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Why Rock Band is never coming out in Australia UPDATED

Posted: 2008-06-30 04:22am
by DPDarkPrimus
Because they just announced that Rock Band 2 is coming out in September.

There's a quick interview about it.

Some of the info from the articles:

-It's a timed X-Box 360 exclusive.
-All RB1 accessories will be compatible with RB2.
-All DLC, past, present, and future, will be supported by both games.


UPDATE:

Full track list for Rock Band 2:


1. AC/DC Let There Be Rock 1970s
2. AFI Girl's Gone Grey 2000s
3. Alanis Morissette You Oughta Know 1990s
4. Alice in Chains Man in the Box 1990s
5. Allman Brothers Ramblin' Man 1970s
6. Avenged Sevenfold Almost Easy 2000s
7. Bad Company Shooting Star 1970s
8. Beastie Boys So Whatcha Want 1990s
9. Beck E-Pro 2000s
10. Bikini Kill Rebel Girl 1990s
11. Billy Idol White Wedding Pt. I 1980s
12. Blondie One Way or Another 1970s
13. Bob Dylan Tangled Up in Blue 1970s
14. Bon Jovi Livin' on a Prayer 1980s
15. Cheap Trick Hello There 1970s
16. Devo Uncontrollable Urge 1980s
17. Dinosaur Jr. Feel the Pain 1990s
18. Disturbed Down with the Sickness 2000s
19. Dream Theater Panic Attack 2000s
20. Duran Duran Hungry Like the Wolf 1980s
21. Elvis Costello Pump It Up 1970s
22. Fleetwood Mac Go Your Own Way 1970s
23. Foo Fighters Everlong 1990s
24. Guns N' Roses Shackler's Revenge 2000s
25. Interpol PDA 2000s
26. Jane's Addiction Mountain Song 1980s
27. Jethro Tull Aqualung 1970s
28. Jimmy Eat World The Middle 2000s
29. Joan Jett Bad Reputation 1980s
30. Journey Anyway You Want It 1970s
31. Judas Priest Painkiller 1990s
32. Kansas Carry On Wayward Son 1970s
33. L7 Pretend We're Dead 1990s
34. Lacuna Coil Our Truth 2000s
35. Linkin Park One Step Closer 2000s
36. Lit My Own Worst Enemy 1990s
37. Lush De-Luxe 1990s
38. Mastodon Colony of Birchmen 2000s
39. Megadeth Peace Sells 1980s
40. Metallica Battery 1980s
41. Mighty Mighty Bosstones Where'd You Go 1990s
42. Modest Mouse Float On 2000s
43. Motorhead Ace of Spades 1980s
44. Nirvana Drain You 1990s
45. Norman Greenbaum Spirit in the Sky 1960s
46. Panic at the Disco Nine in the Afternoon 2000s
47. Paramore That's What You Get 2000s
48. Pearl Jam Alive 1990s
49. Presidents of the USA Lump 1990s
50. Rage Against the Machine Testify 1990s
51. Ratt Round & Round 1980s
52. Red Hot Chili Peppers Give it Away 1990s
53. Rise Against Give it All 2000s
54. Rush The Trees 1970s
55. Silversun Pickups Lazy Eye 2000s
56. Smashing Pumpkins Today 1990s
57. Social Distortion I Was Wrong 1990s
58. Sonic Youth Teenage Riot 1980s
59. Soundgarden Spoonman 1990s
60. Squeeze Cool for Cats 1970s
61. Steely Dan Bodhitsattya 1970s
62. Steve Miller Band Rock'n Me 1970s
63. Survivor Eye of the Tiger 1980s
64. System of a Down Chop Suey 2000s
65. Talking Heads Psycho Killer 1970s
66. Tenacious D Master Exploder 2000s
67. Testament Souls of Black 1990s
68. The Donnas New Kid in School 2000s
69. The Go-Go's We Got the Beat 1980s
70. The Grateful Dead Alabama Getaway 1980s
71. The Guess Who American Woman 1970s
72. The Muffs Kids in America 1990s
73. The Offspring Come Out & Play (Keep 'em Separated) 1990s
74. The Replacements Alex Chilton 1980s
75. The Who Pinball Wizard 1960s
Bonus Tracks
76. Abnormality Visions 2000s
77. Anarchy Club Get Clean 2000s
78. Bang Camaro Night Lies 2000s
79. Breaking Wheel Shoulder to the Plow 2000s
80. The Libyans Neighborhood 2000s
81. The Main Drag A Jagged Gorgeous Winter 2000s
82. Speck Conventional Lover 2000s
83. The Sterns Supreme Girl 2000s
84. That Handsome Devil Rob the Prez-O-Dent 2000s
Tons more info:
Rock Band 2 raises the bar in music gaming innovation with new features to rock the world:

- Local and global online modes to connect the entire Rock Band community
- World Tour mode, now online, simplifies the best of gameplay from the original Rock Band by fusing Solo Tour and Band World Tour modes and cranks it up a notch with an all new collection of opportunity gigs, challenges, cities, venues and hirable staff
- Tour Challenges that offer rockers a chance to play through mini-campaigns focused on the best songs by instrument, decade, genre, artist, album and more
- Battle of the Bands mode challenges players to go head to head against other bands in constantly refreshed contests* created by Harmonix (*internet connection required)
- Quickplay makes it easier than ever to get in and jam without hassle while allowing for new prefab characters or customized characters that can play on any instrument plus lets you make your own set lists and organize your song lists in a variety of categories (genre, era, etc.)
- Customizable Set Lists keep the music rolling and your band rocking in Quickplay mode
- Drum Trainer mode gives players the fundamentals of different beats and fills, translating gameplay into real drumming skills
- Character Creator completes your look with all new choices in clothing, accessories, tattoos, hairstyles, instruments and more to keep your unique rock avatar playing the full rock part
- Backwards compatibility with all Rock Band downloadable music content released to date
- Disc Export Feature gives owners of the original Rock Band the ability to export most of the Rock Band disc tracks and upgrade them into Rock Band 2 gameplay--the first time ever in videogame history!

Rock Band 2 features the largest music catalogue of any music-based videogame to date including:

- The Rock Band 2 soundtrack will feature over 100 songs - with over 80 songs on disc plus an additional 20 bonus tracks which will be made available for free download this fall .
- Unrivaled Blend of Classic, Developing and Emerging rock acts including Pearl Jam, Metallica, Allman Brothers, Motorhead, Devo, Jane's Addiction, Megadeth, Paramore, Modest Mouse and more.
- Rock Band 2 is the first and only video game to feature the music of AC/DC. It includes their epic rock anthem, "Let There Be Rock”
- After 14 years since Guns N’ Roses last official music release, Axl Rose selects Rock Band 2 to debut official new track, “Shackler’s Revenge” from the highly-anticipated album Chinese Democracy
- For the first time ever, music from American music icon, Bob Dylan, is featured in a video game with “Tangled Up In Blue”
- With ongoing weekly DLC releases including individual tracks, track packs and full albums, the Rock Band music library will feature more than 500 songs by year’s end!

From the solid officially licensed Rock Band 2 instruments to the expanded third party options, Rock Band 2 introduces new and improved choices that promise to deliver unsurpassed realism. In addition, Harmonix and MTV Games have become the first companies to officially support third party instruments and accessories in a music videogame.

Achieve ultimate stardom with the upgraded functionality and smooth new look of the official Rock Band 2 instruments.

- Fender Stratocaster Controller takes on a new authentic look plus adds a reinforced strum bar, quieter buttons, wireless functionality and a built in calibration tool that automatically sets your AV setup to an ideal setting for maximum rock.
- Drum set goes wireless while also featuring quieter, velocity sensitive drum pads and a metal reinforced pedal.
- Microphone showcases authentic styling and weight.

Kick up the intensity with officially licensed third party instruments from Mad Catz:

- Fender Telecaster Controller features soft buttons with lower action to help you shred faster than ever.
- Fender Bass Controller, the first bass guitar controller ever, takes the shape of the Fender P-Bass with extended length, tuning pegs and a split strum bar to replicate finger-bass style picking.
- Full-sized Squire Stratocaster Guitar Controller multiplies the authentic guitar experience by featuring a controller built into an actual Squire Stratocaster body.
- Cymbal Expansion Pack is a straightforward but amazing upgrade to the Rock Band 2 drum set featuring add-on cymbals.

Take Rock Band 2 instrument authenticity to a whole new level with a high-end peripheral from ION:
- ION Drum Rocker, a real electronic drum kit that functions as a game controller, brings the Rock Band fantasy to life featuring a simple substitution that takes the drum kit from a controller to a real instrument.
official press release

Posted: 2008-06-30 04:32am
by Praxis
Wait...
So the game uses the same accessories from the predecessor, and plays the same DLC songs.

Why the heck are they releasing a new game? Sounds like it's nothing but more songs. Just make it all DLC.

Posted: 2008-06-30 04:44am
by DPDarkPrimus
If you read the articles, you'd have seen that they are making many improvements to the games World Tour mode and other things, though of course they're coy about just what exactly all that is.

Posted: 2008-06-30 04:51am
by weemadando
Because they don't make as much money and it doesn't make EB/Gamestop/whoever hate them.

Re: Why Rock Band is never coming out in Australia

Posted: 2008-06-30 05:29am
by Stark
DPDarkPrimus wrote:Because they just announced that Rock Band 2 is coming out in September.

There's a quick interview about it.

Some of the info from the articles:

-It's a timed X-Box 360 exclusive.
-All RB1 accessories will be compatible with RB2.
-All DLC, past, present, and future, will be supported by both games.
And people laughed! :)

Posted: 2008-06-30 09:39am
by Losonti Tokash
Stark's just sad that he'll never get to play it. :(

For me, of course, this is awesome. I've already got like 180 songs with all the stuff I've downloaded and I think they mentioned there'd be something like 120 songs for RB2 on disc. On top of that, with the clout they've got now from DLC sales (over 15 million now) and boosted album sales from artists with DLC I'm gonna bet they can get some amazing bands in there.

In related news, since the master tracks for Who's Next are missing/destroyed, they're instead releasing a 12 pack of The Who's greatest hits July 15.

Posted: 2008-06-30 07:32pm
by DPDarkPrimus
Losonti Tokash wrote: In related news, since the master tracks for Who's Next are missing/destroyed, they're instead releasing a 12 pack of The Who's greatest hits July 15.
Where do you get that from?

Posted: 2008-06-30 07:45pm
by Losonti Tokash
The lead designer of Rock Band 2, the guy interviewed in your article there.

Edit: I went to the actual The Who website.
TRACKS: The Best of The Who Rock Band Edition”
“Amazing Journey”
“Baba O'Riley”
“Behind Blue Eyes”
“Eminence Front”
“Going Mobile”
“Leaving Here”
“My Generation” (LIVE)
“Real Good Looking Boy”
“Sea & Sand”
“Summertime Blues” (LIVE)
“Who Are You”
“Young Man Blues” (LIVE)
(All tracks utilize the original master recordings)

Price: $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track or $19.99 (1600 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for the entire collection of tracks.

Posted: 2008-06-30 08:30pm
by Elessar
Praxis wrote:Wait...
So the game uses the same accessories from the predecessor, and plays the same DLC songs.

Why the heck are they releasing a new game? Sounds like it's nothing but more songs. Just make it all DLC.
Support for legacy hardware / software is a good thing. I'd be pissed off if I had to buy a complete set for each version of the game, just because some songs are stuck on the older software for no good reason other than to line someone's pockets.

Now if only Activision would let accessories become cross-compatible.

Posted: 2008-06-30 08:33pm
by Losonti Tokash
Praxis wrote:Wait...
So the game uses the same accessories from the predecessor, and plays the same DLC songs.

Why the heck are they releasing a new game? Sounds like it's nothing but more songs. Just make it all DLC.
Missed this somehow.

Why it isn't just DLC? Beyond the new features, there's also the fact that it's supposed to have around 100-120 songs and individually downloaded they'd cost $2 a piece. I think getting all those for $60 alone is worth it, even if nothing about the game was improved at all.

Re: Why Rock Band is never coming out in Australia

Posted: 2008-07-02 04:33pm
by Kurgan
DPDarkPrimus wrote:Because they just announced that Rock Band 2 is coming out in September.

There's a quick interview about it.

Some of the info from the articles:

-It's a timed X-Box 360 exclusive.
-All RB1 accessories will be compatible with RB2.
-All DLC, past, present, and future, will be supported by both games.
When I saw this thread, I half expected I was going to read how bashing someone over the head with a drum set and choking them to death with guitar strings were an "inimitable act" and therefore the game was preemptively banned. Ho hum...

Sucks for fans, I guess (the last of the button-rhythm games I was into was DDR:E, so I'm too old school).

I'm just pissed that "Force Unleashed" isn't coming out for PC.

Posted: 2008-07-14 03:14pm
by DPDarkPrimus
Updated OP.

Posted: 2008-07-14 05:24pm
by Brother-Captain Gaius
A little short on metal as usual and too much weird crap that hardly qualifies as rock, but all in all pretty solid. Can't wait! :D

Posted: 2008-07-14 06:59pm
by JointStrikeFighter
Brother-Captain Gaius wrote:A little short on metal as usual and too much weird crap that hardly qualifies as rock, but all in all pretty solid. Can't wait! :D
protip; most customers would rather not play metal.

Posted: 2008-07-14 07:03pm
by General Zod
JointStrikeFighter wrote:
Brother-Captain Gaius wrote:A little short on metal as usual and too much weird crap that hardly qualifies as rock, but all in all pretty solid. Can't wait! :D
protip; most customers would rather not play metal.
Because a game name rock band is totally going to appeal to people that don't want rock and/or metal. :lol:

Posted: 2008-07-14 07:14pm
by tim31
Rock has long been a generic term. People apply it to "music that I like that has guitars in it". It's a similar mindset to people that think that pop music sucks, when pop really means popular, and there is always pop rock in the charts.

Posted: 2008-07-14 07:18pm
by General Zod
tim31 wrote:Rock has long been a generic term. People apply it to "music that I like that has guitars in it". It's a similar mindset to people that think that pop music sucks, when pop really means popular, and there is always pop rock in the charts.
I tend to file pop music under "shitty music that has no guitars" myself.

Posted: 2008-07-14 07:23pm
by Spanky The Dolphin
The diversity of Rock Band's play list is very welcoming. Guitar Hero can go ahead and keep all the butt metal as far as I'm concerned. :P

Posted: 2008-07-14 07:45pm
by Stark
Spanky The Dolphin wrote:The diversity of Rock Band's play list is very welcoming. Guitar Hero can go ahead and keep all the butt metal as far as I'm concerned. :P
The Minister of Culture speaks true. A 'metal' focus is not only unwelcome, but it would mean through random chance we'd get complete shit like Freya etc as much as we'd get 'good' 'metal'.

Posted: 2008-07-14 08:13pm
by Losonti Tokash
I find the inclusion of Mastodon, Avenged Sevenfold, Megadeth, and System of a Down on-disc as an acceptable representation of metal. The metal DLC already available shores up the gaps.

Posted: 2008-07-14 08:14pm
by Stark
You think A7X is good? Oh dear, it's worse than I thought!

Posted: 2008-07-14 08:21pm
by Schuyler Colfax
Stark wrote:You think A7X is good? Oh dear, it's worse than I thought!
Shut up.

Like Spanks said the diversity of the songs is welcomed, it opens the game to more people not just to metal fans or classic fans and whatnot.

Posted: 2008-07-14 08:23pm
by Stark
Schuyler Colfax wrote:Shut up.
Sorry did I say something mean about your favourite boyband? I'm sure they got all your fanmail!
Schuyler Colfax wrote:Like Spanks said the diversity of the songs is welcomed.
Oh dear, he's forgotten how to read.

Posted: 2008-07-14 08:25pm
by Lancer
Diversity...Diversity... That's a Civil War-era battleship, is it not? What does that have to do with music? :P

Posted: 2008-07-14 08:26pm
by Schuyler Colfax
Stark wrote:
Schuyler Colfax wrote:Shut up.
Sorry did I say something mean about your favourite boyband? I'm sure they got all your fanmail!
No, it just annoys me when you post, so I'm saying shut up.
Stark wrote:
Schuyler Colfax wrote:Like Spanks said the diversity of the songs is welcomed.
Oh dear, he's forgotten how to read.
I didn't mean to press submit and had more to say.