Rock Band 3 To Help Us Play Real Guitars?
by Demi Adejuyigbe on November 7, 2009
While I’m sure many of you will just take this news to mean that Rock Band 3 exists in some form, there’s a lot more news here than you’d think. While I assumed Rock Band 3 would just be an expansion of the previous games with a couple of new features, Dhani Harrison tells the Chicago Tribune that that’s not the case. Read more…
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South Park Rock Band Cameo: Cartman Sings Lady Gaga’s Poker Face
by Chad Lakkis on October 29, 2009
Last night’s Southpark episode featured Cartman as Rock Band lead singer proving that, like the baby in the E-Trade commercial, he too has been blessed with the gift of golden pipes.
His stunning rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” is backed up by Kenny and Kyle on Rock Band guitar and drums. I must warn you though, this cover is very catchy and may get stuck in your head for a day or two. You’ve been warned. Read more…
Is There A Line For U2: Rock Band On The Horizon?
by Demi Adejuyigbe on October 7, 2009
Music game and/or U2 fans Rejoice! According to USA Today, Bono and Co. want in on this Magnificent music game business, and they want to do it the Harmonix way.
“We definitely would like to be in there, but we felt some of the compromises weren’t what we wanted,” bassist Adam Clayton tells USA TODAY’s Edna Gundersen. “That could change. I love the idea that that’s where people are getting music, and we’d love to be in that world. We’ll figure something out. What The Beatles have done, where the animation is much more representative of them, is what we’re interested in, rather than the one-size-fits-all animation. We didn’t want to be caricatured.”
I’ve been rather pleased with Harmonix’s track record, but I have no Desire for a U2: Rock Band. That would get Out Of Control quickly. I have no doubt that Harmonix could do it, but it’s a question of whether or not that’s a Bad idea. It would surely start an Unforgettable Fire in the heart of every music fan, but it’s clear this isn’t coming Tomorrow, or even this October, so we still have to hear from Harmonix on the matter. If we’re lucky, HMX will have too much Pride to take this on, but with them at the helm, Rock Band: U2 could be Even Better Than The Real Thing.
I think I went a bit crazy with the puns here. But I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight.
Three Flight of the Conchords songs coming to Rock Band
by Sam Naylor on September 22, 2009
The above video shows the guys from the brilliant Flight of the Conchords promising that three of their songs will be coming to Rock Band in the future. Even though I’ve just told you all the game-related news about the video, still watch it. They’re funny guys.
I hope that they don’t ignore their old album. Tenacious D didn’t release Tribute, their finest song, until last week, despite having one of their new songs in Rock Band 2 as default. Business Time and Humans are Dead are great songs and should be in Rock Band, damnit.
Pink Floyd would consider a music game based on the band
by Sam Naylor on September 16, 2009
Despite drummer Nick Mason’s comments that “It irritates [him] having watched [his] kids do it – if they spent as much time practising the guitar as learning how to press the buttons they’d be damn good by now,” he has expressed that the band could be interested in a Rock Band/Guitar Hero Pink Floyd game. “I think we’d consider it,” he told the BBC. “I think everyone’s looking at new ways of selling the music because the business of selling records has almost disappeared.”
Seems like he’s only in it for the record sales, but to be honest, I don’t care. A Pink Floyd Rock Band game would, to me, be one of the best music games possible. In fact, just a spin-off as simple as “Rock Band: Progressive Rock edition” would be brilliant. Nick Mason lives near to me, so if they say no to this I will go round to his house and give him a good talking-to. (this worked for Daft Punk in DJ Hero, there’s no reason why it can’t work twice).
Via Kotaku
New Trailer & Tracks From The Beatles: Rock Band
by Demi Adejuyigbe on July 20, 2009
September 9th is approaching quickly, and my rush to gather $250 for The Beatles: Rock Band is becoming a lot more difficult, but I’m starting to realize that it’s going to be worth the work.
Today, Harmonix added another trailer to the pre-order club site that is only accessible for people that pre-ordered the game, and the trailer reveals a bunch of new tracks from the Fab Four, including (but not limited to) Revolution, Paperback Writer, and Twist & Shout. But there are a lot more songs than the ones featured in the trailer being revealed soon.
Tomorrow, when all of the previews for the game go online, many new tracks will be revealed, and you can see the list of songs being revealed after the jump. Above is the trailer, so leave your thoughts on it in the comments!
Drink Up, Rock Out: Pepsi Harmonix Rock Band Limited Edition Guitar Giveaway
by Chad Lakkis on June 20, 2009
Big thanks to Pepsi and Harmonix for sending us this 1 of 30 limited edition Rock Band guitars designed by artist Matt Moore. Ripten’s guitar is the Xbox 360 version and numbered 22 of 30. You can enter to win it below by leaving a comment (one per reader) and telling us why you think you should win. Our editors and myself will review the submissions and pick a winner by midnight next Saturday.
In addition to the guitar you can win right here, Pepsi and Harmonix are teaming up for a Drink Up, Rock Out summer promotion. Submit a Rock Band music video of yourself and enter to win an MTV Video Music Award Moonman for “Best Performance in a Pepsi Rock Band Music Video”. If you want a little more immediate gratification, check under the caps of Pepsi bottles for a chance to win one of 5,000 Rock Band downloadable tracks and other cool prizes between now and September 13, 2009.
Drink Pepsi and rock out with your coc…err web cam out.
Rumor: The Beatles: Rock Band Set List Leaked?
by Demi Adejuyigbe on June 14, 2009
As of this point, we’ve seen almost everything The Beatles Rock Band has to offer. The beautiful trailers, the astounding opening cinematic, the gameplay, the screenshots- everything except for the setlist itself. We only know of the ten confirmed songs that played over the opening cinematic for the game, but if the information we just received is correct, then the game’s full setlist is out there- and it’s great.
The rumored setlist features all of the songs that were in the cinematic, from “I Saw Her Standing There” to “Here Comes The Sun”, but features some new Beatles classics such as “Can’t Buy Me Love”, “Help!”, and “Revolution”. There are some songs that were obviously not going to be in the game- piano heavy songs like “Hey Jude” aren’t present, but I’m still ready to plunk down $250 for the full game bundle. (Especially with my current absence of any Rock Band gear.) I’m not going to try and influence you, though- you can make your own decision after viewing the “leaked” setlist after the jump.
[Thanks tazar!]
Read more…
E309: First Trailer for The Beatles: Rock Band
by Demi Adejuyigbe on June 3, 2009
Straight out of E3 today is yet another video for The Beatles: Rock Band, but this time with gameplay. The trailer for the game gives us a good look at some of the visual changes added to The Beatles: Rock Band, namely the psychedelic background visuals, addition of 3-part harmonies, and slight changes to the note boards.
One of the things that kind of irks me about the trailer is the game’s rendition of “Get Back”. It’s a lot different than the one I’m used to, but it still takes place atop the headquarters of Apple Corps. I’m sure I’ll get used to it eventually, but I’d much prefer the version with McCartney’s higher-pitched vocals. Oh, and the trailer’s gorgeous too!
If you care, hit the jump for a list of the songs featured in the trailer, in the order you hear them in. I might be wrong, but this is what I got, and I’m pretty sure it’s right. Read more…
E309: The Opening Cinematic for The Beatles: Rock Band Is The Greatest 2:35 of Game-Related Cinema Ever
by Demi Adejuyigbe on June 3, 2009
There’s really no other way to describe this cinematic, other than to say it’s absolutely fantastic. It’s beautiful. From the style, to the animation, to the music, to the surreal ending, it’s absolutely gorgeous, and it hurts my brain to even think of how much work went into making this on Harmonix’s part. I challenge you all to find a better cinematic than this, because I simply can’t find one.
But enough of me singing it’s praises. Although I knock on Activision for their use of the Guitar Hero franchise, I can’t wait until September 9th, when The Beatles: Rock Band comes out. Although it’s only 45 Beatles songs, as one of the greatest bands ever, I’m sure I’ll have an insane amount of fun with the game. You can look forward to it too, when it hits the PS3, Wii, PS2, and Xbox 360 this September.
The Ed Sullivan Show Set To Be In The Beatles Rock Band?
by Demi Adejuyigbe on May 19, 2009
If you go to the official website for The Beatles: Rock Band, you’ll be treated with two new suprises. One is a entrance section to the preorder club, for those who preordered the game, and the other is a brand new site backdrop, with the sounds of a million screaming fans in the background. But what is that background? Why, it’s the set for the Ed Sullivan Show, of course!
Beatles fans out there surely know just how popular and frequent the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan’s show, so it only makes sense that this stage would appear in the game in some form. Though we don’t have a surefire confirmation, it’s pretty safe to say that the Ed Sullivan Show set will indeed be a stage/arena for you to play in in The Beatles: Rock Band. Click the image above to see the full image.
LEGO Rock Band announced
by Sam Naylor on April 21, 2009
LEGO Rock Band has been officially announced today, after plenty of internet rumours and speculation. The game will ship in “Holiday 2009″ for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and DS. Harmonix and TT Games will be working together for all versions of the game, and Rock Band Unplugged developer Backbone Entertainment will join in the fun for the DS version. Hit the jump for a little more info and a few confirmed tracks (The Final Countdown is in there).
Read more…
First Footage of The Beatles: Rock Band from Paul McCartney at Coachella
by Demi Adejuyigbe on April 18, 2009
As I’m sure you audiophiles know, the annual Coachella music festival is going on right now, with both world famous and seldom-known acts performing on the grand Coachella stage. Today, Paul McCartney played a pretty lengthy set of songs, with “Got To Get You Into My Life” in the middle of it. McCartney’s fans were surprised, though- during “Got To Get You Into My Life”, the backdrop had videos of The Beatles: Rock Band playing over it.
As if hearing Paul McCartney’s dulcet tones at Coachella wasn’t enough, this is actually the first time any footage of The Beatles: Rock Band has ever been shown. Although you couldn’t see any note charts, the footage, which seemed to be of the Beatles in the Rock Band background styling. It’s definitely enough to get the most diehard of Rock Band and Beatles’s fans blood pumping, but be forewarned that the game still has that $250 price tag. Is it worth it?
Hit the jump for the video, though it’s not of the greatest quality, since it’s was filmed by a fan in the crowd.
Harmonix releases kick pedal with double bass adaptor
by Sam Naylor on April 8, 2009
Harmonix and PDP have announced that they will be shipping a kick pedal and double bass pedal adaptor pack for $24.99. The pedal is compatible with all iterations of Rock Band (every console), as well as Guitar Hero: Metallica and Guitar Hero: World Tour.
This is great for those who are either really good at the drums, or those who like to be frustrated by even greater difficulty. It’s a good deal considering that you might have had to shell out for a new drum kit to play the Expert+ mode in GH:Metallica. Oh, and don’t forget, folks, Guitar Hero:Metallica has the Zungre Seal of Approval™.
LEGO Rock Band Confirmed By Harmonix’s Dan Teasdale?
by Demi Adejuyigbe on April 6, 2009
It’s not like we didn’t see this coming, but at least now we have a 100% solid source. Harmonix’s Dan Teasdale published his full presentation from GDC, including a slide that listed every Harmonix game coming out over the next year, including Rock Band for PSP, The Beatles: Rock Band, and Lego Rock Band. Problem is- Lego Rock Band hasn’t yet been announced.
Teasdale got wise to his egregious boner and promptly fixed the PDF, but as with anything posted on the internet, nothing stays hidden. The PDF, though interested in its entirety as well, also holds a bit of information as to the future of the Guitar Hero franchise. Not only did Teasdale reinforce my theory that the Guitar Hero franchise is dead in the water (That’s about 20 games in two and a half years. Christ, Activision! Harmonix only made 3 games in two years!) but he also displayed rumored Guitar Hero games, such as GHDS 4, GHWT Backstage Pass, and Guitar Hero: BH and MC. No idea what either of those acronyms mean, but I can only hope it’s not Buckethead and Motley Crüe.
Of course, since the LEGO cat is out of the bag, what could this game possibly have regarding LEGOs? Hit the jump to find out. Read more…
Rock Band DLC of the Week Includes Journey, Pat Benetar… and Spongebob
by Demi Adejuyigbe on March 29, 2009
I’m sure some people will be upset by this week’s Rock Band offerings, but it’s not as if this is the first time that Harmonix has released Nickelodeon songs. And for those of you that are upset (for reasons unknown) about the Spongebob songs, you can always just skip it and download Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing or even Pat Benetar’s Heartbreaker, which was previously a GHWT exclusive.
As always, songs are 160 MS Points or $1.99, while the Spongebob bundle is up for 440 MS Points or $5.50. Though, I should note that the song in the video isn’t in the game. Even if it were, it’s a David Glen Eisley song. Hit the jump for the full list of this week’s song releases.
Playing “Still Alive” On A Theremin Is Sure To Get You Props
by Demi Adejuyigbe on January 5, 2009
Gamers have accomplished some very amazing things with musical instruments. I’ve seen a man beatbox while playing the Super Mario Bros. theme on the flute, I’ve seen someone perform the Tetris theme with a tesla coil, and I’ve even seen a man play the Legend of Zelda theme on his hands. But this, my friends, is a first. Not only did an aspiring gamer manage to play the Portal anthem “Still Alive” on a theremin- he managed to input this play into Rock Band.
In the video above, you’ll see YouTube user conquerearth manage to play Portal’s “Still Alive” on a theremin, an instrument that measures the movement of your hand in the air to make sounds. Of course, with a theremin, the only way to hear the sound is through headphones, so the musician managed to put the headphones right over his Rock Band microphone and score a 138,685 5-star run, with 95% on Expert in the process. Impressive!
Though he doesn’t have any other videos of what he calls “Theremin Hero” in his YouTube channel, you can see him play some other amazing songs on the theremin, including the Zelda theme, the Halo 3 Title Screen music, and Epona’s Song (Ocarina of Time) all on his channel.
Rumor: Next Traveler’s Tales LEGO™ Game Is.. LEGO™ Rock Band?
by Demi Adejuyigbe on January 3, 2009
Every once in a while, we here at Ripten come across barbaric rumors that seem too good to be true, and othertimes, too strange to be true. Sure, there are some weird rumors that have turned out to be true- the Beatles in Rock Band, Street Fighter IV LBP DLC, and even Punch-Out! for the Wii- but I don’t see any way this rumor could be true. According to VG247, Traveler’s Tales is currently hard at work, making a LEGO™ Rock Band game.
I don’t see how this would be in any way different from regular Rock Band game, except for the addition of LEGO™ singers and note charts, but I don’t think that justifies a game. I’d probably just write this off as another joke if it weren’t for VG247’s source assuring them that they are 100% correct. I guess we’ll just have to wait for further comment from Traveler’s Tales or MTV Games.
One thing you could probably say for sure: If this game exists, it’s final song has to be ‘Brick House’ by the Commodores.
Source: Videogaming24/7
Geeked-Out: Radiohead, NES-Style
by Dan Landis on December 17, 2008
Ever wonder what Radiohead’s song ‘Creep’ would sound like pumping through the digital soundsystem of a classic NES? Wonder no more, because it would sound pretty much exactly like what it does here. Read more…
Rock Out with Jack Black Tonight on Xbox Live
by Dan Landis on December 3, 2008
As part of Microsoft’s Game With Fame program, Jack Black and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D will be rocking out in Rock Band 2 tonight on Xbox Live. And the best part is, you can play with them! Read more…
