"We are adding a new instrument (a 25-key, fully functioning MIDI keyboard) and we're adding a whole new mode, which is designed basically to answer that staleness factor."

The result, he says, is "an experience that is both accessible to players who are just getting into this thing, and builds something for the hard-core player who is maybe a little bored with where music games are."

Sussman and several key members of the Rock Band team (Harmonix senior designers Sylvain Dubrofsky and Dan Teasdale, and public relations gurus John Drake of Harmonix and Jeff Castaneda of MTV Games (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Organizations/Companies/Publishers,+Media,+Music/MTV); you can see them all playing the game in the accompanying video) recently demonstrated Rock Band 3 for USA TODAY's Game Hunters and offered a test drive of the new keyboard controller, as well as the game's new authentic Pro mode aimed at helping players develop skills usable on real instruments.

"Everybody who wants to keep playing on the instruments they already have, we have enhanced new features and new gameplay for you," Dubrofsky says. "It's up to you to decide where you take this."

More on the advances for Rock Band 3 (due for the holidays for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Culture/Video+Games/Publishers/Nintendo) DS):
•Better story. Design your own characters and session musicians from improved character models and watch their story unfold throughout the game. Your band members are seen getting into the van to go to a show, and practicing as well as performing. They even appear as you choose songs to play. "It is a really cool way to make sure you are always in the narrative no matter which mode you are in," Teasdale says. "The entire game is essentially one story of your band."

Everything you do earns achievements in the goal-based career mode. "Previously our career modes weren't really about getting better as a Rock Band player, it was about investing time," Teasdale says. "We developed this entirely new career mode based around unlocking achievement-like goals to show your progression through the game, and also give you incentives to get better.

"We have hundreds and hundreds of these goals across instruments and gameplay modes and across (downloadable content). It is a really great way to finish Rock Band in your way, based on your skill, and not on some predetermined path of songs."

•More fluid gameplay. Players can jump in or out of songs without interrupting a song already in progress. They can also change instruments or difficulty settings during a song without pausing. "It's a really cool way to get rid of that friction that players have when they are in a party situation," Teasdale says.

Another party-friendly mode, "road challenges," is described by Teasdale as "taking Rock Band 1 and 2's band world tour (mode) and merging it with Mario Party. We tried to find a way to get the core experience people had playing the band world tour and the things they really enjoyed, like getting the van or getting random set lists, and putting that into a setting that you can finish in an evening instead of a week. So now we have all these tours which are actually you going on a tour of the East Coast or touring across the world, and you are finishing that in three hours or whatever time you think you have to play."

•Revamped song-filtering system. With the Rock Band library expected to grow to about 2,000 songs by year's end, it has grown too big for simply scrolling. With the new system, "you can say, 'only show me songs in Rock Band 3' or 'only songs under three minutes' or 'Eighties metal songs from my (downloadable) collection,' " Teasdale says. "It's a really cool way to take your full library down to a manageable list of songs."

Not to be forgotten, the keyboards' addition — along with carrying over the three-part harmonies from The Beatles (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/People/Celebrities/Musicians,+Composers,+Singers,+Rappers,+Groups/The+Beatles): Rock Band and new Green Day (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/People/Celebrities/Musicians,+Composers,+Singers,+Rappers,+Groups/Green+Day): Rock Band games — means that "you can play as a seven -player band," Teasdale says, "which is an amazing experience."

•Rock Band Pro. This new music learning mode lets players develop real-world music-playing fundamentals for keyboards, guitars and drums. More realistic music notations replace the standard color-coded notes during gameplay. For guitar, numbers flow down the screen along six guitar strings, telling you where to place your hands on the neck and when to strum.

Two new guitar controllers in the works have actual strings where you strum; one is a full-sized, fully functional six-string Squier Stratocaster from Fender (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Fender). "It can tell where your fingers are based on technology in the neck and the bridge of the guitar. No buttons," Drake says. "While you're playing it, it feels exactly like playing a real guitar," because that's what you're doing.

The other is a Fender Mustang Pro controller from accessory maker Mad Catz with a field of buttons in each fret. As your fingers compress the smaller non-colored buttons on that guitar's neck, your finger positions are represented in the game's display. "You can go from plucking single notes to power chords and bar chords, we have crazy stuff like tapping and slides," Dubrofsky says. "If you ever had any aspirations of connecting with the music in a deeper way ... you are really going to like Rock Band 3."

For drums, three new cymbals are added to the standard four drum pads, and you are forced to play the correct cymbal at the right time. "It really immerses you more. You feel more like a drummer," Dubrofsky says. "It's not only for expert levels. You can come in on easy and actually play Pro drums. We have all the different levels established. It's actually really fun. You are playing up on the high hat or down on the snare, and it feels more like a kit than ever before."

On keyboards, Sussman says, "we're actually utilizing the full two-octave range that the keyboard controller has. Everything that you are playing, whether you are playing on easy or expert, is accurate musical information. The track looks like a real keyboard track, and you are playing notes on the keyboard that if you were to step away from the game and were to play on a real piano, they would be the right notes."

Pro players can use the mode for private practice or incorporate it while others play the game's standard arcade modes. "You can be an expert keys-player playing with an all easy band, no problem," Drake says.http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2010/06/rock-band-3-the-songs-announced-so-far-/1
Rock Band 3, which adds keyboards to the music game setup, will feature keyboard parts in most of the planned 83 songs on the game disc when it hits stores this holiday shopping season.

"There's this whole other world of music where keyboards plays a prominent role that has been largely neglected (in Rock Band games) because of instrumentation," says Harmonix CEO and co-founder Alex Rigopulos. "The introduction of keyboards ... gives us access to a new world of content."

See our full coverage including a video of the Harmonix developers playing the game here (http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2010-06-10-rockband10_ST_N.htm).

For the partial song list, announced today (by decade), click below:

2000s
Combat Baby -- Metric
Dead End Friends -- Them Crooked Vultures
Get Free -- The Vines
Lasso -- Phoenix
Me Enamora -- Juanes
Oh My God -- Ida Maria
Portions of Foxes -- Rilo Kiley
The Hardest Button to Button -- The White Stripes

1990s
Been Caught Stealing -- Jane's Addiction
In the Meantime -- Spacehog
Plush -- Stone Temple Pilots
Walkin' on the Sun -- Smash Mouth

1980s
Crazy Train -- Ozzy Osbourne
Here I Go Again -- Whitesnake
I Love Rock and Roll -- Joan Jett
Just Like Heaven -- The Cure
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
The Power of Love -- Huey Lewis and the News
Sister Christian -- Night Ranger

1960s-1970s
Bohemian Rhapsody -- Queen
Break On Through -- The Doors
Crosstown Traffic -- Jimi Hendrix

About the game, Rigopulos says, "if you are a really casual player, you just like to play at parties or whatnot, we are offering a bunch of great new seamless party play. If you are looking for something new, of course we are adding the vocal harmonies and the keyboards, which lets up to seven people play together and is a helluva lot of fun in a social party context.

"If you are someone who is looking for a deeper challenge either because you are an expert player looking for the next level of challenge or because you actually have musical aspirations, there is the Pro game play (mode), which is really going to start to close the gap between simulated music and real musicmaking."

[pete5883]

Very exciting. I'm glad it's a keyboard and not a keytar, but I guess someone will probably make a keytar controller anyway.

[SynGamer]

Sold as soon as I saw Bohemian Rhapsody. Add in some Freebird...

[evergoo]

:whee: Completely pumped! :bouncy:

Lovin' the keyboard and interested to see how realistic those new guitars are. I also can't wait to discover some new music from the RB3 setlist. :D

[RAMSTORIA]

im annoyed. keyboards and advanced guitars sound good and all. spending another $250 on another set of instruments and $10-$20 to import songs again doesnt sounds too fun.

[2DMention]

I'll probably pick up the keyboard, although I doubt I'll do well at it. I only recognize 3 of those 2000s bands. I wish it was Kaiser Chiefs' "Oh My God"

[FroMann]

Day one purchase.

im annoyed. keyboards and advanced guitars sound good and all. spending another $250 on another set of instruments and $10-$20 to import songs again doesnt sounds too fun. If you already imported the songs on your hard drive it should be fine. The DLC from any Rock Band game works with Rock Band, Rock Band 2, and even Lego. I am just wondering how much the Keyboard controller will be sold for.

[surak]

The new features and set list look great, love all the 60s-70s and 90s songs, plus The CURE, finally! I can't wait! Not sure if I'll buy new peripherals, but I could be interested in brushing up my real guitar skills or getting into keyboard after quitting piano 15 years ago. Have to see how the guitar works. Since it'll be a Squier, I expect it to go for about $100 or a tad more to account for the added controller hardware. That wouldn't be a terrible price for a basic guitar to people like me who need motivation to practice more. :lol:

[D_Icon]

im annoyed. keyboards and advanced guitars sound good and all. spending another $250 on another set of instruments and $10-$20 to import songs again doesnt sounds too fun.

I agree, just hand out the keyboard for free. wtf is it with corporations wanting to make money.

No need to buy the new instruments buddy unless YOU want the NEW experience. They are not being pushed on YOU, EXISTING instruments WILL work. So take a chill pill man.


I can't wait. I for one want the NEW experience. Harmonix in my opinion does a lot for its customers. They didn't need to have the game be backwards compatible with all the od stuff. I'm very SATISFIED with their approach to treating customers.

[pete5883]

Day one purchase.

If you already imported the songs on your hard drive it should be fine. The DLC from any Rock Band game works with Rock Band, Rock Band 2, and even Lego. I am just wondering how much the Keyboard controller will be sold for.
I think he's expecting to have to pay to export the Rock Band 2 songs. And while RB1 was only $5, we can probably expect $10 for this export. $20 is getting a little dramatic.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.rockband.com/zine/rock-band-3-announcements

Harmonix has their own blog post to reveal the game and its features:
http://www.rockband.com/files/zine/rb3_box_art.jpg

You asked for it! Here's your first glimpse at the new features, songs, and instruments for Rock Band 3! This game has mind-blowing new modes and instruments - including Pro Mode and a keyboard peripheral! - and more music than any other music game. Let's get right into it:

http://www.rockband.com/files/zine/rb3_band_wo_gameplay.jpg
New style of Rock Band 3 characters

The Music:
Rock Band 3 will have an incredible 83-song setlist, as well as support for the over 1,500 existing Rock Band tracks (Rock Band and Rock Band 2 discs, DLC, track packs, AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack, LEGO Rock Band, and Green Day: Rock Band). The setlist contains songs from some of the best bands from around the world, including bands that have never appeared in a music game! Don't think it stops there - the regular weekly DLC releases will continue after Rock Band 3's release.

Today we're announcing a handful of the 83 on-disc tracks for Rock Band 3, spanning five decades:

2000s:


Metric - "Combat Baby"
Rilo Kiley - "Portions for Foxes"
Them Crooked Vultures - "Dead End Friends"
The Vines - "Get Free"
The White Stripes - "The Hardest Button to Button"
Phoenix - "Lasso"
Ida Maria - "Oh My God"
Juanes - "Me Enamora"

1990s:


Jane's Addiction - "Been Caught Stealing"
Stone Temple Pilots - "Plush"
Smash Mouth - "Walkin' on the Sun"
Spacehog - "In the Meantime"

1980s:


Dio - "Rainbow in the Dark"
Huey Lewis and the News - "The Power of Love"
Joan Jett - "I Love Rock and Roll"
Night Ranger - "Sister Christian"
Whitesnake - "Here I Go Again"
The Cure - "Just Like Heaven"
Ozzy Osbourne - "Crazy Train"

1970s:


Queen - "Bohemian Rhapsody"

1960s:


Jimi Hendrix - "Crosstown Traffic"
The Doors - "Break On Through"

Rock Band 3 also includes an improved Music Library, allowing players to create and save setlists, and share them with friends, both in-game and right here on RockBand.com. Song filtering will make it easier to find the tracks you want to play. You can also hide the songs you don't want to play, and seek out new songs using a built-in song recommendation system based on personal preferences.

http://www.rockband.com/files/zine/rb3_drummer.jpg
Rock Band 3 drummer

The Instruments:
In addition to the plastic guitars, bass, drums, and vocals you're used to, now you can jam on a couple of new instruments. Play vocal harmonies with up to three players like you did in The Beatles: Rock Band. And for the first time ever you'll also be able to play using a keyboard peripheral! The band has gotten bigger - playing with all available instruments, you and six friends can all rock at the same time. Rock Band parties will never be the same.

http://www.rockband.com/files/zine/rb3_keys_screen.jpg
Keyboards in Rock Band 3

If you're ready to take the next step in music gaming, check out Rock Band 3's Pro Mode. Ever had someone ask you why you play plastic guitar instead of learning a real instrument? Now you can tell them you ARE learning a real instrument. Rock Band 3 empowers players to develop actual musical skills through the fun of Rock Band Pro gameplay. Start at Easy and work your way up through Expert on three different Pro Modes, just like you did with the plastic guitars and plastic drums.


Pro Drums supports three expansion cymbals, with gameplay differentiation between toms and cymbals.
Pro Keys features pitch-accurate keyboard performance across a two-octave range, displayed on an easy-to-read keyboard track.
Pro Guitar features notated guitar and bass performances, available for play with either the new Fender Mustang PRO-Guitar simulated guitar controller from Mad Catz or the Rock Band 3 Squier by Fender Stratocaster Guitar real guitar/controller hybrid. The Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster is a fully functional, full-sized, six-string electric guitar that also functions as a game controller that Fender and Harmonix have teamed up to develop.

All Pro Modes include tutorials and a difficulty progression from Easy through Expert, giving you the chance to learn at your own speed. And if you're not ready to take that leap - or you just don't want to buy another instrument peripheral - Rock Band 3 will be compatible with all Rock Band and The Beatles: Rock Band peripherals, as well as most third-party controllers.

New Gameplay:
Party Mode: Get the party started faster and keep it going all night! Party Shuffle lets you start the game immediately, while persistent drop-in/drop-out lets players take turns (or take a break!) without interrupting the flow of play. You'll also be able to choose (or change!) your difficulty on any gameplay screen - including mid-song.

http://www.rockband.com/files/zine/rb3_band_screen.jpg
Rock Band 3 gameplay

Career Mode: If a more long-term play is your style, get ready for over 700 goals and rewards, with seamless leaderboard integration, for a deep campaign experience.

Social Networking: Rock Band 3 adds social networking tools so you can interact with friends and fellow Rock Band rockers using Facebook, Twitter, and more.

If that's not enough Rock Band 3 info for you, check out the video below from USAToday.com and the accompanying article featuring quotes and information from Rock Band 3 team (http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2010-06-10-rockband10_ST_N.htm), including Lead Designer Dan Teasdale, Project Director Daniel Sussman, and Harmonix CEO and Co-Founder Alex Rigopulos.

And that's not all! Stay tuned over the next few weeks and months to get all the details on Rock Band 3, including the rest of the 83-song setlist, more details about Career Mode's goals and rewards, and just how awesome Pro Mode really is. Plus more behind-the-scenes info from the Rock Band 3 design team!
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/101022.html
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/101091.html

[redline]

I'm not really interested in Rock Band 3, but they'll still have new songs available for Rock Band 2 in the PSN store right?

[FriskyTanuki]

"Don't think it stops there - the regular weekly DLC releases will continue after Rock Band 3's release."

[FriskyTanuki]

http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/06/11/rock-band-3-pro-guitar-box-art-and-pricing-revealed.aspx

We've got details on the new instruments with pricing now that Madcatz has taken over for first-party Rock Band instruments:

Mad Catz is now completely taking over peripheral duties from Harmonix and MTV Games. While they will be releasing new traditional Rock Band guitars, drums, and "improved" mics, today we've got the full rundown on the new keyboard, fancy pro guitar, and other odds and sods. Get your wallets ready. Reality comes at a cost.

http://gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/00.00.00.00.06/6740.keys.jpg (http://gameinformer.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/00.00.00.00.06/6740.keys.jpg)

·Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard Controller: $79.99

·Rock Band 3 Game & Wireless Keyboard Controller Bundle: $129.99

"Designed for use exclusively with Rock Band 3, the Wireless Keyboard Controller has been crafted to resemble classic professional keyboards and is playable on a secure flat surface or while strapped over the player’s shoulder. Empowering gamers to take their enjoyment of rhythm music gaming to the next level, the Wireless Keyboard Controller also functions as a MIDI keyboard, boasting a two-octave (C3 to C5) range and non-weighted, velocity-sensitive key bed allowing gamers to take full advantage of the Rock Band Pro mode. The MIDI output connector provides compatibility with MIDI software sequencers and hardware devices while standard console-specific gaming controller buttons deliver seamless console integration and the Wireless Keyboard Controller can also be used to play the lead guitar or bass parts of the game. An optional Keyboard Stand will be sold separately and is expected to be available alongside the launch of Rock Band 3."

http://gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/00.00.00.00.06/6355.guitar1.jpg (http://gameinformer.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/00.00.00.00.06/6355.guitar1.jpg)

·Rock Band 3 Wireless Fender Mustang PRO-Guitar Controller: $149.99

"Introducing a new level of realism to the rhythm music genre, the Wireless Fender Mustang PRO-GuitarController is designed for use exclusively with Rock Band 3, allowing gamers to accurately replicate a real guitar when playing Rock Band Pro mode in the game. Featuring 17 frets along a button-based neck, the Fender Mustang PRO-Guitar includes a 6-string strumming area which allows for discrete picking of each string and a touch-sensitive string box which allows players to mute or ‘cut-off’ notes when pressed. In addition, the Fender Mustang PRO-Guitar operates as a fully functional MIDI guitar, with the MIDI output connector providing compatibility with MIDI software sequencers and hardware devices while standard console-specific gaming controller buttons deliver seamless console integration and navigation of the game menus. The Fender Mustang PRO-Guitar allows for left or right handed use and can also be used to play either lead or bass parts of the game in Rock Band Pro and standard game modes."

http://gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/00.00.00.00.06/6052.drums.jpg (http://gameinformer.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/00.00.00.00.06/6052.drums.jpg)

·Rock Band 3 Wireless PRO-Cymbals Expansion Kit: $39.99

"Compatible with all wireless Rock Band drum kits, the Wireless PRO-Cymbals Expansion Kit features three newly designed Rock Band 3 cymbals which have been re-engineered for quiet operation. Fully supporting the Rock Band Pro mode where the cymbals represent Hi-Hat, Crash and Ride, the cymbals can also be used in standard game modes for all Rock Band software. Improved from the Rock Band™ 2 cymbals, the new PRO-Cymbals boast quieter sound with noise-dampening rubber covering the full surface area of the cymbal. The PRO-Cymbals also feature enhanced responsiveness, essential when playing in Rock Band Pro mode. In addition, the redesigned Rock Band 3 cymbals now permanently rest at a pre-defined 10° angle, better positioned for accurate play. The PRO-Cymbals are also available as part of the Rock Band 3 Wireless Drum and Cymbal Kit (sold separately)."

http://gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/00.00.00.00.06/5417.midi.jpg (http://gameinformer.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/00.00.00.00.06/5417.midi.jpg)

· Rock Band 3 MIDI PRO-Adapter: $39.99

"Designed for use exclusively with Rock Band 3, theMIDI PRO-Adapter allows musicians to use their real MIDI keyboards or MIDI drum sets to play Rock Band 3. Plugging directly into the console via USB, the MIDI PRO-Adapter works as an interface between the console and MIDI instrument, converting the MIDI messages into console controller data which the game translates into on screen action. The MIDI PRO-Adapter features a velocity sensitive adjustment for MIDI drums designed to reduce cross-talk during play. A full D-Pad and standard gaming controller buttons are located on the PRO-Adapter to deliver seamless console integration and navigation of the game menus. Shipswith a removable clip, allowing MIDI PRO-Adapter to be attached to a belt, or rest on a table top or similar flat surface."
I'll probably get the keyboard bundle.

[DarkKenpachi]

I am so excited simply put. I just want to see what all the bundles look like because I do need new guitars and I a new drum set would be nice simply for the cymbals. and I was sold on the Hardest Button to Button. Love the White Stripes.

[FroMann]

Keyboard is expensive, but I still want it. I was hoping I can get both the game and keyboard for a hundred bucks.

[Cheapass24]

the guitar has 17 frets, wow.

[Z-Saber]

Probably beyond the scope of this new keyboard peripheral (though I can hope and pray!), but what about all of the "old" RB1/2/Lego and DLC songs with sweet keyboard parts? And The Beatles?

Also, the pro drum set looks a whole lot like my current setup, which is the RB2 set with three Mad Catz cymbals. Now, I'm sure they improved the new cymbals, so there is incentive to upgrade, but the old cymbals and drums should work with the pro mode, right?

[FroMann]

Well you can play guitar and bass on keyboard also I think. So it can work with some songs from groups like Gorillaz, Freezepop, Lady gaga (I bought the Eric Cartman version 8-)) and Kansas.

[FriskyTanuki]

They've mentioned that some songs have extra data in their files for special features, so I could see some songs already being compatible with the new hardware.

[pob14]

· Rock Band 3 MIDI PRO-Adapter: $39.99


This is what I'd been hoping for. We have a MIDI keyboard and I'd much rather get this than a new keyboard.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=196232

We have a release date:
MTV Games and Harmonix Announce Rock Band™3 Pre-Order Campaigns at GameStop, Wal-Mart and Amazon Pre-Order Rock Band 3 Now and Receive Great Promotional Offers Including Exclusive Downloadable Content and Credit Toward Future Purchases

NEW YORK, NY – July 19, 2010 - MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), and Harmonix Music Systems Inc. today announced consumer pre-order opportunities with major North American retailers GameStop, Wal-Mart and Amazon for the highly anticipated Rock Band™3.

With more than 30 awards and nominations following its impressive E3 2010 debut, including multiple Best Music and Best Casual/Social game accolades, Rock Band 3 will feature an incredible 83-song setlist and access to far more music than any other music game, as well as innovative new gameplay modes and instruments. The game will ship on October 26, 2010 in North America for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft (MSRP: $59.99), PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system (MSRP: $59.99), the Wii™ system from Nintendo (MSRP: $59.99), and Nintendo DS™ (MSRP: $29.99).

GameStop Pre-order* Opportunity:
GameStop shoppers who reserve Rock Band 3 for PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 in advance receive three downloadable Rock Band songs at launch:

• Burning Down the House by Talking Heads
• My Own Summer by Deftones
• Blue Monday by New Order

Amazon Pre-order* Opportunity:
Amazon shoppers who reserve Rock Band 3 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii in advance will receive access to an exclusive in-game guitar. Additionally, for a limited time only, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners who pre-order Rock Band 3 in advance on Amazon will receive $10 off a future videogame purchase.

Wal-Mart Pre-order* Opportunity:
Walmart.com shoppers who reserve Rock Band 3 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii in advance will receive a $10 eGift card for a limited time.

Developed by Harmonix, the world’s premier music videogame company, published by MTV Games, and distributed by Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), Rock Band 3 will ship simultaneously worldwide in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories. Rock Band 3 will be compatible with all Rock Band™ and The Beatles™: Rock Band™ peripherals, as well as most Guitar Hero® and third-party instrument and microphone controllers. Mad Catz is the official peripheral manufacturer and distributor for Rock Band 3 game controllers.

The Rock Band platform stands next to none in music content, with 2000 songs scheduled to be available at the launch of Rock Band 3, including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, AC/DC and Green Day - all exclusive to Rock Band. With more choices for fans than any other music-based videogame, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists. Rock Band pioneered offering content in a variety of ways, through on-disc gameplay, game export, downloadable content and the Rock Band Network. The Rock Band platform allows fans to interact with their favorite music in a unique and hands-on way, as well as giving artists the ability to reach fans through a whole new channel.

For more information on Rock Band 3, art and video assets, please visit http://www.rockband.com/press.

*Conditions and restrictions apply. Please see retailer for details.
###

[SynGamer]

Cancelling my GS pre-order and going with Amazon.

[Matt Young]

Unfortunately, Amazon is currently only offering the $10 credit (I was hoping for $20, too) on the game itself and not the bundle.

[SynGamer]

Personally I don't want the keytar...I want a new guitar. Currently trying to find out which one is the best one for the best price (360).

[FroMann]

Wish it wasn't so close to the Gran Turismo 5 release date, but I will probably pick this up on launch day.

[SynGamer]

Wish it wasn't so close to the Gran Turismo 5 release date, but I will probably pick this up on launch day.

Ditto. Looking at release dates I may just grab Fallout New Vegas and GT5 (both CEs) and hold off until there's a deal on this.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/24/six-more-rock-band-3-songs-and-one-for-dance-central-revealed/

Six new songs revealed for RB3 during Comic Con:


"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears
"Rock Lobster" by The B-52s
"Foolin'" by Def Leppard
"Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson
"Hey Man, Nice Shot" by Filter
"Cold as Ice" by Foreigner


I'm glad that they finally got around to Beautiful People since that was a song I was hoping would appear as DLC when they released some MM songs a few months ago. I'm surprised that they didn't go for Pour Some Sugar On Me from Def Leppard instead of Foolin'.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-08-16-rammstein-and-bob-marley-in-rock-band-3

10 new songs for Rock Band 3 have been announced:
"Get Up, Stand Up" by Bob Marley & The Wailers
"Need You Tonight" by INXS
"Antibodies" by Poni Hoax
"Du Hast" by Rammstein
"The Look" by Roxette
"Humanoid" by Tokio Hotel
"Killing Loneliness" by HIM
"Oye Mi Amor" by Maná
"Before I Forget" by Slipknot
"Low Rider" by War

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/216199/harmonix-responds-to-rock-band-3-set-list-leak-and-its-hilarious/
http://vimeo.com/14293335

Harmonix responds to the leaked setlist by just revealing the entire thing in this video.

[FroMann]

Hahahahahaha, this is why I like Harmonix. Loving the setlist, a bit of everything.

[Indiana Jones]

Anyone hear of any new RB3 bundle options besides game/keyboard? Or if there will be any upgraded drums (to go with the pro cymbals)?

[FriskyTanuki]

The only bundle at the moment is the keyboard bundle and any others are up to retailers for what they're willing to stock since Harmonix/Mad Catz don't want to fill up the aisles with more boxes.

I found a great article on the Rock Band site (http://www.rockband.com/zine/rb3-features-pro-keys) that describes almost anything you'd need to know about the keyboard controller:

Unless you're living in a cave, you've probably heard by now that Rock Band 3 is introducing a new peripheral – the keyboard! But what does that mean, and how does that work? I asked Sylvain Dubrofsky, Senior Designer extraordinaire, to chat a bit about the work he's been doing on keyboards.

So Sylvain, tell us about yourself!
I'm a Senior Designer at Harmonix. My main focus here on Rock Band 3 has been working on gameplay design. It's my privilege on behalf of all the developers working on gameplay to give you an in-depth peek into a new instrument for Rock Band 3: the keyboard!

Most important question first: What does the hardware look like?
The keyboard in Rock Band 3 is really unique. It's a wireless, two-octave keyboard that is playable as a keyboard (on your lap, stand, or coffee table) or standing with a strap. The performance aspect of Rock Band is important, so we want to give players the ability to stand up and rock if they choose.

Take a look:
http://www.rockband.com/files/rb/2010/08/keyprofile.jpg
Behold The Keyboard!

Built into the keyboard are the console controls. You'll also notice that the keyboard has a button to deploy Overdrive and a touch strip to control a cool filter modulation effect whenever Overdrive is deployed.

One last cool thing – the keyboard is a full, two-octave MIDI keyboard. Just connect the MIDI output to any MIDI-compliant device and you're set!

So, how do I use the Keyboard Controller to play keys in Rock Band 3?
Keyboards in Rock Band 3 have two main modes of play: "Keys" and "Pro Keys". Like every other instrument in Rock Band, you can either play these modes solo or play as part of a full band.

The design goals for keys were pretty simple:


Needs to be party accessible
Needs to be familiar to people who like Rock Band already
Needs to be as simple as possible while still feeling authentic and keyboard-like

Pro Keys, however, had a different set of design goals:


It needs to be "Pro." In other words, I should be having fun playing an actual keys part.
Every note is always an accurate pitch.
Every part is technically possible to play with one hand. That's important if you're playing while standing.
Songs can use every key of the two-octave keyboard.

With these goals in mind and after a bunch of time in development, we've come up with something really fun and rewarding.

What does the straight "Keys" mode look like?
http://www.rockband.com/files/rb/2010/08/KEYBasicExpert.jpg
Basic Key Track on Expert

Looks familiar, right?

Playing Keys Mode is pretty simple. Each of the five white keys from the C key to the G key will smash a note on the lanes from left to right. There's also a handy guide on the Keyboard to show you where those keys are if you're not musically inclined.

As you'd expect, players can also pick a difficulty from Easy to Expert.

That looks a lot like the standard guitar track. Can I play guitar and bass tracks on the keyboard too?
You sure can! As well as Keys and Pro Keys, you can also choose to play guitar and bass parts on the keyboard for any song in the Rock Band Music Library. So if the keyboard peripheral is the only one you have, you can still play different parts in the game!

That's pretty cool for starters, but the Pro Keys mode sounds like it's more up my alley. How does that even work in a Rock Band game?
Let's check out the track:
http://www.rockband.com/files/rb/2010/08/KEYS.jpg
Key Notes

For Pro Keys, we always show 10 white keys (of the possible 15) at a time. After much iteration with different track sizes and layouts, we determined this to be an ideal range to show in any band configuration.

To help players understand what key to press, we came up with a color scheme that chunks the two octaves of the keyboard into five color regions. Additionally, lines extend into the distance from the black keys. These visual cues are also on the hardware and are important for determining which of the many possible notes are coming down the track.

That's a fair chunk of data. How do I know where my hand is when I'm playing?
Whenever a key is pushed down, the lane for that key will light up, as you can see here.

http://www.rockband.com/files/rb/2010/08/KEYHelddown.jpg
Key Held Down

This is a good visual indicator for where your hand is. It's really handy for making sure you're looking at the screen rather than looking down at the hardware. This currently held key highlight also serves as a useful pivot for where you will need to press to get the next note.

Speaking of notes, these are what notes look like on the track:
http://www.rockband.com/files/rb/2010/08/KEYNotes.jpg
Key Notes

Notes are either white or black. Black keys are smaller and are positioned on one of the lines extending from the black keys on the track. The position of a note on the color region indicates which key needs to be pressed to smash the note.

How hard is this to pick up?
Just like every Rock Band instrument, Pro Keys has four difficulty levels, from Easy to Expert.

We've found that jumping right in to Pro Keys on Easy or even Medium is very similar to the experience you may remember from playing guitar or drums the first time. After a song or two, it becomes second nature.

As you go up in difficulty, the game definitely gets challenging. Chords, trills, glissandos and other cool keyboard things are introduced as you choose harder difficulty levels.

If youre looking for the next thing to try to master, Expert Pro Keys is definitely a huge challenge!

You mentioned chords just before. What do those look like when they show up?
Here's a good example of a chord from a song on Medium:
http://www.rockband.com/files/rb/2010/08/KEYSMedium.jpg
Keys On Medium

In addition to notes existing at the same point in time, chords also have a base that connects the notes. In this example, the chords are also sustained, which means the keys should be held down after the notes are smashed for maximum points. Chords can be two notes on Medium, up to three notes on Hard, and up to four notes on Expert.

Wait, if you're only showing ten lanes at once, how do you fit a two octave keyboard on screen?
See how the track above is showing a different color range from our previous example? Our audio team picks the best range of the track for every song and every difficulty. On Easy and Medium, the range will never change within a song. However, when Hard or Expert difficulty is selected, the track can shift to show a different portion of the keyboard while the song is playing!

This is how track shifting works: The four beats before a track shift have arrows on the track that indicate the direction of the track shift. The track then will shift to the side, revealing a different portion of the keyboard. Track shifts are important at higher difficulties so we can properly display notes for songs with a lot of range.

This is awesome. Any last words or thoughts you want to leave the rockband.com audience with?
As a person who posted to RockBand.com before I worked at Harmonix, thank you for your continued interest in the Rock Band franchise. Stay tuned - we have more really exciting stuff to show off soon!
Some more RB3 details from Rock Band Aide (http://rockbandaide.com/7968/new-details-from-the-pax-rock-band-panel/):
The first thing is the mention of the new Goal from Dan Teasdale that is the “spiritual successor (http://rockbandaide.com/5885/rock-band-3-lead-designer-dan-teasdale-answers-your-questions/)” to the Bladder of Steel. The new Goal in Rock Band 3 is called “Obsessive Compulsive,” and involves “hitting every note in Rock Band 3.” …I know. It does not need to be done in a single sitting, however. No further details on this right now, but this makes the Bladder of Steel look like child’s play.

@HMXHenry (http://twitter.com/HMXHenry) commented that while they have not committed to “upgrading” existing DLC, he said that Harmonix is open to hearing requests from the community as to what they may like to see “upgraded” to Rock Band 3. How convenient, as I have a post nearly all ready to go with 400+ respondents providing just that!

As for pro-guitar compatibility, @OneOfSwords (http://twitter.com/OneOfSwords) mentioned that the new Squier guitar will NOT be playable on normal charts, and @ElektraFi (http://twitter.com/ElektraFi) said that Harmonix commented that the Mustang, because of its buttons, “should.”

There is career paths for ALL instruments (including bass).

The Rock Band 3 Music Store will feature LOTS of enhancements, and will integrate RBN tracks MUCH better than before, mostly being that all tracks (official and RBN) will be featured in the same place.

[madbst]

I haven't played RB in months so I probably won't be getting RB3 when it comes out. But how about the Snoop Dogg 8 pack? I'm about to get a couple songs just to see how hip hop works in RB.

[FriskyTanuki]

Harmonix was on the new Giant Bomb live show with Rock Band 3 and one of the things they mentioned was that they're switching to RB3 DLC (with pro mode and keyboards) when the game launches. That means that RB1/2 people will not be getting any more DLC if they don't buy RB3.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/09/17/psn-exclusive-rock-band-dlc-sale-next-week/

Songs, track packs, and albums are going on sale from the 21st to the 5th:


R.E.M – Losing My Religion (now $0.99, original price $1.99)
Flyleaf – Again (now $0.99, original price $1.99)
Avenged Sevenfold – Bat Country (now $0.99, original price $1.99)
The Runaways – Cherry Bomb (now $0.99, original price $1.99)
Anberlin – Feel Good Drag (now $0.99, original price $1.99)
Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song (now $0.99, original price $1.99)
Jane’s Addiction Nothing’s Shocking Album (now $7.99, original price $15.99)
Megadeth Rust in Peace (now $7.49, original price $14.99)
Pantera The Great Southern Trendkill Album (now $7.99, original price $15.99)
Rush Moving Pictures Album (now $5.49, original price $10.99)
Slipknot 01 Track Pack (now $2.99, original price $5.49)
Night Ranger 01 Track Pack (now $2.99, original price $5.49)
Foreigner 01 Track Pack (now $2.99, original price $5.49)
Rise Against 01 Track Pack (now $2.99, original price $5.49)
The Offspring 01 Track Pack (now $2.99, original price $5.49)
The White Stripes 02 Track Pack (now $2.99, original price $5.49)
Nine Inch Nails 01 Track Pack (now $2.99, original price $5.49)
Foo Fighters 03 Track Pack (now $3.49, original price $6.99)
REO Speedwagon/Styx Tour ’09 Track Pack (now $5.49, original price $10.99)
Creedence Clearwater Revival 01 Track Pack (now $9.99, original price $19.99)

[FroMann]

Gotta pick up Creedence Clearwater Revival this week then. Thanks for the deal posting Frisky!

[FroMann]

WHAT THE fuck. Now you will have to buy the keyboard and game separately for PS3. Nothing too big really, but this means you have to pay an extra 10 dollars and possibly extra for Shipping and Handling two items rather than one.

Hey gang,

You may have seen that retailers have taken down the Rock Band 3 keyboard/software bundle pre-orders for PlayStation 3. Unfortunately, this SKU will not be available in the U.S. (including Canada and Mexico) due to the agreement terms for the region. However, Mad Catz and MTV Games are working with those retailers that accepted pre-orders to enable them, if they choose, to honor those pre-orders placed prior to this change as soft bundles (separate discs and keyboards), at pre-order pricing. These retailers will have more details shortly.

Please note:

· Moving forward, the keyboard and Rock Band 3 software will continue to be available as stand-alone products for PlayStation 3 in the US.

· This does not affect European customers as the Rock Band 3 keyboard/software PS3 bundles will still be available in Europe.

· The Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii keyboard/software bundles are still available for pre-order.

For more Rock Band 3 news, please keep posted to the Announcement forum and upcoming press releases.
http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=201785

Recently, fans began noticing that the PS3 Rock Band 3 keyboard bundle had disappeared from US retailer listings. The $130 bundle is still available for pre-order on Xbox and WIi, and both the keyboard and game are available separately on PS3. Just ... no bundle. And that means that Rock Band 3 and the keyboard, together, are effectively ten dollars more expensive on PS3.

Harmonix addressed this baffling omission today, announcing that due to "the agreement terms for the region," the PS3 keyboard bundle will not be available in the US, though the game and keyboard will be available separately. "This does not affect European customers as the Rock Band 3 keyboard/software PS3 bundles will still be available in Europe," the announcement states. We've contacted the developer to find out what exactly this agreement entails. If Harmonix sings, we'll let you know.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/02/ps3-rock-band-3-keyboard-bundle-wont-be-sold-in-us/

[FriskyTanuki]

I would love to hear what in their contracts keeps the keyboard bundle from happening here.

[antiflag22skate]

anyone got one i could have i bought my copy and its saying the code was used

[200STM]

Video games!!!

[Z-Saber]

Keyboardkeyboardkeyboardkeyboardkeyboardkeyboard

[FroMann]

Well now that Gran Turismo 5 is delayed I will pick up Rock Band 3 on launch day instead, and look what was announced today by Harmonix!

Get Three Free DLC Songs From The Doors! Plus a Nine-Pack of Hits

Excited that The Doors are on the Rock Band 3 setlist with "Break On Through"? We are too! So excited, in fact, that we're giving anyone that buys Rock Band 3 during its release week THREE MORE free Doors songs! Check out the in-game Rock Band Music Store in Rock Band 3 to get the tracks.

A threec-pack of songs featuring "Light My Fire," "Riders on the Storm," and "Touch Me" will be available Oct. 26 - Nov. 1 only. All three songs will contain Pro Guitar and Pro Bass parts, as well as Keys, Pro Keys, Pro Drums, and standard Rock Band instrument parts. These songs will also be available for Wii as free single downloads, which includes Drums, Pro Drums, Keys, Pro Keys and five-button guitar and bass, as well as free downloads of an expansion that will add Pro Guitar and Pro Bass parts. These songs, like all Rock Band 3 downloadable content, feature five-button guitar and bass, Drums, Pro Drums and Keys, Pro Keys and harmonies where applicable, and are the first pieces of downloadable content authored to also include Pro Guitar and Pro Bass!

To get the three free songs, buy Rock Band 3 during the release week, play online, and grab the tracks from the in-game Rock Band Music Store before November 2nd.

Additionally, a nine-pack of songs from The Doors will also be available for download that week. This includes some of the classic rockers' most-loved songs, like "Hello, I Love You," "L.A. Woman," "Love Her Madly" and "Roadhouse Blues," all featuring Drums, Pro Drums, five-button guitar and bass parts and, where applicable, harmonies and Keys/Pro Keys parts. A complete list of the songs that will be available follows:

"Light My Fire" (Free from Oct. 26 – Nov. 1 in game, features Pro Guitar and Pro Bass)
"Riders on the Storm" (Free from Oct. 26 – Nov. 1 in game, features Pro Guitar and Pro Bass)
"Touch Me" (Free from Oct. 26 – Nov. 1 in game, features Pro Guitar and Pro Bass)
"Hello, I Love You"
"L.A. Woman"
"Love Her Madly"
"Love Me Two Times"
"Peace Frog"
"People Are Strange"
"Roadhouse Blues"
"Soul Kitchen"
"The Crystal Ship"
Beginning Nov. 2, The Door's Rock Band downloads will be available for purchase only as individual songs or in a bundle of all 12 songs.

Instructions to download the tracks for each console are below.

Xbox & PlayStation3 Instructions:

Step 1: Buy Rock Band 3!
Step 2: Insert Rock Band 3 into your console and power on your console
Step 3: On the Main Menu screen of Rock Band 3, select GET MORE SONGS
Step 4: Select ROCK BAND MUSIC STORE
Step 5: Sort through the Rock Band Music Library and select the pack labeled The Doors RB3 Free Launch Pack and select PURCHASE.
Step 6: On the next screen that pops up, select CONFIRM PURCHASE.
Wii Instructions:

Step 1: Buy Rock Band 3!
Step 2: Insert Rock Band 3 into your console and power on your console
Step 3: On the Main Menu screen of Rock Band 3, select GET MORE SONGS
Step 4: Select ROCK BAND MUSIC STORE
Step 5: Sort through the Rock Band music library and select each of Free tracks "Light My Fire," "Riders of the Storm" and "Touch Me" and select PURCHASE.
Step 6: On the next screen that pops up, select CONFIRM PURCHASE.
You will need to repeat Steps 5 & 6 for each of the 3 songs as well as each of the 3 Pro add-ons

http://www.rockband.com/zine/free-doors-dlc

In case your too lazy to read. Harmonix will be giving out 3 songs from The Doors for free if you buy Rock Band 3 on the first week. I am even more excited now for this games release since The Doors is one of my favorite bands from the 60s.

[FriskyTanuki]

Here are some updates on news about Rock Band 3 that hasn't been posted here yet.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/13/rock-band-dlc-web-widget-makes-sense-of-2000-song-setlist/

Harmonix has released a Music Finder widget (http://www.rockband.com/musicfinder/widget.php) that lets you sort through the huge RB library of songs in your browser, though it needs a platform option.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/29/all-rock-band-3-dlc-to-include-pro-keyboard-and-drums-pro-gui/

Rock Band 3 DLC will continue to be $1.99 and include Pro Keyboards and Drums, though you will have to pay an extra $0.99 for Pro Guitar that will be offered when Harmonix thinks the songs deserve it. This DLC is still exclusive to RB3, though they're working on upgrading some older songs with RB3 features:

There are plans to retrofit earlier DLC with Pro tracks, however DeGooyer was unable to clarify how the process would work. Apparently, the studio is having trouble making a system that "recognizes people who have already purchased" DLC in order to "be able to supply the updated file at a discount."

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/08/bon-jovi-greatest-hits-album-to-be-released-as-rock-band-3-dlc/

A Bon Jovi Greatest Hits Collection will be coming to RB3 as DLC soon after the launch, which Harmonix hints at having 12 songs from the CD release. Here (http://rockbandaide.com/8822/bon-jovis-greatest-hits-coming-to-rock-band/)'s the list of all of the songs on the two CD set for you to see what's possibly coming to RB3.

[FriskyTanuki]

Billy Joel DLC announced for RB3:

Billy Joel has won six Grammy® Awards since his first hit in 1973. He has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, is a member of the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and beginning Dec. 14, some of Billy Joel’s most-loved songs including:

“Big Shot”
“Captain Jack”
“It’s Still Rock N Roll to Me”
“Movin’ Out”
“Only The Good Die Young”
“Piano Man”
“Pressure”
“Say Goodbye to Hollywood”
“The Entertainer”
“The Stranger”

will be available as Rock Band 3 downloadable content and will include Keys and Pro Keys parts.

[D_Icon]

Hey thanks for the updates Frisky.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/25/rock-band-3-getting-john-lennons-imagine-album-as-dlc/

John Lennon's Imagine album is coming to RB3 later this year. It should include every songs minus Imagine, which is on the disc. They mention in the press release that they're releasing it to celebrate what would've been his 70th birthday, so December 7 may be the release date for the album.

[saintjerry]

Not bad, thnx.

[200STM]

How much is the export fee for rockband2 (RB2->RB3) and also is there a code we need to use?

[FroMann]

How much is the export fee for rockband2 (RB2->RB3) and also is there a code we need to use?

$10 for the export, You are supposed to use a code on the back of your Rock Band 2 manual that was used for the free 20 track pack and enter the code on a website that gives you a code to use on the PlayStation store I am guessing, however the export is not available yet for Rock Band 3 owners on PlayStation 3. There should be more details on rockband.com when the site is finished updating. Also these songs will not be appearing on Rock Band 3.

AC/DC - "Let There Be Rock" (can still be played from the AC/DC live track pack which can be exported to your hard drive)
Journey - "Any Way You Want It"
Metallica - "Battery"
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Give It Away"
Soundgarden - "Spoonman"

Some bands from Harmonix (Bang Camaro for example) will also have their songs missing from the Rock Band 2 export but Harmonix will later provide a free track pack for those songs to use in Rock Band 3. These will also not be playable in Rock Band 3, even if they are already on your hard drive.

Soundgarden - "Black Hole Sun"
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dani California"

Damn it Soundgarden why did you have to side with Guitar Hero. :bomb:

[metaly]

Not going to miss any of those, except for Journey. Spoonman came up so often in mystery setlists that I'm completely sick of it. It was like the In Bloom of Rock Band 2.

[technom22]

Not going to miss any of those, except for Journey. Spoonman came up so often in mystery setlists that I'm completely sick of it. It was like the In Bloom of Rock Band 2.

Yeah. True.

[diddy310]

Damnit, that Silversun Pickups song isn't excluded - I always ended up getting that one in the random playlists.

[jonlubbe]

I Love that there is already a 1.01 patch today for rb3.

[FroMann]

Okay here is how you export Rock Band 2 songs onto Rock Band 3, straight from rockband.com
Exporting Songs from Rock Band 2 (PlayStation®3)*:

Visit www.rockband.com/ps3-export
Enter the code from the back of your Rock Band 2 manual where prompted. (Note: This will be the same code that you used to get the “Bonus Downloadable Tracks,” but the web address is different.
Copy down the code given to you from the website for use in Rock Band 3.
Load up Rock Band 3.
Select “Get More Songs” from the Main Menu of Rock Band 3.
Select “Redeem Code.”
Enter the code that you received from the website.

Please note that the following songs from the original Rock Band cannot be exported into any other titles:

"Enter Sandman" by Metallica
"Paranoid" as made famous by Black Sabbath
"Run to the Hills" as made famous by Iron Maiden
"Monsoon" by Tokio Hotel (from the European version of Rock Band)
*Please also note that the following songs from the original Rock Band cannot be exported into Rock Band 3:
"Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden
"Dani California" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Hier Kommt Alex" by Die Toten Hosen (from the European version of Rock Band)
"Rock 'n' Roll Star" by Oasis (from the European version of Rock Band)



http://www.rockband.com/support/export-rock-band#exportrockband2ps3

I Love that there is already a 1.01 patch today for rb3.
Some games get a patch on release day so owners that got the game early cannot play online before the launch date, Tekken 6 did the same thing. I may be wrong though. I have no idea what the patch did but thats a guess.

[kennistond]

s

[FriskyTanuki]

I Love that there is already a 1.01 patch today for rb3.
It shouldn't be a surprise that any game has a launch day patch since many of them do.

I'm liking the overhaul of the career mode that presents them like a mix between the challenges from RB2 and the achievement progress page that Beatles and Green Day had. The challenges for playing all songs on easy and getting 5 stars also lets you earn credit by beating them on higher difficulties with at least 3 stars.

I got the keyboard with RB3 at BB since they gave a $15 gift card with it and it's really well made and fun to play with the few songs I've played so far. I'm not that good yet, though I don't know how long I'll stick with the normal difficulties before trying out the Pro Keys since that seems like a more rewarding way to play compared to the five keys that the normal mode uses.

Edit: I wonder if the Soundgarden deal for Guitar Hero: WoR is the cause of the lack of Soundgarden importing into RB3 like GH Metallica is for the removal of on disc Metallica songs.

[FroMann]

Edit: I wonder if the Soundgarden deal for Guitar Hero: WoR is the cause of the lack of Soundgarden importing into RB3 like GH Metallica is for the removal of on disc Metallica songs.
Unfortunately it probably is because of Guitar Hero. Its a damn shame too since I love Soundgarden but hate Guitar Hero after Nerversoft and Activision pounded the series to death. Rock Band still has the best exclusives, DLC, and support in my own opinion. Especially with the upcoming The Doors DLC.

[sendme]

Is it just the one pro guitar from madcatz that is coming out next month or is their another brand that is coming out? I would have thought it would have came out the same day as RB3. I really only want this game for that. Up till now I never gave a damn about a GH/RB game. I have GH2 only because it was in a buy 2 get one free deal and I ended up getting it for free as the store had nothing else I wanted.

[nbballard]

I'm really digging the pro mode concept on the Keyboards. Do i understand correctly that all i need to do to play Pro-Drums is upgrade the cymbols on my RB2 kit?

[mykevermin]

Is the RB2 export page not there for any of you? Shame that it's fucked up.

Also, can anyone explain to me what RBN songs we're missing that the 360 has (and perhaps why)?

[200STM]

Awesome my friend wants to get the keyboard for RB3 and me and him might put half and half for RB3. I mainly look forward to playing One Armed Scissor from At The Drive-In how is the keyboards on that track CAGs? I'm hoping they work on the older DLC to bring in the keyboards on those tracks as well.

[diddy310]

Is the RB2 export page not there for any of you? Shame that it's fucked up.

Also, can anyone explain to me what RBN songs we're missing that the 360 has (and perhaps why)?

I believe the explanation is that they couldn't get it running with the way the Playstation Store is set up. So instead we get tracks 30 days later and only select ones (which I'm guessing is based on sales of the 360 versions)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rock_Band_Network_songs

There's a chart of which songs are on 360 but not ps3/wii

[mykevermin]

Thanks for the explanation, even if it's kinda of a lame cop-out. There's a TON of content that's not available on PS3. Fuck.

I didn't know Skeletonwitch was available, so I'll pick that up.

I'm very disappointed the 500 Miles to Memphis song isn't available, as those guys are good friends of friends of mine. I'd love to support their efforts.

[pete5883]

Thanks for the explanation, even if it's kinda of a lame cop-out. There's a TON of content that's not available on PS3. Fuck.

I didn't know Skeletonwitch was available, so I'll pick that up.

I'm very disappointed the 500 Miles to Memphis song isn't available, as those guys are good friends of friends of mine. I'd love to support their efforts.
We get 5 RBN songs/week. The limit doesn't make sense to me, as plenty more regular RB songs get released most weeks, but whatever. Also, the export should be working now.

[mykevermin]

Heh, the last 4 letters in my RB2 export code were 'KTHX.'

With that in mind, KTHX for letting me know it's working now.

[FriskyTanuki]

Is the RB2 export page not there for any of you? Shame that it's fucked up.

Also, can anyone explain to me what RBN songs we're missing that the 360 has (and perhaps why)?
RBN is based on XNA and the deal they signed with MS prevents them from releasing any songs elsewhere for 30 days, so they just release the best-selling songs on PSN in packs of five every week.

[Bug42]

anyone have an extra Gamestop code? I would love to have the New Order song.
Shot me a DM

Thanks!

[FriskyTanuki]

The Doors Pack will be officially coming out next week along with some Rush:

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that 12 of The Doors’ greatest hits, including three tracks with Pro Guitar and Pro Bass, as well as “Subdivisions” from Rush, which also features a Pro Guitar and Pro Bass upgrade, will be available Nov. 2 in the Rock Band 3 Music Store.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 system (Nov. 2):
· The Doors – “Light My Fire” X
· The Doors – “Riders on the Storm” X
· The Doors – “Touch Me” X
· The Doors – “Hello, I Love You”
· The Doors – “L.A. Woman”
· The Doors – “Love Her Madly”
· The Doors – “Love Me Two Times”
· The Doors – “Peace Frog”
· The Doors – “People Are Strange”
· The Doors – “Roadhouse Blues”
· The Doors – “Soul Kitchen”
· The Doors – “The Crystal Ship”
· Rush – “Subdivisions” X

(All tracks are original master recordings)

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation 3 system Nov. 3)

These tracks will be available for purchase as individual tracks, as well as “The Doors Greatest Hits: Special Edition” on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii. Tracks marked with “X” will include Pro Guitar and Pro Bass expansions for $0.99 per song.

Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points) per song
$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per song
$0.99 USD (100 Wii Points/80 Microsoft Points), £0.59 UK, €0.75 EU per song for Pro Guitar/Pro Bass upgrade
$19.99, £9.99 UK, €14.99 EU (1,600 Microsoft Points, 2,000 Wii Points) for The Doors Greatest Hits: Special Edition

[bjstucker]

It shouldn't be a surprise that any game has a launch day patch since many of them do.

I'm liking the overhaul of the career mode that presents them like a mix between the challenges from RB2 and the achievement progress page that Beatles and Green Day had. The challenges for playing all songs on easy and getting 5 stars also lets you earn credit by beating them on higher difficulties with at least 3 stars.

I got the keyboard with RB3 at BB since they gave a $15 gift card with it and it's really well made and fun to play with the few songs I've played so far. I'm not that good yet, though I don't know how long I'll stick with the normal difficulties before trying out the Pro Keys since that seems like a more rewarding way to play compared to the five keys that the normal mode uses.

Edit: I wonder if the Soundgarden deal for Guitar Hero: WoR is the cause of the lack of Soundgarden importing into RB3 like GH Metallica is for the removal of on disc Metallica songs.


hmm 15$ giftcard I might pick this up on the way home as I need a midi keyboard for my comp :) and 65$ is a steal:bouncy:

[D_Icon]

The Doors Pack will be officially coming out next week along with some Rush:

wtf? I thought the Doors songs came out this week Tuesday?

[nazman11]

Anyone know if green day can be directly imported into RB3(without the Green Day Disc)? If so, anyone have an extra green day code they'd be willing to sell me?

[gindias]

Peace Frog and Subdivisions, damn now I have to buy this. I was hoping to hold off for a BF deal somewhere.

[FriskyTanuki]

wtf? I thought the Doors songs came out this week Tuesday?
It's only available in the in-game store so that you need the disc to get the free tracks.

[FroMann]

Finally got the game through Amazon and damn, this is a really good game and a compliment to my entire Rock Band library. Harmonix does NOT disappoint. I am getting the cymbal add-ons next week. I'll leave my impressions when I try em out for a few hours.

[FriskyTanuki]

Some initial thoughts:

Character Customization
-I like that they greatly expanded the facial feature options, though I don't see a way to edit any of this stuff after you're finished.
-Long beards suck since they constantly clip with the guy's chest in a way that seems like they intended for it to just lean against the chest, but it kind of clips very awkwardly. I might take a picture to show what I mean.
-I accidentally dropped out just before I went to quit back to the XMB the other day and lost the rights to my created characters, which randomly came back the next day after I already made a second version of my main character.
-I don't like that you can't just set specific people for specific instruments (though certain spots on your stand-in list are for certain instruments. This at least leads to any females stepping in for female-led songs as a good part of that.
-I like that they got rid of money, so you just unlock new clothes by completing goals and challenges and it seems like that applies to all characters you've made.

Career Mode:
-I like the way they've stripped the globe HUD for this mode and just boiled it down to its core feature, the gigs and challenges. Any songs you play in any mode will count for the career goals, which lets you play the game however you want and still make progress with those goals.
-I love that you can instantly turn any of the goals into a setlist to play and it'll skip any songs you'll already completed for that goal. Add in the ability to restart and skip songs individually while playing them in a setlist and Harmonix has added a lot of great features to make it easier to complete the goals without making the songs easier.
-I also like that difficulty goals also let you complete them on high difficulties, so you don't need to play through the songs on each difficulty if you don't want to.
-It would be nice to have the option to hide all of the goals I can't do based on the instruments that are current logged in to simplify the menu and scrolling needed to do.
-It's nice to see goals just for DLC you own, like the free songs they've released so far or the AC/DC track pack.

Road Challenges:
-I loved the community challenges that had different score counters than the normal songs in RB2 and this is where that idea has gone. You try to fill up your Spade meter (which is based on a specific goal you need to keep doing like get a certain streak, use overdrive, etc.) to get five Spades in addition to 5 stars for score, though you won't see your score until the result screen at the end.
-I like that they offer a pre-made setlist and options for random or custom-made setlists with different restrictions (usually genre from the little I've played). I also like that they break up the tour in a few stops so you're not playing all of the songs in one set, at least not yet.
-This is where the globe-trotting aspect of the career mode in RB1/2 has gone, but with a bit of the challenge mode mixed in since the amount of songs you'll play in a challenge gets longer as you progress through the mode.

Gameplay stuff:
-I love that they finally added half overdrive sections to fill up half of the bar rather than the normal quarter, though it's still a bit random where the overdrive section gives 2X or just 1X since it's not based on length like I'd have expected.
-I love that when I tried to sing and play keyboards on a song and dropped the mic, the game saved the actual keyboard 100%, score, and stars when I ended the song with 3 stars because I started it with two instruments.
-Rather than a countdown, the return to the game just rewinds a bit of the track and stops the action until you reach the original stopping point, which is a weird way to do that after the way Beatles and Green Day did it.

Keyboard:
-It will take a while to get used to an instrument where I can hit all five "frets" with a separate finger and that I can't preload for chords like on a guitar.
-You do need good dexterity in your fingers to do well, as my typically slow fingers do have some trouble with faster songs that are mostly chords even on medium. I can still get five stars on Medium, but 100% would require some more time with the keyboard and that song.
-I didn't know about the touch pad and overdrive button on the handle, which makes for a weird issue with trying to do two different things with my hands at once that can lead to me messing up a streak while trying to go into overdrive or mess with sustained notes.
-The normal difficulties are basically keytar mode, though I haven't tried playing it with the strap since I want to play it in my lap for now. I'll probably play pro keys once I complete the goal for completing all songs on easy.
-"Need You Tonight" by INXS should not be listed on any of the keyboard lists (besides all easy/medium/hard/expert) as it's just pressing a chord every ten seconds or so. Some songs have lengthy downtime or simple charts, but most of them aren't this simple. I even played it on expert for an easy gold star and saw that it gives you less of a lead time there compared to the easier difficulties.

Visuals:
-They did a great job of giving the entire game a facelift with better looking environments, characters, and effects (like 80s music video-style low framerate).
-There are some great music video backgrounds that are a bit more involved than the ones I remember from RB2.

Other Stuff:
-I love the revamped sorting options, though I'd like to see songs that feature the current instrument be the default list rather than having to manually bring up the options and turn it on.
-I recall hearing that the battle of the bands stuff was still in here, but I haven't seen a specific Harmonix set of goals or challenges based on different sets of songs yet.
-I'm not a fan of having to watch the game reload all 100+ of my DLC songs everytime I boot up the game, but at least it doesn't keep you from doing anything while it loads that. I'd hate to see how long it takes to complete for those with way more songs than I have.
-I still need to do the exports for Green Day and RB2 since I have a bigger hard drive now, which will probably push me up into the 200+ range for DLC.
-I like that you can actually see how you did between songs in a setlist rather than the old way, though I liked the sleeker transitions from before.
-They've done a great job of integrating leaderboards into the game in a much better way than before.
-I'm glad that the in-game music store doesn't crash within 30 seconds of starting it up like it always did in RB2.
-The intro is diappointing, as I was hoping for another great CG intro that brought another band into the epic car fight that started in RB2's intro.

[jonlubbe]

Some initial thoughts:

-I love that they finally added half overdrive sections to fill up half of the bar rather than the normal quarter, though it's still a bit random where the overdrive section gives 2X or just 1X since it's not based on length like I'd have expected.

I believe that has always been there, but initially considered a 'unison bonus' type thing

perhaps it was multiplayer only in rb2/1.

[200STM]

With DLC now requiring to be played on RB3 can we still export disc based songs onto RB2 (I have Lego RockBand and plan to get Green Day RockBand soon). I am wondering if we can still export songs into RB3 from those releases or does everything now need to be moved over to RB3

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.rockband.com/support/export-rock-band

[FroMann]

Right now the Rock Band 2 export is broken. The export page should be up by tomorrow it says.

http://www.rockband.com/ps3-export/intl

[FriskyTanuki]

Did it an hour ago and it worked just fine.

[FroMann]

Did it an hour ago and it worked just fine.
Ahh. Harmonix got it working then. Exporting now. Earlier when a code was submitted it gave PS3 owners a voucher for Lego Rock Band instead, so Harmonix took down the export site and repair it saying wait till Nov 1st.

Also this is a caution to everyone playing Keyboard on RB3 on PS3. There is a major audio glitch right now caused by players playing Keyboard on Rock Band, the glitch has been known to blow speakers and make your ears bleed.

Here is the official support forum on the Rock Band Forums, a developer from Haromnix says they are working on a fix for it.

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?204767-Audio-Glitch-in-RB3-(video-inside)

and a video of the glitch itself. (WARNING EAR RAPE AHEAD.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLsPp3ctX6w

[FriskyTanuki]

I haven't have any glitches while playing keyboard.

[fahq1977]

Wanting to get RB3 for first music/gaming experience, looking for a good guitar that isn't too expensive but is compatible with the new game. Is it worth getting a new RB3 guitar versus a RB2 or generic? Any recommendations on what hardware and why? I've read the RB1 guitars were pretty cheap and broke down quickly

Thanks in advance for any feedback and feel free to pm if you don't want to clog up the forum.

[pete5883]

Ahh. Harmonix got it working then. Exporting now. Earlier when a code was submitted it gave PS3 owners a voucher for Lego Rock Band instead, so Harmonix took down the export site and repair it saying wait till Nov 1st.

Also this is a caution to everyone playing Keyboard on RB3 on PS3. There is a major audio glitch right now caused by players playing Keyboard on Rock Band, the glitch has been known to blow speakers and make your ears bleed.

Here is the official support forum on the Rock Band Forums, a developer from Haromnix says they are working on a fix for it.

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?204767-Audio-Glitch-in-RB3-(video-inside)



I've gotten this twice in a few hours of keyboarding. It is really fucking loud and irritating.

[combatrhombus]

Has anyone tried a real keyboard yet? I'm debating on the rockband keyboard or buying a real one with a MIDI adapter. Any suggestions?

[Gerry P.]

Has anyone tried a real keyboard yet? I'm debating on the rockband keyboard or buying a real one with a MIDI adapter. Any suggestions?Amazon isn't shipping the midi adapter until late November... not sure about other retailers.

[FriskyTanuki]

Wanting to get RB3 for first music/gaming experience, looking for a good guitar that isn't too expensive but is compatible with the new game. Is it worth getting a new RB3 guitar versus a RB2 or generic? Any recommendations on what hardware and why? I've read the RB1 guitars were pretty cheap and broke down quickly

Thanks in advance for any feedback and feel free to pm if you don't want to clog up the forum.
Go for the Nyko Frontman guitar, which is cheap (usually $20 or less if there's a deal) and works very well.

[FroMann]

Squire Guitar + Controller has been confirmed for March 1st for $280. Keep in mind though you will also need the PS3 Midi adapter which sells for $30.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/02/fender-rock-band-3-squier-stratocaster-guitar-rocks-out-march/

[pogipinoy27]

so I guess I'm going to have to save $300 for a new guitar just to play RB3?

[pete5883]

Doubt it, I've been playing it just fine without one.

[Justin42]

Go for the Nyko Frontman guitar, which is cheap (usually $20 or less if there's a deal) and works very well.

Is it working again? I thought there was a PS3 firmware update that messed it up (not talking about 3.50; mine just quite working around the start of the year and I read other people saying a Sony FW update messed up the Nykos, haven't tried mine lately though). It's a pretty decent (and cheap) guitar if they fixed the firmware.

[FriskyTanuki]

Bon Jovi Greatest Hits album is coming next week:
Bon Jovi Greatest Hits: Rock Band Edition will feature the first back-catalog songs updated for Rock Band 3 gameplay to include Pro Keys, Keys, Pro Drums and harmonies, as well as traditional drum and five-button guitar and bass gameplay. The updated songs are “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Wanted Dead or Alive” and “You Give Love a Bad Name.” Additionally, these three songs, as well as “Runaway” will also feature Pro Guitar and Pro Bass upgrades available for an additional $0.99 per song. The pack also features favorites like “Blaze of Glory,” “It’s My Life” and “Bad Medicine,” among others.

The same day and date that this ultimate Bon Jovi pack is available, Bon Jovi’s Greatest Hits - The Ultimate Collection (http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=31309457&msgid=438300&act=256J&c=275324&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBon-Jovi-Greatest-Hits-Collection%2Fdp%2FB0041CGP02%3Ftag%3Dislancom-20%2520%253chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBon-Jovi-Greatest-Hits-Collection%2Fdp%2FB0041CGP02%3Ftag%3Dislancom-20%253e) will also be available – an exclusive double-disc version with a total of 28 tracks, including four brand new songs. The album is now available for pre-order on Amazon (http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=31309457&msgid=438300&act=256J&c=275324&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBon-Jovi-Greatest-Hits-Collection%2Fdp%2FB0041CGP02%3Ftag%3Dislancom-20%2520%253chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBon-Jovi-Greatest-Hits-Collection%2Fdp%2FB0041CGP02%3Ftag%3Dislancom-20%253e)! If you place your order today, you can save $5.99 off the retail price ($19.98) and pay only $13.99!

Also available for download next week are three additional songs that feature the Pro Guitar and Pro Bass expansion downloads – “My Own Summer (Shove It)” from American rockers Deftones, “Blue Monday” from British New Wave favorites New Order and “Burning Down the House” from American art rockers Talking Heads.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 system (Nov. 9):
Bon Jovi – “Bad Medicine”
Bon Jovi – “Blaze of Glory”
Bon Jovi – “Have a Nice Day”
Bon Jovi – “I’ll Be There For You”
Bon Jovi – “It’s My Life”
Bon Jovi – “Lay Your Hands On Me”
Bon Jovi – “Livin’ on a Prayer (RB3 version)” X
Bon Jovi – “Runaway” X
Bon Jovi – “Wanted Dead or Alive (RB3 version)” X
Bon Jovi – “We Weren’t Born to Follow”
Bon Jovi – “Who Says You Can’t Go Home”
Bon Jovi – “You Give Love a Bad Name (RB3 version)” X
Deftones – “My Own Summer (Shove It)” X
New Order – “Blue Monday” X
Talking Heads – “Burning Down the House” X

(All tracks are original master recordings)
(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation 3 system Nov. 10)

These tracks will be available for purchase as individual tracks, as well as “Bon Jovi Greatest Hits: Rock Band Edition” on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii. Tracks marked with “X” will include Pro Guitar and Pro Bass expansions for $0.99 per song.

Price:
$1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points) per song
$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per song
$0.99 USD (100 Wii Points/80 Microsoft Points), £0.59 UK, €0.75 EU per song for eligible Pro Guitar/Pro Bass upgrade
$19.99, £9.99 UK, €14.99 EU (1,600 Microsoft Points, 2,000 Wii Points) for Bon Jovi Greatest Hits: Rock Band Edition

[FroMann]

Finally got the cymbal add-ons in. They take getting use too to play decently, but once you get the new control method down. Drums on Expert becomes twice as fun. They also have pretty solid construction, so they won't break anytime soon.

[FriskyTanuki]

The account linking on the Rock Band site is now live. It seems that you won't have the option if you linked RB2, so you just need to unlink your account and then enter in the code from the RB3 menu to get it working right.

[FroMann]

This could be bad...

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/rock-band-developer-harmonix-to-be-sold-by-viacom/

Rock Band developer Harmonix to be sold by Viacom

Viacom has announced that it plans to sell Harmonix, developer of the Rock Band series and Dance Central. The mega-corp has reclassified the Boston-based company as a "discontinued operation" in its third-quarter financial and has already changed all future earnings to reflect the sale. The company recorded a $299 million loss in discontinued operations to reflect the change.

We followed up with Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter to help explain the "discontinued operations" situation. The analyst told Joystiq, "I am sure that the purchase price of $175 million is in there -- it would have been carried on Viacom's balance sheet as goodwill. The rest could be other operations (non-gaming), some portion of the earn out that they paid a couple of years ago, which should have been expensed, but you never know, or some portion of the development costs for games not yet released."

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.rockbandaide.com/9758/breaking-viacom-to-sell-harmonix/

Viacom wants out of the games business, so they'll be selling Harmonix to somebody that wants to support the whole Rock Band thing.

[combatrhombus]

Finally got the cymbal add-ons in. They take getting use too to play decently, but once you get the new control method down. Drums on Expert becomes twice as fun. They also have pretty solid construction, so they won't break anytime soon.

Just got my cymbal add-ons too, and I'm really enjoying them. It's brings a whole new level to the game, it takes some time getting used to hitting the 7 different pads in pro-drums but its a lot of fun to play.

[surak]

Ahh. Harmonix got it working then. Exporting now. Earlier when a code was submitted it gave PS3 owners a voucher for Lego Rock Band instead, so Harmonix took down the export site and repair it saying wait till Nov 1st.

Also this is a caution to everyone playing Keyboard on RB3 on PS3. There is a major audio glitch right now caused by players playing Keyboard on Rock Band, the glitch has been known to blow speakers and make your ears bleed.

Here is the official support forum on the Rock Band Forums, a developer from Haromnix says they are working on a fix for it.

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?204767-Audio-Glitch-in-RB3-(video-inside (http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?204767-Audio-Glitch-in-RB3-%28video-inside))

and a video of the glitch itself. (WARNING EAR RAPE AHEAD.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLsPp3ctX6w
I played a keys part for the first time tonight, with the RB1 guitar. First song in and the screech happens. Talk about annoying.

Also annoying: needing to strum using the guitar to play a keyboard part???

[metaly]

I think I've already heard this isn't possible but just wanted to double check: Can you gameshare the RB2 export?

[Dr. Strangepork]

I think I've already heard this isn't possible but just wanted to double check: Can you gameshare the RB2 export?

Anyone figure this out yet? I presume yes, you can share it, but wanted to confirm too.

[nbballard]

there was a copy of the RB2 Export on my RB Share group, and one of the users said it worked for him, so I'm assuming that's a "yes".

[FriskyTanuki]

There will be a free DLC pack coming next week with songs from a number of the Harmonix in-house bands along with a Johnny Cash pack:

Johnny Cash Pack 01

“Cry, Cry, Cry”
“Don’t Take Your Guns to Town”
“Five Feet High and Rising”
“Folsom Prison Blues”
“I Got Stripes”
“I Walk the Line” X
“Tennessee Flat Top Box” X
“The Ballad of Ira Hayes”

Available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system (Jan. 4):
Rock Band Free Pack 01


Abnormality – “Visions”
Anarchy Club – “Get Clean”
Bang Camaro – “Night Lies”
Breaking Wheel – “Shoulder to the Plow”
Libyans – “Welcome to the Neighborhood”
The Main Drag – “A Jagged Gorgeous Winter”
Speck – “Conventional Lover”
The Sterns – “Supreme Girl”
That Handsome Devil – “Rob the Prez-O-Dent”

[bmulligan]

I still have not seen the MIDI adapter for sale anywhere. Does anyone have it already? I'd like to know the size of the MIDI plug - Is it a standard MIDI port, or is it the mini MIDI port?

[metaly]

What do the fat notes mean when you're playing guitar? They look like a big rock ending except in the middle of a song and only on a few notes at a time.

[FroMann]

What do the fat notes mean when you're playing guitar? They look like a big rock ending except in the middle of a song and only on a few notes at a time.
Just hit the highlighted lanes as fast as possible. They make the game a bit easier.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/17/rock-band-network-2-0-hits-the-stage-in-february

Rock Band Network is evolving to be to add in Rock Band 3's features, so Rock Band 1/2 people will be getting the last of their DLC in the next few weeks. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Harmonix is going to extend the tools so that we get more than five songs a week.

[FroMann]

Rock Band Network 2? Will these mean possibly that RBN developers may be able to add Pro charts or Harmonies?

[FriskyTanuki]

That would be the only reason to require RB3 for RBN 2.0. Should have keyboards, harmonies, pro drums, and maybe even pro guitar/bass.

[SoulEdgeVII]

Quick hardware question...do the new Rock Band 3 Pro-Cymbals work if you use them while playing Rock Band 2? Will they register like the Rock Band 2 Cymbals (i.e., just mirror the same color note as the drum pad)?

[Saint Noir]

LONDON CALLING!!! :: DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN::

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/27/rock-band-3-to-receive-a-london-calling-this-february/

[FroMann]

Incoming patch, its finally going to fix the keyboard sound glitch.

Harmonix has been hard at work on a major title update for Rock Band 3 -- today, we finally get a look at the fruits of the studio's labor. The update -- which is live now on Xbox 360, and is expected to drop on PS3 within the next 24 hours -- addresses a diverse load of problems; for instance, pausing the game too many times while playing a song disables scoring, which prevents players from using the pause-rewind feature to artificially boost their scores. Also, that Stage Kit you dropped a Benjamin on a few years back? The game now supports it in a limited capacity.

Our personal favorite patch is one that fixes a crash that cropped up whenever the player chose a "particular eyebrow asset," which, henceforth shall be known as the "eyebrow of death." Sadly, that power has been extinguished by the update, and now rests solely in the forehead of Mr. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Check out the full list of updates after the jump!


GAMEPLAY CHANGES


The audio distortion (also referred to as a buzz, hiss, or squawk) that some PS3 Keyboard players experienced has been addressed.
For users experiencing trouble deploying Vocal Overdrive in certain audio setups, OD can now be deployed using the Back button on the controller. NOTE: this only works while in a valid Overdrive deploy section.
Overdrive can now be deployed using a Pedal with both the Mustang Pro Guitar and the Keyboard peripherals.
Scoring is disabled after a song has been paused multiple times (this prevent players from artificially inflating scores using the pause function).
The translucency of the track surface has been adjusted to make note gems are easier to see against the venue backgrounds.
Based on fan feedback, limited functionality for the Stage kit has been added to Rock Band 3. Please note that this 3rd-party peripheral is no longer officially supported, so we cannot guarantee full functionality with every file format (RB3, Pro-DLC), but basic functions should be reenabled.


ONLINE CHANGES


PS3 Voice Chat not properly working with headsets has been remedied.
Audio no longer distorts for remote players when whammying sustains in an online session.
To prevent blank tracks from appearing in online multiplayer, all members in an online multiplayer band must own the Pro upgrades to play a song with DLC pro upgrades.


MUSIC LIBRARY AND STORE CHANGES


Pro Guitar songs now sort themselves into the correct difficulty tiers.

Pro upgrade availability will now be more accurately reflected in the Music Store.

The following songs are now correctly appearing in the Music Library.
Anvil - 666
Anvil - Metal on Metal
Anvil - This is Thirteen
Dinosaur Jr - Pick Me Up
Dinosaur Jr - The Wagon
Guess Who, The - Hand Me Down World
Guess Who, The - No Time
Tenacious D - Rock Your Socks
Avenged Sevenfold – Afterlife

PRACTICE MODE CHANGES


An issue that prevented holding sustain notes on keys in the trainers has been addressed
Breakneck Speed now works in Practice Mode.

CRASH FIXES


Fixed a Character Creator crash related to a particular eyebrow asset or the generation of a random character.
Fixed assorted minor crashes, as well as minor scoring and text bugs.


http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/31/rock-band-3-title-update/

[D_Icon]

Are PS3 users still under a 2-day delay when it comes to new DLC? I gotta play some Stevie Nicks.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://twitter.com/#!/JamesStevenson/status/91623861178728448

Insomniac's (Pin)ballz song from their old recruitment video is coming to Rock Band Network 2.0 next week. It will be $0.99 and all proceeds are going to Child's Play.

Original:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ogv4d7j3gc

Rock Band version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxPZn9KHnu4

[El Gray]

Are many folks in here still playing RB3 a bit? I just recently got it + keyboard, and I'd like to have some more PS3 folks to compare with / possibly play online.

I am El_Gray on PSN.

Just bought James Brown's "Superbad" (!!!) and "Make Some Noise" off the new Beasties album. Quite excited by both!