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• Lego... Rock Band?

  April Fools' Day was nearly a week ago, so we've all had quite a few days to let our guards down and start accepting everything at face value again. I was lucky enough to not fall for some elaborately-crafted hoax this year, which is why it's hard for me to take a recent 1UP news story without the requisite grain of salt. But, given the calendar date, it seems that Lego Rock Band, a new installment in Harmonix's smash-hit music series, may actually be in the works. The only evidence we have at this point is an older version of Harmonix's GDC presentation slides accidentally posted to the Internet, which seemingly confirm the game's existence. According to 1UP, [T]his slide was among a batch that was sent for "speech approval" by Harmonix senior designer Dan Teasdale for his GDC presentation, "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap: Design Lessons Learned From Rock Band," but never shown. According to [Harmonix senior designer Dan] Teasdale's blog, they resurfaced when Think Services posted the earlier versions by mistake. They seem to confirm the existence of Lego Rock Band, which was apparently set to be unveiled last Friday at GDC, but never materialized. If it's indeed real, it will evidently be arriving later this year between Rock Band: Unplugged and The Beatles Rock Band. So, what exactly does Lego have to do with Rock Band? To be fair, the interlocking blocks are just as relevant to Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Read More... Posted Apr 07 2009, 12:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: rock band, harmonix, bob mackey, rock band 2, music games, gdc 2009, lego

• Rock Band Takes a Step in the Right Direction

  The title of this post may be a bit misleading; after all, Rock Band has consistently improved on the music game genre since its inception. But it looks like the series is going to continue with its tradition of excellence by washing its hands (temporarily, anyway) of the assumed-to-be-mandatory yearly installment. According to a Crispy Gamer CES report, Harmonix co-founder and CEO Alex Rigopolous said just as much during a keynote interview: “We’ve actually made a choice to break out of the annual release cycle for Rock Band this year,” Rigopolous told the assembled press and industry members. “[This is] partly because the annual cycle places limits on the choices you can make as a developer. We’re trying to take a long term view.” Of course, Alex Rigopolous shouldn't exactly be made the patron saint of music gaming; after all, Harmonix is hard at work on their upcoming Beatles game, which may include a bevy of new plastic instruments to take up space in your home. Read More... Posted Jan 12 2009, 02:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: rock band, harmonix, bob mackey, rock band 2, economy

• The Band Joins the Plumber: Nintendo’s Strategy Finally Bears Its Sweetest Fruit

  It’s pretty amazing how effective Satoru Iwata’s business plan for Nintendo has been since he took over as company president earlier this decade. I’m not even talking about the company’s focus on videogames for broader, specifically family, audiences. No, it’s how Nintendo has, under Iwata’s direction, created a line of games that don’t need annual sequels or iterations to be successful. Just one, quality, iconic game, that continues to sell to alongside your hardware. There won’t be another Wii Smash Bros. because Brawl is never going to stop selling and chances are there won’t be a New Super Mario Bros. 2, because the first one continues to do gangbusters at retail. It may not always make me the happiest person in the world — like everyone else who plays way too many games, I’m always hungry for the next new thing and, yes, the next sequel — but I have to admire it, and celebrate its positive effect on the business of videogames broadly. I see Nintendo’s influence in Alex Rigupulos’s comments at this year’s CES conference. The Harmonix CEO let slip that there wouldn’t be yet another iteration of Rock Band in 2009. This is great news, for Rock Band fans and videogames broadly. Read More... Posted Jan 09 2009, 06:30 PM by John Constantine with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: nintendo, ea, wii, super smash bros brawl, harmonix, satoru iwata, smash bros, rock band 2, new super mario bros 2, rock band 3, alex rigupulos

• My Top 10 of 2008 in No Particular Order: Rock Band 2

  It's the end of another year, and that can only mean one thing: it's list season. Inevitably, you're going to see top ten lists by the thousands; and, as an official member of the enthusiast press, I'm afraid I can't violate my directive. But, to make things a little more interesting, I've decided to assemble my 10 favorite games of this year in non-hierarchical form because--let's face facts--it's hard to pick a favorite. And unlike other top 10 lists, this one will be doled out to you in piecemeal for only one more excruciating day! Please enjoy. I used to refer to games like Guitar Hero as the video game equivalent of going on a car ride with your dad. And for the most part, this was true; when your most hated of music genres is overplayed classic rock, the proposition of picking up a plastic axe and thrashing away to the soundtrack of the worst radio stations on earth was not exactly an enticing one.  So, being the curmudgeon that I was (and am), I ignored the modern music game based on my prejudices alone--and the fact that I never wanted to hear Lynard Skynard or Journey again for the rest of my life.  Little did I know that the fine folks at Harmonix were hard at work on a music game that could appeal to people beyond the demographic of classic rock jockeys. But after doing some research of my own, and getting astoundingly drunk, I was finally able to realize the wonders of Rock Band 2.  And now I can never go back. Read More... Posted Dec 22 2008, 12:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: music, rock band, harmonix, bob mackey, rock band 2, music games

• Joe’s Top Ten Games of 2008 – Part Three

  The official mandate has come down from the top—that it is December, and we all write about games, so we all have to pick some arbitrary number of them that we enjoyed above all others this year. I am taking on this task in the way of our forefathers, using their traditional number (10) and order (from great to most greatest). Games were chosen for this list using a highly scientific list of criteria, including but not limited to dopamine levels, blood alcohol content, darts, and how well the box art fit into my photo mosaic of Satoru Iwata. Today is #4-#2.   4. No More Heroes I don’t think I’ve ever cackled with glee more often at a game than I have at No More Heroes. It’s the ultimate otaku fantasy simulator, and it revels in obsession and bombast. It’s also the ultimate otaku simulator, and it revels in loneliness and sociopathy. Were the clunky town-based elements a bad impersonation of western sandbox design, or a cynical elbow to the ribs of western sandbox design? Is it a legitimately great game or a bad game that’s ironically great, and could it somehow be both? And what was up with that real ending? For No More Heroes, a game that loves and hates itself in equal measure, these questions could be debated endlessly. The most outrageous game of the year, and the must-play of the last twelve months that most people didn’t. Read More... Posted Dec 15 2008, 11:00 AM by Joe Keiser with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: no more heroes, Grand theft auto 4, rock band 2, joe keiser, top 10, top 10 of 2008

• 61FPS Hits Bleep Boop, Gets High on Rock Band Fumes

  As hinted at last week in the comments of Cole’s post on College Humor’s swell videogame program Bleep Bloop, I’m a guest on this week’s episode. Jeff Rubin, fromer Hooksexup rockstar Patrick Cassels, Kumail Nanjiani, and I celebrate the wanton ridiculousness that is the Rock Band branded fog machine and strobe light. I don’t know if you all were away that such a thing existed, but it most certainly does, and it’s about as silly as you might expect. During the more dramatic moments of songs like “Eye of the Tiger”, the little burner belches out a heady mist that smells a bit like wet dog and fails to create the rockin’ atmosphere its intended to. Read More... Posted Dec 09 2008, 05:00 PM by John Constantine with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: john constantine, rock band 2, bleep bloop, guitar hero world tour, college humor

• GWI: Gaming While Intoxicated

  Like any sensible young man, I am a fan of good beer. And obviously, a fan of video games as well. For certain reasons, these two interests don't usually intertwine.  I usually unwind with an adult-style beverage (or two) along with some quality gaming at the end of the day, but I get hopelessly distracted when operating on anything more than a solid buzz.  However, a recent purchase of mine proved to me that some games actually get better as your BAC rises. Folks, Rock Band 2 has driven me to drink.  More. Of course, this really should have come as no surprise; I've done karaoke before, and I can say that if you aren't sick the following morning (and not from shame), you're doing it wrong.  So I decided to test out the Karaoke Principle by inviting a few friends over who had never played Rock Band before.  Here's some dialogue that was exchanged as we were sober and holding plastic instruments: Friend 1: I'm not gonna lie. I feel like a pretty big nerd right now. Me: Don't worry; this is the first step of our suicide pact. Read More... Posted Nov 17 2008, 11:00 AM by Bob Mackey with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: whatcha playing, guitar hero, bob mackey, rock band 2, drinking, alcohol

• Gaming Impulse Buys

  Gaming is an expensive hobby, and freelance writing is not exactly a lucrative career (no offense to my kind, handsome bosses). So, when it comes to buckling down and buying a game, I tend to split my time between fretting and doing online research for hours on end.  But with certain games, something just snaps and shuts down the reason center of my brain--which tends to operate even when I'm drunk.  I've fallen victim to the siren song of music games so much that I really should have started to notice a pattern in my life by now.  Let me break it down for you: - 2000: I walk into my nearest Funcoland (coincidentally, the worst name for a business ever), see a new copy of Samba de Amigo and the maracas, and promptly hand over $120 + tax. I had no idea why I was even in the store in the first place. - 2001: I see an official Konami Dance Dance Revolution bundle featuring the game plus a dance pad. Inexplicably, I find myself buying it. Seemed like a good idea at the time. - 2005: What's this? Taiko Drum Master? At this point, it had been marked down to twenty bucks, so it's probably my least impulsive impulse buy. - Today: I get a fat freelancing check in the mail, and my paycheck was just depositedin my bank account last night.  I immediately drive to target and purchase Rock Band 2 against my will.  IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN Read More... Posted Nov 14 2008, 06:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: music, gaming culture, bob mackey, rock band 2, gaming habits, capitalism

• The Economist Weighs in On Music Games

  A few weeks ago I called out music industry bigwigs who were pushing record companies to charge Activision and Harmonix more money to feature songs by bands on their rosters. I argued that this is stupid, and these execs should view music featured in Guitar Hero and Rock Band as free advertising.  Welp, the Economist agrees. Read More... Posted Oct 09 2008, 05:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: music, cole stryker, guitar hero 3, rock band 2, economist

• IGN Pwned by Random Dude on a Forum

  Linking to some guy's rant on a forum doesn't exactly fall under journalistic best practices, but Select Button's Broco had me rolling in the aisles with this scathing indictment of IGN's journalistic integrity. Basically, he picked a random review (Rock Band 2) and blotted out all the meaningless cliches and empty verbiage. It's twenty-two paragraphs of tripe, and well, it speaks for itself. Here are the opening two paragraphs: Harmonix launched music games into a whole new arena with the release of Rock Band last year. No longer did music games have to be about just playing the drums or the guitar or singing. All three elements were merged together into a cohesive and thoroughly enjoyable package. But while Rock Band was a breath of fresh air, it did have some issues. With the release of Rock Band 2 less than a year after the original, Harmonix addresses many of the past concerns and adds an awesome new online mode, certain to keep gamers rockin' for another year. The biggest addition isn't a new feature or function, but 84 new songs. All master tracks, these 84 songs represent the single greatest collection of songs in a game to date. Headlining the new tracks is the first Guns N' Roses single in more than a decade, "Shackler's Revenge." Along with these are a slew of incredible songs that span the '60s right up to today. AC/DC, Metallica, The Talking Heads, Pearl Jam, Journey, Megadeath, Modest Mouse, Rage Against the Machine, Bon Jovi, Jane's Addiction -- I could keep going, but you get the point. There are some brilliant songs here. And while there are going to be a few tracks each person will not care for, there's far more good here than bad. Read More... Posted Sep 16 2008, 12:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: cole stryker, journalism, rock band 2, ign, hilary goldstein