Rock Band 2 Options

[donkeybeatz]

To no one's surprise, Harmonix, MTV and EA are preparing an encore for Rock Band later this year. Rock Band 2 is now official -- and it's coming to Xbox 360 this September, with "other platforms" releasing later in the year.

Before you start deleting the dozens of tracks you've downloaded for the first Rock Band, know that RB2 features ground-breaking cross-title compatibility. There is no distinction between Rock Band 1 and Rock Band 2 DLC. Any DLC you've previously downloaded will instantly work with Rock Band 2 and all DLC will continue to work with the original game from here and into eternity. While Harmonix has yet to reveal the number of tracks included on the RB2 disc, with the inclusion of all the previously released DLC, the set list at launch may top 300 songs.

"As successful as the original Rock Band continues to be, we've now had the benefit of the last eight months to listen to our fans' requests and to build upon that foundation," said Alex Rigopulos, co-founder and CEO of Harmonix. "Rock Band 2 is a second-generation band game that will elevate the music game experience to the next level."

As with Activision's recently announced Guitar Hero World Tour, Rock Band 2 features all master recordings on disc. You can also expect major improvements to online functionality and a more "party friendly" set-up so it's easy to get guests rocking out faster.

While all RB1 peripherals will work with the sequel, upgraded versions will be available in a bundle pack. Harmonix isn't revealing what these upgrades are just yet.

Rock Band downloads will continue to arrive weekly for both Xbox 360 and PS3. Each track you purchase is essentially extending your library of Rock Band 2 tracks. And even though PS3 owners will have to wait longer to get Rock Band 2 on disc, they will still have access to new downloadable content with RB1. With Rock Band DLC having now surpassed 15 million paid downloads, there appears no end in sight for the most successful digitally distributed product on 360 and PS3.

So why release first on Xbox 360? "Microsoft has been a great partner throughout the launch of Rock Band in the last year and their continued support is instrumental in supporting the more advanced features and cross title compatibility we will have in Rock Band 2," a Harmonix representative told IGN. "Of course, our goal is to make Rock Band 2 accessible to all and we look forward to bringing Rock Band 2 to all relevant platforms later this year."

For more details on Rock Band 2, check out IGN's exclusive interview, which is packed with info.

via IGN

Official Press Release

Man, THIS September? Going to be an interesting showdown between GH:WT & RB2. I, for one, am totally sold. More info will be revealed at this year's E3.

[AC9breaker]

Anyone else think this is just a Knee jerk reaction to Guitar hero 4? I mean aren't people still playing the hell out of their Rock band stuffs? To me it seems natural for Guitar Hero to try and one up them since their last games was about gameplay where as Rock Band innovated the genre.

[Crushinator]

I think they always had RB2 in the pipeline, its obvious with its success. The key is keeping the DLC compatible, and they are already addressing that, so its good. The biggest "get" they could have would be some way to download the songs from RB1's disc content into your library for RB2, so you have this ridiculously awesome massive setlist available.

RB1 was amazing, but its still lacking in some areas. The biggest things I want to see them add are online band world tour mode, being able to fully customize setlists for multiplayer online and offline, up the limit on the number of characters you can make, and more customization options for your characters looks/behavior.

Now that both games are on "even ground" as it were as far as features go, it will be interesting to see how they push each other to keep the genre moving forward. Hopefully their answer isn't "more expensive fake instruments with new buttons."

[donkeybeatz]

http://rockband.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11340
Some scans from Game Informer. The special edition drumkit looks sweet.

[Crushinator]

Holy shit, that drum set is SICK. How much will it cost me though? :(

[donkeybeatz]

Holy shit, that drum set is SICK. How much will it cost me though? :(

Holy shit I just checked out their preorder page...
http://www.drumrocker.com/index.php
$300!
I really want it though. Gonna save up right now.

[Crushinator]

Official track listing and release details from the MS E3 conference:

http://kotaku.com/5025004/breaking-officia...cklist-revealed

84 songs, all master tracks.

Artist Song Title Decade
1. AC/DC “Let There Be Rock” 1970s
2. AFI “Girl’s Gone Grey” 2000’s
3. Alanis Morissette “You Oughta Know” 1990’s
4. Alice in Chains “Man in the Box” 1990’s
5. Allman Brothers “Ramblin’ Man” 1970’s
6. Avenged Sevenfold “Almost Easy” 2000’s
7. Bad Company “Shooting Star” 1970’s
8. Beastie Boys “So Whatcha Want” 1990’s
9. Beck “E-Pro” 2000’s
10. Bikini Kill “Rebel Girl” 1990’s
11. Billy Idol “White Wedding Pt. I” 1980’s
12. Blondie “One Way or Another” 1970’s
13. Bob Dylan “Tangled Up in Blue” 1970’s
14. Bon Jovi “Livin’ on a Prayer” 1980’s
15. Cheap Trick “Hello There” 1970’s
16. Devo “Uncontrollable Urge” 1980’s
17. Dinosaur Jr. “Feel the Pain” 1990’s
18. Disturbed “Down with the Sickness” 2000’s
19. Dream Theater “Panic Attack” 2000’s
20. Duran Duran “Hungry Like the Wolf” 1980’s
21. Elvis Costello “Pump It Up” 1970’s
22. Fleetwood Mac “Go Your Own Way” 1970’s
23. Foo Fighters “Everlong” 1990’s
24. Guns N’ Roses “Shackler’s Revenge” 2000’s
25. Interpol “PDA” 2000’s
26. Jane’s Addiction “Mountain Song” 1980’s
27. Jethro Tull “Aqualung” 1970’s
28. Jimmy Eat World “The Middle” 2000’s
29. Joan Jett “Bad Reputation” 1980’s
30. Journey “Anyway You Want It” 1970’s
31. Judas Priest “Painkiller” 1990’s
32. Kansas “Carry On Wayward Son” 1970’s
33. L7 “Pretend We’re Dead” 1990’s
34. Lacuna Coil “Our Truth” 2000’s
35. Linkin Park “One Step Closer” 2000’s
36. Lit “My Own Worst Enemy” 1990’s
37. Lush “De-Luxe” 1990’s
38. Mastodon “Colony of Birchmen” 2000’s
39. Megadeth “Peace Sells” 1980’s
40. Metallica “Battery” 1980’s
41. Mighty Mighty Bosstones “Where’d You Go” 1990’s
42. Modest Mouse “Float On” 2000’s
43. Motorhead “Ace of Spades” 1980’s
44. Nirvana “Drain You” 1990’s
45. Norman Greenbaum “Spirit in the Sky” 1960’s
46. Panic at the Disco “Nine in the Afternoon” 2000’s
47. Paramore “That’s What You Get” 2000’s
48. Pearl Jam “Alive” 1990’s
49. Presidents of the USA “Lump” 1990’s
50. Rage Against the Machine “Testify” 1990’s
51. Ratt “Round & Round” 1980’s
52. Red Hot Chili Peppers “Give it Away” 1990’s
53. Rise Against “Give it All” 2000’s
54. Rush “The Trees” 1970’s
55. Silversun Pickups “Lazy Eye” 2000’s
56. Smashing Pumpkins “Today” 1990’s
57. Social Distortion “I Was Wrong” 1990’s
58. Sonic Youth “Teenage Riot” 1980’s
59. Soundgarden “Spoonman” 1990’s
60. Squeeze “Cool for Cats” 1970’s
61. Steely Dan “Bodhitsattva” 1970’s
62. Steve Miller Band “Rock’n Me” 1970’s
63. Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” 1980’s
64. System of a Down “Chop Suey” 2000’s
65. Talking Heads “Psycho Killer” 1970’s
66. Tenacious D “Master Exploder” 2000’s
67. Testament “Souls of Black” 1990’s
68. The Donnas “New Kid in School” 2000’s
69. The Go-Go’s “We Got the Beat” 1980’s
70. The Grateful Dead “Alabama Getaway” 1980’s
71. The Guess Who “American Woman” 1970’s
72. The Muffs “Kids in America” 1990’s
73. The Offspring “Come Out & Play (Keep ‘em Separated)” 1990’s
74. The Replacements “Alex Chilton” 1980’s
75. The Who “Pinball Wizard” 1960’s
Bonus Artist Bonus Song Title Decade
76. Abnormality “Visions” 2000’s
77. Anarchy Club “Get Clean” 2000’s
78. Bang Camaro “Night Lies” 2000’s
79. Breaking Wheel “Shoulder to the Plow” 2000’s
80. The Libyans “Neighborhood” 2000’s
81. The Main Drag “A Jagged Gorgeous Winter” 2000’s
82. Speck “Conventional Lover” 2000’s
83. The Sterns “Supreme Girl” 2000’s
84. That Handsome Devil “Rob the Prez-O-Dent” 2000’s

EDIT: Bolded my personal "HEL YEH" songs from this list.

[donkeybeatz]

14. Bon Jovi “Livin’ on a Prayer” 1980’s

We have to all get online and play this shit.

[AC9breaker]

Holy shit thats an awesome playlist. Add in their latest video and I'm getting a little bit excited for this too.



I hope GH4 can match them. So far The Eagles and Van Halen seem to be Guitar Hero exclusives. But fuck, Ace of Spades, Testify, and Mountain Song?. Heavy, heavy, heavy, stuff!

[Crushinator]

Lots of cool details on RB2's new features:

http://kotaku.com/5039299/rb2-drum-trainer...-bands-detailed

Drum Trainer Mode
Set List Creation
"Battle of the Bands"
and lots more.

[Crushinator]

Oh shiiiiiiiit

Stocking the digital bins, EW.com has learned exclusively, will be seminal full albums by Foo Fighters (The Colour and the Shape), Red Hot Chili Peppers (Blood Sugar Sex Magik), Jane's Addiction (Nothing's Shocking), Megadeth (Peace Sells... But Who's Buying) and Stevie Ray Vaughn (Texas Flood), along with a specially-compiled No Doubt Best Of collection. All are slated to roll out in the coming months, according to MTV Games.

Foo Fighters, Jane's Addiction, RHCP, and No Doubt... SOLD!

[donkeybeatz]

Dam that's some good stuff! Need to pony up more ms funbucks. Will def pick up No Doubt for the parties. Probably pick them all up.

[Crushinator]

I did it... Maybe i'm a crazy motherfucker... but I did it. You only live once, right?







Your move, Donkey.

[donkeybeatz]

Ok there.



Your move, errr... AC. Yeah.

[Wiryu]

I will live to play rock band on your expensive drum sets. that is all.

[Crushinator]

Hoooooly shit, I didn't think they could make such an improvement over RB1, but RB2 blows it out of the water was far as features and playablility. I'll expound on it more later, but damn Harmonix outdid themselves with this one.

Online band world tour for the fucking EPIC win.

[AC9breaker]

So I got Rock Band 2. I don't see what the big deal is. Seems like an Easy version of Guitar Hero. Downloaded QoTSA Little Sister and Hysteria by Muse. Kinda hard to tell where the Hammer on sections are They visual display isn't as noticable as it was for Guitar Hero.

[Crushinator]

Guitar is easier than GH yeah (for the most part, there are still some ridonkulously hard songs) but the real fun comes when we start playing together later tonight as a band.

I would suggest going out now and renting/borrowing someone else's RB1 disc so you can download all the songs off it to your HDD, you'll immediately bump your song selection to ~140 songs from the get go for only $5. You don't need to OWN rb1, just need to use the disc once to download the songs.

[Wiryu]

I just look at the GH2 > GH3 transition. Was fun, but really I didn't feel like I got my monies worth. For me it just feels like if I pay a shit ton of money for RB2/GH4, i'm just gonna get the same deal with a few expansion like additions. Hard to sway.

[Crushinator]

Got the Ion kit today!

Big box is big. It weighed 33 lbs!


It has a cool RB branded box too, next to the Strat for size comparison.


Every part comes in its own little box. Yes the "Empty Box" has nothing in it.


This is the frame, took me about 50 minutes to get to this point. The whole undertaking was about an hour and a half for me.


And the final product, ready to rock!


The feel of the whole product is fantastic. Everything is heavy and high quality, you can tell its set to take a beating. The bass pedal is entirely metal, which makes it take a lot less effort to push the pedal down compared to the stock RB set. I'm still getting used to using the yellow cymbal as a hi-hat, but the green crash cymbal is like second nature now.

I still have some tweaking to do as far as the pad positioning and height, but all in all I couldn't be more pleased with the Ion kit. Now if only I had a house (or at least a ground floor apt) so i could play till all hours of the night

EDIT: Pics of the bass for Donkey. I decided to pick it up since my Xplorer GH2 controller died during my inaugural RB2 marathon.



The little black knob is the whammy, and you also have a knob that twists to the left or right for Start/Back, which is pretty cool. The double strum bar is nice too when you're playing pluck-style on bass, not so much on guitar.

[AC9breaker]

Man, that drum set looks freaking sick. I think I would drop the money on it but its too fucking huge for my cubicle sized room. I'll settle for the Guitar Hero drum set instead. But I'm not really feeling the look of the guitar. Anyway, Rock Band is starting to grow on me. but I find the smaller fret ques to be confusing when the really fast paced complex solos come in. I still prefer Guitar Hero over it in that regards. The biggest thing that pisses me off is that I have a hard time activating my star power with Xplorer Guitar Hero 2 guitar. But I'll have to deal with it untill Guitar Hero 4 bundle comes out.

[Wiryu]

what's with the random block of tile in the room? :o

[tanshin]

what's with the random block of tile in the room? :o

It's not random, it's in front of the front door. It's the spot to remove your shoes or put a mat to wipe your feet, if you're into that.


Back on the subject, that drum set is fucking awesome. I wish I could have the opportunity to play around with it just once. It looks like something you could really let loose on without the worry of breaking it. The feel of hitting an actual cymbal must be pretty sweet. I need to pick up RB2...

[AC9breaker]

Killer Session last night guys. I can't wait to get the Guitar Hero bundle so I can jam with some good shit instead of this shitty Xploder 2 guitar. Its freaking annoying as hell trying to activate overdrive with it.

[donkeybeatz]

I just got the Ion Drum Rocker today. I'll post some impressions later.

[Vitamin D]

Come this Saturday, I too will be on the Rock Band status. I got no bills to pay with my next check, so I'mma splurge haha. I plan to get the Guitar Hero 3 bundle, and pick up a copy of Rock Band 2 (gonna transfer the RB 1 songs from my friend's copy as well). I also might pick up a mic, the drums won't work too well where I live so that'll be later haha. LET'S ROCK.

[AC9breaker]

Why get GH:3 Bundle? Just buy the Guitar Standalone for 360 and RB2 disc. Unless you ment GH4/WT bundle?

[Vitamin D]

Naw, I meant the GH 3 bundle. The only time I get to play Guitar Hero or Rock Band is when I go to my boy's place. I have a copy (literally lulz) of GH 3 for PS2, but I can't play it because I don't have the guitar anymore, lent it to my younger god-brothers and never saw it again haha. I'm picking up the game too because it's been a damn long time since I've been able to play it. Also, I think my brother said the bundle is on sale somewhere. When GH 4 comes out, I'll likely just pick up the disc.

[donkeybeatz]

OK after a few hours of playtime and a few jam sessions with the AT band, the Ion drum kit is pretty solid.
It isn't as sensitive as my stock rock band drums but it picks up fast rolls a lot better. As for being quiet, it's not much different than the stock RB kit. It might be a little bit quieter but that's it. The rebound on the pads is a huge plus though. The cymbals takes some getting used to especially coming off of the RB layout. I still need to make some adjustments. Right now I have to hit the cymbals pretty hard in order for it to register. The kick pedal is OK despite being all metal. The spring on it doesn't push up your feet as much as the stock RB pedal does. The noise on it is pretty loud especially when playing songs with fast kick pedal action.
My only real gripe with the kit is that there isn't a place where you can place your drumsticks =(

[donkeybeatz]

The registration page for the bonus tracks is up:
http://register.rockband.com/

Unfortunately, the tracks aren't out yet but they'll send you an email with a code to redeem.
Also, at the end, they ask you to suggest a band/song that you will like to see in the game haha.
I put in Incubus but I forgot to add Muse

[AC9breaker]

Awesome here's what I put.

"More New Age please. Specifically, Depeche Mode, New Order, INXS, Joy Division."

Damit, forgot to put The Cure.

[Crushinator]

Noice! I'll register mine as soon as I get home today. Do they give a release date for the tracks or anything?

Also, is anyone picking up the AC/DC expansion? It seems pretty pricey compared to other DLC song packs ($40 for the 360 one) but there are some kickass tracks on it... THUNDERSTRUCK!

Edit: I think you mean "New Wave" AC, . But Joy Division and Depeche Mode would be fucking EPIC.

[donkeybeatz]

The new site went live today and its awesome. They totally delivered. You can now make merchandise of your Rock Band characters. Includes band/character photos, posters, shirts, buttons, stickers, and most awesome of all, figurines.
The new site is getting pretty hammered right now so its a bit buggy and slow.


I'm going to order mine pretty soon along with some posters.

[Crushinator]

Dude, this is totally awesome! They SO delivered on this. Harmonix RB2

Edit:

[donkeybeatz]

Here are some band pics of the AT rock band.

[AC9breaker]

HELLS YEAH. Man I'm starting to get swalloed into this whole rock band world. I think If I ever get the chance I'm gonna try getting me an Ion Drum Kit. Sent some friend requests on the Rock Band page.

[Vitamin D]

Man the site is BAD ASS. Imma send out friend requests myself. Messing with the merchandise stuff is a blast haha.

[donkeybeatz]

HELLS YEAH. Man I'm starting to get swalloed into this whole rock band world. I think If I ever get the chance I'm gonna try getting me an Ion Drum Kit. Sent some friend requests on the Rock Band page.

If you're serious about getting the Ion drum kit, I suggest waiting it out until GH:WT comes out to see if its fully compatible. You don't want to get it and expect it to have full charts in the game instead of dumbed down charts for 4 pads.

Oh yeah, if you want FULL HIGH RESOLUTION pictures, go to the pictures section of your profile, RIGHT-CLICK on the "make merch" link, copy that link, paste that link somewhere and you should get something like this:

CODE

http://www.rockbandstore.com/index.php?v=rbs2_custom_band&bandname=The%20Apocalypse%20Tribe&bandphoto=http://www.rockband.com/uploads/user-generated-content/138793/rendertron/The_20Apocalypse_20Tribe-3000x2000_0.jpg

Copy the last string of the link and paste that link into your browser and viola!
For the example above, it would be:

CODE

http://www.rockband.com/uploads/user-generated-content/138793/rendertron/The_20Apocalypse_20Tribe-3000x2000_0.jpg

[Vitamin D]

Well, I finally got the Rock Band 1 songs on my HD. Proceed to rock out.

[Crushinator]

Niiiiiice, we gotta do some badass set lists tonight then!

[Crushinator]

AT reppin' in the RB leaderboards. Check out our challenge ranking tonight!

Finally cracked the top 50!

[donkeybeatz]

Oh shit Foo Fighters next week!

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97824

Also, they're sending out emails for the 20 free tracks today. I just got mine.

[Crushinator]

OK, the Foo Fighters album will join the Boston DLC and the Who album in the hallowed halls of "Buy this DLC or you're from AT" song packs.

[donkeybeatz]

This week in Rock Band DLC:

No Doubt's album "The Singles 1992-2003"

1."Just a Girl"
2."It’s My Life"
3."Hey Baby"
4."Bathwater”
5."Sunday Morning"
6."Hella Good"
7."Underneath It All"
8."Excuse Me Mr.”
9."Running"
10."Spiderwebs”
11."Simple Kind of Life”
12.“Don’t Speak”
13.“Ex-Girlfriend”

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread....st&t=104472

Another one that everyone HAS to have. Gotta jam next week. 13 song setlist non-stop.

[Crushinator]

AT owning the leaderborads again tonight. GG guys.

[Vitamin D]

Welcome back, to the stage of history!