Harmonix Brings Out The Big Guns

[Tricky Thumb]

Okay, here is some really juicy E3 news for all you Rock Band maniacs out there.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--The Battle of the Bands is officially on. Yesterday, the Neversoft-developed Guitar Hero III revealed the python-enthused former Guns N' Roses fretter Slash would rock on a variety of unlockable guitars. Today, original Guitar Hero developer Harmonix fired back with the announcement that it will offer not just hit singles for gamers to play, but entire full-length albums from multiple labels.

The first band to receive the digital conversion will be classic British rockers The Who. Gamers will be able to form a virtual cover band playing guitar, hitting the drums, and singing along to the band's widely acclaimed 1971 album Who's Next. The album should hit soon after the game's release this fall, with new content planned on a weekly basis. For those a bit rusty on their classic rock, the full track list for the album follows:


The first 15 songs from Rock Band are listed below, with the new songs in bold:

Artist - Song (asterisk indicates a cover version of a song):

The Who - "Won't Get Fooled Again"
Mountain - "Mississippi Queen"*
David Bowie - "Suffragette City"
Black Sabbath - "Paranoid"*
Blue Oyster Cult - "Don't Fear the Reaper"
The Ramones - "Rockaway Beach"
Rush - "Tom Sawyer"*
Bon Jovi - "Wanted Dead or Alive"
Nirvana - "In Bloom"
Stone Temple Pilots - "Vaseline"
Weezer - "Say It Ain't So"
Foo Fighters - "Learn to Fly"
The Hives - "Main Offender"
The Strokes - "Reptilia"
Queens of the Stone Age - "Go With the Flow"


And so it has begun. Two music games enter, one leaves.

[Cubfan]

Ah, Reptilia. Good song.

[BlueBomber]

ha HA! Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi! I KNEW that song would get on there. I swear to god I hear it sung 50 times whenever I go to a bar that is doing a Karaoke night.

[Ph00p]

The songs there are hit or miss but it becomes quite clear that harmonix dropped neversoft a sinking ship that is going down fast, after rock band 1 is out we'll say guitar zero.

[mkelehan]

And so it has begun. Two music games enter, one leaves...and I think we both know which one that'll be.

[bardockkun]

Let's also not forget the announcement of Enter Sandman coming out for it along with Who's Next from the Who as first full downloadable album.

[Crimson]

So is this game a 360 exclusive yet or what? I thought I saw news on here about that, but then it's shown at the Sony conference....

[Craigtheplague]

Only three of the songs on that list are covers. Harmonix seems to try hard to not cut corners.

[Virtuoso]

The more pumped, the more glad I am that I have a credit card.

[Headcase]

Only three of the songs on that list are covers. Harmonix seems to try hard to not cut corners.

MTV has given them the ability to pursue more masters. I heard in one interview that the covers are mostly old songs with no surviving master recordings (ie with separated tracks for each instrument).

[H.Bogard]

More Cowbell!

[bapenguin]

They had Slash at the press conference. It was pretty funny, he lit up on stage.

[The Iron Weasel]

I'm really happy that Reptilia is the song they chose, because god damn I love that song.

[Satertek]

Blue Oyster Cult - "Don't Fear the Reaper"
Need more cowbell (peripherals).

[Mr.Green]

Guitar Hero just became irrelevant overnight. Who would have thought.

[Freak705]

Finished with my woman cause she wouldnt help me with my mind
People think I am insane cause I am frowning all the time

All day long I think of things but nothing seems to satisfy
Think Ill lose my mind if I dont find something to pacify

Can you help me? Thought you were my friend!
Oh yeah!




Although I wish they'd pick something less overplayed.. Into The Void is pretty awesome, or maybe Snowblind or Children of the Grave

[shnastybiznastic]

Man, I wish it was something better than the tripe on Who's Next. After reading that they would be in rock band, I thought it would be really cool to play something from Quadrophenia or perhaps "I Can't Explain"

I guess it's to be expected. Although I think early Who lends itself better to the sort of crazy fills and fast and loose rocking that rock band seems to feature.

[donkeydrop]

Man, I wish it was something better than the tripe on Who's Next. After reading that they would be in rock band, I thought it would be really cool to play something from Quadrophenia or perhaps "I Can't Explain"



Huh? :confused: Who's Next is easily their best album (#28 on Rolling Stone's greatest albums)

[blackzc]

They had Slash at the press conference. It was pretty funny, he lit up on stage.


:eek: (gasp)

[shnastybiznastic]

Huh? :confused: Who's Next is easily their best album (#28 on Rolling Stone's greatest albums)
I found it boring (most of the time, there are a few songs on it like My Wife that really have that manic energy).

In addition, I feel that there are a number of flaws on the latest Rolling Stone top 100 list.

[joshkdmw]

Rockaway Beach!? Fuck yes! Goddamn, it's good to see continued love for the Ramones!

I'm also quite pleased about Tom Sawyer. I love Rush.

Not the Limbaugh kind. The kind with Alex Lifeson.

[Fartacus]

Guitar Hero just became irrelevant overnight. Who would have thought.

Yep. Harmonix has chunks of developers like Neversoft in their stool. Goodbye Guitar Hero, hello Rock Band.

[Fartacus]

Huh? :confused: Who's Next is easily their best album (#28 on Rolling Stone's greatest albums)

Rolling Stone is just confused. Who's Next is a great album, but not as good as Quadrophenia.

[DjinniMan]

Rush, ooooooohhh!!

[Grimgrock]

Can someone provide a link to the article where this is found?

[Rex Dart]

I don't see why there isn't room for two music games, especially if the Guitar peripherals work for both.

Rock Band seems to cater to more of a multiplayer, online audience, while Guitar Hero might still appeal to the single-player, or more casual video game musicians.

I hope both continue to sell well.

[S1n1star]

No AC\DC = No Big Guns...'nuff said