Break out your credit cards or run to your retailer to stock up on MS Points -- Billboard is reporting that the Rock Band Network Music Store is launching today.
The store, populated by tracks authored through Harmonix and MTV Games' Rock Band Network initiative, is said to launch with more than 100 songs. Expect music from artists like the Shins, the Hold Steady, Bang Camaro, Of Montreal, Steve Vai, and more to be available immediately. According to MTV, more than 300 artists have music in the pipeline, including Flight of the Conchords, Smashing Pumpkins, and Prong.
So yeah, 100 or more songs will be available for download today. I think that's a record for number of songs available for DLC in a single week. My wallet cries out in pain, but the rocker inside of me is throwing up the horns.
Rock Band Network Music Store Opens [Billboard]
[Update: power-glove pointed me in the direction of the list of songs that will launch today with Rock Band Network, as compiled by Scorehero. Looking pretty good for launch day... tons of stuff to choose from. Have at it!]
Contest:
10:20 AM on 03.04.2010
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Is today a cross platform date? or is it just LIVE getting it today?
I certainly do ;)
I'm still working on my bands songs for RBN, but it's a pain to do it :/
@Sexualchocolate:
It's unclear right now, but it was my initial understanding that 360 would get the content first, with select content coming to PS3 and Wii at a later date.
Please...? :(
I too have been trying to author songs and it certainly is a pain. I don't envy the official HMX authors one bit.
For PS3 owners: There will be a PS3 side of RBN that will include select DLC picked by Harmonix. It's been described as an ever growing "Best Of" list. It won't include everything however. I don't know why to be honest. I think it would just be a pain for HMX to move all that stuff over.
Also, Bang Camaro! Please put up VAGIANT, please put up VAGIANT.
This is going to make me so poor but I'm going to love every minute. Today was going to be comic book reading day, it is now Rock Band day
Yeah I heard about that. They're still VAGIANT to me.
...oh...my...god.
Heads up, Vagiant is now known as Tijuana Sweetheart.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Tijuana-Sweetheart/263195766316?ref=sgm
I know homies! I like VAGIANT better! Stop spitting in my face with reality!
*hugs copy of Public Display of Infection*
So I hope Harmonix has some sort of recommendations thing planned, or these aren't gonna get much sales because people aren't gonna plunk down MSP on unknown no-name bands.
A) There are a ton of big names bands. I have no idea what list you're talking about. The list I'm looking at has Smashing Pumpkins, Lacuna Coil, Blondie, Evanesence, and Flight of the Conchords.
B) Harmonix isn't running this. It's the responsibility of the artist to find a team of authors to get their music on there. On the forum there are forms and templates that you can email bands and labels requesting they put their stuff on RBN. It's actually been pretty popular and effective. I know they pressured Lacuna Coil over and last I checked they were making efforts in getting Dream Theater to talk to their label about putting a few albums up.
Yeah, I get a little hyped up talking about Rock Band. :/
Of course when you limit it to the bands you just mentioned, of course there's famous bands in there. But let's take those guys out. Who's left? A bunch of relative unknowns and in-house Harmonix bands. Maybe a few recognizable to us nerds (Coulton, Brad Sucks), but I haven't heard of about 75% of the bands featured on the Network.
Even if Harmonix isn't running it, they have to talk about it. Frequently. Hammer it into people's heads. Make it a major focus for RB3 or something. Show people what are songs they recommend for the Network. Otherwise it's not gonna do much.
But I could be wrong. This could be a major hit and be a good breaking point for a lot of unknowns to "get famous." We'll see.
"Crush 40 songs
Oh god yes.
And personally I like the fact there's a lot of unknowns in there. I've bought at least 10 albums as a result of downloading random songs from RBN.
Harmonix WILL be spotlighting songs at some point. I don't think they've released specific details though.
I'm only really excited for this because of Flight of the Conchords...and the Shins.
So if you take out the popular bands you have non-popular bands left? M'kay. That makes sense. I don't see your point but it makes sense. Like if I take out all my PSP all I have is DS games left...right...your point is?
I'm not trying to put you down or anything but between that list linked and the list of labels who've dedicated to the service I think you're being a wee bit pessimist. Or I'm being blindly optimistic. One of the two.
I'll be playing some rock band today then.
Then, buying DLC copy protected the save, meaning that when I switched from my old boss's ps3 to my home one, I lost my platinum artist. Annoying.
Then there's the shaky arrow problem for vocals on expert.
Then the rock band network gets announced, and the ps3 gets a gimped selection of songs. I have too much in dlc to start over on the 360, but damn, man, this series has been hosed on the ps3.
This is not all really Harmonix's fault, but damn.
"As for the future of the platform, Harmonix already has plans to expand the offerings with the over 300 artists currently working on Rock Band Network tracks. Included among the upcoming releases: The Smashing Pumpkins, Flight of the Conchords, Clutch, and hundreds more."
Clutch.
They said "Clutch."
...CLUTCH.
Also, Midnight Riders. MIDNIGHT RIDERS!
YES PLEASE!!
Still no Type O Negative. Bummer.
Also, the "demo" feature is just brilliant. You can download a small portion of a RBN song, play it, and then it asks you if you'd like to buy the full song or just delete the demo. They should include something like that in the Rock Band 3 Music Store, playing the songs is better than watching a sound-disabled version of them on Youtube (stupid WMG)
From what I hear it's Sony who's putting the boot on user content. Just passin' on the rumor. I mean the only reason RBN gets a free pass on Live is because they're basically ripping from the Indie games dev resources.