It's the end of an era. A really, really impressive era. After over eight years of continual releases, Harmonix announced that the final DLC for Rock Band 4 will be dropped next week.

Harmonix released a blog post confirming news that January 25 will see the l??ast batch of DLC released for the 2015 rhythm title. The announcement came as a surprise to fans of the series, and it's sure to get the remaining dedicated play??ers a bit emotional.

Saying that Rock Band 4's DLC journey began in 2015 isn't quite accurate, though. It really started in 2007 following the release of the original Rock Band.

One of the beautiful things about the Rock Band series is that fans who followed Harmonix across Rock Band, Rock Band 2, Rock Band 3, and Rock Band 4 could bring their song libraries with them. This means that nearly every song from each game's original track list, the vast majority of DLC purchased across those titles, as well as content from spin-off titles like Lego Rock Band and Green Day: Rock Band, could be ported into Rock Band 4.

It was a feature that seemed impossible when you think about having to deal with all of those music licenses. Harmonix pulled it off though, enabling those who ?sought to purchase everything available to build music libraries of well over 3,000 tracks.

As for the final DLC songs, the developer states it "will feature some tear jerkers that sum up our feelings about this moment." January 18 will include Elton John'??s "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and The Troggs' "Our Love Will Still Be There". What's to come for the following week's final DLC drop is to be announced.

Harmonix did confirm that this isn't the end of Rock Band 4 entirely. While DLC will cease to release, the game will still support? online play, ongoing Rival seasons, and "everything else."

What's next for Harmonix?

What's next for the rhythmic developer appears to be Fortnite Festival for the foreseeable future. Harmonix confirmed that the Fortnite-based music title has been the team's main focus over the last couple of years. The free-to-play mode will continue to get a rotating selection of free songs to play. Epic Games recently confirmed that adding instrument controller support is?? "a priority for the team and currently und?er development."

Following the very successful launch of Rock Band in 2007, each subsequent iteration of the core series saw a significant decline in sales. Co-publisher of Rock Band 4, Mad Catz, considered Rock Band 4 sales to be "incredibly disappointing". The company filed for bankruptcy in March of 2017.

With the lackluster sales performance of Rock Band 4, it's unknown whether Harmonix's parent company Epic Games will see any value in a possible Rock Band 5. It would be tragic if this was the end of the iconic rhythm series, as longtime fans like myself know that Fortnite Festival just isn't quite the same.

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The best stuff that didn't come with the box

Games and consoles have lasted for around five decades, and you know what has been with them all this time? Gaming accessories. Many of these devices, like motion controllers and link cables, opened up new gaming opportunities that weren't available before??. Others, like the Power Glove or the Sega Activator, were merely expensive novelties. But some of the best gaming accessories make memorable experiences for everyone, and here are 10 of them for you to consider.

10. Game Shark or Action Replay

[caption id="attachment_360730" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Amazon Canada[/caption]

Game Shark and Action Replay used to be amazing resources for gamers on consoles like the PS2 and Nintendo DS. They're the ultimate cheating device that lets you gain legendary Pokémon from the get-go and even fight the final boss of Kingdom Hearts 2 in Mickey's throne room. You can even make Mario invincible throughout an entire playthrough of New Super Mario Bros. This kit helped make games easier and allowed for more ??intriguing playthroughs, making it ??one of the best gaming accessories you can purchase.

9. PlayStation Move

[caption id="attachment_360486" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via PlayStation's YouTube Channel[/ca?ption]

The PlayStation Move isn't the grandest step in gaming on this list, but it has survived two, technically three, generations at this point. The Nintendo Wii brought a wave of casual gamers into the ecosystem with magnificent titles like Wii Sports and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess utilizing its motion-based technology. When the PlayStation Move controllers launched in 2010 (four years after the Wii), Sports Champions was surprisingly compelling, especially with its swordplay and table tennis. There is also the highly underrated Sorcery that le?ts you live out your wizard dreams with entertaining spell-based gamepla?y and inventive uses of the PlayStation Move technology.

The controller also felt more responsive than the Wii remote and nunchuck at the time with its camera-based tracking. The Move then was utilized for PlayStation VR on the PS4. While the gaming accessory pales in comparison to what Oculus provides with its own controller, the PlayStation Move helped bring in new fan??s to the VR medium.

8. Kinect

[caption id="attachment_360660" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Harmonix[/caption]

Like the PlayStation Move, Xbox's Kinect tried to capture the casual audience that Nintendo's Wii brought into the space. To Microsoft's credit, the Kinect succeeded at doing that with over 24 million units sold, according to GameSpot. This is one of the best gaming accessories because it was extremely simple to use. You don't need a controller, eliminating a barrier of entry. The Dance Central series is a blast with flashy choreography, step-by-step instructions on how to pull off each move, and, most importantly, an excellent setlist. The pack-in game Kinect Adventures, while simple, was a thrill with f??un mini-games for the whole family.

There were some stumbles, like Han Solo cringingly dancing to a spoof version of "Ridin' Solo" by Jason Derulo in Kinect Star Wars and poor body tracking in Sonic Free Riders. However, the Kinect stands tall as an excelle?nt motion game accessory that has been el??evated into a tool for hospitals.

7. Dance Dance Revolution Pad

[caption id="attachment_361167" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via Konami's YouTube ??Channel[/caption]

Dance Dance Revolution was a phenomenon back in the early 2000s. It took over arcades and the home as wel??l. Laying these mats on the floor, each d?irection that you input is commanded by your feet.

The goal of Dance Dance Revolution is to get the best score (or at least enough points to survive each song) and move your feet to the rhythm. As with the Kinect and Dance Central, the DDR pad is a great way to exercise and lose some pounds. Dance Dance Revolution was so popular that even a Super Mario spinoff was made exclusively for GameCube! Now, this unique controller is being used in legendary walkthroughs for games like Elden Ring. 

6. Taiko Drum

[caption id="attachment_360729" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Bandai Namco[/caption]

One of the coolest arcade experiences around doesn't involve traveling to the far-off world in Halo or shooting criminals in Time Crisis. No, this game involves hitting a plastic drum in time to some sweet anime tunes. Taiko no Tatsujin, a rhythm game that uses a taiko drum as i??ts instrument, is one of the best arcade games you can find. But arcades are pretty sparse these days, which is why it's a good thing Bandai Namco created a t??aiko drum accessory for home consoles like the PS2 and Nintendo Switch.

The concept is extremely simple but entertaining. Like Guitar Hero, you're drumming to the beat with sticks in your hands. Similar to an actual taiko drum, you can play the instrument in-game by hitting the inner circle of the drum (red) or the rim (blue). Hitting the pseudo-instrument, you get the tactile feeling of playing to the beat, and switching between the inner and outer sections of the drum is challenging yet satisfying to pull off. This, plus the addition of Nintendo, JPOP, and anime soundtracks to the song list, makes Taiko no Tatsujin a great rhythm game to sink your teeth into.

5. Wii MotionPlus

[caption id="attachment_361277" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

On the topic of Nintendo accessories, the Wii MotionPlus was a giant leap from the original Wii remote. You place this upgrade on the bottom of the original controller, and then a deeper level of accuracy is added to your games. Later on, Wii remotes with the MotionPlus technology already installed were released to the public. Wii Sports Resort is the best example of this tech, letting you wield a sword or throw a frisbee with greater precision than previously. It was almost like a leap from the PS4 to PS4 Pro but at a much lower cost. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword also utilizes the Wii Motion Plus. It tracks the movements of your hand, so you can slice an opponent in a specific way with the Master Sword, avoiding a broken shield and hitting? the hip, for example. Shooting with the bow and arrow is also satisfying with this?? accessory. This Wii remote upgrade is easily one of the best gaming accessories in history.

4. Guitar Hero/Rock Band Controllers

[caption id="attachment_361169" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Harmonix[/caption]

Some of the best gaming accessories in existence (that sadly fill the stock rooms of thrift stores today) are the Guitar Hero and Rock Band instruments. The genre was a phenomenon back in the mid-late 2000s and these plastic peripherals were all the rage. It was thrilling to jam out with your mates until the wee hours of the morning, rocking out to songs from AC/DC, The Beatles, Aerosmith, Green Day, and the Ramones.

The guitar requires a level of accuracy as players strum the controller's buttons to play different notes. The drums, just like Taiko no Tatsujin, are satisf??ying to use and had a pedal that you had placed your foot down to keep in beat. Then, the least wanted role in the band, the singer, would hopefully provide the bars to get you through the song. It was a grand time as you finished the story mode, unlocked all the songs, an??d tried to get the best high scores on the leaderboard.

3. Game Link Cable for Game Boy

[caption id="attachment_361170" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Luis Quintero[/caption]

The Game Boy link cable isn't thought about much these days, but before Bluetooth wireless connections and Wi-Fi, this was the only way to trade Pokémon and play multiplayer games with another Game Boy owner. Part of Pokémon's early success was the ability to battle and trade with other players. To get a full Pokédex, you needed the link cable to trade, so Graveler could evolve into Golem, for example. Battling with your buddies was also cool as you could prove to your friends that training your Poémon was your cause. Fighting games like Street Fighter 2 and Killer Instinct also supported this cable on the Game Boy Color.

2. The Fight Stick

[caption id="attachment_361171" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Hori[/caption]

Speaking of Bandai Namco, which has created the Tekken series, arcade fight sticks have helped elevate the competitive scene. Rather than begging your mom to go the arcade after school, you could play these fighting games with an arcade-style stick at your very own house. Decades later, fight sticks are now used at competitive fighting game events like Evo and CEO, among many others. They provide a great amount of precision with every movement of your character. In addition, the buttons are tactile and can help you make those split-second decisions within a match of Street Fighter V or Mortal Kombat 11. Some of them, however, are pretty expensiv??e with HORI's Fighting Stick Alpha ranging around $200.

1. PlayStation VR Headset

[caption id="attachment_361172" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Polyarc Games[/caption]

One of the most impressive gaming accessories ever made is the PlayStation VR. It is cheaper than the competition and sweeps you off into different worlds surprisingly well. The screen itself has a lower resolution, but seeing Quill in Moss beneath you in its small mouse form looking at you is something else. The deep perspective you gain from the device is absolutely marvelous. It truly sucks you into the narratives that games like Wanderer or Trover Saves The Universe are trying to tell. You can play the entirety of Resident Evil 7 on this thing, and it's intense. The inventiveness of Astro Bot: Rescue Mission with the VR headset, like hitting an obs??tacl?e with your head, is marvelous.

The previously mentioned PlayStation Move controllers work well enough as your input as you shoot objects in front of you and strike foes with a sword. The PlayStation VR 2 will likely be an upgrade, but with the price that it's offered at and the poor launch window lineup, it might be worth ch?ecking out the original PlayStation VR headset whil??e it's cheap used.

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Support will still keep rolling out for its existing games

Epic Games has acquired Harmonix, the studio behind popular rhythm games like Fuser and Rock Band.

First reported by GamesBeat, the news was confirmed on the Epic Games blog. The long-time music and rhythm game studio will go under the Epic banner, though that doesn't mean the end of its current ongo??ing services.

In a blog on the Harmonix site, the studio confirms it will continue rolling out DLC for Rock Band. Seasons for Rivals will also keep going live, as will Fuser events.

Importantly for some players, Harmonix games will remain available on Steam. And servers for supported older games aren't changing, either. So the quest??ion is, what will Epic and Harmonix create with this new partnership?

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ego_IsxQw1I

According to Harmonix, the developer will work with Epic to "create musical journeys and gameplay" for Epic's battle royale metaverse Fortnite.

"Harmonix has always aspired to create the world’s most beloved interactive music experiences, and by joining Epic we w??ill be able to do this at scale," said Harmonix co-founder and chairman Alex Rigopulos on the Epic blog. "Together we will push the creative boundaries of what’s possible and invent new ways for our players to make, perform and share music."

Considering how popular Fortnite concerts and in-game events have already been, it seems like a surprisingly natural fit for the two companies. More in-game musical events, possibly with the rhythm game expertise of Harmonix fueling them, could result i?n some pretty cool experiences.

There is one sour note for those hoping to pick the sticks or strings back up: the Harmonix blog confirms that no, there's nothing in their current plans for making more Rock Band instruments.

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We got the dreamers disease

To say Rock Band revolutionized the admittedly short-lived plastic instrument phenomenon would be an understatement. This is a series that spawned not only a knockoff series from its biggest competitor but three direct sequels, multiple band-specific spinoffs (including the elusive Beatles license), and even a friggin' LEGO collab -- this thing had a full-blown zeitgeist. Like many niche interests, the ge??nre crashed and burned, but a stalwart few still break out the cheap guitars and flimsy drum kits for some fake rock 'n roll on a drunken Tuesday night.

I'm amongst those ranks.

Whether or not you ever got into the series, it's proven to really have some legs. During its 13-year run, the series has featured some 2,800 songs, spanning every genre from the titul??ar rock to rap, to country, and even parody tracks from South Park and Steven Colbert. Even to this day, the devs are still releasing DLC every Thursday to keep the series fresh.

It's hard to complain about what the devs have done...but complaining is my business, and business is good. And gosh darn it, it's time to put "You Get What You Give" in Rock Band.

First hitting the scene in late 1998, New Radicals' "You Get What You Give" is considered by many to be one of the greatest singles of the late-?'90s alt-rock scene. Band frontman Gregg Alexander disbanded the group shortly after the single's release, pretty much damning New Radicals to the dreaded one-hit-wonder status.

What could have been a cultural relic has endured over the years, most recently resurfacing in political appearances by Vice President Kamala Harris' husband. Its overall positive message about hard work and perseverance is also a favorite of the Biden family, resulting in the band briefly reuniting to? perform the hit f??or the presidential inauguration.

Despite its longevity and renewed relevance, the song is still not in Rock Band, neither on any of the games' multiple on-disc setlists nor as part of the series' expansive DLC. For comparison's sake, over the years, Rock Band has featured:

• Other one-hit wonders from the era, such as "Closing Time," "Tubthumping," "Steal My Sunshine," and "Flagpole Sitta"
• 11 Nickelback songs (WHY?)
• 15 Avenged Sevenfold tracks

I could go on, but the fact that there are 11 songs from one of the most universally-mocked (yet seemingly contradictorily also one of t??he best-selling) bands in pop culture is both frustrating and disappointing. "This Means War," Harmonix. If this is "How You Remind Me" of how one of the best songs from the '90s is absent from your library, it's time to "Burn It to the Ground." If not "This Afternoon," then "Someday." "Never Again." "Photograph."

I've been patiently waiting for over 13 years now, Harmonix. It's time to release "You Get What You Give" for Rock Band. And if Gregg says no -- which is the sort of t??hing he'd do -- tell him Joe Biden's on my side.

The post It’s been 13 years, Harmonix, put ‘You Get What You Give’ in Rock Band appeared first on Destructoid.

Pay $15 or forever hold your peace

Here's some housekeeping that will probably fall on deaf ears. Any committed Rock Band player took care of it ??long ago. Anyone who hasn't pr?obably won't care enough to rush this through in the coming hours.

Alas, here goes anyway: It's the last day to export your Rock Band 3 songs into Rock Band 4/Rivals. The license expires on December 1, 2020.

For those who want make a last-second just-in-the-nick-of-time export, you'll need a copy of Rock Band 3 and $15. Harmonix's systems need to check that you're a "verified purchaser" of Rock Band 3 and then the export costs $15. The process is outlined on this? very old blog post. 

You had five years to push this through, but now you only have a few more hours. If this PSA helps anyone out, you're a procrastinator to the max. Get it done now though. Without the export, the only way to play Rock Band 3 games will be inside actual Rock Band 3. Your library deserves better.

On December 1st, the Rock Band 3 Export is expiring. We know it’s a bummer, but you still have time to purchase an export key.
If you have owned and played Rock Band 3 on the same console family or profile and want to export a bunch of rad songs to Rock Band 4 – act soon! pic.twitter.com/dy7Rit1oDx

— Rock Band (@RockBand) September 22, 2020

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How you Remind Me of Guitar Hero III

Some real conflicting emotions coming out of the Rock Band DLC this week. "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is being added to the Rock Band library.? That's the? bad news. However, it's performed by Nickelback. That's its saving grace.

Wait, I'm being informed t?ha??t I've severely mixed those two things up.

Apparently Nickelback covered "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" a few months ago, and now it's a Rock Band track. It's a song that's etched in rhythm game history as made famous by the Steve Ouimette speed metal cover as the final boss battle in Guitar Hero III.

But, alas, this is not the Steve Ouimette version -- and who even knows what the rights are like for that because Activision published Guitar Hero III and quite possibly owns the song -- and it's not even the Charlie Daniels version (who has major beef with the canonica?l representation of his song). It's the Nickelback version. At least it doesn't sound like "Photograph."

We don't report on Rock Band DLC super often anymore, but we'll make an exception for a legendary Guitar Hero&??nbsp;track as performed by Everyone's Favorite Canadian Rock Band. What a??n unexpected whiplash of events.

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For Those About to Rock

When you consider backward compatibility, a lot of times it's just nice to know the option is there. Like "I know I'm probably never playing the Deadliest Warrior fi??ghting game again but at least I know I can if I want to." 

Rock Band i?s kind of different. A lot of people have generations full of paid-for songs and closets full of plastic peripherals. It's the sort of game you definitely want to bring with you into the next generation because, if you couldn't, it's good enough to keep the old systems hooked up to keep playing.

The good news is that won't be necessary. Harmonix has published a post that explains Rock Band 4 is pretty much completely compatible with PS5 and Xbox Series X. Hardware, DLC, saves -- all of it. There's a weir??d limitation where PS5 detects the DualSense's controller microphone as the default mic; to combat that, you'll need to change your PS5 settings at the system level before using a USB mic.

Otherwise, Harmonix says that everything should work on next-gen consoles. If it ever worked with Rock Band 4 (including electronic drum kits and legacy wireless adapters), it'll still work on PS5 and Xbox Series X. There's even a note about how the DLC transfer stuff is much cleaner this time. It was, infamously, a trainwreck redownloading all your old DLC for use in Rock Band 4.

Speaking of old DLC, let's wrap this up with a PSA. The license to export Rock Band 3's songs into Rock Band 4 will expire on December 1. So, the next month-and-a-half serve as last call to export those --but you need the Rock Band 3 disc. After th??at, t??hey're lost to Father Time (unless you feel like hooking up your old console just to play that game).

Rock Band 4 and Next-Gen Consoles [Harmonix]

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I'm gonna make a supersonic man outta you

In today's contest you can win Let's Sing Queen for Xbox One, PS4, or Switch!

I'm going to say it, and you're going to listen to it: Let's Sing Queen is the Dark Souls of singing games. Like, legit. F?reddie Mercury has the absolute best voice EVER in rock, and probably outside of it, too. I'm ??nervous even thinking about trying to hit any of those notes playing this one.

Well, you can give it a shot! We've got ?some Xbox One, PS4, and Switch copie?s to give out, so everybody play the game!

It's simple: Queen rules, and you get to sing along to them in Let's Sing Queen. Or at least try. Dude's got some range. If you don't still have a microphone laying around from the era of games with plastic ins??truments, you can connect your phone to the game and belt into that! That's a pretty cool feature. There are also six games modes??, but I'm pretty sure they're all revolved around singing about riding bicycles. Or females with voluptuous backsides. You know, all the normal Queen stuff.

Check the?? full tracklist so I don't have t??o copy and paste it all!

To enter to win, tell us which of the 30 songs above is your favorite. I'm an absolute sucker for "Don't Stop Me Now." If you don't have a favorite or are new to Queen, tell us your go-to shower or karaoke son??g, instead!

We have three copies to give away for each platform; we'll randomly draw winners next Friday. Make sure to comment with a Dtoid-generated Disqus account, and that we have your current email address on file. If you're new, sign up here to get all radio ga ga with us.

Let's Sing Queen is available now for Xbox One, PS4, and Switch.

The post Contest: Win Let’s Sing Queen for Xbox One, PS4, or Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

But now my guitar gently weeps

I would never argue against the greatness that was 1999 because that truly was a special year for the gaming industry. It's so great, Prince wrote a song about it 17 years before we even got there. But 2009 was no slouch either. This was the year that gave us Batman: Arkham Asylum, Minecraft, Uncharted 2, Dragon Age: Origins, and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Each an absolute gem of a game, but there's another title from that ye??ar that had a much bigger impact on me. It came out on 9/9/09 and it featured one of ?the very best bands of all time.

It's The Beatles: Rock Band, ?and it came out the year the plastic instrument rhythm genre, once the crown jewel of the industry, started to crumble.

The Beatles: Rock Band arrived at a good time for developer Harmonix. Its previous title, Rock Band 2, absolutely exploded in 2008. Getting out the door before Guitar Hero: World Tour, the first game in that franchise to add drums and microphones, Rock Band 2 managed to sell nearly two million copies by the end of the year on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo Wii. While that was inevitably less than what World Tour moved -- shouldn't have waited on that Wii version, Harmonix -- the game's popularity? only continued to grow with the hundreds upon hundreds of songs added to its catalog as paid DLC.

That was my introduction to the Rock Band experience. I'd played a bit of Guitar Hero over the years, but I wasn't much for playing lead guitar and trying to nail those epic solos. I'm far too boring of a person for that. I preferred rhythm and bass. That's what Rock Band 2 offered, so when GameStop had a good deal on a bundle, I swooped it up and started to live out my tepid rock star dreams. It would eventually become the first game I put more than 100 hours into. And I did that in a pretty short span because once The Beatles: Rock Band released, I never went back.

Prior to 9/9/09, a Beatles song had never been featured in a Rock Band or Guitar Hero game. The only reason we ended up getting it is because MTV had bought Harmonix and George Harrison's son had an interest in making it happen. And though there were some band-specific Guitar Hero games before it, the release of The Beatles: Rock Band felt like an event more than just another game release. None of its songs offered the difficulty of something like "Through the Fire and Flames" and you couldn't make your own mop-top as with the other Rock Band titles, but that really didn't?? matter. Even if the story mode was super linear, there was just something about a group of friends coming together to become the Fab 4 that set it apart from those other rhythm games.

For me, gaming has mostly always been a solo experience. Outside of slumber parties in my tweenage years, it was pretty much just single-player games for this guy. The Beatles: Rock Band brought other people back into my life to game with. My roommate, who didn't particularly care for The Beatles, was the first to join me and soon I was picking up beers as co-workers stopped by our apartment to blow off steam after work with a rousing rendition of "Paperback Writer." Neighbor kids would peek in on us playing and, unlike Rock Band 2 where I only played with my roommate, I would solo The Beatles, doing my best to work my limite?d finger skills on songs like "Octopus's Garden" and "Back in the U.S.S.R."

I never was able to graduate past medium difficulty, but I didn't care. The Beatles: Rock Band wasn't about becoming someone who'd make a YouTube video showing off his mad fingering skills -- all the videos of my mad fingering skills can be found on YouPorn -- it was about being together with friends and a band whose music anyone and everyone could enjoy. That was something I never got out of Rock Band 2: people I knew who didn't really play video games wanted to be a part of it. A??nd if it wasn't the gameplay we were all en??joying, it was that breathtaking opening video.

While The Beatles: Rock Band rocketed to sales success, the rest of the music rhythm genre started to slowly collapse around it. Years of asking people to buy more and more plastic accessories began to take its toll. From September to November of that year, Activision and Harmonix released five different plastic instrument music games, including DJ Hero, LEGO Rock Band, and Band Hero. While DJ Hero would eventually sell more than one million copies, the entire genre would crater in 2010, leading to a long hiatus for both Guitar Hero and Rock Band as casual music fans flooded to Ubisoft's Just Dance.

With Green Day: Rock Band released in June 2010, the possibilities were just getting started. Queen, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and U2 were apparently under some form of consideration at one point to have their own entries in the series. If those were to have come out and succeeded, just think of all the other bands who might have also been worthy of their own Rock Band. Off the top of my head, I would have loved to play some Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Beach Boys, and The Monkees.

I don't think there is a trend in gaming I mourn more than our dearly departed peripheral-based music games. Sure, it was expensive and all those guitars and drums and microphones took up space next to my television. But outside of Wii Sports, there is no other genre that brought together me and my friends for nights dedicated to gaming. Games like Rock Band made karaoke cool, and The Beatles: Rock Band w??as the absolute pinnacle of the genre for my clique.

The post 9/9/09 was 10 years ago today; it was an i??ncredible day for rhythm gaming appeared first on Destructoid.

27 at launch, more coming later

Rock Band 4 released three years ag?o as of October 6, and Harmonix is celebrating in style by adding some new style.

Today, there's an update that introduces track skins -- a little quality of life thing that switches up the visuals while you stare at the continuous onslaught of notes. Previously, Rock Band 4 had a black(ish) note highwa??y with some light design work. Now, players will? be able to pick from a bunch of different options to semi-customize the look of their track. This GIF shows what some of them look like:

Harmonix sa??ys that 27 tracks skins will be available today, but more will be released in the future. The update is scheduled to go live at 12pm Pacific. Here's the full list of changes with today's three-ye??ar anniversary patch:

• Selectable Track Skins -- C??ustomize your note highway with new (and old!) visuals to spice up your play sessions 
• Scoring issues for vocalists fixed -- Overdrive earning fixed, Multiplier building fixed, Final phrase counting for 0 points fixed
• Challenge Songs preference in Green Rooms now forces song selection to Challenge songs only 
• Reorganized Main Menu 
• More background music added to game menus 
• Song Length now visible in song library 
• Drummer issues fixed -- Snare/crash combo no longer breaks combo for Lefty Pro Drums, Drum track rails now glow during drum solos 
• Game performance improved -- Crashes fixed, Menus and other selections react faster

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It's tricky to license a rhyme

For more than a decade, Harmonix has structured licensing agreements for thousands of songs for use in Rock Band. There was a three-year stretch beginning in 2010 where the process was streamlined (or at least Harmonix was relieved of most of the burden). Rock Band Network allowed artists to upload and author their own songs through the Xbox 360's XNA Creator Club program. These tracks didn't have the spotlight that Rock Band's? weekly DLC had, but it was a way to fill out the series' library with some deep cuts that didn't necessarily have mass appeal.

RBN kind of disappeared with the emergence of current-gen consoles. Harmonix shut the program down in 2014. When Rock Band 4 released, users couldn't import their previously-purchased RBN tracks. They were casualties of th??e ??licensing agreements -- the sort of thing that's bound to eventually happen when dealing with digital rights across several video games, consoles, music labels, and years.

Harmonix plans to revisit some of RBN's most popular tracks. In the coming months, Harmonix will re-release a selection of RBN's best-selling and most well-received songs as new DLC. This will be the only way those tracks are playable on Rock Band 4. However, they'll need to be re??purchased by anyone who previously owned them.

A Harmonix representative confirmed the news and elaborated upon the process by saying "We're currently in the process of bringing some of our favorite RBN tracks to Rock Band 4 as DLC. There was a ton of great content submitted to RBN and, even though we knew that we wouldn't be able to support entitlements, we always wanted to find a way to bring these songs over to Rock Band 4. As we release these songs, we're doing full QA passes to make sure that authoring, mixes and gameplay are up to today's standards. You can expect the first of these songs to be released as part of Rivals Season 6 with more to come alongside regular DLC over th??e cours??e of the year."

Despite these songs originally debuting as part of RBN, this isn't any sort of revival of RBN. There is no current program for musicians to self-author and sell their tracks on Rock Band. This is simply Harmonix reselling what once sold well. The best of RBN will soon be for sale in Rock Band 4; RBN itself is ?just as dead as it was five years ago.

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...to those with an hour to spare

These days, there a??re just two kinds of secrets in video games: the ones that you can uncover in a few minutes using Google, and the kind that remain totally anonymous. The internet has erased many of t?he world's mysteries, and the "unconfirmed rumor of [blank] thing being unlockable in a game" is only one of them.

That said, there are still plenty of secrets in ?video games that have yet to be found. The problem is, people don't think to even look for them, because as a wise man once said, you don't know what you don't know. How would anyone even begin to guess that there is a fourth nephew named Phooey in DuckTales Remastered? Why woul?d someone ever look for secret monkey heads in every Harmonix game? 

These and many other se?crets had remained undiscovered by the world, until now. I helped dig up? a few of them, but many of them were 100% new to me. Check out the full panel above for all the secrets, and if you know any new ones, let us know in the comments. 

The post Never before seen game secrets revealed appeared first on Destructoid.

Play it again, spam

The "Stick vs Pad" debate when it comes to fighting games rages on, despite its utter irrelevance. It ultimately comes down to personal comfort, and can even change between games. For example, I use a stick for all Street Fighter titles, but never for Mortal Kombat games.

For Dragon Ball FighterZ, I'm training on a Fightpad, due to the em??phasis on dashes and air-dashes, and I double-tap far better on a D-Pad than on a stick. I also ?like having spare fingers resting permanently on the Tag buttons. However, all my sweet tech has been blown out of the water, by Canadian gamer Gregory Chow.

Chow turned up to Ontario's "Revenge of the 6ix" tournament this weekend armed not with a stick, nor a pad, or even one of those chunky Hitboxes, but with a keyboard controller from Harmonix' rhythm-action game Rock Band. Chow proceed??ed to tinkle the ivories all over his opponents, with his so??natas ultimately taking his team of Trunks, Cell and Goku through five matches and into the top eight.

A video of Gregory in concert can be seen below, along with a photo, courtesy of Even Matchup Gaming's TorontoJoe. Now, if you'll excus?e me, I have a date with Android 21 and a PS1 dance mat.

Dragon Ball Fighter??Z player makes top eight with Rock Band keyboard [Event Hubs]

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Eight songs over eight weeks for $13.50

About a year ago, Rock Band leaned into the tendencies of its competitive players. The Rock Band Rivals expansion focused mostly on getting people to form crews, and then pitting those crews against one ??another in pursuit of high score suprem?acy. The week-to-week challenges seem to have worked for keeping dedicated players interested.

These challenges serve an ulterior motive, though. Each new set of Spotlight Songs (half the criteria the challenges are graded upon) usually features two tracks that people already have access to and one newly-released DLC song. Those who care the most about the Rivals format and the competition have to buy this track in order to hang. Posting two-thirds the score of your rival crews is a surefire way to ??face relegation, especially at the higher tiers where only a few percentage points of the total crews will get to land.

Heading into season two of Rock Band Rivals, Harmonix has introduced a slightly cheaper method of playing the new Spotlight Songs. Beginning on August 24, there will be a season pass that's more appropriately named than most video game season passes. For $13.50, the Rock Band Season 2 Spotlight Pass grants permanent access to the DLC tracks that are featured as Spotlight Songs throughout Rivals second season.

It's a gamble to pre-purchase eight weeks worth of songs without knowing what they are, but that's not really the point for the people this is geared toward. Those players want to be able to post a sco??re every week, regardless of how much they actually like the music. And, this season pass technically represents a savings over a eight-week period. (Add-on tracks are usually priced at $2, which means that buying them individually would cost $16; the $13.50 season pass will save players $2.50 over the course of two months.)

It's kind of a niche product for the most competitive of players, but Harmonix is likely aiming wider than that. Rock Band DLC has always lent itself to compulsive purchasing, an easy way to spend two bucks on a song you want to play right now. The developer likely has its sights set on that consumer mindset mixed with the boon of bli??nd box subscription services in recent ??years.

Honestly, that seems fine. Season passes are a wart on the video game industry in the sense that it's foolish to pre-order content that might be bad. In this case, we know exactly how the in-game product will perform; there is literally a decade's worth of Rock Band DLC to point to. Anyone who buys the Rock Band season pass and finds it lacking can? only really blame personal preference in musical tastes?? as the reason why. That and their spontaneous tendencies.

Introducing the Rock Band Season 2 Spotlight Pass [Harmonix]

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Blitzed right pass me

On (or before) August 28, Rock Band Blitz will be leaving digital marketplaces for good Harmonix announced today. While not specifically mentioned, this is probably due to music licenses expiring. Blitz launched five years ago ??and record companies love to be greedy and not sign life long?? contracts.

If you're wondering about the songs that were exclusive to Blitz, then you don't really have anything to fear. The entire soundtrack was eventually released as standalone DLC for use in Rock Band 3 and 4, though obviously grabbing Blitz for export would be cheaper than buying 25 songs. I guess use this as your final chance to potentially g??et some songs?? on the cheap.

While I was intrigued by the idea of Blitz for allowing gameplay without instruments, the track list basically did nothing for me. I wasn't keen on how a couple of songs from Rock Band 2 that didn??'t import out w?ere included and the only other song I cared about was Iron Maiden's "The Wicker Man." You could use your previous DLC, though, so I should have just bought the damn game.

Also, Harmonix does m??ention that the title? will not be getting backwards compatibility support on Xbox One. If you were planning on nabbing the game to try on your newer hardware, then put that thought out of your mind. Seems like a real shame, since most people never even knew this existed.

Rock Band Blitz being taken off PlayStation, Xbox stores [Polygon]

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This sounds like rock and or roll

Ever since Rock Band's comeback tour began in late 2015, Harmonix has done a commendable job of falling back into the routine of releasing weekly DLC. This post-launch support was a defining? characteristic of the first games in the series, as players had new tracks to look forward to (and to sometimes be disappointed by) every week.

That pattern is somewhat broken this week because Harmonix is releasing only one new DLC song. But it's a hell of a long one. Coming to Rock Band this Thursday is "In-A??-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron B??utterfly, a 17-minute '60s metal epic.

Another trend that's breaking this week is the pricing model. Due to its considerable length, Harmonix is charging $3 for this track instead of the customary $2. The developer cites the fact that this is more than four times the length of the average Rock Band song as the reason for the price bump.

Interestingly enough, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" won't assume the mantle as the longest track in the Rock Band catalog. That honor goes to the seven-part "2112" by?? Rush which clocks in at 20:34. It's probably not getting dethroned anytime soon.

And, because it's basically obligatory, here's your Simpsons clip:

DLC Discussion: One Song [Harmonix]

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You'll hear the rumble

With how popular Ghost became to the Metal scene in such a short span, its hard to imagine they weren't already featured in Rock Band 4. I mean, we've got heavier acts like Opeth and Nevermore, but not Ghost? That blasphemy is about to be recti?fied this Thursday with the release of Ghost's classic "Cirice" into the game.

Along with that comes Disturbed's "Down with the Sickness" to the Rock Band 4 store. That song was featured in Rock Band 2, but this is mostly for people who didn't pay to transfer the song into the latest entry (which you can no longer do, by the way). While that song is a hit in its own right, it has ??nothing on Ghost.

Each track is available for $1.99, which still surprises the hell out of me. Considering Rock Band hasn't been doing well, you'd think Harmonix would want to lower the price on their DLC to get more people interested. Even so, if you have any interest in Metal and still actively play Rock Band, do yourself a favor and download "Cir?ice". Its one of the band's best and has a totally awesome music video.

DLC Week of 7/06: Disturbed and Ghost! [Harmonix]

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Headbanging is a mechanic!

I wasn't really sure what to expect when heading into Rock Band VR. I love the series, so more of it is always a good thing, but I knew this was something completely different. Perhaps that is the best way to describe it: something different. It's an entirely unique take on the formula that some may be tired of by now. It's way different than even Rivals, though VR goes ?in the opposite direction in the "barrier to entry" category, requiring some serious hardware just to get started.

With all of that known. Rock Band VR is in a weird spot. If you already have the necessary setup and enjoy Rock Band as a series, you probably already have it? If you don't have everything, you're like??ly not going to plunk down hundreds of dollars in order to play "Everlong" in virtual reality. So maybe you're just morbidly curious as to what t??he heck this game is. That'll do for now.

Rock Band VR (Oculus Rift)
Developer: Harmonix
Publisher: Oculus Studios
Released: March 23, 2017
MSRP: $49.99

The ??first thing that has to be ma??de clear is that this is not at all like traditional Rock Band. There is a Classic Mode that allows players to enjoy charted songs like every other game in the series, but it’s a no??-frills extra mode that is not going to entice anyone by itself. I love that it is there, but it’s more of a cherry on top than the main draw t??o the product.

It’s also important to consider the barrier of entry her?e. Players will need a VR-capable PC, the Oculus Rif?t headset, the Touch controllers, and a wireless Rock Band guitar. I have only tested it with the Rock Band 4 wireless guitar for Xbox One, so I?? cannot comment on any other inputs. For the seven of you who fit this extremely small demographic, let’s contin?ue.

Rock Band VR eschews the highways of colored notes in favor for a more realistic band experience. As the guitarist on stage, players are free and encouraged to look around at their bandmates, teleport around the stage, and ham it up for the audience. While it is ??possible to go for high scores and nail perfect sections of the song for bonus points, Rock Band VR works best when you just let go and, oh god this sounds corny, liv??e in the moment.

Out above the audience is the breakdown of the song itself. The display will show what se??ction of the song is currentl??y being played (bridge, chorus, etc.) as well as if there are any specific chords that “should” be played during certain bars of the song. While notes as the Rock Band audience knows them are gone, there are chords and chord combinations that keep the t??????????????????????????rack sounding more or less li?ke it is supposed to. There are difficulty levels that affect how often the specific chords come up, but this only really affects the score.

The tutorial does a great job of introducing all of this at a pal?atable rate. Even those who are not musically inclined like me will come to understand how each chord sounds and recognize which combinations sound good back-to-back, even if it's more or less wailing away on the controller. The strum speed is completely up to the player, for better or worse. If I want to play Weezer’s iconic “Say it Ain’t So” at a breakneck guitar speed, the game allows me to do that. Though I think that may be a crime against humanity, so I personally recommend against it.

In Story Mode, players go on tour with a pre-set group of band members and play a variety of predetermined setlists at different venues that more or less all look the same. There are some in-game cutscenes that take place before the shows that start to build a narrative, but it’s nothing super enticing, especially for those who have played past titles in the series and know the tried-and-true "rise to greatness" plotline. It’s ?enough to see through until the end if Quickplay isn’t?? exciting enough, at least.

While there are star ratings and l?eaderboards, I recommend just going with the flow and ignoring the scoring aspect. This is definitely meant to be an "experience" more than anything else, and to take it too seriously would likely lead to frustration. I'm sure you can game the system by playing a specific speed or only hitting chords at a specific time, but that would defeat the whole purpose of why this game exists. It's a stage experience and a good one at that.

There are some janky moments in the gameplay, though. Changing strumming speeds always sounds awkward, as the two chords that play back-to-back during the time change never sound right. ?It makes changing? speeds somewhat undesirable; I almost always stuck to the same speed for long periods of time, if not the entire song. Rapid chord changes are similar -- they don't quite work well and sound bad.

There are some really neat touches though that make it easy to forget the wonkiness. Pedals on the stage can be switched on and off by looking at them and pressing the whammy bar (this is also how you teleport around the stage) and allow for some control over the type of sound the guitar makes. When standing next to the drummer, it's possible to hit the crash cymbal with the neck of the guitar -- how cool (although useless) is that?! Overdrive can be extended by headbanging along with the rhythm. Guitar solos are a breathtaking spectacle; as notes are played, colors shoot out at the audience from the neck like magical unicorn ejaculate, and it feels wonderful.

As usual, a lot of the enjoyment anyone receives from thi??s particular Rock Band game is tied to whether or not the setlist is ??&ldqu??o;good” enough. The best part about Rock Band VR is that e??ven if a song isn’t quite your cup of tea, you get to play it as you wish. There are a handful of tracks that I would never ever listen to if given the option, but playing them was still a great experience. That being said, the enjoymen??t from the? songs I truly do love was lessened somewhat as the notes aren’t quite what I expect.

In general, as much as I enjoy the experience of Rock Band VR, it’s hard to imagine coming back to it time and time again. The DLC songs cost more than they do in the console counterparts and can only be played on guitar, so those who don’t typically play guitar lik??e me may not have a long-term interest in the product. The experience is wonderful and I am excited to introduce others to it, but its lasting appeal is a hard sell, especially for thos?e who can simply jump over to traditional Rock Band and play any other instrument.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game and Oculus Rift hardware provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Rock Band VR appeared first on Destructoid.

Let me hear the party say

Harmonix never comes whack on an old-school track. This Thursday, Montell Jordan's '95 banger "This Is How We Do It" hits Rock Band 4 as DLC. Like all add-on tracks, it's priced at $2. It's something of an inverse of the first verse lyric; here you have to pay before you get? your groove on. Then you're clear to reach for your 40 and turn it up.

This announcement serves as a good enough reason to pay tribute to "This Is How We Do It," a song that has aged remarkably well in its 22 years. It's unmistakably a party track, and an extremely feel-good one at that. But it's also a responsible ?track with Jordan rapping the likes of "designated driver take the keys to my truck." That's so good.

It's not super surprising to learn that Jordan became a pastor in 2010. Hip hop artist to ministry isn't exactly a natural transition, but ?Jordan maybe seemed like a more likely prospect to pull it off; his lyrics notably lacked the edge that defined a lot of mid-'90s rap. He was content to sing about good times and pursuits of love (and sex).

The culmination of all of this happened early, as "This Is How We Do It" was Jordan's debut single. A party anthem for the ages, its call and response choruses encouraging emphatic shouting of the song's title to punctuate every line. I don't care if you buy this in Rock Band. I just want you to p??lay the video above, maybe sing along while thinking "Awww, hell yeah!" and have your day get just a little bit?? better.

New Songs Announced for Rock Band 4, R??ock Band VR, and ?SingSpace [Harmonix]

The post Tip up your cup and throw your hands up, ‘This Is How We Do It’ is coming to Rock Band appeared first on Destructoid.

Announced at Fanfest 2017

In case you haven't noticed, in-house development studio bands have been a popular practice as of late. Square Enix has the rock group The Primals, and CCP, developer of EVE Online, has the slightly less conventional group "Permab????and."

While debuting their new song at EVE Fanfest's opening ceremony, it was revealed that the group will officially be making the cross over to Rock Band 4. Since they've covered everything from dance, to rock, to rap, they should be a great fit for the game in terms of song var??iety.

Three so??ngs are confirmed "this ?summer," and they'll be free.

The post Permaband, CCP’s over-the-top in-house music group, is heading to Rock Band 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

Same songs as the others

With Rock Band VR fast approaching, it looks like Harmonix is keen to detail exactly what you'll be doing when the novelty of VR runs out. In addition to the classic styl??e of slamming ke?ys in sync with a scrolling fretboard, you'll also have a "story" mode to work through in the Oculus exclusive game.

The producer and writer for the game, Katie Naka, writes over on the Harmonix blog, "Since our goal with VR gameplay was to provide the player with as authentic an ex??perience as possible, we wanted to do the same with our narrative. I can tell you that our first draft of the story probably contained enough material for a full length animated film."

"The final result shows your bandmates (Derek, Maddy, and Wes) as unique characters with relationships to each other and you that are revealed over the course of your band Autoblaster's journey from playing dirty local bars to decadent theater." Could this be similar to absolute classic film This is Spinal Tap? Hopefully the game goes to 11!

Along with that short description comes a reveal of an additional 20 songs in the game. We now know 41 of the 60 songs that will be present in the final product. You'll notice a few repeats from past Rock Band titles:

• Blondie – “One Way Or Another”
• Carrie Underwood – “Church Bells”
• Catfish And The Bottlemen – “Postpone”
• Coldplay – “Birds”
• David Bowie – “Suffragette City”
• Europe – “The Final Countdown”
• Green Day – “Holiday”
• Jimmy Eat World – “The Middle”
• Maroon 5 – “Maps”
• Mumford & Sons – “I Will Wait”
• Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
• Parks – “Sweater Weather”
• Pearl Jam – “Alive”
• The Pretty Reckless – “Heaven Knows”
• The Starting Line – “Quitter”
• Stone Temple Pilots – “Plush”
• Switchfoot – “Float”
• The Temper Trap – “Alive”
• Twin Atlantic – “I Am Alive”
• The Wind And The Wave – “Grand Canyon”

As far as the original songs in this setlist are concerned, they will eventually be making their way to Rock Band 4 as DLC. I don't rea?lly see anything worth gra??bbing that I don't already have, but the gesture is appreciated.

I always find it strange how similar the setlists end up being between these different games. I know that licensing for music games isn't indefinite, but how many times can I play "Suffragette City" past the original Rock Band and have it still feel new? Hell, I've probably played that song more than David Bowie has performed it. Classic or not, some deeper digging into an artist's catalogue would go a long way?? to enticing me into playing this.

Rock Band VR's Second Setlist Reveal, Campaign Details [Harmonix]

The post Harmonix details Rock Band VR’s story mode, unveils more tracks appeared first on Destructoid.

Rest assured, 'Panama' is locked in

Last time we checked in on Rock Band VR, Brett told you about three songs that had made the cut for the set list: "Walk This Way," "When You Were Young," and "Ain't It Fun." Good times. Simpler times.

He's down in San Francisco doing Very Important Things at the Game Developers Conference, so here I am, ready and willing to inform you of even more tracks that will launch with Rock Band VR.

The list so far:

• Aerosmith – "Walk This Way"
• Against The Current – "Running With The Wild Things"
• Alice In Chains – "Man in the Box"
• Arctic Horror – "Black Seas"
• AudioDamn! - "Lights Out"
• Avenged Sevenfold – "Beast and the Harlot"
• Basement – "Promise Everything"
• The Black Keys – "Gold On The Ceiling"
• Bon Jovi – "Livin' On A Prayer"
• DragonForce – "Through The Fire And Flames"
• Foo Fighters – "Everlong"
• Ghost – "Cirice"
• Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – "Bad Reputation"
• The Killers – "When You Were Young"
• Megadeth - "Hangar 18"
• Oasis – "Champagne Supernova"
• OneRepublic – "Counting Stars"
• Paramore – "Ain't It Fun"
• The Shelters – "Rebel Heart"
• Spirit Kid – "To My Romeo"
• Van Halen – "Panama"

For better or worse, many of these scream "Rock Band" to me. There's still 39 songs left to be revealed before release on March 23 and, of course, some tracks "will be hitting Rock Band 4 in the future as DLC." Harmonix also went in-depth with Rock Band VR's scoring system. Click through for a deep dive.

Rock Band VR's First Setlist?? Reveal, Scoring Details Announced [Harmonix]

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Rock this way

The headliner, like any goo?d rock star, is keeping the crowd waiting. Everyone presumed it'd be ready to rock when the Oculus Touch contro?ls released. Nope. Headliners go on stage when they're damn well good and ready.

Harmonix has just revealed that Rock Band VR will release on March 23. It comes with 60 songs, three of which are Aerosmith's "Walk this Way," The Killers' "When You Were Young," and Paramore's "Ain't it Fun." There will surely be a blitz over the co??ming month ??and a half to reveal the remaining 57 tracks.

While no price has yet been revealed, Harmonix does have a bundle that's available for pre-order for $70. However, that package comes with a guitar which surely inflates the price. Because Rock Band 4 neve?r made it to PC, anyone without a console version will need the guitar; the details on the pre-order page con??firm that it's the Xbox One ax.

Rock Band VR has changed tremendously in the past year. It's now an experience-oriented game that puts emphasis on doing things that a real band might do. It's not the normal Rock Band shtick of playing all the notes perfectly. It's more akin to Rock Band 4's freestyle solos, but it's not quite that either. There's also a traditional mode in Rock Band VR, but that's not the prio??rity here. The priorit?y is getting you to feel like a rock star even if you don't have the skill to be one.

The post Rock Band VR takes the stage in late March appeared first on Destructoid.

I 'Trust' the 'Dead Memories' won't lead me to 'The Edge of Glory'

Have you forgotten about the new year yet? Well, Harmonix certainly hasn't as they've announced a slew of downloadable songs to kick off 2017. Along with some new hits come a few "classic" songs from previous games. While that is super neat, I'm a little confused as to where this leaves people who imported the previous games into Rock Band 4. Either way, at least lat?e adopters can finally pl?ay some of the more popular songs.

While the initial batch of songs isn't much to write home about (Blue Öyster Cult aside), Harmonix has promised that more returning cuts will be headed in the coming months. I guess when you've run out of new songs to license, you just go ahead and re-license older hits. Ah well, some of the DLC this month is worth a damn, which is surprising enough.

• The All-American Rejects – “Swing, Swing” (From Lego Rock Band)
• Avenged Sevenfold – “The Stage” (Included in the 'More Metal' Pack 01)
• Blue Öyster Cult – “(Don't Fear) The Reaper” (From Rock Band 1)
• Fun. - “Some Nights”
• Kansas – “Carry On Wayward Son” (From Rock Band 2)
• Lady Gaga - “Applause”
• Lady Gaga - “A-YO”
• Lady Gaga - “The Edge of Glory”
• Megadeth - “Trust” (Included in the 'More Metal' Pack 01)
• OMI – “Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)”
• Slipknot – “Dead Memories” (Included in the 'More Metal' Pack 01)
• Toto – “Hold the Line”

As I listed above, three songs will be included in the "More Metal" Pack 01. While I don't care much for Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot and Megadeth are always good additions to Rock Band. I wish they went for harder songs, but I'l??l take what I can get.

Happy New Year! Rock Band DLC Announced for January [Harmonix Blog]

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Drummer bummer

In March of this year, Rock Band underwent a significant business change as Harmonix dropped Mad Catz and signed PDP to co-publish the Rivals expansion. The co-publisher's most forward-facing function is to manufacture the peripherals, the plastic instruments that give Rock Band its signature real-world look.

PDP agreed to produce an extra piece of hardware, one that's significantly more niche and appeals to the most hardcore of Rock Band players. That was the wired legacy adapter, a $30 connector that makes it possible to use high-end electronic drum kits (when combined with the Rock Band 3 MIDI Pro-adapter) for more accurate playing. It's not a product that many people will have use for, but it's the kind of thing?? that has been fervently requested for a long time by the most serious drumme??rs.

The wired legacy adapter released on November 25. As of December 19, PDP has told customers that it will manufacture no additional units. According to a post on reddit, a PDP representative sent the following email to someone who inquired about the product being sold out: "Hello Samuel, we apologize for the inconvenience. The Rock Band Legacy adapters will no longer b??e produced, as they were produced in limited quantity, per our agreement with?? Harmonix."

Predictably, the Rock Band community is full of upset people who suddenly find themselves unable to purchase an ada?pter that they thought would be permanently in-stock. Nobody's really sure who's to blame for the shortage, Harmonix or PDP. It'll likely stay that way, as the details of t??he co-publishing agreement will almost certainly never come to light.

While trying to pin fault to someone would be futile, it seems as if there was a crucial breakdown in messaging. A heads-up that they wouldn't be around long might've helped tremendously. But, it also might've sparked the scalper market, and made the adapter even more scarce for the people who actually wan??ted it. It's a tricky situation all around, and, unfortunately, it results in some of the best drummers not doing their best drumming.

Harmonix declined our request for comment? on this matter.

News about the PDP Wired Legacy Adapter [reddit]

The post After one month, Rock Band 4’s wired legacy adapter isn’t being manufactured anymore appeared first on Destructoid.

I CAN PLAY DRUMS AGAIN!!

I bought an Xbox One for one single reason: to play Rock Band 4. I've spent hundreds, if not thousands of hours in the Rock Band franchise. Thing is, about 90% percent of that time was on the drums. I was drumming so much that I eventually purchased the ION Drum Rocker. 

So, of course, I was incredibly disappointed when Rock Band 4 did not support my drum kit. I still played the game, but not very much. Until now. With the new adapter, I can finally pla??y the game I've been dying to play for so long. 

Product: Rock Band Wired Legacy Adapter
Manufacturer: PDP
MSRP: $29.99

This new dongle supports the Rock Band 3 Midi PRO-Adapter, the Rock Band Stage Kit (heh), and t??he Xbox 360 ION Drum Rocker, but I am only able to test the latter. All you truly need to know is this: it works! The adapter plugs into the Xbox One's USB po??rt and accepts one USB. All you need to do is plug in your Drum Rocker and...that's it! 

I use two third-party parts on my Drum Rocker, and there was no issue there. For the curious, I have a Rock Pedal (really? This has a Wikipedia page? Oh, and also don't click on the actual Rock Pedal website, since it's now a scam/virus site) and a Roland hi-hat cymbal. Not that I expected any issues, but it was good to see that anything plugged into th??e ION drum brain works just fine with this legacy adapter. 

The fir?st thing I did was to re-calibrate the system using the drums. It's definitely my best instrument and doing so would guarantee me more accurate numbers than when I do it on guitar. Sure enough, the numbers changed and it felt just fine. I didn't notice much latency between hitting the pad and hearing the sound on screen before a song starts. After all?, everything is wired.

My only real quibble with the product is the constant flashing of the Xbox button on the drum brain. As long as the Drum Rocker is plugged into the adapter, the lights around the Xbox button in the center of the brain continue to flash. Personally, I've not been distracted by it while playi??ng, but if you have the brain located in a different area or have a?? different perspective toward the television, it could be a distraction. I just put a piece of electrical tape over it for now.

Now that I can play drums again, I'm discovering so much about Rock Band 4! Like ?why can't I use the drum pads to navigate the menus anymore? I loved doing a drum roll to navigate down to a different song, or just hitting the green crash cymbal to confirm a selection.

Also, what the heck is up with these dynamic fills? I guess I see the idea behind them, especially seeing what they've ??done with the new guitar solos, but man do I ever hate hearing drum elements that aren't supposed to be there while I'm playing. I was also taken aback when I found out that you actually need to nail the static and dynamic drum fills or else you lose your streak! Harmonix ain't playing no games.

It feels great to be back in the drum stool (full disclosure: I don't actually use a stool, but a piano bench). I've still got a ways to go before I'm back getting full combos a??nd trying to top the leaderboard, but I'm excited just to have that possibility now. It took longer than I would have liked to have this moment, but it's here now and I've never been happier!

??As a bonus, in no particular order, here are some of Hancock's Choice Drum Pixx:

• "Spaceman" -- The Killers
• "Futures" -- Jimmy Eat World
• "Bounce" -- The Cab
• "Still Into You" -- Paramore
• "Bat Country" -- Avenged Sevenfold
• "Space Truckin'" -- Deep Purple
• "No Excuses" -- Alice in Chains
• "Little Sister" -- Queens of the Stone Age
• Literally anything by Rush
• "Hammerhead" -- The Offspring

_{[This review is based on retail hardware provided by Harmonix.]}

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What the hell?

Do you not like my girlfriend? Do you think I need a new one? Well, for your information prospective reader, I don't even have a girlfriend. Oh, I made myself sad. Anyway, Rock Band 4 is getting a trio of songs from everyone's favorite faux-goth rocker girl?, Avril Lavigne.

Priced at $2 each or in a combo for $5.50, the pack includes her original hit, "Complicated," along with "My Happy Ending" (ha) and "What the Hell." You can even see a trailer of these songs in action, if yo?u feel like starting your day off wrong. I know the only reason I clicked the video is to link it here.

I'm more surprised that "Complicated" even had harmonies in the vocals, or how Harmonix felt it necessary to include that feature over the keyboard from 3. Regardless, ??now?? we can be Sk8er Boi's and sing See ya later Boi's...and um...you know, I surprisingly don't know any of her other songs. I wanted to make jokes, but her career is just kind of sad.

Rock Band 4 DLC Adds Three Avril Lavigne Songs [GameSpot]

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For Those About to Rock

Ever since the announcement of Rock Band 4, Harmonix has held steady in its assertion that we shouldn't expect Rock Band 5 in a few years' time. Rock Band 4?? is a platform now, not a sequel that's meant to lead to yet?? another sequel.

The Rock Band 4 that people own in October 2016 isn't the same game that shipped in September 2015. Sure, the songs are the same and it's still four fake instruments trying to mimic real-life musical talent. But, Harmonix put that platform mantra to good use and has significantly evolved Rock Band 4 over the past year. This is undoubtedly a better pro?duct than when it originally released.

Rock Band Rivals (PS4, Xbox One [reviewed])
Developer: Harmonix
Publisher: Harmonix (with distribution by PDP)
Released: October 18, 2016
MSRP: $29.99 ($59.99 (Rock Band 4 and Rivals), $89.99 (guitar bundle), $199.99 (band kit)

Because continual free quality of life improvements don't pay the bills, we have Rock Band Rivals -- the first paid expansion to Rock Band 4 in what will probably be an annual cadence of major add-ons. This is different than how Harmonix usually entices customers, though. Rather than bolstering Rock Band's song library, Rivals bolsters its features. (Although, it is worth noting that there are between 10 and 12 songs offered to those who pre-order.)

Since the competitive players are the ones who are most likely to keep investing in Rock Band, Harmonix smartly tailored the majority of Rivals to them. The undertone of the entire add-on is a relatively aggressive one, the kind that appeals to gold star and full combo chasers. Anyone can appreciate Rivals because Rock Band 4 is at the core of it, but the majori??ty of the benefits go to th??ose who care about jockeying for position on leaderboards.

Rivals is broken into two distinct halves. The eponymous side is Rivals mode which has players forming crews of up to 10 members in pursuit of besting other crews. From now on, everything that happens in Rock Band contributes to this mode. There's a cumulative score, a score on themed "spotlight songs" that rotate weekly, an experience-based level system, and player scores for individual instruments. Rivals mode, all of it, offers the validation that the hardcore Rock Band community wan??ts. It's a brilliant addition for them, and a harmless one for ever?yone else.

The other half of this expansion is a "Rockudrama" -- a VH1 Behind the Music-style mockumentary called Beneath the Tunage that details the rise and fall of your band. It's an alternate take on Rock Band 4's career narrative. Three-song gigs are interspersed with narration and video clips from people who were close to the band. It ranges from chuckle-worthy to eyeroll-inducing to genuinely funny. But, its charm is fleeting as it's just another method of playing 30 songs from your Rock Band 4 and DLC library.

Traces of Rivals mode even show up in Rockudrama. Before most sets, the game constantly asks the player to wager on their performance. Usually it's total number of stars, but sometimes it's more interesting. Modifiers like enabling Brutal Mode or only increasing fan satisfaction ??while in Overdrive make for more stressful gigs. They also grant far more fame, the resource that makes it possible to advance the story.

It's no mistake that Rivals is bursting at the seams with competitive underpinnings. That's Harmonix's strategy for keeping the best and most passionate in its community interested in the future of Rock Band. As long as they feel challenged, they'll keep coming back to surmount those challenges. Rivals allows them to do that with varying ??degrees of scale, from besting others' scores on individual songs to having one of?? the best crews in the world.

And, it works. Those ardent p??layers I described? Yeah, I'm one of them. I'm one of those people who chases gold stars and full combos. I'll restart so?ngs when I overstrum. I've spent a decade meticulously playing these games.

Rivals brought that fire in me back out. It's not quite like my ScoreHero days, but it's potent nonetheless. I replayed songs over and over to get a better score. I played on instruments that I otherwise wouldn't (like bass) because that's a score that could be contributed. Rivals is making me play more often and play more seriously than I otherwise would, and that seems like it was exactly Harmonix's intent. (Also, join my crew "Destructoid" if you're good.)

There's a bit more happening tangential to Rivals than just the release of the add-on. It also marks the launch of the revamped instruments, the ones manufactured by PDP in??stead of Mad Catz. So far, they're serviceable and rather comparable to the old ones.

After spending some time with these new peripherals, they aren't amazing additions to my arsenal of plastic instruments. The drums are extremely similar to the original Rock Band 4 drums. It took some cal??ibration to get them feeling good, but they play fine on expert now. It still seems like they drop notes on the fast sections, something that Harmonix hasn't compl??etely figured out.

The guitar is probably the instrument that was altered the most. This blue Jaguar folds at the neck with a hinge that feels sturdy. I played a few songs on it, but quickly reverted to my tried-and-true Guitar Hero 5 model. I need that loud mechanical feedback ?of the strum bar to play accurately. Lastly, the microphone is heavier and slightly shorter, with a silver gri??ll instead of a black one.

Rivals is something that will mostly appeal to a specific subset of Rock Band players. People who buy Rock Band for the occasional friend gathering won't care much about what it has to offer. They aren't squeezing ??the most points out of every single track. Far from it. They'd surely rather just play some party songs before stashing the gear back in the closet. 

But, even if the most essential features in Rivals won't be meaningful to a lot of people, this expansion represents Rock Band 4 at its best to this point. A year's worth of incremental updates have molded this into a game that has more to offer and is easier to navigate. Anyone who has waited this long to follow Rock Band to new consoles should know that this is the optimal time to get in now that the growing pains seem to be behind Harmonix. However, those people should also know that Rivals probably isn't going to be the part of Rock Band that they care about.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the ?game provided by the publ??isher.]}

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FROM DA CHANDALI-EE-EAR!

I can honestly say that it has been a long time since I've bought anything Rock Band related. The game was practically my life during college and I didn't start to wane in interest until around 2011. Rock Band 3 really did have everything?? I could have hope??d for from the rhythm gaming genre.

Then Rock Band 4 came out and removed some features. Keyboards were out and online multiplayer was long gone. Some of your previously purchased songs were MIA and all new songs would be locked to th?e newest version. Bummer, but at least the latter is u??nderstandable.

If you've been clamoring for more hard rockin' hits...then I'm sorry to disappoint you. Instead of adding some Animals as Leaders, Metallica or Gojira, we're getting songs from the Billboard Top 100 and Weezer's single from the self-titled album that I had no idea came out this year. Th??at is pretty?? neat.

The following songs ?will be added over the month of October.

• Andy Grammer – "Honey, I'm Good."
• The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – "Closer"
• Shawn Mendes – "Treat You Better"
• Sia ft. Sean Paul – "Cheap Thrills"
• Bring Me The Horizon –"Happy Song"
• Capital Cities –"Safe and Sound"
• Eagle-Eye Cherry –"Save Tonight"
• Maroon 5 – "One More Night"
• Matchbox Twenty – "3am"
• The Neighbourhood –"Sweater Weather"
• Of Monsters And Men –"Little Talks"
• Pharrell Williams –"Happy"
• Semisonic –"Closing Time"
• Sia –"Chandelier"
• Skillet –"Feel Invincible"
• Weezer –"King of the World"

As far as I'm concerned, Shawn Mendes can go rot in a ditch. "Treat You Better" is really crappy, but then again, I'm not a teenage girl. I'm also not sure how "Closing Time" managed to dodge being in a Rock Band game all these years, but at least Harmonix has rectified that issue. Now at the end of drunken Rock Band parties, people can properly play a final song.

All of these songs are in addition to the Rivals expansion that will be re??leasing on the?? 18th. Maybe online multiplayer will make these songs go down easier...

Rock Band October DLC? Announced, and the Countdown Begins! [Harmonix]

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Key change

The last time we saw Rock Band VR, the best summary of the experience was a simple "Well, it's Rock Band, but in VR." Six months later, that's no longer the case. Not even close, actually. Harmonix has complete?ly reworked the game, to the point where the guitar and the headset are the only things the two versions hav?e in common.

This new take on Rock Band VR trades the series' signature note highway for something more creatively interpretive. Remember the freestyle solos in Rock Band 4? They're the guitar parts that favored playing styl?istically instead of playing technical?ly. Rather than giving the player a challenging set of notes that perfectly follow the song, the freestyle solos basically just asked that something good-sounding be played.

That idea is the core of Rock Band VR. The entire game is one big freestyle solo.

The way it works is that the neck of the in-game guitar lights up a vague chord shape. For instance, if two dots are illuminated with a space between them, you should strum either green-yellow, red-blue, or yellow-oran??ge. If it's two dots next to one another, any combination of two button?s next to one another will work.

But it's not as if the game throws a rapid succession of dot prompts. There's always a lengthy break between them, allowing yo?u to constantly strum to the beat, changing chords but keeping the shape. Eventually the next part of the song will come along and a new set o?f dots will guide you.

Rock Band VR's Overdrive system similarly favors style. When it's activated, more points are earned by s??triking poses. Getting on a knee and shredding to the crowd, or putting the axe?? behind your head are some ways to earn extra points and extend the length of Overdrive. We're told that there are a whole bunch of different poses to discover.

This is a completely different take on Rock Band, and it's not one that strikes a chord (ha!) with me. It strips away the feedback loop of doing something impressive and exchanges it for just kind of being there. It's sort of neat being in a virtual rock club, but I certainly didn't feel any accomplishment playing Rock Band VR. A?s a player who chases gold sta??rs and full combos, this game just felt like a lot of strumming until the song was over.

Contrary to my initial impressions, several Harmonix representatives insisted that Rock Band VR is also for the competitive player. Each song has a set of missions that award extra points. They seem to mostly be fo?r things like playing a certain part of the song ?similar to how it actually goes. There wasn't a star system after the track was over, so I'm not sure where performance is actually judged. Maybe it just hasn't been implemented yet.

But, whether or not Rock Band VR has systems to entice the competitive player seems like kind of a moot point. The heart of it is too entrenched in non-structure to entice anyone who's after perfection. The tech is undeniably impressive, but this just isn't what I want from a rhythm game. Rock Band VR lives up to the franchise expectations of making you feel like you're in a band, but not of making you feel ?like you'r?e excelling at being in a band.

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