Crispy Gamer News

Harmonix and MTV Games announced nine new tracks coming to the Rock Band Music Store catalog including brand new material from The Killers’ soon to be released album Day and Age. On the day of the album’s release Rock Band fans will be able to purchase the band’s new track “Spaceman” through the Rock Band Music Store as well as The Killers’ previously released tracks “Mr. Brightside” and “Smile Like You Mean It.” All three songs will be available for download as individual tracks as well as in a 3-pack. Tracks will join “When You Were Young” already featured in the Rock Band Music Store catalog.

Alternative band Soundgarden also offers up more tracks for Rock Band fans including “Jesus Christ Pose” from the band’s 1991 album Badmotofinger and “Pretty Noose” from the band’s fifth album Down on the Upside. Soundgarden’s hit singles “Black Hole Sun,” and “Spoonman” are already featured in the Rock Band Music Store catalog.

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The Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 for Xbox 360, PS3, PS2 and Wii has shipped to retail stores nationwide. Pricing for the game is $29.99 MSRP for all platform versions. Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 features 20 tracks recorded by multiples artists including Lynyrd Skynyrd and Mötley Crüe to Red Hot Chili Peppers and Duran Duran.

Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 can be played as a standalone game for all console versions using Rock Band and Rock Band 2 peripherals. Fans who buy the track pack for Xbox 360 and PS3 can also export all 20 songs to their console for play with Rock Band and Rock Band 2 using a free offer from Xbox LIVE or the PlayStation Network.

Get it while it’s hot, kids.

Here’s a little disclosure for you - I used to work for Mad Catz, though thankfully not in their hardware / peripheral division. I’m glad of that, because Mad Catz controllers are synonymous with crap; these are the controllers you let guest use when they come over that you don’t like, or friends who you may want to punish for some unpardonable sin.
Whether that reputation is fair or not, the company has been trying to shake its bad image with gamers for years – to no avail. This is more important than ever given that the company is breaking ground with new licensed Rock Band and Rock Band 2 controllers today.

The company has begun shipping its range of premium licensed accessories designed for use with Rock Band and Rock Band 2 videogames for the Xbox 360. These new peripherals include the “first and only official” bass guitar available for Rock Band and Rock Band 2, the Fender Precision Bass Guitar; the Rock Band 2 Wireless Drum Kit the Portable Drum Kit; and the Rock Band Premium M.I.C. (Microphone with Integrated Controller).

Pricing, availability and more can be found at www.madcatz.com, though your best bet might be to stop by the GameShark Store to see if they are offering any specials with these peripherals - like free shipping (I honestly didn’t check, because I don’t care).

If you aren’t already drinking the Rock Band 2 kool-aid, or are looking for something for that special someone this holiday shopping season, then you might want to check out the freshly released and re-priced Rock Band bundles hitting retail this week. The Rock Band Special Edition Bundle contains all the essentials (if you don’t have them already) including the game, a microphone, Fender Stratocaster-modeled guitar controller and drum controller.

Rock Band Special Edition Bundle is available for PS2 and Wii starting at $99.99, while buying it for Xbox 360 and PS3 will cost you a bit more cash - $139.99.

For those of you that are “so over” the original, read our Rock Band 2 Review.

Foo Fighters’ best selling album, The Colour and the Shape, will become the seventh complete album to join the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content, according to an announcemtn from Harmonix and its partners today. Selling more than 2 million copies in the US, The Colour and the Shape is the most successful album from the rock band and includes hit singles “Monkey Wrench,” “Hero” and “Everlong”. With “Everlong” already featured on the Rock Band 2 soundtrack, the DLC album will include the following tracks, listed after the break:

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Harmonix, MTV Games and Electronic Arts will ship Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 for the Xbox 360, PS3, PlayStation 2 and the Wii on Nov. 17. Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 is a standalone software product that allows Rock Band Special Edition, Rock Band or Rock Band 2 peripherals owners to rock out to more songs from the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mötley Crüe, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Blondie. The package will contain a total of twenty new songs.

Fans who buy the track pack on these consoles can play the disc as a standalone game, or download the songs to their console through a free offer with Xbox LIVE or the PlayStation Network. A full list of the tracks can be found after the break (sorted by artist, song, and era).

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The ongoing battle for dominance of the music video game market took a major turn today, as MTV Games and Harmonix, the force behind the hit Rock Band games, announced they’ve entered into an exclusive deal with Apple Corps, Ltd., the company formed to manage the multimedia rights to the vast works of legendary band, The Beatles.

This partnership marks the first time that Apple Corps, along with EMI Music, Harrisongs Ltd, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, has agreed to present The Beatles music in an interactive video game format. Published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the new game will be an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles. The game was creatively conceived with input from Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, and enjoys their full blessing. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles innovative LOVE project, will provide his expertise and serve as Music Producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project.
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