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Answering critics who said that the old Rock Band kit was too stiff, loud, and simplistic, Harmonix has come out with this beast of a drumset called the ION Drum Rocker, which looks a lot like a professional electronic drumkit, and at least to some degree, can be used as such (so far we know there is a “free drumming mode” in addition to the drum trainer from the first game). You can also adjust the placement of the pads.

In the description of the drums there’s also the claim that you can “swap the game controller module with one of the professional drum brains made by Alesis, and you’re ready to the road for real!” But I wonder, how much does this brain cost? The kit already goes for $299.99, which would be a steal for a real electronic drumkit, but is insane for a peripheral price. If you really do want to “hit the road for real,” why not get a decent kit instead of one that will be barely passable in a real band?

[bemanistyle.com]

During a preview of the game on X-Play, there was a moment where the song selection screen was shown. Just from one screenshot, we can see Rock Band 2 is still maintaining the diversity of rock sub-genres and delivering tunes old and new alike. The song titles can be seen in the pic above.

It’s possible that “All the Small things and “More Than A Feeling” are DLC, due to the lack of a “2” logo next to them. At this point it’s also unclear which artists are behind a few of these songs (is “Panic Attack” the one by Dream Theater or Finger Eleven?). But in any case the lineup already looks solid and reasonably eclectic, as we’d expect from the series.

[ScoreHero / via bemanistyle.com]

MTV Games announced the highly-awaited sequel to the blockbuster Rock Band recently, which will come out on the Xbox 360 in September, and for PS3 and Wii later in the year. All downloadable content from the original game, as well as the on-disc songs, will be playable on the sequel. Of course, you can still use your old instruments as well.

Also Harmonix says that the game “takes lessons we’ve learned” from making the predecessor “and addreses them,” saying they have been listening to fans for advice, while promising “new ways for you to experience your music library that have never been seen in a music game before.” Strong words! As of now there aren’t any details on possible new hardware.

I’ve got a few caveats with this game. First of all, the development cycle seems to have been prohibitively short due to the need to stay competitive, but Harmonix is promising a lot in this game. I also wonder if they addressed the issues surrounding their hardware, which are definitely being challenged by Guitar Hero: World Tour.

[MTV News]

It’s just a rumor as of now, but Joystiq seems to consider it a strong possibility. Harmonix has confirmed that international tracks will continue to be a focus for Rock Band’s DLC, and when someone asked about Japanese tunes the response was to wait “a little over a week” for future announcements regarding DLC. Fingers crossed! I’d love to see some Maximum the Hormone on this mother.

[Joystiq]

A recent post at website GameDaily BIZ showcases the “battle of the bands” between EA’s Rock Band and Activision’s Guitar Hero 3, hearing what each side has to say regarding the situation. As both games are coming out in the holiday season, there is indeed a lot to say. Frank Gibeau, president of the EA games division, had this to say :“I like our, Harmonix and MTV’s chances and we’re going to take it to them. This is the type of situation that we relish.”

The gauntlet-slapping continues as Will Kassoy said the following: “If you take a step back and look at what the game has done, it’s not unlike what GTA did for free-roaming games, or Mario for platformers, or Tony Hawk for skateboarding. It’s created a genre in itself, and there’s a lot of power with the mass market consumers and enthusiasts that a brand has in their mind, and that Guitar Hero has established.”

For the actual GameDaily BIZ article, click here. I say the more competition, the better. Whoever has the better playlist of songs shall emerge with blessings of monetary bills.

Technorati : activision, ea, guitar hero, rock band, talking cock

Well back in my report of the Harmonix Game “Rock Band”, not much was said. This time though, i come bearing gifts. MTV has signed a deal with the game creators, and with their complete backing saying “It will evolve the music world another step forward.” Whats gonna do it? Well, being able to download new songs off the Internet, and be ready to play them too. Guess what, thats whats going to happen. Guitar Hero Fans rejoice! With that great feature, being able to play the guitar, drums and/or singing along, to a new release is finally possible! With many major Record Labels signed on to provide music, there will be no shortage of songs to choose from, most likely from XBox Live, or the PS3 on-line marketplace.

[GamesIndustry]