Rock Band Unplugged Is Shown Off By EA, Harmonix

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Rock Band Unplugged Is Shown Off By EA, Harmonix

Submitted by Shane Whitehouse on April 8, 2009 – 2:36 pm9 Comments

Today, we got the first video footage from Rock Band Unplugged, the portable version of Harmonix huge hit, Rock Band. The video footage shows off the guitar section being played, while The Jackson 5′s “ABC” is playing in the background. Along with “ABC”, other tracks that were announced are “Less Talk More Rokk” by Freezepop (They just sold me on it), “Miss Murder” by AFI and “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down to name a few.

At the very end of the video, they switch really fast to the drums segment, and you can see the controls you will use to play the drums. Nothing was shown for the vocals, so I am wondering if there is a built-in mic for the PSP, or do you need to buy that Skype attachment to do vocals. I hope you sing the vocals instead of pressing keystrokes to command the vocal track.

Check the jump for a few more screens as well as the press release.

MTV GAMES, HARMONIX AND EA HIT THE ROAD ON JUNE 9 WITH ROCK BAND UNPLUGGED FOR THE PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) SYSTEM
Rock Band Unplugged to utilize the first fully-featured in-game store for downloadable content on the PSP system

Guildford, UK., 8th April- Harmonix, the world’s leading developer of music-based games, MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), and distribution partner Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced plans today to release Rock Band Unplugged exclusively for the PSP (PlayStation®Portable) system. The game will be available in North America and Europe beginning June 9, 2009, with software retailing for £29.99 in the United Kingdom.
“Rock Band Unplugged reinvents band gameplay while staying true to the authentic feel of the Rock Band console games,” said Bob Picunko, Senior Vice President of Electronic Games for MTV Games. “Harmonix delivers innovation with every game they develop and we are excited to continue our long-list of industry firsts with the Rock Band in-game wireless music store on the PSP system.”
Rock Band Unplugged creates a full band experience in the palm of your hand by combining traditional beat match gameplay with key elements from both Rock Band and Rock Band 2, such as overdrive and chords. Your hands are the “peripherals” in Rock Band Unplugged, allowing you to take direct control of the lead/bass guitars, drums and vocals. In addition, players can expect a rich Rock Band experience with fully functional modes like World Tour, Band Survival and Warm Up and a robust character creator for full customization.

Rock Band Unplugged will feature over 40 master-recordings including nine exclusive new songs that will debut on the PSP system before being offered as downloadable content for console versions of Rock Band. Plus, Rock Band Unplugged will include the first fully-featured in-game store for downloadable content on the PSP system in the North American and European markets, leveraging the PSP system’s wireless capabilities. The in-game store will be powered by PlayStation®Network, and players will be able to use their existing PlayStation Network account to purchase tracks, similar to the Rock Band console experience. PSP system owners will also have the option of purchasing tracks via PlayStation®Store on the PC.

The following tracks will launch exclusively through Rock Band Unplugged on the PSP system for a limited time before becoming downloadable content for the other platforms:

• 3 Doors Down – “Kryptonite”
• AFI – “Miss Murder”
• Alice in Chains – “Would?”
• Audioslave – “Gasoline”
• Black Tide – “Show Me the Way”
• Blink 182 – “What’s My Age Again”
• Freezepop – “Less Talk More Rokk”
• Jackson 5 – “ABC”
• Tenacious D – “Rock Your Socks”

Rock Band is the ultimate platform for music fans and gamers to interact with music like never before. The game challenges players to put together a band and tour for fame and fortune – all while learning to master lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals. Featuring the most master recordings of any music game ever by the world’s biggest rock artists, Rock Band includes tracks that span every genre of rock ranging from alternative and classic rock, to heavy metal and punk.

Rock Band Unplugged is developed by Harmonix in partnership with Backbone Entertainment, a Foundation 9 Entertainment studio, and based on the award-winning Rock Band series of games.

For more information on Rock Band Unplugged and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com.
About MTV Networks
MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world’s leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company’s portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 350 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, Atom, Gametrailers and Xfire.

About MTV Games
MTV Games is dedicated to creating, marketing and publishing high-quality, innovative interactive products that are relevant to the MTV audience and complement the core values of the MTV Networks brands.

About Harmonix Music Systems, Inc
Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Cambridge, MA, and established in 1995, is the leading developer of groundbreaking music-oriented videogames. Harmonix was founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, who formed the company to invent new ways for non-musicians to experience the unique joy that comes from making music and have pioneered music and rhythm gaming in the US. For more information please visit www.harmonixmusic.com.

About Electronic Arts Inc.
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world’s leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA SPORTS Freestyle TM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.eagames.co.uk. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at www.eagames.co.uk/press.

About Backbone Entertainment
Backbone Entertainment, a Foundation 9 Entertainment Studio based in Emeryville, California, is a long-standing developer of original, classic, and re-imagined games for all major platforms. Established in 1992 with an early foundation in emulations, conversions, and handheld games, the studio then broadened its focus to develop games for consoles. Backbone Entertainment is a leading developer of downloadable titles for XBLA and PSN, and specializes in clever games based on original and popular gaming franchises. The studio is one of the most experienced developers in the industry, and has shipped over 230 titles across all platforms over the last sixteen years. For more information please visit www.backboneentertainment.com.

About Foundation 9 Entertainment
Foundation 9 Entertainment is the largest independent games developer in North America. The company has studios across North America, Europe and Asia, making it a development powerhouse, uniquely positioned to deliver quality games on all gaming platforms for all age groups. The company’s studios are masters in working with original and licensed properties and have collectively developed more than 600 titles since 1992, including more than 45 in 2008 alone. For more information, please visit: www.f9e.com.

© 2009 Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Harmonix, Rock Band and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., a MTV Networks company. Rock Band developed by Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. MTV: Music Television, MTV Games and all related titles and logos are trademarks of MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Backbone and the Backbone logo are trademarks of Backbone Entertainment, a Foundation 9 Entertainment company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. “PlayStation”, the “PS” Family logo and “PSP” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Tags: 3 doors down, abc, afi, drums, guitar, jackson 5, kryptonite, miss murder, portable, rock band, singing, unplugged

http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrew-Adam/39102958 Andrew Adam

Someone please tell EA and Harmonix the music genre is supersaturated and we don't need all of these games…
JoeFourhman

About vocals… Isn't this pretty much Amplitude/Frequency again? If so, then there's no singing, just a vocal track that you have to keep after or else the artist's voice disappears.

I'm kind of annoyed that the press release wants to pretend that Amplitude/Frequency never happened, what with all the “innovation” marketingspeak.

Amplitude/Frequency was awesome, by the way. Totally different from Guitar Hero/Rock Band. We should all be happy that A/F is back.
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I am intrigued by the game, and I might want to play it, but if I cannot sing, I will probably pass. I understand that singing on the go may not make sense, but to cut that mechanic down to button pressing really takes the skill out of holding a pitch properly.

And how dare you rain down upon marketing speak…..speaking of which, has everyone cliicked on the innovative GOG.com banner at the top of the page. It brings you innovative classic titles DRM free.
JoeFourhman

Go play Amplitude/Frequency. You won't miss the singing.

And I laughed at your second paragraph.
http://www.aeropause.com mclazyj

I agree that it worked in Amplitude, but the Rock Band mechanic is about singing and playing instruments. I want this to work, but I am just wondering if it will translate properly from the band experience via console.

Also, from reading the press release, are they saying that the songs in this game will all be available via DLC, or just the exclusive titles will be available. If all of them are coming to the console version, I can skip it and wait for the 360 DLC packs.
Jordan_Snyder

Woah, woah, woah. I agree that the music genre is definitely “supersaturated,” but we shouldn't be complaining to EA/Harmonix (yet). Activision is the one who drove the genre into the ground by releasing 50 million Guitar Hero branded games a year. Kill them first.
Jordan_Snyder

The beginning of the video apparently shows vocal gameplay if you look at the icon. It appears to be a sliding track like the rest of the instruments, so it doesn't look like you'll be able to actually sing. It's an odd move (the entire game is an odd move), but might break the game if they try to implement singing, especially since the game looks like you'll be continuously switching between instruments and vocals.
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Everyone I know loves playing both rock band and guitar hero. There is a lot of games because they sell a lot of copies and people enjoy them.