Sex, Drugs, Rockband

http://arstechnica.com - While Activision has cashed in on the Guitar Hero name with everything from portable versions of the game to cheap LCD keychain toys, Harmonix and MTV Games have yet to make a questionable move when it comes to releasing spin-off products. This new one may change that… or it may be a strong addition to the franchise. Today it was announced that Rock Band is coming to the PSP with Rock Band Unplugged.

The game will feature a store that will allow gamers to purchase new content using the PSP’s WiFi capabilities, a first for the system. Almost no other details were given, although one site seems to have the scoop on the game. Read on for some juicy rumor.

Primotechnology is claiming to have the full scoop on the game, although the they won’t reveal the source for its information. They claim there will be no peripheral; the game will work using the system’s own buttons. “Instead, all input is handled by the ‘Left,’ ‘Up,’ ‘Triangle,’ and ‘Circle’ buttons. The player can switch between guitar, drums, bass, and ‘vocals’ (although he won’t physically be singing, merely tapping buttons) using the L and R shoulder buttons,” the site claims.
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fragland.net - Viacom and Harmonix are sueing Konami over Rock Revolution, claiming the game violates a patent for game controllers that simulate musical instruments.

The complaint, filed yesterday in federal court in Boston, seeks to block sales of the video game by Tokyo-based Konami, plus cash compensation.
The funny part: in July last year, Konami started a lawsuit against Viacom and Harmonix for… “violating a patent for game controllers that simulate musical instruments” in Rock Band.

These patent lawsuits are becoming a joke!

There hasn’t been much news regarding the Beatles/Rockband merger since the Harmonix-helmed Beatles game was been announced in October. And Beatle fans have been looking for any scrap of information.

Well, the latest comes from one of the band members courtesy of Entertainment Weekly. Here’s what Paul McCartney said on the upcoming game:

QUESTION:Can you tell me about this special Beatles edition of the Rock Band game that’s coming out this fall?
ANSWER: It will feature different periods of the band — you get early days, Liverpool, then psychedelic, and on from there. It’s very cool. And I like the idea that the game introduces kids to music, you know?

I’ve never been a huge Beatles fan, but perhaps, the video game can make me one. It’s what these video games are good at. Guitar Hero and Rock Band have led me to pick up some songs on iTunes …

kotaku.com Earlier this week, Forbes writer Peter C. Beller made a tit of himself when he swallowed some Activision PR and reprinted it in his article on Bobby Kotick. Today, surprisingly, he stands by it.

To recap, in the original piece, Beller called Rock Band a “shameless knockoff” of Guitar Hero, seemingly oblivious of the fact Harmonix designed both games, and equally oblivious of the fact Guitar Hero World Tour is a “shameless knockoff” of Harmonix’s own Rock Band.

Explaining himself to GameDaily, Beller writes:

My terming Rock Band a “shameless knockoff” of Guitar Hero was based on the fact that it came out after Guitar Hero and sported very obvious similarities with Guitar Hero, including color-coded prompts moving onscreen along a fret board. It even accepted the same Guitar Hero guitar controller, I believe.
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mtv.com
Last week, I complained about the lack of holiday-themed DLC for band games.
So I followed up with the makers of “Guitar Hero: World Tour,” “Rock Band” and “Rock Revolution” to see if they had any last-minute holiday songs up their sleeves.
Today, MTV Games and Harmonix are announcing through Multiplayer the December 23 release of the “Rock Band” “Rockin’ the Holidays 2008″ downloadable track pack, which includes three songs: “Hanukkah Blessings” by Barenaked Ladies, “Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You” by Billy Squier and The Pretenders’ version of “Blue Christmas.” Each track will be $.99 (80 Microsoft Points) each or for $2.99 (240 Microsoft Points) for the pack.
Meanwhile, a Konami rep confirmed that “Rock Revolution” will not get any holiday songs. Activision also told me that there won’t be any holiday music available for download for “Guitar Hero: World Tour,” but wanted to remind me that new, exclusive songs for Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana and The Eagles are available this month. And on December 23, players will get three free Reggae tracks from Pepper, Slightly Stoopid and Expendables. (And Patrick did find some homebrew holiday songs on GHTunes created by its players.)
Also, a reader correctly pointed out that “Wii Music” has two Christmas songs: “Jingle Bell Rock” and “O Christmas Tree.”
So will this satisfy your holiday band game needs, or is this too little too late?

Hey fans,
Sorry for the extended hiatus. Personal life gets to ya sometimes, but no worries, I’m back to cure you from your work time boredom.
A lot has happened while I was out…
Harmonix got rich!
No Doubt, Yngwie Malmsteen, The Killers, Dead Kennedys, and Soundgarden tracks released.
Some asshole thought it was a good idea to allow country to be on RB.
And I’m sure much more. I won’t let you down again, life is wonderful… especially when you have sex, drugs, and RockBand!

Harmonix has announced that a seven song pack from Nirvana’s iconic Nevermind album will launch this week for the Rock Band game.

The content pack will include ‘On a Plain’, ‘Lounge Act’, ‘Breed’, ‘Polly’, ‘Stay Away’, ‘Territorial Pissings’ and ‘Something in the Way’, reports Eurogamer.

Xbox 360 owners are able to download the Nirvana pack from today (Tuesday) via Xbox Live, but PS3 owners will have to wait until Thursday to get hold of it.

The pack will cost 880 Microsoft Points (£7.48) from Xbox Live or £6.45 on the PlayStation Network, with individual tracks costing 160 points (£1.36) or 99p respectively.

It will also be compatible with Rock Band 2, which is expected to be released in Europe during December.

This week’s lineup includes a 3-pack from the legendary California punk rock band The Offspring, which features “Gone Away,” “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy),” and “Self Esteem.” The 3-pack joins previously released Rock Band downloadable track “Hammerhead” to make for a total of four Offspring tracks available in the Rock Band library of downloadable content.

In addition to The Offspring 3-pack the following six tracks will also be added to the Rock Band library of downloadable content: Against Me!’s “Stop!,” Free’s “All Right Now,” George Thorogood and the Destroyers’ “Bad to the Bone,” Harvey Danger’s “Cream & Bastards Rise,” Screaming Tree’s “Nearly Lost you” and Static-X’s “Push It.”

Each Track will be available starting October 7, 2008, for the Xbox 360 and October 9, 2008, for PS3. Each track will be available for $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) or $5.49 (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for The Offspring 3-pack.

Release date:

Tuesday, October 7, 2008 (Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360)
Thursday, October 9, 2008 (PlayStationStore)
Tracks:

The Offspring “Gone Away”
The Offspring “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)”
The Offspring “Self Esteem”
Against Me! “Stop!”
Free “All Right Now”
George Thorogood and the Destroyers “Bad to the Bone”
Harvey Danger “Cream & Bastards Rise”
Screaming Trees “Nearly Lost you”
Static-X “Push It”
Price:

$5.49 (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for The Offspring 3-pack
$1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
(All tracks are original master recordings)