Good news out of an interview by MCV UK with the head of MTV Games, Scott Guthrie, who has announced that Rock Band 3 is currently under development by Harmonix.  Here’s the important slice:

MCV: So for those tent pole releases, what happens after The Beatles game – what’s coming in 2010? Another major artist game? Or Rock Band 3?

Guthrie: We’re exploring both – and possibly will do both. The Harmonix development team are working on what is effectively the next game, or ‘Rock Band 3’. We aren’t standing still – we will keep moving into new areas and look at new technologies that our platform holder partners are also developing, such as Project Natal from Microsoft. We’re working with them to pull some things together.

Front men sometimes skip 3 and go straight to 4

This is fantastic news for fans of the series although, when you think about it, if Rock Band 3 is coming in 2010, will it be another example of how the sequel will be released before the prior game sees retail in Australia?  Rock Band 2 still hasn’t officially touched Australian shores, and I think MTV Games should really be lifting their game on this one (preferably lifting it into cargo containers and shipping it Down Under).  The interview even mentions how they’re attempting to get away from the hardware sales now and just into software and DLC, so what’s the big problem?

Eh, doesn’t matter, I’ve already got my copy.

Anyway, anyone who is a fan of the music genre should really check this interview out.  Not only for the obvious big news, but also to take a look at the comparison that Guthrie makes between the GH and RB series.  If you ask me, it’s obvious that Harmonix have got their heads screwed on straight, preferring to work with flexible DLC rather than just release a band themed disc every three weeks and expect people to pay full price.  It’s a very interesting contrast.

Yeah, well, same to you Lego rocker

The block-heads at MTV Multiplayer have posted up an exclusive trailer for the upcoming Lego Rock Band, which shows off the rather destructive element that Lego is able to bring to the rhythm game genre.

We haven’t seen too much aroud the web about the title, we’ve all been giggling far too concerned about Guitar Hero: Van Halen, but the trailer looks highly entertaining. Players appear to be able to rock out so hard that they destroy the environment around them. I would guess (just guessing, no facts!) that the amount of destruction caused by your rock is going to be relative to how well you play, kind of like a current-gen Bust-A-Groove. There’s no confirmed complete track listing yet, but I’d be eager to see it when it does.

Lego Rock Band is due out for the final quarter of 2009. Until then, take a look at the trailer, it’s pretty damn cool. Lookit the little Lego hammer-ons!

I heard he can switch a harp faster than kiss a dove

Adding to their list of digital persona appearances in Guitar Hero 5, Activision have circulated a trailer featuring none other than rockabilly legend Johnny Cash.

We’ve known for a while now that “Ring Of Fire” was to be included in the game’s set list, but nothing had been mentioned about playing as the Man in Black himself.

Take a look at the trailer.

In more GH5 news, it’s revealed that a “new” feature has been added called “franchise compatibilty”. The long of short of it is: you know that thing you could do with Rock Band 1 songs, importing them all to Rock Band 2? Well now you can do that with Guitar Hero. Sure it’s unoriginal, but it’s a feature that’s long overdue, so you can only be thankful Activision finally caved on this one. We’re not talking every title here, just World Tour onwards. This is also good news for the chumps who bought Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits, like me, which is also going to be forwards compatible. Maybe it’ll mean I get some value out of that game after all.

It’s been a busy few days as far as simulation rock announcements go, so here’s a recap post to catch you up. I’ll warn you now though, this post is going to include several long lists! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

How do I expert Red Devil?

Although it’s yet to be officially announced, some particularly keen-eyed gamer has noticed a listing on the ESRB for the next track pack for Rock Band. The Rock Band: Metal Track Pack listing includes the lyrics to two songs: Transmaniacon MC by Blue Oyster Cult and D.O.A. by Haunted (EDIT: THE Haunted.  Sorry Stu, you know I respect your collection of metal t-shirts). Couple this with an advance achievements listing on French site SuccesFull, and a few other songs immediately present themselves too:

• Judas Priest – Screaming for Vengence
• Motorhead – Killed by Death
• Hawkwind – Master Of The Universe
• Yngwie Malmsteen – Red Devil
• Nine Inch Nails – Closer
• Evile – Thrasher
• At The Gates – Blinded by Fear
• Guns ‘N’ Roses / Nazareth (can’t be certain on this one yet) – Hair of the Dog
• Lamb Of God – Laid to Rest
• Queens of The Stone Age – 3′s & 7′s

Of course none of these has yet been confirmed, but let’s just say the evidence is certainly stacked high enough.

Caught the next one via Joystiq and was kind of wierded out. Apparently tired of not being taken seriously as rockers with plastic guitars, a group called OpenChord has managed to create a working device that will let you play Guitar Hero/Rock Band using an actual guitar (plugged into a WiiMote). The idea sounds cool, right? Unfortunately, that’s exactly how it doesn’t sound. This would be because note charts displayed for a five fret guitar controller just don’t seem to match up with a real guitar’s fretboard. Strange that. It’s a really neat idea, but I think I’ll stick with my fake Les Paul controller for now. Take a look at OpenChord’s demo of the device.

Scratch: The Ultimate DJ has cleared it’s legal woes with new developer Commotion Interactive taking the reins of the NuMark produced DJ simulator. While it’s been remarked upon that Scratch will definitely hold the technological edge over it’s competitors, with it’s new release date set for early 2010, Activision’s DJ Hero is certainly going to have the advantage of early saturation (and an over-bloated marketing budget too!). Given the difference in controller design, it’s also highly unlikely that we’re going to see peripheral compatibility with the two titles. While it’s great to hear that the game is back on track, it’s going to have to work hard to prove itself to the rhythm game market at large.

Details have also been trickling in for the next band-branded Guitar Hero venture. None of my suggestions made it in. Guitar Hero: Van Halen is due to be released December 22nd this year, just in time for a last minute Christmas present. The full track list has been released, and early reports that the game would contain no Sammy Hagar tracks have been confirmed. Ready for some big lists?

Here’s the Halen:

• Ain’t Talkin Bout Love
• And The Cradle Will Rock
• Atomic Punk
• Beautiful Girls
• Cathedral (solo)
• Dance The Night Away
• Eruption (solo)
• Everybody Wants Some
• Feel Your Love Tonight
• Hang ‘Em High
• Hear About It Later
• Hot For Teacher
• Ice Cream Man
• I’m The One
• Jamie’s Cryin
• Jump
• Little Guitars
• Loss Of Control
• Mean Street
• Panama
• Pretty Woman
• Romeo Delight
• Running With The Devil
• So This Is Love
• Somebody Get Me A Doctor
• Spanish Fly (solo)
• Unchained
• You Really Got Me

And of course, because no-one hates themselves so much to buy a purely Van Halen based game, here’s the rest of the tracks:

• Alter Bridge – Come To Life
• Billy Idol – White Wedding
• Blink-182 – First Date
• Deep Purple – Space Truckin
• Foo Fighters – Best Of You
• Foreigner – Double Vision
• Fountains of Wayne – Stacy’s Mom
• Jimmy Eat World – Pain
• Judas Priest – Painkiller
• Killswitch Engage – The End Of Heartache
• Lenny Kravitz – Rock And Roll Is Dead
• Queen – I Want It All
• Queens of the Stone Age – Sick, Sick, Sick
• Tenacious D – Master Exploder
• The Clash – Safe European Home
• The Offspring – Pretty Fly For A White Guy
• Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life
• Weezer – Dope Nose
• Yellowcard – The Takedown

However, if you’re in Europe, you might not want to go adding GH:VH to your Christmas wish-list just yet, because apparently December 22nd is only the American release date, with the EU release date set at early 2010. Not sure if this will mean that the Australian release will also be set back a little, but let’s face it, December is going to be so chock-a-block full of plastic rock, I’m sure we’re not going to pull our massive hair out if we’re being delayed for a Van Halen themed Guitar Hero.

As a quick editorial, it’s going to take a lot to convince me that GH:VH isn’t a cash grab. The previous band themed Guitar Hero titles have usually only just saved themselves from being universally canned as re-hashed DLC. This run down, to me, seems like exactly that, and given that it’s being released alongside Guitar Hero 5, DJ Hero and Band Hero, maybe Activision should be considering giving the series a rest for a short while. Or it might turn out that people playing Semi-Charmed Life won’t be the only ones singing “I want … something else!”

Rock and Booze: The Ultimate Combination

For the longest time now, prominent rock acts have subsisted on a heavy cocktail of drugs and alcohol to add that layer of excitement and enthusiasm to their performances.  We need only think of great bands like The Doors, Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC and the Eagles to conjure up an image of fantastic rockers who were simultaneously off their faces.

So how would the consumption of alcohol effect those who like to simulation rock?  My hypothesis was that drinking could only have a negative effect on my ability to play accurately.  But, being the scientific lad that I am, I resolved to put it to the test.

Note that this was a completely scientific endeavour, and certainly not something I just did because I like getting drunk for any reason what-so-ever.

To assist me, I gathered my lab assistants Jacalee and Moose, who would document my progress through the experience.  I publish the results here for your edification and study:

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Metaphorically, of course

As it turns out, only a day after complaining about how long it was taking online, Rock Band 2 arrived in my mailbox today. I haven’t had a solid chance to give it a spin yet (I have a previous engagement at a Mexican restraunt to get quite drunk tonight), I’ll be sure to give you my impressions soon.

Mark also promises to get in on the action.

For now all I can tell you is that the game runs fine on an Australian system, and Xbox Live has no problems recognising the disc. My original Rock Band tracks exported just fine (after the 400MP licencing fee), no problems there. So if any of you fine Australians were wondering if it was a feasable option or not, I can say it is.

My only real problem now lies in the fact that Guitar Hero: Metallica is due for pick-up tomorrow. And while I’m at the games shop I’ll probably end up buying something else (pays to be efficient, you know!) to try out. But it looks like it’ll be a stint of music games for the next little while.

Oh well, what are days off work for? I just hope Infinite Undiscovery gets my apology note for having consistently put it aside.

Some time ago it begain plain to Australian gamers that EA Music and MTV Games doesn’t really have much ambition when it comes to our wide brown land. Harmonix’s superbly crafted music game Rock Band was released way back in the mists of yester-year, or the end of 2007 to be more precise, in the US. It then took around a year for a higgelty-piggelty release to reach Australia, and even then it would be with limited stock.

This came as an upset to some, as after getting their hands on the game it could be said that Harmonix had obviously been the inventive half of the team in the early Guitar Hero games. Rock Band took the basics of Guitar Hero and built interesting, useful variations to improve on the basic formula. Some variations, I might add, that Guitar Hero is only just getting around to copying (if the slowly filling star ranking gauge in GH: Metallica is anything to go by).

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As a long time fan of the Guitar Hero/Rock Band franchises, I dutifully pre-ordered my copy of Guitar Hero: Metallica yesterday so I can be playing it as soon as possible. I love Metallica’s music, so I’m looking forward to what the demo presented as quite a compitent addition to the Guitar Hero series. Rock Band: The Beatles is also slated for release this year, and I’ll probably grab that too. Adding to the already published RB: AC/DC Live and GH: Aerosmith, it’s obvious that publishers have found a new, cheap and easy way of expanding their music titles (even though some may argue that the quality of a music release is often in it’s range of different musical tastes).

Band tie-in games are obviously an untapped gold mine for developers, and to prove my point, I give to you 8 band branded music games that I’m sure we’d all like to see: (more…)