Rock Band 3 Official Thread

[Pheran]

Rock Band 3

Release Date: October 26th, 2010 (US), October 29th, 2010 (Europe)
Systems: X360, PS3, Wii, DS

Harmonix Press Release

Mad Catz RB3 Instruments Announcement

Fender Squier Announcement

Current Solid Info

USA Today article - tons of info and gameplay video!

RB3 will have vocal harmonies (support for multiple singers), much like The Beatles: Rock Band and Green Day: Rock Band.

Mad Catz will manufacture RB instruments going forward, including ones for RB3. Of course it is expected that existing RB/GH instruments will be compatible.


Setlist - all 83 songs confirmed!

Rock Band 3 YouTube Playlist

Amy Winehouse – Rehab
Anthrax – Caught In A Mosh
At the Drive-In – One Armed Scissor
Avenged Sevenfold – Beast and the Harlot
B-52's – Rock Lobster
The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations (Live)
Big Country – In a Big Country
Blondie – Heart of Glass
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Get Up, Stand Up
The Bronx – False Alarm
Chicago – 25 or 6 to 4
The Cure – Just Like Heaven
David Bowie – Space Oddity
Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water
Def Leppard – Foolin'
Devo – Whip It
Dio – Rainbow in the Dark
Dire Straits – Walk of Life
Doobie Brothers – China Grove
The Doors – Break On Through
Dover – King George
Echo and the Bunnymen – Killing Moon
Elton John – Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
Faith No More – Midlife Crisis
Filter – Hey Man, Nice Shot
Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1
Foreigner – Cold as Ice
Golden Earring – Radar Love
HIM – Killing Loneliness
Huey Lewis and the News – The Power of Love
Hypernova – Viva La Resistance
Ida Maria – Oh My God
INXS – Need You Tonight
J. Geils Band – Centerfold
James Brown – I Got You (I Feel Good)
Jane's Addiction – Been Caught Stealing
Jimi Hendrix – Crosstown Traffic
Joan Jett – I Love Rock and Roll
John Lennon – Imagine
Juanes – Me Enamora
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird
Mana – Oye Mi Amor
Marilyn Manson – The Beautiful People
Metric – Combat Baby
The Muffs – Outer Space
Night Ranger – Sister Christian
Ozzy Osbourne – Crazy Train
Paramore – Misery Business
Phish – Llama
Phoenix – Lasso
The Police – Don't Stand So Close To Me
Poni Hoax – Antibodies NSFW!
Pretty Girls Make Graves – Something Bigger, Something Brighter
Primus – Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
Queens Of The Stone Age – No One Knows
Rammstein – Du Hast
The Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated
Raveonettes – Last Dance
Rilo Kiley – Portions For Foxes
Riverboat Gamblers – Don't Bury Me… I'm Still Not Dead
Roxette – The Look
Slipknot – Before I Forget
Smash Mouth – Walkin' on the Sun
The Smiths – Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
The Sounds – Living in America
Spacehog – In the Meantime
Steve Miller Band – Fly Like An Eagle
Stone Temple Pilots – Plush
Swingin' Utters – This Bastard's Life
T.Rex – 20th Century Boy
Tears for Fears – Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Tegan and Sara – The Con
Them Crooked Vultures – Dead End Friends
Tokio Hotel – Humanoid
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers – I Need To Know
The Vines – Get Free
War – Low Rider
Warren Zevon – Werewolves Of London
The White Stripes – The Hardest Button to Button
Whitesnake – Here I Go Again
The Who – I Can See For Miles
Yes – Roundabout


Rock Band 2 Export

The Rock Band 2 Export will cost $10 and include the "vast majority" of songs. It is supported on all consoles.

 

[VashHT]

I really hope they allow multiples of the same instrument in this game. Me and my friends really liked that feature in GH5 since no one likes doing bass for easier songs. Also it would be nice if they added the empty notes from GH5, that made bass a lot more fun i thought.

 

[Kabob]

Wow, more new plastic instruments! But MadCatz? Are they insane?

Guess they decided they needed more revenue from people buying replacement controllers.

 

[VashHT]

Wow, more new plastic instruments! But MadCatz? Are they insane?

Guess they decided they needed more revenue from people buying replacement controllers.

Actually the newer controllers last quite a long time. My RB2 guitar and GH4 guitar both work great even after i smashed em a couple times while trying to beat some impossible songs.

I agree about madcatz tho lol, that's probably the worst company they could have picked to make their stuff.

 

[gorcorps]

You guys really think they'd choose a company that would make decent stuff? If the 3rd party controllers were of good quality but for cheaper than how would harmonix make their money? It was a brilliant business decision, as now they'll be known as the 'good' controllers instead of the ONLY controllers.

 

[Pheran]

HUGE news today, the Green Day: Rock Band demo now available on the 360 contains a screen with a Rock Band 3 logo that shows a keyboard icon!

I am extremely excited about this!

 

[SunnyD]

HUGE news today, the Green Day: Rock Band demo now available on the 360 contains a screen with a Rock Band 3 logo that shows a keyboard icon!

I am extremely excited about this!

So a 5-key keyboard eh? Sounds... fun. :\

I like screwing around with the rhythm games, but one thing that irked me is that they are so far from the actual song (GH3 - Muse, sorry - the triplets are from the keyboard, not the guitar) it makes me .

 

[Pheran]

So a 5-key keyboard eh? Sounds... fun. :\

I like screwing around with the rhythm games, but one thing that irked me is that they are so far from the actual song (GH3 - Muse, sorry - the triplets are from the keyboard, not the guitar) it makes me .

As of yet there is no info about how the keyboard will work or how many keys there will be. There's no particular reason it would have to be only 5. I would think they would want to allow for two-handed play somehow. I would LOVE to see some kind of expert mode that allows you to use a real USB keyboard somehow, but I don't know if that will happen.

Guitar Hero 3 is Neversoft, so it doesn't surprise me a bit when it's screwed up. Though there is a song in the Queen pack in Rock Band that is mildly annoying because one section has piano charted to guitar.

 

[Beev]

Lol Madcatz... How are they still in business?

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

Lol Madcatz... How are they still in business?

I'm pretty sure the awesome SF controllers saved them. Since they are better even than the HORI Real Arcade Pros.

Their Rock Band bass is really good too. Seems like they are turning things around.


On topic though. I used to love these games and have spent literally hundreds 3-500? on RB2 songs but I think I'm over it. It just got boring.

 

[CPA]

HUGE news today, the Green Day: Rock Band demo now available on the 360 contains a screen with a Rock Band 3 logo that shows a keyboard icon!

I am extremely excited about this!

Keyboard, What is this going to be Rock Band: Styx?

 

[polarmystery]

Keyboard, What is this going to be Rock Band: Styx?

It's going to be Rock Band: Ludwig Van Beethoven

 

[Pheran]

This is rumor, but the Ars mole is reporting that the keyboard instrument will actually be a keytar, and a vague rumor about a new difficulty level called "Pro mode".

Rock Band 3 brings keytar, new "pro" mode

Finally, the info is starting to flow. I'm still chomping at the bit for E3 though.

 

[Oyeve]

This is rumor, but the Ars mole is reporting that the keyboard instrument will actually be a keytar, and a vague rumor about a new difficulty level called "Pro mode".

Rock Band 3 brings keytar, new "pro" mode

Finally, the info is starting to flow. I'm still chomping at the bit for E3 though.

A Keytar? Thats so lame 80s. Ug, I would live an m-audio keyboard controller type of game. Hopefully there will be more ROCK in ROCKband 3.

 

[RedRooster]

I'm pretty sure the awesome SF controllers saved them. Since they are better even than the HORI Real Arcade Pros.

Their Rock Band bass is really good too. Seems like they are turning things around.


On topic though. I used to love these games and have spent literally hundreds 3-500? on RB2 songs but I think I'm over it. It just got boring.

Yup, sadly that ship has sailed. Just complete burnout, and I don't think any amount of drinking can make it as exciting and fun as it was when it was new.
It was fun while it lasted though, they totally nailed that whole genre.

 

[bolomite]

As long as my DLC transfers over, and I'm able to use my current plastic instruments, I'm happy. 'Pro mode' could be interesting, maybe something like requiring mandatory alternate picking or mandatory hammer-ons for guitar

 

[Pheran]

Wow, I wasn't expecting huge new info pre-E3, but here it is! USA Today has an article and a video showing the keyboard instrument, and revealing at least a couple of songs - "Break on Through" by the Doors and "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen! It also has a gameplay video.

USA Today Article

Rock Band 3 Video

I'm still digesting all this new info so the OP will be updated when I get a chance. The keyboard looks fantastic - seems to be about two octaves (25 keys)!

 

[Pheran]

Holy crap at Pro Mode! That new Power Gig game can kiss its ass goodbye.

Bolding emphasis is added by me.

This new music learning mode lets players develop real-world music-playing fundamentals for keyboards, guitars and drums. More realistic music notations replace the standard color-coded notes during gameplay. For guitar, numbers flow down the screen along six guitar strings, telling you where to place your hands on the neck and when to strum.

Two new guitar controllers in the works have actual strings where you strum; one is a full-sized, fully functional six-string Squier Stratocaster from Fender. "It can tell where your fingers are based on technology in the neck and the bridge of the guitar. No buttons," Drake says. "While you're playing it, it feels exactly like playing a real guitar," because that's what you're doing.

The other is a Fender Mustang Pro controller from accessory maker Mad Catz with a field of buttons in each fret. As your fingers compress the smaller non-colored buttons on that guitar's neck, your finger positions are represented in the game's display. "You can go from plucking single notes to power chords and bar chords, we have crazy stuff like tapping and slides," Dubrofsky says. "If you ever had any aspirations of connecting with the music in a deeper way ... you are really going to like Rock Band 3."

For drums, three new cymbals are added to the standard four drum pads, and you are forced to play the correct cymbal at the right time. "It really immerses you more. You feel more like a drummer," Dubrofsky says. "It's not only for expert levels. You can come in on easy and actually play Pro drums. We have all the different levels established. It's actually really fun. You are playing up on the high hat or down on the snare, and it feels more like a kit than ever before."

On keyboards, Sussman says, "we're actually utilizing the full two-octave range that the keyboard controller has. Everything that you are playing, whether you are playing on easy or expert, is accurate musical information. The track looks like a real keyboard track, and you are playing notes on the keyboard that if you were to step away from the game and were to play on a real piano, they would be the right notes."

Pro players can use the mode for private practice or incorporate it while others play the game's standard arcade modes. "You can be an expert keys-player playing with an all easy band, no problem," Drake says.

 

[Pheran]

Partial setlist announcement! Full set list is said to be 83 songs. Nice to see something from Dio on there, who recently passed away.

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

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

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

1960s-1970s
Bohemian Rhapsody -- Queen
Break On Through -- The Doors
Crosstown Traffic -- Jimi Hendrix

 

[gorcorps]

Holy crap at Pro Mode! That new Powergig game can kiss its ass goodbye.

Bolding emphasis is added by me.

Holy god damn! That changes my excitement from :hmm: to :awe::thumbsup:

If it comes anywhere close to working properly that'll be a blast. I'm sure the drums and keyboard will work fine, but I'm worried about the guitar part.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

hoping that a 3rd party adapter will allow you to plug in a real MIDI keyboard and play.

 

[Pheran]

hoping that a 3rd party adapter will allow you to plug in a real MIDI keyboard and play.

I'm hoping for the same, though I will even consider hacking apart a RB3 keyboard and figuring out how to create such a beast. The only problem I see with this is that there are only two octaves worth of input, so you have to determine how you are going to map 7 or so octaves onto 2. It seems unlikely that a single mapping would result in the correct configuration for every song.

 

[VashHT]

Wow pro mode sounds crazy, they're going to make a bass for it too right? Too bad I can't just plug in the guitars I already have lol. I can't say the set-list looks that great so far imo, although I've been waiting for bohemian rhapsody for a while.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

I'm hoping for the same, though I will even consider hacking apart a RB3 keyboard and figuring out how to create such a beast. The only problem I see with this is that there are only two octaves worth of input, so you have to determine how you are going to map 7 or so octaves onto 2. It seems unlikely that a single mapping would result in the correct configuration for every song.

not so much concerned with the expanded keys of a real piano.
i'd be doing it more for the tactile feel of the keys.

i'm sure the stock keytar keys are going to feel like crap.

 

[Pheran]

News just keeps coming today. There's now an unofficial indication that the release date will be 10/31, and that the keyboard bundle (presumably game+keyboard) will cost $130.

Rock Band 3 Arriving 10/31 with a $130 Keyboard Bundle?