Hot on the heels of Sony announcing that all instruments for the PS3 versions of three upcoming music games (Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Revolution) will be compatible, Microsoft has announced that all instruments for upcoming Xbox 360 rhythm games will be compatible too.

In a post on the Gamerscoreblog, Microsoft stated “All the instruments from Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour, and Rock Revolution will be cross-compatible. In other words, welcome to the party.”

A game notably absent from the list was Lips, a game from developer iNis that features motion-sensitive microphones and appears to be Microsoft’s answer to Sony’s SingStar series.

On the US PlayStation blog, Michael Shorrock, PR Director at Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has announced that all of the upcoming music-based games for the PS3 will be compatible with each other, hardware-wise.

Not only will Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour’s instruments work with the software of the other, Singstar’s microphones will also be supported by World Tour and Rock Band 2. The instruments in Konami’s future effort, Rock Revolution, are also included in the compatibility party.

This turn of events is a result of Sony’s work with Neversoft, Konami, Activision and Harmonix, the creators of each of the upcoming games, to ensure that all of the music peripherals released on the PS3 will work with other games, across the board, each featuring a “basic level of gameplay compatibility.”

Shorrock concluded, “Of course each of these great games have their own specific cool features that may not be compatible with the other controllers, but this is our first big step in bringing a level of compatibility to music games that is sure to benefit PlayStation 3 consumers.”

While this is great news for PS3 owners, Microsoft announced at E3 that Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour instruments on the Xbox 360 will also be compatible with one another, while Logitech, a 3rd party peripheral developer, has been given the go-ahead to create 3rd party controllers for World Tour. We’ll be swimming in plastic guitars by the end of the year!

Rock Band fans will be happy to know that Harmonix and MTV Games have announced new downloadable content for Rock Band.

New singles from Staind, Scars on Broadway, The New No2 and Testament will arrive on Xbox Live Marketplace on the 29th of July and on the PlayStation Network on the 31st of July.

‘They Say’ will be Scars on Broadway’s (consisting of two System of a Down members) debut single on Rock Band and will cost $1.99 or 160 Microsoft Points, as will Staind’s ‘This Is It,’ the first single from their upcoming album titled The Illusion of Progress.

‘Yomp’ is the latest single from The New No2, consisting of Dhani Harrison, son of Beatle George Harrison, and Oli Hecks. It will cost $.99 or 80 Microsoft Points. Testament also debut on Rock Band with ‘Electric Crown,’ a track from their 1992 album that will cost $1.99.

Another revelation made at this week’s E3 conference is that Rock Band will be shipping to seven more countries later this year.

As has become the norm, Rock Band will have an exclusive launch period on the Xbox 360 in Italy, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. It will be available for the Xbox 360 on the 24th of July, becoming available for additional platforms in these countries later this fall.

Rock Band was released for the Xbox 360 and PS3 in the United States in November 2007, with the PS2 version following in December that year and the Wii version recently released in June this year. The game was only released in Europe in May this year, and only then as a timed Xbox 360 exclusive, with many Rock Band fans still waiting to receive word of when the PS3 version will land in PAL territories.

The European release of Rock Band features 58 additional tracks including:

• Die Toten Hosen “Hier Kommt Alex” • Juli “Perfekte Welle” • H-Block X “Countdown to Insanity” • Blur “Beettlebum” (cover song) • Oasis “Rock ‘n’ roll star” • Tokio Hotel “Monsoon” • Muse “Hysteria” • Les Wampas “Manu Chao” • Playmo “New Wave”

The moment many Rock Band fans have been waiting for is upon us…the setlist for Rock Band 2 has been revealed!

Rock Band 2 will feature more than 100 songs, over 80 on the game disc and 20 bonus tracks available for free download this fall. Comprised entirely of master recordings, the setlist includes artists such as AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Bob Dylan, Metallica and Pearl Jam.

This is the first time that the music of Bob Dylan or AC/DC will be featured in a video game while Guns N’ Roses has chosen to debut their first new single in 14 years in the game.

The game will be backwards compatible with Rock Band downloadable music content that has been released to date. If you own Rock Band you will be able to export most of the original disc tracks and upgrade them into Rock Band 2.

Harmonix has also promised that DLC will be released weekly and that the Rock Band library will be swelling with over 500 tracks by the end of 2008.

Rock Band 2 will debut on the Xbox 360 this September during an exclusive launch period in North America. The game will become available on the PS3, PS2 and Wii later this year.

For more information check out our previous coverage.

Post continues, click to read more…

Yesterday at E3 Harmonix, MTV Games and EA took the wraps off new features for Rock Band 2.

Rock Band 2 will debut on the Xbox 360 this September during an exclusive launch period in North America. The game will become available on the PS3, PS2 and Wii later this year.

A closer look at game modes

Rock Band 2 includes local and global online modes while Solo Tour and Band World Tour modes have been fused into World Tour mode. World Tour mode is now online and features new opportunity gigs, challenges, cities, venues and staff that can be hired.

Post continues, click to read more…

Harmonix, MTV Games and EA have revealed Rock Band 2 will be hitting shelves this September. Rock Band 2 will debut on the Xbox 360 with an exclusive launch window in North America. Other platforms have not yet been confirmed with the press release stating only that the game will arrive on additional platforms later this year.

Rock Band challenges players to assemble a band with drums, vocals, lead and bass guitar, touring to gain fame and money. Rock Band 2 is said to build upon its foundation with co-operative band game play, multiple instruments, online multiplayer as well as downloadable content.

It features backwards compatibility with Rock Band downloadable music content, meaning you can load your purchased tracks straight into Rock Band 2 without re-purchasing or re-downloading any tracks. The game features master recordings and is said to boast the “biggest and most diverse soundtrack ever featuring some of rock’s most prolific acts.”

The game will also include new and dynamic online modes that promise to connect Rock Banders locally and around the world. It features more instruments with new and improved drum and guitar peripherals, enhanced functionality and new designs – and the best thing is that they are all fully compatible with the original Rock Band instruments.

MTV Games and Harmonix also announced that The Rock Band online music store has recently passed 15 million paid downloads since Rock Band was launched in late November 2007. Currently there are over 200 tracks available to download.

Stay tuned for more details regarding features and music for Rock Band 2, which were promised to be revealed at E3.

“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.”

“We expect Rock Band 2 to continue to drive an amazing social music experience on Xbox 360, said David Hufford, senior director, Xbox Product Management for the Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft. “We look forward to supporting Rock Band 2 on Xbox 360 as gamers continue to download hundreds of new music tracks from Xbox LIVE so they and their friends can perform the rock music they love most.”

Microsoft of Europe has announced that Maximo Park’s ‘Girls Who Play Guitars’ from their album ‘Our Earthly Pleasures’ will be available to download and play with Rock Band from the 10th of June.

“We have an Xbox 360 with Rock Band installed in our rehearsal studio in Newcastle and it’s great for thrashing out some amazing songs,” explains Paul Smith, front man of Maximo Park. “We can’t wait until our fans can do the same with Girls Who Play Guitars.”

To hear the song head over to Maximo Park’s website.

Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band Live

Microsoft launched ‘Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band Live’ in Ibiza this past weekend, inviting music fans in France, Germany and the UK to start a band in Rock Band, available exclusively on the Xbox 360 this summer. If you perform various songs well enough you could win a week’s stay at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel in Ibiza.

Paul Smith, one of the judges in the Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band Live competition, explains what they will be looking for when picking the winners, “All the best rock bands have got amazing star quality and whilst they’ve got to play their instruments well they’ve also got to have the showmanship to excite a crowd. From outrageous outfits and haircuts to amazing postural performances we are looking for a group who give us all of this and more on top!”

Chris Lewis, Vice President of Xbox 360 Europe commented “Rock Band on Xbox 360 is going to be the biggest game of the summer. It makes rock stars of you, your friends and family, bringing them together to compete not just for high scores but for the stage floor.”

“With the launch of Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band Live promotion we hope everyone will have a chance to feel like a star, even if only for five minutes.”

Harmonix and MTV Games have announced a partnership with Japanese developer Q Entertainment to bring Rock Band to Japan.

According to Harmonix, it will be the first time a US-originated rock music game will be heavily localized for Japanese gamers. The two studios will work together to develop the title which will feature Japanese musical acts and localized assets.

Founded in 2003, Q Entertainment has had experience integrating music elements into game play as can be seen from the action puzzle game series Lumines and Extend Every Extra Extreme and Rez HD for Xbox Live.

The announcement was made at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards in Japan. A Rock Band trailer was shown and attendees got a taste of what’s to come with the US version of Rock Band being showcased backstage and at the afterparty.

Rock Band was launched in North America on the PS3 and Xbox 360 last November. It recently arrived as an Xbox 360 exclusive in Europe. No release dates or platforms have been announced for Rock Band: Japan.

Four players can start a band in Rock Band, where they can master drums, vocals and lead/bass guitar while touring the world and gaining fame, fans and fortune.

Rock Band has sold over 3 million units in North America and Europe to date. There are currently more than 140 songs available to download with gamers already enjoying over 12 million songs as downloadable content.

We are sure that many European gamers stumbled bleary-eyed into work this morning after spending the weekend jamming following the release of Rock Band in the UK, France and Germany this past Friday.

To bring you up to speed Rock Band launched exclusively on the Xbox 360 on the 23rd of May across Europe. While it is known that the game will launch on additional platforms later this year, an exact date and which platforms have yet to be announced.

Xbox 360 Rock Banders will be thrilled to know that all the songs which were previously released in North America are now available on Xbox Live in the UK, France and Germany.

Speaking of Rock Band DLC, here is a Q & A with Harmonix’s Heather Wilson (Producer) and Dan Teasdale (Senior Designer). Thanks to the Xbox Community Network for the interview.

Post continues, click to read more…

Harmonix, MTV Games and EA have announced plans to release Rock Band Track Pack Volume 1 for the Wii and PS2. The Track Pack will feature 20 tracks from 20 different artists and will be available on the 15th of July for $29.99.

Up until now only owners of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Rock Band have been able to download content for the game. Now the PS2 version and the Wii version (which will be available from the 22nd of June) will also feature downloadable content, just that it will be available on a disc rather than as traditional DLC.

Track Pack Volume 1 includes songs by All American Rejects, 30 Seconds to Mars and Weezer and more. The full track listing is below:

• 30 Seconds to Mars - The Kill
• All American Rejects - Move Along
• Blink – 182 All the Small Things
• Boston - More Than a Feeling
• David Bowie - Moonage Daydream
• Faith No More - We Care A Lot
• Grateful Dead - Truckin’
• The Hives - Die, All Right!
• KISS - Calling Dr. Love
• Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme’ Three Steps
• Nine Inch Nails - March of the Pigs
• Oasis - Live Forever
• Paramore - Crushcrushcrush
• The Police - Synchronicity II
• Queens of the Stone Age - Little Sister
• Ramones - Teenage Lobotomy
• Smashing Pumpkins - Siva
• Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song
• Weezer - Buddy Holly
• Wolfmother - Joker & the Thief

Harmonix, MTV Games and EA have announced that Rock Band will be released on the Wii across North America and Canada on the 22nd of June. It will be priced at $169.99.

Rock Band for the Wii will be released as a special edition bundle and will include the software, drums, microphone and a wireless guitar. Players who want to try out the drum versus drum mode will be able to purchase stand alone instruments from the 22nd of June.

Five extra songs

The Wii version will feature 63 songs including five bonus songs. On the Rock Band forums a Harmonix developer known as hmxsean confirmed that the details of the extra songs will be revealed closer to the launch.

“The feature-set is a lot closer to the PS2 version of Rock Band which was also developed by Pi Studios. We’ve decided to focus on getting the core gameplay on to the Wii and focus on making that awesome” he commented. “The instruments don’t use the Wiimote. They function the same as our peripherals on the other platforms.”

It has not yet been confirmed whether the Wii version will support online functionality of the game. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions both include downloadable songs and online play, however, the PS2 version of the game does not support downloads or online play.

Post continues, click to read more…