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LEGO: Rock Band review

Eddie Makuch — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:39:40 +0000

For some crazy reason, LEGO –themed video games caught on. First the little dudes saved the universe in the Star Wars series, then the block men and women played out the Indiana Jones tales, and next year, they’ll shapeshift into Harry and company in LEGO: Harry Potter.

But today, LEGO fans can take to the stage and play as the miniature men in LEGO: Rock Band, one of the oddest digital endeavors in recent memory.

Music
Publisher: MTV Games/Warner
Developer: Harmonix/Traveller’s Tales
Nov. 3, 2009

The formula is simple. Take one part acclaimed and beloved music-game franchise, Rock Band, and add to it the cute-beyond-belief LEGO series, and what do you get? An unusual idea, but a compelling one too.

First off, and definitely most importantly, LEGO: Rock Band applies the same winning formula applied in every Rock Band title to date. The notes cascade down the virtual fretboard, you hit them in time for drums, bass, and guitar, and pitch-match for singing, yadda yadda yadda, you get it.

Additionally, in the game’s campaign, you’ll again start a band and rock the world, though in the LEGO flavor. You get the chance to customize your own LEGO avatar, give him or her Mohawk, a rockin’ t-shirt, and lots more.

The game progresses through a series of gigs, as we’ve become accustom to, but the main point of consideration in this title is the LEGO spin on everything.

Traveller’s Tales, the development team behind every LEGO video game, know what the heck they’re doing in terms of storytelling. Anyone who’s ever played LEGO Star Wars or Indiana Jones can attest to that. The narrative in LEGO Rock Band is surprisingly compelling and rich, and even more impressive when you consider no one speaks a word throughout the game. It’s all hand gestures and hilarious sequences.

I won’t lie, during the opening sequence, when you’re graced with a cutscene of a band audition session, I LOL’d… a lot. Traveller’s Tales knows just what buttons to press to get the laughs, and applied that formula; somehow, to this music game, and best of all, it works!

Additionally, in true LEGO game fashion, LEGO: RB is all about collecting LEGO bits and pieces. These pieces, dependent on your level of success in any given song, are awarded to you, and can be used in the Rock Shop to buy everything from new clothing, to instruments, and even new vehicles to get from gig to gig.

When I played LEGO Indiana Jones, I was the whoriest of collectors. I had to have every last piece, it’s just the OCD I have for such a thing, and in LEGO: RB, that trait burst through too. When you finish a song, you hear and see the “stud tally” rack up and might I say, it’s quite a satisfying moment.

LEGO: Rock Band is also extremely accommodating to new users. A new Super Easy mode, which you could ace at a comatose level, is kind of a joke, but I guess some people are just that bad. Additionally, in the options menu you can toggle off kick pedal notes for drumming, therefore scaling down the level of needed percussive proficiency.

Furthermore, you pretty much can’t fail a song, at any difficulty in the game’s career. To stay in the game and not fail out you simply spend the studs you’ve collected, and voila, you’ve made it!

A final move made in LEGO: Rock Band towards accessibility is, and as a musical purist I hate this, a Short Song mode. This alteration allows you to play a shortened version of nearly every song in the setlist. Sure, I can see why some might want this. Who needs that fourth chorus anyway, right?

But as much as I enjoyed my time with LEGO: Rock Band, I had some serious gripes with it as well. Things that truly left a throwup taste in my mouth, and things you need to know.

First, the game’s song-list is unacceptably brief. The game ships with only 45 songs and sells for $50. Let’s see, I could buy Rock Band 2 for less than that and get 84 songs, which would I choose? I think you know.

Second, of those 45, I wanted to play no more than 6 of them. Now, this is an extremely personal assessment based on my musical preferences, but it truly destroyed the experience for me. For this reason, trudging through the campaign felt like stabbing myself in the ears, only to become somewhat musically-aroused by the occasional great song “Fire” by Jimi Hendrix or Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin.” Simply put, I hated the song-list, which can be seen here just scroll down a bit.

I also was dismayed at the choice to abandon Rock Band 2’s graphical presentation in favor of that of The Beatles: Rock Band. LEGO: RB feels like a downgrade from Rock Band 2, and maybe it was supposed to, but nevertheless, I didn’t like it. Notes don’t pop and explode in the same graphical fidelity as in RB2 and the entire experience feels softer. And again, perhaps this was an intentional decision made, but I still do not agree with it.

I also believed in Harmonix and their seemingly deep appreciation for music, but that thought died when I played LEGO: Rock Band. To me, this game feels like a very real attempt at cashing in on a profitable brand name, LEGO.

Harmonix has always stood for the most authentic music experience out there, and the company achieved this by making you feel like the rocker on stage. But with LEGO dudes and dudettes on-stage, I never once felt like I was the center of attention. I could not connect personally with the game, and ended up just not caring, which is completely opposite how I feel about Rock Band 2. The game just doesn’t feel right.

But does this even matter? The game is clearly aimed at the younger demographic, who very well might not care at all. That said though, Band Hero, Activision’s attempt at the same market, does create that sense of immersion and is a definite reason to consider that title before this one.

Somewhat of a saving grace for the title, if you’re gifted it, is that all 45 songs can be transferred to your Rock Band library for an acceptable fee of $10. Maybe I’ll do that, but it’s still ten dollars.

Of note: LEGO: Rock Band does not support online multiplayer. You can download age appropriate songs from the Music Store to play in the title, but that’s all you can do online. No battling other bands, teaming up with friends or anything. Sad, huh?

Blast Factor: For all intents and purposes, LEGO: Rock Band works. It does what it needs to. You’ve got the engaging and proven Rock Band formula laying a solid ground work and as a music game, it’s fine. The LEGO theme is odd. On one hand, the LEGO-specific bits are fun, different, and mostly welcome. But at the same time seeing a LEGO Freddy Mercury sing “We are the Champions” is slightly disheartening. I never felt engaged enough in this title to fully enjoy it, due to the fact that I’m not made of blocks, at least last time I checked. The game’s song list is eclectic to say the least, and you’ll most definitely want to look it over at length before purchasing.

LEGO: Rock Band is available today for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo DS. A copy of the game was given to us by the publisher for review purposes. I am not a 12 year-old girl. Maybe that’s why I didn’t enjoy it.

Gamescom 2009: Harmonix and MTV Games announcements!

David Smail — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:14:27 +0000

At Gamescom Harmonix and MTV Games announced more information about the downloadable content for The Beatles: Rock Band release. There will be THREE downloadable Beatles albums in addition to the 45 songs in the game and “All You Need Is Love” Single. The three albums will be released month by month starting in October and continuing through December. The downloads will be available through the Playstation Network, Xbox LIVE, and the Wii in-game store.

Additionally, it was revealed that tracks from Queen, Nirvana, Tom Petty, Elton John, Iggy Pop, The White Stripes, Pantera, Talking Heads, Korn, The Raconteurs and more will be among future Rock Band installments. With over 800 songs currently available, it is projected that by the Holiday season there will be over 1000 songs in the catalogue.

Want to find out what albums and songs are going to be released? Check it out after the jump. Tell us your thoughts in the comments section.

All but one song on The Beatles: Rock Band revealed

David Smail — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:02:43 +0000

The Timeline:

Oct. 30, 2008: Blast reports Beatles Rock Band under development
March 5: Beatles Rock Band gets 9/9/09 release date
June 3: Blast interviews Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos at E3
June 10: Blast ranks Beatles Rock Band among the best games seen at E3 2009
Aug. 18: Most of the track list is revealed
Aug. 25: TV Spot
Sept. 9: Beatles Rock Band released

MTV Games and Harmonix have revealed 19 more songs which will be featured on The Beatles: Rock Band. Of the 45 songs available on the game, 44 have been announced leaving one mystery song.

The game allows fans to experience the Beatlesâ€™ catalogue of music for themselves and play their way through the bandâ€™s extraordinary career. From 1963 Liverpool to the final performance on the Apple Corps rooftop, fans can experience the entire career, while also utilizing the three-part vocal harmonies to revel in the vocal styling of the Fab Four.

For those who feel that 45 songs are not enough, fear not. Abbey Road will be available as a future download purchase. On September 9, All You Need Is Love will be released exclusively through Xbox LIVE.

The release of The Beatles: Rock Band has been timed in conjunction with the release of the original, digitally re-mastered Beatles CD catalogue on Sept 9^th, 2009. It will be available around the world simultaneously for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. Fans who pre-order any version of the game at a participating retailer will be given an access code to officially join the Pre-Order Club. Club members will gain access to breaking news and exclusive behind-the-scenes elements. To learn more, visit the Pre-Order Club website.

The Beatles: Rock Band 19 New Songs Revealed With Featured Venues:

â€œBoysâ€ / Cavern Club
â€œA Hard Dayâ€™s Nightâ€ / Ed Sullivan Theater
â€œIâ€™m Looking Through Youâ€ / Shea Stadium
â€œTicket to Rideâ€ / Shea Stadium
â€œDrive My Carâ€ / Budokan
â€œLucy in the Sky with Diamondsâ€ / Abbey Road Dreamscape
â€œGetting Betterâ€ / Abbey Road Dreamscape
â€œGood Morningâ€ / Abbey Road Dreamscape
â€œHello, Goodbyeâ€ / Abbey Road Dreamscape
â€œHey Bulldogâ€ / Abbey Road Dreamscape
â€œDear Prudenceâ€ / Abbey Road Dreamscape
â€œWhile My Guitar Gently Weepsâ€ / Abbey Road Dreamscape
â€œHelter Skelterâ€ / Abbey Road Dreamscape
â€œSomethingâ€ / Abbey Road Dreamscape
â€œCome Togetherâ€ / Abbey Road Dreamscape
â€œDonâ€™t Let Me Downâ€ / Rooftop Concert
â€œI Want You (Sheâ€™s So Heavy)â€ / Rooftop Concert
â€œI Me Mineâ€ / Rooftop Concert

Got an idea about what the mystery song will be? Post it in the comments.

Harmonix announces Rock Band Network, blows your mind

Eddie Makuch — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:47:41 +0000

MTV Games and Harmonix today announced that beginning in August musicians of all flavors will have the opportunity to have their tunes land in the Rock Band Music Store, garnering them an unprecedented level of exposure.

Officially dubbed the Rock Band Network, this music game initiative will allow anyone playing in a garage band, or even Into Eternity, a well known metal act, to finally have their music in the game (should they want it) and muster up some cashola while at it.

But how does it work?

When the program enters open beta in late August, a “sophisticated toolset” complete with “detailed documentation” on the new virtual studio will be available to all in order to begin what already feels like a lengthy process of recording, authoring, and publishing your track. But once you’ve recorded your song in the “studio” your next task is to get the darn thing published.

Enter Creators.RockBand.Com, a hub of all things user-generated content, where your song can be playtested and criticized by members to help you submit the best song possible.

Ready for (somewhat of) a catch? A four month ($49.99) or annual ($99) membership to the XNA Creators Club Online is required to get anything published in the Music Store.

Once all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed, and your song is in the store, you want some money… right?! Great, because, according to Kotaku.com, you’ll be able to charge anywhere between 50 cents and $3 for your work, and can keep 30% of the take.

Harmonix has also noted that PlayStation 3 and Wii fans are getting almost no love (and tons of $ from Microsoft), and, in another “timed exclusive” deal, songs created (which Wii and PS3 fans can’t even do) and uploaded to the store will be exclusive to Xbox 360 for 30 days.

Ready for some caveats? Here we go.

Obviously you cannot record your version of anything any band has already created; you’d be infringing on their rights. Tsk tsk.

Songs will be moderated by Rock Band devs and will not be uploaded to the store until approved.

Clearly, however, the benefits outweigh the negatives. You’ll be utilizing the same exact tools Harmonix developers use, and if there was ever a perfect digital venue to get famous in the real freakin’ world, Rock Band is it.

You probably have questions, and we (hopefully) have answers. Hit up the comments to begin the discussion.

Rock Band Network

21st Century Green Day coming to Rock Band

Eddie Makuch — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:57:30 +0000

Rock Band developer Harmonix today revealed that famed punk-rockers Green Day will finally arrive onto the music/rhythm scene with three selections from the groups’ latest endeavor “21st Century Breakdown.”

The trio, whose name originates from the idea that skipping school and smoking pot is really all you need (hence the “green day”) first stirred up rumors of a Rock Band release earlier this week when lead singer/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong eluded to their arrival in Rock Band in some capacity on the KROQ radio morning show.

On July 7 “Know Your Enemy,” “21 Guns,” and “East Jesus Nowhere” will hit the Rock Band Music Store priced at the typical clip. However, Harmonix promises “additional Green Day songs and projects will be announced at a later date.”

So if you’re like me and enjoyed Green Day much better when they were on drugs in the 90’s, fear not for more tunes, and possibly a full Green Day-inspired game is on the way to quell your stomach’s rumbling for punk-rock.

Rock Band Unplugged tracklist and DLC unveiled

Eddie Makuch — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:27:49 +0000

Rock Band on the PSP? Yes, indeed the Sony handheld will be treated to a music experience of its own come June by the name of Rock Band Unplugged, but what is any music game without the music?Â EA and Harmonix announced the full track list for the title today along with the first 10 available in-game music store tracks.

Both the core setlist and the DLC tracks represent a very solid range of tunes from four decades but really, until we get our hands on the title, it is difficult to decide just how worth it Unplugged will be.

Until then however, feast your eyes on all 41 on-disc cuts as well as the 10 additional, at a to be determined price, DLC offerings listed below.

1960’s-

“Pinball Wizard” The Who

1970’s-

Boston – “More Than a Feeling”

Jackson 5 – “ABC”

Jethro Tull – “Aqualung”

Kansas – “Carry on Wayward Son

Rush – “The Trees”

1980’s-

Billy Idol – “White Wedding Part 1″

Bon Jovi – “Livin’ on a Prayer”

Dead Kennedys – “Holiday in Cambodia”

MotÃ¶rhead – “Ace of Spades”

The Police – “Message in a Bottle”

Siouxsie & the Banshees – “The Killing Jar”

1990’s-

3 Doors Down – “Kryptonite”

Alice in Chains – “Would?”

Blink 182 – “What’s My Age Again”

Foo Fighters – “Everlong”

Judas Priest – “Painkiller”

Lit – “My Own Worst Enemy”

Lush – “De-Luxe”

Mighty Mighty Bosstones – “Where’d You Go?”

Nine Inch Nails – “The Perfect Drug”

Nirvana – “Drain You”

The Offspring – “Come Out and Play (Keep ‘em Separated)”

Pearl Jam – “Alive”

Smashing Pumpkins – “Today”

Social Distortion – “I Was Wrong”

Soundgarden – “Spoonman”

Weezer – “Buddy Holly”

2000’s-

AFI – “Miss Murder”

All-American Rejects – “Move Along”

Audioslave – “Gasoline”

Black Tide – “Show Me the Way”

Freezepop – “Less Talk More Rokk”

Jimmy Eat World – “The Middle”

The Killers – “Mr. Brightside”

Lacuna Coil – “Our Truth”

Lamb of God – “Laid to Rest”

Modest Mouse – “Float On”

Queens of the Stone Age – “3’s and 7’s”

System of a Down – “Chop Suey!”

Tenacious D – “Rock Your Socks”

DLC tunes available June 9-

30 Seconds to Mars – “The Kill”

Belly – “Feed the Tree”

Disturbed – “Inside the Fire”

Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Gimme Three Steps”

Muse – “Hysteria”

Mute Math – “Typical”

No Doubt – “Just a Girl”

Oasis – “Wonderwall”

Paramore – “Crushcrushcrush”

Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Under the Bridge”

Rock Band franchise surpasses $1 billion.

Eddie Makuch — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:53:01 +0000

The Rock Band business is what dreams are made of, especially if those dreams are buckets and buckets of cold, hard cash.Â The real music industry? Yeah that’s good and all, but the virtual stage is where the heat really is.

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today that the Rock Band franchise, after fifteen months available at North American retail has surpassed $1 billion in total sales fueled by the sale of over 40 million individual DLC tracks.

Believe it or not, in between Rock Band, Rock Band 2, and the plethora of DLC, the entire catalogue totals up to over 600 digital tunes.

Rock Band has succeeded so well in creating songs for absolutely every genre to hit on every demographic.Â My DLC tracks range from Children of Bodom’s “Are you dead yet,” to Juli’s “Perfekte Welle,” and no I did not download Miranda Cosgrove’s “Headphone’s on,” but I could have.

With The Beatles: Rock Band looming on the horizon the kind of brand recognition Rock Band has built will surely help sales comes September 9^th.

Key stats for the Rock Band franchise.

Sales
â€¢ Rock BandÂ® franchise has officially surpassed $1 billion dollars in North American retail sales in 15 months, according to the NPD Group
â€¢ Rock Band was the #1 title of 2008 by revenue across all game genres (NPD)

Music / Downloadable Content
â€¢ 614 songs offered via the Rock Band platform, both on-disc and in-game music store, as of March 24, 2009
â€¢ 269 different artists / bands offered via Rock Band franchise as of March 24, 2009
â€¢ Over 40 million paid songs have been sold via download since Rock Band launched on November 20, 2007
â€¢ 11 albums released to date via the Rock Band platform including AC/DC Live, The Cars, Judas Priest, Pixies, MÃ¶tley CrÃ¼e, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Megadeth, Rush, No Doubt and Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as special compilations from The Who, Nirvana, The Grateful Dead, Boston and more

Critical Acclaim

Average Metacritic score of 92 [2] for both Rock Band and Rock Band 2

â€¢ Rock Band and Rock Band 2 have garnered more than 50 industry awards including:

IGN’s “Best Music/Rhythm Game of 2008″

â€¢ Gamespot.com’s Editor’s Choice Winner for “Best Rhythm / Music Game of 2008″
â€¢ Spike TV’s 2008 Video Game Award Winner for “Best Music Game” and “Best Soundtrack in a Game”

Gametrailers.com “Best Music and Rhythm Game 2008″
PlayStation: The Official Magazine’s “Best Rhythm Game of 2008″

â€¢ Yahoo’s “Best Party Game of the Year – 2008″ and named one of Yahoo’s “Best Tech Products of 2008″

G4 TV’s X-Play “Best Music Game of 2008″

â€¢ Named as one of Entertainment Weekly’s “Entertainers of the Year 2008″

Called “Best party game of the year” by the Associated Press
Named as one of USA Today’s “Top Video Games of 2008″

â€¢ Cited as one of MSNBC.com’s Top Video Games of 2008 and one of the Best Xbox 360 Games of 2008
â€¢ Heralded as “hands down the best party game ever” by Time magazine and named as one of Time’s Top Video Games of 2008

Rock Band Franchise Innovations

First full band music video game to hit consoles

â€¢ First music video game to offer export of content library from disc and cross compatibility of downloadable content (DLC) in sequel games.
â€¢ First music video game to offer weekly downloadable content (averaging more than 3 songs per week since its launch on November 20, 2007)
â€¢ Lead the way for full compatibility and interoperability between competing peripherals
â€¢ First music video game to allow for export of avatars and other game data to create real life merchandise
â€¢ First music video game to offer full albums as downloadable content: Judas Priest’s “Screaming for Vengeance,” released in June 2008
â€¢ First music game to offer a new song day-and-date with its release to radio, with MÃ¶tley CrÃ¼e’s “Saints of Los Angeles”

Rock Band 2 delayed?

John M. Guilfoil — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:00:04 +0000

Tell your roadies to take their time with the sound check. According to CrunchGear, the Rock Band 2 bundle for the Xbox 360 has been delayed a month.

Originally slated for September 14, it now looks like 360 users won’t be able to rock out even more extremely until October 19. October 19 is, coincidentally, the same day the game comes out for the rest of the platforms.

It’s still going to fly off shelves, no matter what day.

MTV announces video game partnership with Jerry Bruckheimer

Blast Magazine Newsroom — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 07:34:11 +0000

MTV Games announced Wednesday an agreement with famed film and television producer Jerry Bruckheimer to develop a new video game studio.

Viacom, parent company of MTV and MTV Games, hopes to capitalize on the producer’s entertainment and drama successes and build Bruckheimer’s original style into modern interactive entertainment.

“Video games represent a new and innovative medium for what we’ve always tried to do, which is to tell great stories,” Bruckheimer said. “But this medium is unique in that it gives the player control over how those stories unfold.”

The new gaming studio will work on all phases of game creation from concept to marketing, MTV Games said in a statement Wednesday. MTV will tap Jeff Yapp, executive vice president of programming enterprises, and Bob Picunko, VP of electronic games and interactive products to work directly with Bruckheimer’s studio.

The resulting games will have the benefit of immense targeted marketing on all MTV/Viacom television networks and Internet channels, which will attempt to generate a buzz among the MTV fan base and translate that into sales.

MTV announced in August that they would invest more than $500 million over the next two years info developing interactive products. They have already seen success after purchasing Harmonix in 2006. Harmonix developed the original Guitar Hero games as well as the new hit, Rock Band.

Bruckheimer is responsible for some of the biggest movies and television shows ever including Top Gun, The Rock, Black Hawk Down, Crimson Tide, Bad Boys, Gone in 60 Seconds, National Treasure and the Pirates of the Caribbean series. He also produced King Arthur, which is a great watch if you are looking for something that rings somewhere between Braveheart and [insert any medieval movie here].

Bruckheimer is no stranger to video games. Many of his properties have been turned into games, but most of them have met minimal success due to low budgets and the stigma of movie-to-video-game titles. Games included:

A dark ages tale of the knights of the roundtable in “King Arthur,” which saw a PS2/Xbox/GC adaptation to reviews in the 6’s and 7’s
Highly (financially) successful game ports of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series
Awful mobile phone ports of National Treasure
Bad Boys: Miami Takedown on the Playstation 2, one of the worst of a thousand games to hit the PS2
A series of poorly reviewed PC games based on the CSI television show
A whole bunch of Top Gun flight sims

Bruckheimer also has a movie coming out in 2009 based on the the Prince of Persia video game series called “Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.”

It’s a fair bet that future Bruckheimer-title-based video games will have the financial and technical backing of this new studio. No word yet on the original content they are looking to develop, but if Bruckheimer is making a serious leap into the video game world, it’s definitely worth paying attention.