Rock Band 3
 

Rock Band 3 was announced a while ago and is set to be released sometime this year. From what's been said, it sounds very exciting especially since I loved the last two games. The most interesting part for me is the new "pro" mode which involves using a full-sized replica 6-string guitar and cymbals being charted for drums and they say that, if you played the game's note chart on a real guitar or real keyboard it would be correct so you can literally learn songs from playing it which sounds awesome.

E3 2010 Reveal Trailer
E3 2010 Interview

Personally I'm very excited about the direction the game's taking, but concerned at the potential prices (new guitars, keyboards, new drums, cymbals, etc.).

Songs announced so far:
1960s:
Jimi Hendrix - "Crosstown Traffic"
The Doors - "Break On Through"

1970s:
Queen - "Bohemian Rhapsody"

1980s:
Dio - "Rainbow in the Dark"
Huey Lewis and the News - "The Power of Love"
Joan Jett - "I Love Rock and Roll"
Night Ranger - "Sister Christian"
Whitesnake - "Here I Go Again"
The Cure - "Just Like Heaven"
Ozzy Osbourne - "Crazy Train"

1990s:
Jane's Addiction - "Been Caught Stealing"
Stone Temple Pilots - "Plush"
Smash Mouth - "Walkin' on the Sun"
Spacehog - "In the Meantime"

2000s:
Metric - "Combat Bab"
Rilo Kiley - "Portions for Foxes"
Them Crooked Vultures - "Dead End Friends"
The Vines - "Get Free"
The White Stripes - "The Hardest Button to Button"
Phoenix - "Lasso"
Ida Maria - "Oh My God"
Juanes - "Me Enamora"



So what do we think about Rock Band 3 then?

I've been wanting to get Rock Band 2, rhythm games are lots of fun. Especially with friends over. I might get this instead, but I have a feeling it's going to be very expensive. Not to mention how much space all the peripheral equipment would take up in my very small apartment...

They made a Green Day game.







I won't be getting it.

Yeah space and money are my main issues. Probably going to have to choose carefully which instrument to buy.

I don't see how this affects it. How about, you don't buy Green Day: Rock Band?

If the pro mode is good as it is described, I'll be getting it.

the basic kit probably won't be much more expensive than what the RB2 bundles started out as when they first came out. although while i've seen a price list for various new instruments there's nothing showing about defaults. i suppose at this point they're assuming most people getting RB3 already have some instruments kicking around the place, or will just buy the RB2 bundle (guitar, mic, drums) for like $100.

the new peripherals are SPECIFIC to 'pro' mode. you don't need the fancy $150 midi guitar controller unless you're at that level. same with the cymbal attachments for the drums. there's probably nothing stopping you from getting them but if you're not already blazing through most of everything on expert at the moment it's probably futile.

here's a list of bundles and prices - Rock Band 3 Instruments and Bundles Priced - Shacknews

quite curious about the Fender Squire controller they hint at. no price yet, but i'm figuring it'll be over $200 if not closer to $300.

those who just want to be able to click along to songs with their friends will still be able to do just that but for the people who've mastered the titles and who actually want more depth instead of just faster (i'd take more stuff like Bodhisattva or Spoonman over Painkiller and Battery anytime) Pro mode seems poised to deliver.

personally i already dumped $250 on a 'premium' drum kit last year, so a $40 cymbal upgrade sounds quite reasonable. i really think this title is really what's going to determine whether or not these games continue to be seen as novelties or can be accepted as something more. there's a evolutionary graphic on the RB site similar to a caveman straightening their back into the classic businessman that starts with an obvious troll gamer holding a regular gamepad in their hand, then kind of standing a bit straighter with the simplified instruments that came out over the last few years, to standing upright like a borderline studio professional with the new gear coming out.

i really think that's what their ultimate goal with this franchise is. to help foster a new generation of musicians who deal directly with the net through the comfort of their own home (and release it to themselves through the Rock Band Network). the cult of personality is removed, the starf*cking is denied, and music is again forced to the forefront. i just hope the RBN is spread across all consoles when the new game comes out instead of being exclusive to the 360.

Im uninterested in rock band. I bothered with the first and its been laying in my room since the first month i got it. waste of money.

Kind of the same with me, I have like 7 guitars, 2 drum sets, and 2 mics. Complete waste of money. (Both Guitar Hero & Rock Band)

Yeah same, I have two guitars, two drumsets and two mics. Guitar hero and rock band. Its just so ****ing exensive for something you use constant for 1month then barely use afterwards. :|

Yet we never learn.

I'm just going to stay away from this one, try to save up for the new iPhone or something.

right now in the living room there are 4 guitars, 1 is dead (GH3), 2 drum kits, 2 mics, and about a dozen game discs.

i've got somewhere around 160 tracks in GH and around 250 in RB. i play on PS3, if anyone wants to try playing online send me a PM.

@ xEMGx - gotta ask, you say you're interested in Pro mode but bored with the current product. have you already aced everything? i kind of figured Pro mode was created mostly for the minority of players who got to the point of handling expert mode without much challenge but haven't gotten bored of the actual game.

Um, to be quite honest with you, I am ashamed to play because I am pretty good. I wouldn't say I aced everything, still a bit shaky on expert drums, and some songs could still kick my ass, but I was good enough on the guitar to say **** this and actually pick up a real instrument. Don't play too much since then.

that's fair. though i don't see why being good would make you ashamed to play. it's awesome when you can find a good group of experts to play with online hehe. personally i did the opposite of you and ended up putting my real instruments down in favour of the plastic after our jam room flooded and life happened. which is one of the reasons i'm REALLY hoping the rockband network crosses platforms and the studio tools ship with the new game.

If it's as good as it sounds, I just might pick up a copy with the guitar.

What do you mean by Rock Band Network crosses platforms?

youre giving in already!! :O

Ah, I know... Damn but that pro mode sounds sweet.

Holidays...hmm...wish list :p:

you're weak! weak i tell you!! :O

:rolleyes: You'll give in too.

If anyone hasn't seen this yet, well here it is, it's just a preview.

Rock Band 3 tracks announced so far:

2000s:
Metric - "Combat Bab"
Rilo Kiley - "Portions for Foxes"
Them Crooked Vultures - "Dead End Friends"
The Vines - "Get Free"
The White Stripes - "The Hardest Button to Button"
Phoenix - "Lasso"
Ida Maria - "Oh My God"
Juanes - "Me Enamora"

1990s:
Jane's Addiction - "Been Caught Stealing"
Stone Temple Pilots - "Plush"
Smash Mouth - "Walkin' on the Sun"
Spacehog - "In the Meantime"

1980s:
Dio - "Rainbow in the Dark"
Huey Lewis and the News - "The Power of Love"
Joan Jett - "I Love Rock and Roll"
Night Ranger - "Sister Christian"
Whitesnake - "Here I Go Again"
The Cure - "Just Like Heaven"
Ozzy Osbourne - "Crazy Train"

1970s:
Queen - "Bohemian Rhapsody"

1960s:
Jimi Hendrix - "Crosstown Traffic"
The Doors - "Break On Through"

right now the Rockband Network is primarily geared towards 360 players. if you have a 360 and a Live Gold membership and possibly another developer upgrade to your account you could buy a 12 month license to gain access to the actual tools Harmonix used to make the RB tracks so bands and musicians could create and submit their own content.

i'm hoping they offer PS3 support with the new version of the game. they're supposed to offer 'choice' selections from the material submitted by 360 users, but i really don't want to have to buy another console AND get pay a monthly fee for online functionality, AND a premium for more online functionality, AND a yearly fee so i can make homemade RB tracks for me and my friends.

also - CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC!!!!!!!! :bowdown:

even though i still can't get through the drum solo in If 6 was 9 haha.

Yeah I'm very excited about pro mode especially being a real drummer. I also will probably pick up the guitar because I've always wanted to learn a bit of guitar but I'm too lazy and find it too fiddly haha..

Oh, and thanks for the set list, I'll add it to the OP - try and get more info into it. :P

You don't get it.

The game is for people who can't play any actual instruments but like to pretend that they can.

Like me. :(

Actually I havent played any of the Rock Band games as I have no friends but I do enjoy the Guitar Hero games from time to time.

Lol.

Feeeeeeeeeeeaaaoooooooaaar!

I won't I swear! I dont hae money to waste right now :( but if i get a better job, yeah i probably will buy it :laughing: :D

You're being to hard on yourself. :(

And anyone can learn an instrument if they really wanted to, playing a plastic one just gives a taste of what it's like to rock out.

no. the game is for anyone who likes having fun with music.

just like Dom i was a musician before trying new things via the game, and thinking in the same lines you did, until i finally swallowed my pride and let myself have fun with it. until this point it was never about replacing anything and even with the move towards using legitimate instruments as controllers i think it's going to do more towards teaching far more people about playing music than it's going to be any sort of detriment to the everything of 'music'.

i've seriously considered buying a real drum kit, but while i still live in an apartment reality dictates that it would just collect dust in a closet for an indeterminable amount of time. until then i can practice my skills on the plastic kit. i've got no illusions on being able to just flip flop from the game to the jam room, but at the same time i've got no doubts that i could sit on a kit and keep a beat.

as for the pro-guitar mode, i'm going to wait and see. i wonder how hard it would be to transfer electronics from their Squire controller into my mexican strat? hehehe

Dude, you could have gotten a good guitar with all of that money, for shame.

I can not wait to get it, but is it free to transfer the RB2 to RB3?

Most were gifts, and my brother. I'm fine with my Epiphone Les Paul, no need for a Gibson.

Currently there is no release date.

considering there was a price to import RB1 songs to RB2 i can't imagine why it won't cost $5 to do it again.

it will be out by late November or sooner.

...excellent

Since it wasn't free from RB1 to RB2 I would imagine it would still cost from RB2 to RB3, I just hope that because I've already imported my RB1 it will allow me to import RB1 and RB2 in one. I won't be happy if I have to pay for two imports one of which I've already paid for. :(

Unfortunately no, but it's set for sometime this year so within the next 6 months. My guess is october/november.

there's a release date now. October 26. i know what i'm doing this Halloween hehehe.

as for the cost of importing, i'm not looking forward to whatever it's going to be. Lego RB was $9.99. EFFING TEN DOLLARS?!!?!? that's what i paid for the entire game... quite frankly the whole setup reeks of a corporate money grab. the only incentive to export your tunes is the convenience of not having to swap discs. how about a free exclusive DLC track for those who pay to import past titles into the current catalog?

at least you can get 3 DLC tunes if you pre-order through Gamestop / EB Games. My Own Summer (Shove it) by the Deftones should be pretty awesome. on the other hand Activision just announced that Rush's 2112 would be in GH6 in its 20+ minute entirety...

i just hope compatibility doesn't become an issue with the more advanced modes offered in RB3 vs. the incredibly stupid manbearpig/RAWKgod angle of GH6.

It sounds pretty sweet. Is it true that this is going to be the first rock band to feature keyboards?

yes.

apparently there will also be adapters available for purchase if you already own a MIDI compatible keyboard (or e-drums) to use directly with the game rather than buying specific controllers. there's also an announced bundle for the game and the keyboard controller in case you don't already have one.

A keyboard for Rock Band, really? I wonder how many buttons it has. Anyway, I'd like to have that.