The hotly-anticipated Rock Band’s track list has been let loose…sort of. 58 songs in all will be in the game from release, with 13 of those being unlocks - and only one unlockable track announced so far. Weekly downloadable tracks are also expected - The Who’s Who’s Next album was the first announced, followed by Grateful Dead tracks and Metallica’s One.
Educational games don’t usually make it to consoles, and certainly never make it “fun” like is always claimed… except on the DS. So it’s good news to hear the DS is finally taking the plunge in respect to a musical education, with the game Rhythm N’ Notes. Through the use of piano and drums the game aims to teach the technical aspects of music. The game is designed for both the musically inept and advanced, with ranging difficulty levels. Available now, at the very reasonable price of $19.99 you really have no excuse not to aim to be that musical virtuoso you always wished you were.
Didn’t get Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, and don’t have a blank CD lying around? Fortunately for you, there’s now another way to get the demo for Guitar Hero III - it’s just been released on Xbox Live. The demo is the same one available elsewhere, and features the following tracks:
• Even Flow (by Pearl Jam)
• Lay Down (by Priestess)
• The Metal (by Tenacious D)
• Hit Me with your Best Shot (as made famous by Pat Benatar)
• Rock You like a Hurricane (as made famous by Scorpions)
Guitar Hero III will be released in North America on October 28, Australia on November 7 and finally in Europe on November 23.
Ubisoft today announced a strange collaboration with heavy rock/metal band Korn. Korn have recorded an original song for the upcoming Haze, apparently inspired by the game - though I imagine a lump of cash helped get those creative juices flowing a little more than the game did. The song titled “Haze” will hit the radio in November, coinciding with the launch of the game, and will be available for download from online music stores.
Apparently, Korn’s singer Jonathan Davis loves video games:
Gaming for me is a religion and Haze is the sh*t! […] I had to come up with a track that can hit up that kind of rush I get from the game and I think we really rocked it!!
Hopefully the next time Ubisoft get a band to make them a tune for a video game, they can find someone who has released some decent material since…oh, the turn of the century?
Given most people who are fans of the tracks in the game would already own them on CD, there’s an ingenious added incentive to buy - a unique download code which can be redeemed for an additional three in-game tracks:
“Carcinogen Crush” by AFI
“Tina” by Flyleaf
“Putting Holes In Happiness” by Marilyn Manson, as remixed by Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The catch? It only works for the Xbox 360 version of the game.
Infinity Ward and Activision have announced details on the music for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The game will feature an original score by Stephen Barton (Shrek 2, Team America: World Police, Man on Fire), performed and recorded by a full orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London, and produced by award-winning composer Harry Gregson-Williams (Metal Gear Solid 2/3/4, Shrek, Enemy of the State).
Just in case you’re struggling to grasp that this means “good music”, listen to Grant Collier, studio head at Infinity Ward:
Harry Gregson-Williams was the perfect choice to craft an immersive and rich soundtrack that matches the heightened atmosphere and tension of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, […] Harry’s wealth of experience, passion and intensity together with the talents of young composer, Stephen Barton, shine through in the score draws gamers deeper into the epic and cinematic experience that is Call of Duty 4.
John Debney’s BAFTA-nominated musical score for Lair is possibly the only aspect of the game that wasn’t universally smashed by the gaming media. For those of you who want to experience that epic orchestral vibe outside the living room, the entire score is now available on iTunes for US $9.99.
Once upon a time, long before this site existed, someone with a lot of spare time on their hands hacked Super Mario World, adding a level that completed itself without any input from the user.
I’m not sure they were aware of quite how far the obsessive-compulsive meme-junkies that inhabit the dark corners of the internet were going to take this obscure new pastime.
Now the “Automatic Mario” meme has been cross-pollinated with the end theme from the anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Hare Hare Yukai, a rampant internet phenomenon in and of itself. Yes, this hacked level completes itself and manages to sound like the end theme from an anime at the same time.
An undeniably brilliant effort that raises the question - where on earth will they take this one from here?
Three new tracks have been confirmed to appear on the Rock Band disc, and all three are master recordings:
KISS - Detroit Rock City
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
This announcement brings the confirmed track list to 33 tracks, with just three being covers. This is sure to be a major point of difference in the coming fight with Guitar Hero III - too many of my favorite tracks that made it into Guitar Hero II were covers, some of them absolutely horrible.