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Rock Band 2

Platform(s): PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
Genre: Rhythm
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Harmonix

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Rock Band Music Store To Get More Country, Indie Megamix

by Rainier on Aug. 27, 2010 @ 7:16 a.m. PDT

Rock Band 2 builds upon the original to introduce co-op band gameplay, multiple instruments, online multiplayer, unparalleled downloadable content and raises the bar by delivering an entirely new level of depth, connectivity, authenticity and features.

The Rock Band 2 soundtrack features 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. This builds upon the unparalleled depth and diversity of Rock Band's original set list and its ever-expanding library of downloadable tracks. Comprised entirely of master recordings from some of rock's most prolific and untouchable artists, including AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Bob Dylan, Metallica, Pearl Jam and more, Rock Band 2 will deliver the most impressive and largest music catalogue of any music-based videogame ever.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii

Dierks Bentley signed to Capitol Records Nashville in 2003 and the same year released his self-titled debut album, which was certified platinum, along with his second album, Modern Day Drifter. Its follow-up, Long Trip Alone, was certified gold, and Dierks Bentley released his fourth album, Feel That Fire in February 2009. From these four albums, 14 singles have made it to the country singles charts, and seven of those have reached No. 1, including his debut single, “What Was I Thinkin’,” which will be available in the Rock Band Music Store next week.

Eric Church released his debut album, Sinners Like Me, on Capitol Records in 2006, producing four chart singles on the Billboard country charts. He went on to release his second album, 2009's Carolina, which includes "Hell on the Heart" which became a Top 10 hit. “Hell on the Heart” will be available for Rock Band next week.

Jamey Johnson has released three albums since 2006 and is set to release his fourth, The Guitar Song Part 1 & 2, in September. He’s been nominated for five Grammy® Awards, as well as a handful of Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association awards. He garnered wins for Song of the Year from both the ACM and the CMA for his single “In Color.” Next week, his song, “Women,” from 2008’s That Lonesome Song, will be available in the Rock Band Music Store.

Josh Turner has released four albums since his debut in 2003, with singles charting on the Billboard country music charts 10 times. In 2004, he won Song of the Year and Songwriter of the Year from the Inspirational Country Music Awards and has also been nominated for a smattering of other awards, including two Grammy nominations, including a nomination for Male Country Vocal Performance of the Year for "Would You Go with Me."Next week, “Would You Go With Me” from his 2006 album, Your Man, will be available in Rock Band.

Keith Urban has released six albums since 1991, with all but one of them going at least platinum, and some going two-, three- and four-times platinum. He has had 17 No. 1 singles and has won three Grammy Awards. Next week, “Days Go By” will be available for Rock Band. The song was the lead-off single for his Be Here album and became Urban's fifth No. 1 single, spending four weeks at the top of the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Songs chart in late 2004.

After Lady Antebellum's self-titled debut went platinum and earned the band a Grammy® Award, the band went on to release their sophomore album, Need You Now, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified double platinum. “Lookin’ For a Good Time,” from the debut Lady Antebellum will be available in the Rock Band Music Store next week.

Actress and singer Laura Bell Bundy began working in regional theater when she was only 9 years old. She made her Broadway debut in Hairspray in 2002 and went on to star in 2008’s Legally Blonde: The Musical. She released a debut album, Longing for a Place Already Gone, in 2007, and after signing with Mercury Records Nashville, she released a second album, Achin' and Shakin', in 2010. “Rebound,” the single from Achin’ and Shakin’, will be available in Rock Band next week.

Reba McEntire, known as the Queen of Country Music, has sold more than 41 million albums in the United States alone and ranks as the seventh best-selling female artist in all genres in the United States and is the second best-selling female country artist of all time in the United States. She has released 25 albums since 1977 and will release her 26th this year, titled Turn on the Radio, schedule for release Nov. 9. Reba’s hit single, “Fancy,” from her 1990 album Rumor Has It, will be available for Rock Band next week.

Grammy Award-winning Sugarland began as a trio of singer/songwriters from the Atlanta area in 2002, self-releasing their first EP. After a series of phenomenal live shows built a buzz around the group, they were signed to Mercury Records, which released a two-song single early in 2004 and followed it up with the full-length Twice the Speed of Life, that same year. A second full-length, Enjoy the Ride, was released by Mercury Nashville in 2006 and was a huge success, garnering attention in both pop and country quarters. Next week, “It Happens” the No. 1 single from the group’s 2008 album, Love on the Inside, will be available in the Rock Band Music Store.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 system (Aug. 31):

  • Dierks Bentley—“What Was I Thinkin’”
  • Eric Church – “Hell on the Heart”
  • Jamey Johnson – “Women”
  • Josh Turner – “Would You Go With Me” +
  • Keith Urban – “Days Go By” +
  • Lady Antebellum – “Lookin’ For a Good Time”
  • Laura Bell Bundy – “Rebound”
  • Reba McEntire – “Fancy” +
  • Sugarland – “It Happens” +

 (All tracks are original master recordings)

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation 3 system Sept. 1)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Going Country Pack 04,” as well as individual tracks, on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” will also be available in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.

Price:           

  • $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points) per song
  • $2.00 USD (200 Wii Points) per song
  • $14.99, £7.49 UK, €10.99 EU (1,200 Microsoft Points) for Going Country Pack 04

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

New to the Rock Band Network

Also next week, Xbox 360 Rock Band players will get a special treat from the Rock Band Network. The Rock Band Network is overflowing with awesome music! Twelve up-and-coming independent acts have joined forces to bring you this unprecedented sampler of what RBN has to offer. Edited by Scratching The Itch, this just may be the most epic track to appear in any music game!

The RBN Megamix features the following tracks available now in the Rock Band Network Music Store for Xbox 360 for free:

  • Rose Of Jericho – “Buried Cold”
  • James William Roy – “Paper Valentines”
  • Glass Hammer – “Sleep On”
  • Robby Suavé - “Everyone I Know Is An Alcoholic”
  • Scratching The Itch – “End Of This”
  • You Shriek – “No Heroes”
  • Voodoo Pharmacology – “Minnesota”
  • Chrome Coma – “Bow Down”
  • Freen In Green – “Frontier Factory”
  • Paul Henry Smith & The Fauxharmonic Orchestra – “Night On Bald Mountain”
  • Counterfeit Pennies – “Five More Minutes”
  • Single White Infidel – “Inheritance”

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Rock Band 2 On-Disc Track List:

  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 "Bodhitsattva" 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 Material

  1. Abnormality "Visions" 2000s
  2. Anarchy Club "Get Clean" 2000s
  3. Bang Camaro "Night Lies" 2000s
  4. Breaking Wheel "Shoulder to the Plow" 2000s
  5. The Libyans "Neighborhood" 2000s
  6. The Main Drag "A Jagged Gorgeous Winter" 2000s
  7. Speck "Conventional Lover" 2000s
  8. The Sterns "Supreme Girl" 2000s
  9. That Handsome Devil "Rob the Prez-O-Dent" 2000s

** The Rock Band 2 on-disc track list is comprised entirely of master recordings.

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!

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.

Rock Band 2 is currently available on Xbox 360, PS3, PS2 and Wii.


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