The newest installment of the once loved chain of video games, Rock Band, will supposedly be a whole world away from the previous versions.  Since beginning the series, the games have slowly declined in popularity partly due to it being one of the most expensive games currently out as well as Activision beating a dead horse and releasing a new “version” of the game every month.  Don’t be surprised when you read the next sentence: There won’t be another Rock Back or Guitar Hero this year!  Guitar hero is now on the back burner, but Rock Band isn’t.  The year break from releasing games is a break to redesign the games, not introduce a new instrument.

Harmonix’s realization of the steady decline in popularity forced them to sit in the dark for a while and rethink what is popular now-a-days.  “In the longer term, looking into next year, we’re actually considering fairly fundamental creative reinterpretation of what the Rock Band business is,” Rigopulos said. “We’re committed to the franchise, but when I think that when we do things with it in the future, it’s going to be a pretty dramatic departure from what we’ve done before.”

“We do have plans on where we’re going to go with Rock Band and how we plan to expand it,” he said. “All I’ll say for now is that it isn’t what you think. You might assume we’re going to add saxophone or something along those lines, but no, the kind of direction we’re planning on taking Rock Band, the kind of innovation we have in mind, is taking it in a different direction, one that’s more suitable to the kind of environment we’re in, what people are doing now, what they’re interested in playing now, versus, say, 2007.” We can only guess what direction Harmonix is taking this franchise.  Hopefully its in a new, awesome, and innovative one.

Rock Band 3 really blurs the line between video game and musical training software. With this latest installment, you can play songs with very realistic instruments. Namely the guitar, drums and keyboard. So lets say you’re someone that already plays the keyboard or drums, or perhaps you’re just learning. Either way, imagine that you have your own instrument. Do you really want to go drop even more money for a cheaper version just to play with the game? Likely not. Well now you don’t have to.

The new Mad Catz Midi Pro Adapter allows you to plug in a MIDI keyboard or drum kit directly to your console (Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360) and have it recognized as a pro instrument for the game. Each adapter will feature the necessary buttons and d-pad that will allow you to navigate the game’s menus. The Wii and PS3 versions are now shipping with the Xbox 360 version following closely behind. Each will retail for $40.

MadCatz

Rock Band has been a favorite here at the GamerFront office since before the original was released. We’ve spent countless hours rocking out to our favorite tracks, and are eagerly awaiting the release of the third installment of the series (well, third could be arguable, but we’re going off of games with an actual number in them here).  Thankfully we haven’t too much longer to wait, and Harmonix has just dropped the full setlist for both the console and DS versions of the game. Check it out:

2000s:
·         Amy Winehouse, “Rehab”
·         At the Drive-In, “One Armed Scissor”
·         Avenged Sevenfold, “The Beast & the Harlot”
·         Dover, “King George”
·         The Bronx, “False Alarm”
·         The Flaming Lips, “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1”
·         HIM (His Infernal Majesty), “Killing Loneliness”
·         Hypernova, “Viva La Resistance”
·         Ida Maria, “Oh My God”*
·         Juanes, “Me Enamora”
·         Metric, “Combat Baby”*
·         Paramore, “Misery Business”*
·         Phoenix, “Lasso”*
·         Poni Hoax, “Antibodies”
·         Pretty Girls Make Graves, “Something Bigger, Something Brighter”
·         Queens of the Stone Age, “No One Knows”
·         The Ravonettes, “Last Dance”
·         Rilo Kiley, “Portions for Foxes”*
·         Riverboat Gamblers, “Don’t Bury Me…I’m Still Not Dead”
·         Slipknot, “Before I Forget”
·         The Sounds, “Living in America”
·         Tegan & Sara, “The Con”
·         Them Crooked Vultures, “Dead End Friends”
·         Tokio Hotel, “Humanoid”*
·         The Vines, “Get Free”*
·         The White Stripes, “The Hardest Button to Button”*
1990s:
·         Faith No More, “Midlife Crisis”*
·         Filter, “Hey Man, Nice Shot”
·         Jane’s Addiction, “Been Caught Stealing”*
·         Maná, “Oye Mi Amor”
·         Marilyn Manson, “The Beautiful People”
·         The Muffs, “Outer Space”
·         Phish, “Llama”
·         Primus, “Jerry Was a Racecar Driver”
·         Rammstein, “Du Hast”
·         Smash Mouth, “Walkin’ On The Sun”*
·         Spacehog, “In the Meantime”
·         Stone Temple Pilots, “Plush”
·         Swingin’ Utters, “This Bastard’s Life”
1980s:
·         Anthrax, “Caught in a Mosh”
·         Big Country, “In a Big Country”
·         The Cure, “Just Like Heaven”*
·         Def Leppard, “Foolin’”
·         Devo, “Whip It”
·         Dio, “Rainbow in the Dark”
·         Dire Straits, “Walk of Life”
·         Echo & the Bunnymen, “The Killing Moon”
·         Huey Lewis and the News, “The Power of Love”
·         INXS, “Need You Tonight”*
·         J. Geils Band, “Centerfold”
·         Joan Jett, “I Love Rock N’ Roll”*
·         Night Ranger, “Sister Christian”*
·         Ozzy Osbourne, “Crazy Train”*
·         The Police, “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”
·         Roxette, “The Look”*
·         The Smiths, “Stop Me if You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”
·         Tears for Fears, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”
·         Whitesnake, “Here I Go Again”*
1970s:
·         The B-52’s, “Rock Lobster”*
·         Blondie, “Heart of Glass”
·         Bob Marley, “Get Up, Stand Up”
·         Chicago, “25 or 6 to 4”
·         Deep Purple, “Smoke on the Water”
·         Doobie Brothers, “China Grove”*
·         Elton John, “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”
·         Foreigner, “Cold As Ice”*
·         Golden Earring, “Radar Love”
·         John Lennon, “Imagine”
·         Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird”
·         Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody”*
·         Ramones, “I Wanna Be Sedated”
·         Steve Miller Band, “Fly Like an Eagle”
·         T. Rex, “20th Century Boy”
·         Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “I Need to Know”
·         War, “Low Rider”
·         Warren Zevon, “Werewolves of London”
·         Yes, “Roundabout”*
1960s:
·         Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations (Live)”
·         David Bowie, “Space Oddity”
·         The Doors, “Break on Through (To the Other Side)”*
·         James Brown, “I Got You” (I Feel Good) – Alternate Studio Version
·         The Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Crosstown Traffic”*
·         The Who, “I Can See for Miles”

*Songs available on Rock Band 3 for Nintendo DS

I think the two songs I’m most excited about seeing are ‘Radar Love’ and ‘The Hardest Button to Button.’ Of course there are a ton of great tracks. October 26th can’t get here fast enough.

To say that I’m a fan of rhythm games such as Rock Band would be an understatement. I’ve owned each game, a bunch of instruments and bought tons of DLC. I will however admit that the games are starting to grow a little stale these days. New songs are great, but the excitement just isn’t there like it used to be. I can’t remember the last time someone had a Rock Band/Guitar Hero party, and it’s no longer the staple of my weekly gaming sessions with the gang. So the question is how to renew interest in the genre. Activision has chosen to simply release as many Guitar Hero titles as possible, which proves only to increase the number of discs you must swap to play. Harmonix, on the other hand, has decided that band themed games might just do the trick.

Yes, we’ve seen standalone band-themed games already. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and Metallica weren’t exactly a failure in my book, but they just didn’t feel complete. Sure, the models seemed alright, and there was some story included. However, the fact that the games were littered with songs from other artists just turned me off. If I buy a game with a band’s name on it, I really expect to be playing their songs, not stuff from people they toured with.

This isn’t even Harmonix’s first venture in the single-band titles. If GH:Aerosmith didn’t feel complete, then I wouldn’t even call the AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack a game. Hell, they even call it a ‘Track Pack’. This was a standalone title that featured a measly 18 songs from one live performance. There were no new character models, no special venues, no story, nothing. The only reason this was worth buying was because you could then import the music into your Rock Band library and play it without inserting the disc. The music was good, but nothing that couldn’t have easily been DLC.

So with two band-only titles out there that weren’t exactly marked with high praises, why would Harmonix give it another go? Because this time they had one of the greatest bands in the history of rock to work with: The Beatles. Nothing against AC/DC, but when you have the opportunity to create a game based around The Beatles, you’re going to put every ounce of creative ability to work on it. Harmonix did just that, and it paid off.

Being in my mid-20′s, The Fab Four stopped making music together well before I was even born. That didn’t stop me from growing up hearing their songs, and knowing people my own age who were struck with Beatlemania. Of course growing up in a musical family also gave me a deep appreciation for what the group contributed to modern music.

Now that I’ve rambled on for a good long while, lets just dive into the game. First, let me say that The Beatles: Rock Band is first true single-band game game in the genre. It includes only tracks from the group, exquisitely detailed character models of each member, and some of the most beautiful venues to be seen in a rhythm title.

This is the first Rock Band game where they have included playable characters based on real people. I have to say that they pulled it off rather well. The level of dedication to detail is obvious, and the the fact that they worked closely with Paul, Ringo and the widows of George and John is apparent. There are no people in this world who know the movements and details of each person than these four. The different costumes and hairstyles used throughout the game are certainly a nice touch.

When I play Rock Band, I pay very little attention to what’s going on in the background. Sure, my customized character is there rocking out on a stage, but I could really care less while I’m playing. As a spectator, it does very little to keep me entertained. This is most definitely not the case here. Each of the venues is a beautiful reproduction of the most famous Beatles performances.

Of course the group eventually stopped touring and became a studio band. Since there were no real venues to use, Harmonix instead opted to create what they call ‘Dreamscapes’. These fantasmical visual representations of each song are awe-inspiring. The imagery used strikes an emotional chord on par with the music it represents. Usually I don’t enjoy being the person in the group waiting out a few songs so that someone else can play. However, I made it a point to sit out for a while just so I could truly appreciate the visuals.

The game has 45 Beatles songs to play, which is obviously its biggest feature. I can imagine that narrowing down the selection was one of the more difficult parts of the design process, as there are so many great ones to choose from. For the most part, I’d say that they did a good job, though there were a few more obscure ones that I could have passed on, and plenty that I wish they’d have included. There will be plenty of DLC, so no worries there. I’d also like to state for the record that Yellow Submarine has been banned from being played in my house. It’s an iconic song that really had to be included, but no one I played with (all huge Beatles fans) wanted to play it a second time.

As for the gameplay itself, it plays pretty much like Rock Band 2. A game with ‘Rock Band’ in the title that plays just like Rock Band, big shocker, right? There are some noticeable differences. First, the ‘No Fail Mode” is found on the same page where you select your difficulty level. As a bonus, if anyone selects Easy, then No Fail Mode is automatically enabled. This was done largely in part because they’re aiming this game at casual players that may or may not have ever played a rhythm title. It does nothing to hinder the enjoyment of the game, and even instills a bit of confidence in newcomers.

Of course if you’ve been playing Rock Band and Guitar Hero for a few years, you’ll probably discover that the songs are relatively easy. I’m really not sure what else to say here, except that Harmonix stayed true to the music. Every song is beautiful and amazing in its own way, and they did nothing to artificially increase the difficulty. Honestly, you spend less time concentrating on wild guitar strumming, and more time just enjoying the music.

The biggest change comes in the way of how vocals are done. In order to stay true to the music, you are allowed up to three vocalists on each song. You get to select whether you’d like to sing the Solo parts, or Harmonies. Each has a separate line to follow, and specific lyrics to sing. When I first heard about this, I was rather indifferent, as it just meant more people poorly singing along to the music. However, after playing for a while, it really does add a new dimension to the game.

As for extras, there are plenty to be found and unlocked. One particular one that I thought I should point out is the “Realistic” mode that can be found in the options. Now how would one make a Beatles performance more “realistic” you ask? With a crowd that is so loud you can barely hear yourself play. That’s no joke, The Beatles complained about that very thing when they toured and the guys over at Harmonix gave them a little hat tip with this feature.

I could probably go on about this game for several more paragraphs, but I’ll wrap this up now. There is only one question you have to ask yourself. Do you love The Beatles? If you answered ‘yes’, then I can almost guarantee that you will enjoy this game. Not only will you enjoy strumming, drumming and singing along with these classic tracks, but you’ll be re-living the music in a whole new way. If you’re not a Beatles fan, then this probably isn’t the game for you. It’s fun to play along with, but 45 songs from a band you don’t particularly care for is bound to get old fast.

If you like the guys that fight the foo, then you’ll definitely be excited about this week’s offerings on Rock Band. Not only do we have a three back from the Foo Fighters, but Blur, Blind Melon and others show up as well. Check out the full list below.

• Blind Melon – “No Rain”
• Blur – “There’s No Other Way”
• Dropkick Murphys – “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”
• Eve 6 – “Inside Out”
• Foo Fighters – “All My Life”
• Foo Fighters – “I’ll Stick Around”
• Foo Fighters – “Lonely as You”
• Kaiser Chiefs – “I Predict a Riot”

The Foo Fighters tracks will be available in a pack for $5.49, or you can pick up any of the songs listed individually for $2.

When Apathy and I were at E3 we were shown things that we unfortunately could not talk about. That’s just the way things work,  but today the embargo was lifted on one particular item. You’ve seen the review of the Starpex controller from Peak. Vostromus is still in love with it, but I’m not quite as big of a fan. It’s a little bigger than I’d like, and the buttons are spaced out a lot further than I’d like. Regardless, there’s just something about rocking out with a “real” guitar in your hands. Well Logitech released their first such guitar controller for the PS3 earlier this year, and have just announced an Xbox 360 version.

Apathy and I had a chance to spend a little time with the Logitech gang and play with the new controller. The first thing that should be noted is that it is an officially licensed wireless controller for the 360. No wires, no dongles, it works just as well as your standard controller. The body is solid, and the neck is crafted from rosewood. From afar this could easily be mistaken for a real (if small) guitar.

The weight of the guitar was about at that perfect spot between too heavy and too light. It felt good to hold, the buttons were spaced properly and very responsive. Your Star Power activation (select button) is crafted to look just like a pickup, which is perfectly positioned for easy use.

We weren’t able to spend a lot of time with the controller, but it seems to be a solid guitar. I’m definitely looking forward to getting my hands on one when they are released later this year. The MSRP is right at $199.

[ Logitech ]

Last week Guns N’ Roses latest album “Chinese Democracy” hit the PSN.  After searching around I found there were a couple of tracks I liked and decided to pick up the album and see what it had going for it. Overall I am gonna say that I enjoyed this album and the guitar parts are challenging but still really fun to play.

The drums and bass also sound like quite a bit of fun and for the vocals, well…I am sure the true Axl Rose fans will appreciate his lyrical stylings. After playing through the album a couple of times on expert guitar I can say I feel pretty justified for my purchase.  There are a couple of tracks that will keep some poor person up for a few nights trying to get those 100% FCs. Here’s my favorite picks:

1. Better
2. There Was a Time
3. Riad n’ the Bedouins (There are parts in this where I am not sure whats going on!)
4. Sorry
5. If the World

Usually I make it a rule to stay away from albums that I can’t find at least 3 songs I really like.  The rest are good as well and there are a couple that could grow on me.  If you’re a die hard for those “IMPOSSIBLE” guitar songs like me then “Better”,”There Was a Time”, and “Riad n’ the Bedouins” are hard to pass up. I would highly suggest at least checking out those three.

If you haven’t gotten around to playing one of the games in the recent Lego franchise (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Batman) I really do advise it. Those games might be aimed at kids, but they’re still a blast to play. Later this year, we will have another addition to the series which, despite the rumors that were floating around a few weeks back, caught me a bit by surprise. I’m talking about Lego Rock Band.

That’s right, we had Lego games based on movies and comics, and now we have one based on another game. Crazy. There aren’t a lot of details out just yet, but we know that it will be “Family-Friendly” and you can “Build a Band and Rock the Universe.” The release date is a hazy “holiday 2009” with consoles being listed as Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and DS.

Five tracks have also been announced:

• Blur “Song 2”
• Carl Douglas “Kung Fu Fighting”
• Europe “The Final Countdown”
• Good Charlotte “Boys and Girls”
• Pink “So What”

The album that was 15 years in the making and sold over 3,000,000 copies is now coming to your PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 in the next issue of weekly downloadable content for Rock Band. There are 13 tracks selling for 160 points or a couple dollars each or you can buy the whole album for 1600 points or $20. For the Wii they are selling each track for 200 points.

Chinese Democracy:

1. Chinese Democracy
2. Better
3. Street of Dreams
4. If the World
5. There Was a Time
6. Catcher in the Rye
7. Riad n’ the Bedouins
8. Sorry
9. I.R.S.
10. Madagascar
11. This I Love
12. Prostitute

Pro Tip, tracks 2, 8, and 10 have Buckethead listed as one of the writers for those songs, so they ought to be interesting. Lastly, for those of you that care, these are all master tracks. Wii and 360 players can get these tracks and the album come Tuesday, PS3 users, you gotta wait ’til Thursday to get the album.

Source

Despite my love for Rock Band, I’ve on several occasions become annoyed trying to figure out how to store all of the controllers.  I’m one of those people that prefers things to have a spot where they can be stored out of sight.  This isn’t the first time someone has created an ottoman style item to store gaming accessories within.  However, this is the first I’ve seen to offer a solution for the full set of Rock Band controllers.  With this ottoman you could store away two guitars, a microphone, a foot pedal and the set of drums.  The drums actually have a lift to make it so that you play the drums from within the ottoman.  The ottoman measures 38in long by 22in wide and 17in tall.  You can purchase it on Amazon for $199.

Source: ChipChick