Harmonix have announced several big names that will be supporting their upcoming game Rock Band.

Firstly, they've announced that Steven Van Zandt-a.k.a. 'Little Steven' is to Chair Music Advisory Board, which will guide the Harmonix development team in the selection of artists, albums and tracks to be featured in the music videogame, both on the game disc and for digital distribution.

Steven's expertise is vast, from his status as a founding member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, his encyclopedic knowledge of rock music history and well-known skill at pulling people together. He is the perfect choice to lead the team to steer us through the thousands of musical choices we are currently facing.

Metallica have struck a deal with Harmonix and MTV Games and jumped on board, allowing several tracks from their catalog to be used in the game, with Enter Sandman on the initial release.

Rock Band will allow gamers to jam with the guys through their long, successful career, from young, raw talent to mega stars, playing the hard- rocking sounds that the band is known for.

And what may be one of the coolest moves in Music Game history, Rock Band will be the first game ever to offer new game levels based on Full-Length Albums

Offering entire albums for play on the Rock Band platform is a monumental step forward in Harmonix's ever present quest to provide new ways for people to interact with music and creating the most authentic music experience possible. This will give players the opportunity to play through the entire album set list of arguably some of the most influential rock albums of all time and brings them one step closer to what it feels like to be a true rock star.

How can GH3 possibly hope to compete?

I don't know.. The only way that Rockband could fail would be if they introduced really restrictive & expensive track prices (aka. GH2 tracks on the XB360)..

Why is QGL so fanatic about these music-simulation games but won't pick up a real guitar?

It's just boggling my mind, the latter is much more rewarding.

Those Yamaha C-40's only cost like $140 brand new, like $50 second hand.

because pressing coloured buttons at the same time as the 'strum' bar is easier than learning the real thing :D

i dont recall hearing anyone say they wont pick up a real guitar.
i was under the impression stacks of the local forum goers could play instruments of some kind

Stolen from Joystiq

To anyone who might still doubt that Rock Band can instantly create a party, any time, anywhere, check out the above video of an impromptu gathering at the E3 2007's Fairmont hotel. Remember, these are highly jaded journalists and developers, coming to hang out and play a game after the formal show has ended for the day. If they're singing along, just imagine how much your friends will get into it.

Man, how much fun does that look???

8-)

Why is QGL so fanatic about these music-simulation games but won't pick up a real guitar?

It's the opposite - people are picking up real guitars because they were introduced to Guitar Hero. Places like Guitar Center over here are seeing these massive spikes in sales post-GH releases, it's going to be scary to see that same thing apply to drummers and singers.

I just wished they annouced some prices!

Why is QGL so fanatic about these music-simulation games but won't pick up a real guitar?

Why does any thread about a ryhthm game on any forum always have a wanker that whinges about it?

Why is QGL so fanatic about these music-simulation games but won't pick up a real guitar?

It's just boggling my mind, the latter is much more rewarding.

Thats like saying "Why bother playing driving games when you could do drive a real car". Its a game ffs, people play it for fun, lighten up.

To anyone who might still doubt that Rock Band can instantly create a party, any time, anywhere, check out the above video of an impromptu gathering at the E3 2007's Fairmont hotel. Remember, these are highly jaded journalists and developers, coming to hang out and play a game after the formal show has ended for the day. If they're singing along, just imagine how much your friends will get into it.

I saw one chick at that party. What a wangfest!

Thats like saying "Why bother playing driving games when you could do drive a real car". Its a game ffs, people play it for fun, lighten up.

I don't think anyone would play driving games if you could go 300km/hr on city streets and drift like a maniac without getting put in jail. Also, we can't qualify for F1, Nascar, WRC and such events because we don't have the skill or money.

Guitar, like I said... the real thing is cheaper then the game.

Well just like people play driving games because they can't go 300km/h on city streets without getting put in jail, people play games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band because they can't just pick up a guitar and play rock songs like Enter Sandman or Dont Fear the Reaper without years and years of practise, and then its not like they're gonna get the opportunity to rock out with a band doing huge concerts even if you COULD play the guitar. Its all about escapism and having fun, thats the whole point of playing games.

Buying a guitar and then paying for lessons is more expensive than buying Guitar Hero.

Driving games really arent the best analogy. I prefer to use the sporting games, tony hawk analogy. OMG why do people play FIFA when they could just go out and play real soccer!! OMG why do people play tony hawk when they could just go out and skateboard.

Seriously chub, just shut the f*** up. Playing these games and playing guitar aren't mutually exclusive. end troll feeding.