EA, Harmonix and MTV Games have announced a new expansion for Rock Band in the form of Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2. Filled with 20 songs previously offered as DLC, this disc will be offered up for Wii, 360, PS3, and PS2. The disc can be played as a standalone game, or 360 and PS3 users can import the content into their hard drive similar to the process of bringing original Rock Band songs into Rock Band 2.

Hit the jump for pricing and full song list.

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We previously reported that The Beatles would be coming to Rock Band 2 based on what the Wall Street Journal Online deemed information from “several people familiar with the matter”. Unfortunately, those individuals apparently weren’t familiar enough.

The reality of the situation is still pretty cool for gamers and hardcore fans of the group, as a deal for an undisclosed amount has been struck between MTV and Apple Corps. Ltd. to create a stand-alone Beatles game due to come out during next years holiday season. Read more…

Holy shit. The (remaining, R.I.P.), Beatles have just licensed a number of their songs to Rock Band. If you’re still out of the loop, this would just be the most popular DLC to date. On top of that, it’s revolutionary (especially for Harmonix & EA) because The Beatles never license their songs to anyone. You can’t even buy their music on iTunes, and Apple’s been trying for years.

The following is a quote from the Wall Street Journal which broke the news:

The Beatles have licensed songs to MTV Networks’ Rock Band videogame series, according to several people familiar with the matter, a coup for the Viacom Inc. unit in its battle with rival Activision Inc. for supremacy in the world of rock and roll video games.

How Harmonix & MTV Music managed to swing this (rumor has it that all they needed was love.), I’ll never know, but somewhere, Steve Jobs is sitting in his eggshell white iFortress crying. I’m sure the Guitar Hero: World Tour development team will soon join him, cymbals in tow, for this is also a huge blow to GHWT, whose launch has produced relatively unfavorable results. I, on the other hand, spent the past 30 minutes trying to seep Beatles puns into this post, and failed miserably. Help! Hit the jump for the press release. Read more…

Seven classic Nirvana songs are set to release as downloadable content for Rock Band and Rock Band 2. Costing the usual 160 Microsoft Points (or $1.99) per song, the DLC will be available starting October 21 for Xbox 360 and October 23 for PS3. Another option would be to pick up the Nirvana Track Pack for a modest discount, getting all seven songs for 880 Microsoft Points (or $10.99). So, what’s on the playlist? Why, these effing songs right here:

• Breed
• Lounge Act
• On a Plain
• Polly
• Something in the Way
• Stay Away
• Territorial Pissings

When the hell are we gonna get some Teen Spirit?

Hey look up there! It’s me; I’m so famous! I’m in this band called Your Favorite Constellation, you’ve probably heard of us. No? Probably because we’re not a real band, just a Rock Band…band. But if I chose, I could make myself into an collectible figure, which obviously means I’m famous.

Now you can feel as cool as I do and get all sorts of customized gear for for your plastic instrument-wielding band in Rock Band’s newly launched Merch Store. From cheap stuff like keychains ($3) to full on customized Bandmates™ figures ($69) the store has everything you need to promote your virtual band. Read more…

If you grew up listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers like I did, then the headline will make sense to you — if not, here you go.

Rock Band 2 owners will be able to power up their Xbox 360 and download the entire Blood Sugar Sex Magik DLC for 1,600MS Points from XBL. In other words — what XBL got “you got to get it put it in you.” Yeah, I know that song isn’t from BSSM, but I wanted to say it anyway.

So many great tracks in this one album like “Breaking the Girl”, “Under the Bridge”, and a favorite of one of my ex girlfriend’s, “Sir Psycho Sexy”. I wonder if she was trying to tell me something…

Hit the jump for the full track list. Read more…

For anyone that’s ever thought “Where the hell am I supposed to put this drum kit?” after a long Rock Band session, Mad Catz has the solution for you. Take away all that plastic that makes the drum kit so bulky (and also allows it to, you know, act like a drum kit) and what you are left with is the drum pads themselves, a kick pedal, and the pseudo-controller. Mad Catz calls this the “Portable Drum Kit”. Genius! Read more…

In an effort to promote the just-released Rock Band 2 (and the Rock Band experience in general), EA/Harmonix/MTV decided to take the show on the road. Up on the stage at the York Fair in York, Pennsylvania, I got my first taste of Rock Band 2 this past weekend, and it was sweet. Read more…

These instruments getting all “compatible” with each other borders on pornographic.

Harmonix, Neversoft, Konami, and Activision have all signed an agreement with Microsoft and Sony that guaranteed that all of the new peripherals coming out for the newest batch of music games would all be compatible with each other. Read more…

When most people get stuck with something they don’t like, they just sit in their own filth and complain about it. Some people, however, like this guy over at eDrums.info, take matters into their own hands.

Not everyone likes the Rock Band drums, understandably. This guy really didn’t like them, so instead of just posting “Harmonix are full of lose” on a forum, he decided to MacGyver it and whip up his own set of RB drums with some everyday materials and a whole lot of ingenuity. He uses lots of wood, some cut up buckets, window mesh, and guts the Harmonix drums to make his own kit - and the end result seems responsive, a lot quieter, and looks like a whole lot of fun. They’ll even double as the real thing if you hook them up to a drum module.

Check them out in action, playing “I Think I’m Paranoid,” in a video after the jump. Read more…

Back when Rock Band first debuted, Xbox 360 users were pleased to find out that their Guitar Hero instruments were compatible with their Rock Band sets, and vice versa. Unfortunately, PS3 users became accustomed to getting the shaft when Activision refused to let the Fender Stratocaster to work with any of the future or past Guitar Hero titles.

Today, Neversoft announced at Leipzeig that all GHWT instruments will be compatibile with their Rock Band companions. Neversoft’s Brian Bright even went into details on how drum compatibility would work, due to the difference in the amount of pads- the orange pad, the crash cymbal, will map to the blue pad, but if a note is there already, it will map to the green pad instead. Yeah, I don’t get it either. Read more…

This fall, Rock Band is going on tour, and you could have a chance to rock out with your plastic controller out in front of a live audience full of hipsters and emo kids. Rock Band Live features Panic at the Disco (isn’t there an exclamation point in there somewhere?), Dashboard Confessional, Plain White T’s and The Cab, along with local rockers jamming out with Rock Band [bold] on-stage between acts. [end bold]

This is your chance to impress the ladies with your furious button pressing and karaoke singing, but only if you’re lucky enough to live in one of the cities on the tour. Hit the jump for the full tour list, and info on how you can take your living room act on stage with real musicians – and wail even harder (if that’s possible.) Read more…

According to Kotaku, a “friendly retail tipster” sent them a few photos of what appears to be their retail screens — showing off the release dates for the Rock Band 2 game on each console.

The images point to the 360 version hitting stores 9/14, PS3 on 10/19, and Wii on 11/18.

Of course, all of this information (if true) is subject to change at any time. What likely won’t change anytime soon is the trend of corporations buying timed exclusives. I personally hate it, but I guess it’s good business to slit the throats of your competition.

Source: Kotaku

I can’t do that shit. I suck. I can barely bang out an Easy song on drums. This guy totally grabs all the rock manliness I ever hoped to attain in my life and wipes turds on it. All I can hope to achieve now is to have lots of sex with my hot wife. On that note… Read more…

Not content with the plastic miniature guitar you’re forced to use when you pretend rock out? Well, if you’re a PS2 or 3 owner with an extra $180 lying around, you can pick up this new wooden guitar that works with Rock Band and all of the Guitar Hero games. Read more…

We reported yesterday that Konami had filed a suit against the makes of Rock Band, claiming that Harmonix, MTV, and parent company Viacom, violated patents filed by Konami dating back to 2002 and 2003.

Today, Harmoix swung back at Konami, as a company spokesperson stated:

“Konami’s actions are extremely surprising. Unfortunately, successful products such as Rock Band can often become targets for baseless litigation … We have substantial defenses to this claim and intend to vigorously defend it.”

I smell a corporate rock off in the making! An epic battle, to be fought with plastic guitars and scaucer shaped drum kits! Extra points go to the first executive from either side that grows their hair out and adopts a “nothing but full body spandex will do” clothing policy.

Source: Game|Life

Drummania and Guitar Freaks — totally different from Rock Band.

Konami has filed a lawsuit against Harmonix, MTV Networks, and their parent company Viacom over alleged infringement in the Rock Band videogame.

Konami is claiming that Rock Band violates patents it filed way back in 2002 and 2003 that cover simulated musical instruments and a “musical-rhythm matching game”. Read more…

Rock Band 2 was one of my greatest fears, or rather, having to buy new instruments and worrying about all my downloadable content was. Thankfully, it seems both of these issues have been deftly avoided by the Harmonix team.

Oh, and the game ships for 360 in September. Read more…

Rock Band fans can add to their growing collection of music by downloading The Cars’ 1978 self-titled debut album. Downloads will be available Tuesday, May 27 on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and Thursday, May 29 at the Playstation Store. Read more…

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has let slip that future iterations of the Guitar Hero franchise will embrace multiple instruments. Read more…