Harmonix and MTV Games just made an announcement this morning regarding the release of a special edition of Rock Band. This "expansion" of sorts will be releasing this holiday EXCLUSIVELY at Walmart stores and it's called AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack. So, yes, the rumor was true.
This new AC/DC themed edition of Rock Band will include 18 AC/DC songs that were pulled from their "Live at Donington" DVD and will retail for $39 at, again, Walmart stores. The game will ship to North American retailers in November and to our friends in Europe and Australia in November.
Interesting too is the fact that this retail AC/DC Rock Band edition is being called a track pack yet the game's description reads it's a "fully-featured, standalone extension" of Rock Band and Rock Band 2. But the game also comes packaged with a keycode to download the songs straight to your HDD and import the 18 tracks into your current Rock Band setlist. Speaking of setlists, check out the 18 AC/DC tracks that'll be included in the AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack after the break. Oh, and uh ... hurray for Walmart?
For those of you who are just jumping into the Rock Band experience with the purchase of Rock Band 2, yet still want to jam to some of the original tracks on Rock Band 1, then you best purchase the disc.
Variety just confirmed with MTV Games that none of the Rock Band 1 setlist tracks will be released as purchasable hunks of DLC. Ever. So, your best bet would be to buy Rock Band used (or borrow it from a friend) and do the 400 MS point song export. Cheap and efficient!
Here we go again, a weekly gaming deals roundup thanks to X3F. We search for 360 deals, because we like saving money and because we care about your bank account. So, let's do this.
This week at Best Buy, you can grab a free $10 gift card with the purchase of Pure and a free Silent Hill DVD with purchase of Silent Hill: Homecoming. Target has CoD4, Battlefield: Bad Company, and LEGO Indiana Jones for $39. Our retailer friends over at Circuit City are giving out free Pyramid keychains with Silent Hill: Homecoming, free $10 gift cards with both Pure and Baja: Edge of Control, Rock Band bundles for $139, and they have wireless controllers for $5 off. And the bonus deal this week is over at Circuit City where, with the purchase of either Rock Band, Ninja Gaiden II, Tiger Woods 09 or Madden 09, you can score a free $20 gift card. W00t to that.
As with every Friday, over on the official Rock Band forums, hmxsean posted next week's Rock Band DLC and it's Chili Peppers'tastic!
Available for purchase next Tuesday, September 30th is the entire Red Hot Chili Peppers album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The album will be comprised of 16 master tracks (excluding "Give it Away", because it's available in Rock Band 2's setlist) and can be purchased for either 160 Microsoft points each or as an album for 1600 points. Complete listing of DLC goodness below.
As part of Microsoft's global "Live Your Moment" ad campaign, a curious text descriptor appears at the bottom of one of their European ads promoting Rock Band 2, hinting at a possible November retail release.
The commercial (embedded after the break) depicts gamers rocking out to Rock Band 2 inside a person's head (weird, don't ask) and at the bottom of the screen the phrase "Rock Band 2 out November. Rock Band out now." is flashed for a few seconds. Confirmation of Rock Band 2's release to Europe in November? Close, but we're not going down the official route just yet.
As much as we love our Rock Band drums, there is one quirk that is undeniable: they are far from portable. Nope, with multiple space hogging pieces, the Rock Band drums aren't travel friendly at all. Enter the official Rock Band Portable Drum Kit from Mad Catz. Equipped with four soft pads, a bass pedal and soft-tipped (i.e. quiet) drumsticks, the drum kit should stop gripes from cranky drummers everywhere. The pads are apparently designed to withstand one million strikes. We suggest you keep track of your strikes so you'll know when to order another set. Just be sure you set the pads on a flat surface and not, say, your cat.
The Portable Drum Kit is now available for pre-order from the usual suspects, with an expected October release.
Available for purchase off the XBLM is super new Rock Band downloadable content including Rush's long awaitedMoving Pictures album in its entirety. But it isn't only Rush music this week (though, we don't think anyone would complain if it was), because there are also a few other random tracks that'll wet your Rock Band whistle with refreshing melodies. All tracks are individually priced for 160 Microsoft points and if you're up for it, you can grab the Moving Pictures album in one value fueled fell swoop for 880 MS point. Complete DLC listing after the break.
Thanks to a camera phone wielding Walmart employee, we've been graced with the photo you see above which is a shot of an internal Walmart promotion flier that ultimately jump starts a new (and exciting) Rock Band 2 rumor.
According to Mr. Walmart employee and his photo of proof, we'll be seeing a Rock Band 2 AC/DC "Live at Donington" expansion that's set to release to retail (and maybe online) sometime this October. The RB2 information was supposedly listed as part of an internal document that detailed Walmart's promotional efforts for the retailer exclusive AC/DC album Black Ice. Can you say "rumor'rific!"
Posted Sep 22nd 2008 12:15PM by Dustin Burg
Filed under: News
Australia, congratulations! EA and Harmonix just confirmed that Rock Band will FINALLY be available at retailers in the land down under on November 7th for $250 AUD. No, not Rock Band 2, just classic Rock Band.
Previously, it was rumored that Rock Band would never release in Australia due retailers showing support for the Guitar Hero franchise and having limited shelf space for product. But, it just isn't so and our Aussie friends will get to rock out later this Fall, a full year later than everyone else and while North Americans are jamming to the game's sequel. Uhhh ... just be happy!
Disappointed and depressed Rush fanboys can officially turn their frowns upside down (with reservation), because the previously broken and long delayedRock BandRush Moving Pictures album DLC will be releasing next week. Celebratory high five! All seven album tracks will be available for 880 MS points or individually for 160. But that isn't all, because a few random 160 MS point tracks from bands like Bad Religion, The Cult, Kasabian and Stone Roses will also be available. Complete listing of next week's RB DLC posted after the break.
For those who need to know, the video above is NSFW. After all, it is South Park.
We love a developer who can make fun of themselves and heated situations, just as Harmonix has done in Rock Band 2 by offering up a crazy expensive "UK Bandana" in the Rock Shop. You know, because anything RB in Europe is way overpriced.
As the story goes, after releasingRock Band to Europe (which was about a year after its North American release), the gaming community slammed Harmonix with criticism regarding the unnaturally high price of the game bundle. Some felt Harmonix was being greedy, a label they admittedly denied by blaming the high bundle cost on European import taxes and distribution. We guess those same taxes and distribution fees affect bandanas from the UK. Who knew?
Just as was announced last week, earlier this morning Harmonix released a bunch of new Rock Band DLC (which is also Rock Band 2 DLC, because DLC works for both games don'tcha know) onto the XBLM featuring an entire album from Megadeth and a few select songs from the artists of the Rock Band Tour. Note too that the 880 Microsoft point Megadeth album Peace Sells...But Who's Buying? is the entire album EXCEPT for the title track "Peace Sells" because it is a part of the Rock Band 2 setlist. View all the DLC goodness after the break.
The Joystiq post talks about "phonemes" and how Rock Band 2 recognizes them in a different way than Rock Band 1 thanks to a different "detection system." This "detection system" is what recognizes the spoken word sections of any given song. It seems that making any sound during spoken word section in Rock Band 2 is read as good.
But forget all of that. The point is that it's possible to five star and gold "So Whatcha Want" by the Beastie Boys -- on expert -- by reading the Declaration of Independence. Joystiq put together a video to prove this and the results are staggering and, frankly, strangly beautiful. The video takes on the aspect of performance art and gives us pause to consider the broader meaning of our existence. Either that or we've been staring at a computer monitor for just a bit too long. Either way, it's something that must be seen and, more importantly, iterated over and over again. We'd love to see someone five star "So Watcha Want" with, oh, let's say an episode of the A-Team. Get to it, internets.
The big releases are starting to drip out as the industry steadily ramps up for yet another packed holiday season. This week, the Xbox 360 plays host to some decent titles including the likes of Rock Band 2, Pure, and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. On top of those, we've also got Armored Core: For Answer and ... um ... Battle Fantasia. To our disappointment, we have learned that Battle Fantasia is not a fighting game about the Disney movie Fantasia. It's a shame, really, because we were ready to throw down with some tutu-wearing hippos.
As is tradition on Fridays, Harmonix just announced next weeks Rock Band DLC which is sort of special seeing that Rock Band 2 releases this weekend. Available on Tuesday, September 16th will be the entire seven song Megadeth album Peace Sells...But Who's Buying? which, if purchased together, will cost you 880 Microsoft points. Not only that, but four additional DLC tracks from the bands of the Rock Band tour will be released for a promotional 80 MS point price. Complete DLC listing below ...
"Wake Up Dead" by Megadeth (160)
"The Conjuring" by Megadeth (160)
"Devil's Island" by Megadeth (160)
"Good Mourning / Black Friday" by Megadeth (160)
"Bad Omen" by Megadeth (160)
"I Ain't Superstitious" by Megadeth (160)
"My Last Words" by Megadeth (160)
"One of Those Nights" by the Cab (80)
"Hands Down" by Dashboard Confessional (80)
"She's a Handsome Woman" by Panic! At the Disco (80)
Harmonix and MTV Games just made an announcement this morning regarding the release of a special edition of Rock Band. This "expansion" of sorts will be releasing this holiday EXCLUSIVELY at Walmart stores and it's called AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack. So, yes, the rumor was true.
For those of you who are just jumping into the Rock Band experience with the purchase of 
Australia, congratulations! EA and Harmonix just confirmed that Rock Band will FINALLY be available at retailers in the land down under on November 7th for $250 AUD. No, not 
As is tradition on Fridays, Harmonix just announced next weeks Rock Band DLC which is sort of special seeing that 
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