So how much will the new Rock Band cost in the Uk?

[Zac Naloen]

Now we have real guitars and an extra peripheral they can't get away without releasing the instruments over here, so what are the bets... £500, £1000?

[DPDarkPrimus]

I don't think the really fancy guitar controller will come in the bundle. Could be wrong, though.

[General Zod]

I don't think the really fancy guitar controller will come in the bundle. Could be wrong, though.

The real guitar is indeed optional. But it comes with a real keyboard controller as standard.

[Losonti Tokash]

There's going to be a shitload of different bundles. The only ones we know anything about for sure are the standalone software, and the game + keyboard for $130 in the US.

So far there's no date or price given for the Fender guitar/controller other than it will be sold separately.

[Stark]

How did the genre end up split between a guitar tutor and warrioors of rock? Over-saturation?

[Losonti Tokash]

How did the genre end up split between a guitar tutor and warrioors of rock? Over-saturation?

Rock Band has been consistently moving in this direction anyway, starting with the drum trainer is Rock Band 2. The guitar for RB3 is really just an extension of the Pro modes for the other instruments, as it'd be a bit silly to have completely accurate drum and keyboard charting but leave the guitar and bass out.

And Warriors of Rock is because activision thinks that Guitar Hero 3 did well because of the boss battles, not because of the huge name recognition Harmonix had built for them.

Other nice things they're adding are new ways to sort songs since they expect to have over 2,000 songs in the Rock Band library by the end of the year. So instead of just decade, genre, artist, etc there's "songs with three vocal parts," or "songs under three minutes," or "eighties power metal from my DLC collection."

[Mr Bean]

There's also the minor issue than rather than breaking up the team to produce 20 spin offs the Rock Band Team has been kept together and mostly focused on the core game. Outside help being brought in for the spinoffs.

Rock band has 1-3, plus the two band centric games (Beatles and Green Day) and exactly one spin off... Lego Rock Band which they brought in lots of outside help to Harmonix.

Meanwhile Guitar Hero is pushing 13 non-mobile edition games including Guitar Hero 1-5, World Tour, Warriors plus band centric (Aerosmith, Metallica & Van Halen) plus the four "DLC before there was DLC" of Rock the 80's & Smash hits. Plus the DJ Hero and Band Hero both of which already have games with "2" in them on the way.

Which is why Harmonix is doing OK and RB3 might do well but no one has high hopes for Warriors.

[Losonti Tokash]

You can't even really count the first 2 Guitar Hero games or GH:80s, since those were made by Harmonix and not Neversoft.

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

Nice to see they're implementing the idea every single one of us had within five minutes of playing Guitar Hero for the first time. As someone who is learning to play guitar and would like to learn keyboard and drums but is held back mostly by the fact that practicing before you can do anything is so damn boring and frustrating, you can pretty much put me down as a day one buyer of all that (undoubtedly expensive) "pro" gear.

[Elessar]

Nice to see they're implementing the idea every single one of us had within five minutes of playing Guitar Hero for the first time. As someone who is learning to play guitar and would like to learn keyboard and drums but is held back mostly by the fact that practicing before you can do anything is so damn boring and frustrating, you can pretty much put me down as a day one buyer of all that (undoubtedly expensive) "pro" gear.

Ditto to all of the above, although I wonder how many people will try to make the shift from plastic-guitar 'Expert' mode to real-guitar, find themselves horribly unable to keep up, and then return to their gaming fantasy that RB is supposed to deliver...

I recall a story that Harmonix started up because the original founders realized how hard it was for people to play music at the pro level, so they simplified things and came up with the games that led to Guitar Hero (Frequency and Amplitude, if memory serves). Kinda interesting how that path resulted in games that teach.

[DPDarkPrimus]

Rock band has 1-3, plus the two band centric games (Beatles and Green Day) and exactly one spin off... Lego Rock Band which they brought in lots of outside help to Harmonix.

Specifically, Harmonix charted all the songs and let that LEGO game developer do the rest.

As far as "Pro Mode" goes, it's confirmed that there will be the Pro Mode option for instruments on all difficulties, not just Expert, so it's not like you instantly jump to 100% realistic tabs.

Pro Mode for drums will be an easier leap than Pro Mode for guitar, but that just comes from the drums being a better analogue.

[General Zod]

Speaking of the instruments, we have pricing.

Has your head cooled from all that rock news this morning? Nope? Well, we'd hate to rile you up again, but Mad Catz -- now the official provider of all Rock Band 3 equipment -- has priced its latest arsenal for the upcoming rhythm revival title. There's also a few new details on each instrument, so without further ado:

* Wireless Keyboard: That MIDI port many of you spotted is for output, letting you plug the two-octave (C3 to C5) velocity-sensitive keytar directly into MIDI sequencers for non-gaming use. It'll set you back $80, with an optional stand to be sold separately (no price given) alongside the game's launch. Buying the keyboard / game bundle will be $130, or about $10 off individual purchases. Oh, and if you want to feel a bit more techno, this puppy can be used as the guitar / bass input.
* MIDI PRO-Adapter: Want to use your own keyboard or electronic drum set? Here's the mediator you need, from MIDI to USB to console, and it sports the D-pad and other necessary gamepad buttons as well as velocity sensitivity adjustment controls. Asking price is $40.
* Pro Cymbals Expansion kit: three cymbals, apparently rejiggered from RB2's offerings for quieter play and a pre-defined 10 degree angle. It's $40 for this hi-hat, crash, and ride pack.
* Wireless Fender Mustang Pro Guitar Controller: Not the Squier hybrid we saw, this one actually sports a multitude of buttons for each string, spanning 17 frets (102 buttons in all). Actual strings are used for the plucking and strumming, and here's something interesting -- the axe has a MIDI output for software sequencers. This behemoth is $150, or approximately 1.5 Benjamins in your local currency.

Pictures of each instrument -- and the yet-to-be-priced Squier -- in the gallery below, as well as a few screen caps of Pro mode so you can get an idea how exactly it'll "correct you" on proper Bohemian Rhapsody finger picking.

[Zac Naloen]

Okay Seriously, that guitar is fucking sweet.

And pro mode looks like it could be a good guitar teacher.

You just need to learn your chords (which should only take a week or so studying a chord sheet) and then using the chart on screen you can learn the actual song you are playing.

Or just have some fun.


I'm really stoked for that guitar controller, really really stoked.

[Losonti Tokash]

Okay Seriously, that guitar is fucking sweet.

And pro mode looks like it could be a good guitar teacher.

You just need to learn your chords (which should only take a week or so studying a chord sheet) and then using the chart on screen you can learn the actual song you are playing.

Or just have some fun.


I'm really stoked for that guitar controller, really really stoked.

Assuming they have a guitar trainer to accompany the drum trainer that''s been in the last 3 Rock Band games, it'll probably cover most chords you'll run into anyway.

[The Vortex Empire]

Only 17 frets though? It's have to drop most of the high up leads you'd find in metal to a lower octave.

Still better than 5 buttons and a strum bar.

[Alferd Packer]

So there's going to be a real guitar, as well as that 102-buttoned behemoth? Interesting. Though it kinda blows for people who'd want to try Pro bass.

[Losonti Tokash]

There will still be pro bass mode. I assume they have something in the pipeline for those people.

Also, every song will have its own guitar trainer, so it looks like I was right.