rock band 2

To think, you've not been playing the Rock Band the way you're SUPPOSED TO for all this time!

http://www.ohgizmo.com/2008/10/14/rock-band-smoke-and-lights-stage-kit-takes-things-about-15-steps-too-far/

What's everyone think?

So far I'm not extremely impressed with the early songs. There's some jewels, but it's really feeling like work to unlock the better songs.

I like that there's only one "tour" mode now. By yourself, with the entire band, with two members of the band, with a total stranger...progress is tracked in the same place.

Calibration is more intuitive.

Integration with RB1 songs and DLC is 99% seamless. I did find one tiny glitch: Shyzza logs in at my house and re-downloads a song he's purchased. We play it. He leaves and takes his XBL profile with him. Next day I am able to choose that song in "make a setlist." I choose it. It lets me play the first 3 songs in the setlist, gets to the last one (that I shouldn't be able to play because Shyzza isn't logged in) and freaks out, sending me back to the main screen. No saved progress. I half-way expected it, but it shouldn't let me choose it at all.

Total song count is amazing as evidenced from the "make a setlist" screen that lists all available tracks (RB1, DLC, and RB2).

It's fun to be working through a RB campaign again.

I'm looking forward to purchasing Rock Band 2 because of the hugely popular songs already confirmed for the game.

I've gone out and used the SeeqPod API to make a playlist of most all of the songs that will be shipping with Rock Band 2.

Stream the playlist after the break...

I think Microsoft has made some very interesting news at this E3. Still, we have no word from Bungie or about any Halo-related titles. However, this is only the first day of E3.

Bungie has a countdown timer on Bungie.net suggesting that an announcement will be made on Tuesday Wednesday.

What do you guys think about these announcements?

XBOX UI gets a brand new dashboard with a 3D interface and Avatars this fall. You can modify your Avatars clothers, hair, accessories, etc. Download new accessories for your Avatar through XBOX Live Marketplace. Your Avatar will be a playable character in certain games. Instead of seeing a listing of Friends, you can see your friends’ Avatars on your screen and interact with them. Up to 8 friends can chat and share content in what’s called a Live Party.

XBOX Live Primetime is coming this fall. You can play game shows (like 1 vs 100) and win real prizes. This is one place where you’ll use your Avatar. Primetime games are scheduled events.

XBOX says they are bigger than the boxoffice and bigger than music. 5 million units more than PS3’s install base. XBOX 360 titles are outselling the Wii and PS3 combined. Have sold $2.2 billion in third party sales in last 12 months. A new member joins XBOX Live every 5 seconds. XBOX 360 customers have spent more than $1 billion on XBOX Live since launch. Over 10,000 movies and tv shows are on XBOX Live. Over 500 million pieces of content have been downloaded on XBOX Live.

Fall Out 3

Resident Evil 5 launches March 12, 2009 and will have online co-op.

Gears of War 2 launches November 7, 2008 . You’ll be able to ride and pilot the Brumaks. Horde mode is a 5 player coop mode where players take on waves of Locust.

Fable 2 launches in October 2008.

Uno Rush announced. You can use your Avatars in this game with a seemless transition from Live Party to Uno Rush. It looks like the standard UNO game but with Avatar support.

Geometry Wars 2 Retro Evolved is to be released in August.

Galaga Legions is announced as a true sequel to Galaga.

Portal comes to XBOX Live Arcase next month.

Portal Still Alive comes to the 360 this fall with new levels and achievements.

XBOX Live Community Games will launch this fall.

NETFLIX announces partnership with Microsoft. Instantly watch 10000 movies and episodes from your XBOX 360 with no additional cost to Netflix users. You can share Netflix movies and shows with your Live Party.

NBC/Universal begins releasing content today including TV shows like The Office and Monk.

GTA IV DLC episode coming later this year.

Viva Piñata to be released on XBOX Live Arcade. Viva Piñata sequel to have Vision Cam support and your playable Avatar. Coming later this year.

Scene It! Box Office Smash to be released and will have Avatar support. Gets Vision Camera support to allow you to be in the movie clips.

Rock Band 2 gets new drums and cymbals and a touch slide guitar. The first ever song from Guns N Roses to be released album will debut on Rock Band 2. RB2’s 84 song set list and they all are Master tracks.

Lips is a new karoke game expected to launch this holiday season. It that will feature a motion sensitive microphone.

Final Fantasy XIII is coming to XBOX 360 at the same time it launches for PS3.

Microsoft has revealed the set list for Rock Band 2 (due out in mid September). All songs are master tracks; not covers.

• After 14 years since Guns N’ Roses last official music release, Axl Rose selects Rock Band 2 to debut official new track “Shackler's Revenge” from the highly-anticipated album Chinese Democracy.

• Rock Band 2 is the first and only video game to feature the music of AC/DC. It includes their epic rock anthem, "Let There Be Rock.”

• For the first time ever, music from American music icon, Bob Dylan, is featured in a video game with “Tangled Up In Blue.”

• Rock Band 2 will feature backwards compatibility with all Rock Band downloadable music content released to date.

• Owners of the original Rock Band will have 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! [1]

• With ongoing weekly DLC releases including individual tracks, track packs and full albums, the Rock Band music library will feature more than 500 songs by year’s end!

This is going to rock:

AC/DC - "Let There Be Rock"
AFI - "Girl’s Gone Grey"
Alanis Morissette - "You Oughta Know"
Alice in Chains - "Man in the Box"
Allman Brothers - "Ramblin’ Man"
Avenged Sevenfold - "Almost Easy "
Bad Company - "Shooting Star"
Beastie Boys - "So Whatcha Want"
Beck - "E-Pro "
Bikini Kill - "Rebel Girl"
Billy Idol - "White Wedding Pt. I"
Blondie - "One Way or Another"
Bob Dylan - "Tangled Up in Blue"
Bon Jovi - "Livin’ on a Prayer"
Cheap Trick - "Hello There"
Devo - "Uncontrollable Urge"
Dinosaur Jr. - "Feel the Pain"
Disturbed - "Down with the Sickness"
Dream Theater - "Panic Attack"
Duran Duran - "Hungry Like the Wolf"
Elvis Costello - "Pump It Up"
Fleetwood Mac - "Go Your Own Way"
Foo Fighters - "Everlong"
Guns N’ Roses - "Shackler’s Revenge"
Interpol - "PDA"
Jane’s Addiction - "Mountain Song"
Jethro Tull - "Aqualung"
Jimmy Eat World - "The Middle"
Joan Jett - "Bad Reputation"
Journey - "Anyway You Want It"
Judas Priest - "Painkiller"
Kansas - "Carry On Wayward Son"
L7 - "Pretend We’re Dead"
Lacuna Coil - "Our Truth"
Linkin Park - "One Step Closer"
Lit - "My Own Worst Enemy"
Lush - "De-Luxe"
Mastodon - "Colony of Birchmen"
Megadeth - "Peace Sells"
Metallica - "Battery"
Mighty Mighty Bosstones - "Where’d You Go"
Modest Mouse - "Float On"
Motorhead - "Ace of Spades"
Nirvana - "Drain You"
Norman Greenbaum - "Spirit in the Sky"
Panic at the Disco - "Nine in the Afternoon"
Paramore - "That’s What You Get"
Pearl Jam - "Alive"
Presidents of the USA - "Lump"
Rage Against the Machine - "Testify"
Ratt - "Round & Round"
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Give it Away"
Rise Against - "Give it All"
Rush - "The Trees"
Silversun Pickups - "Lazy Eye"
Smashing Pumpkins - "Today"
Social Distortion - "I Was Wrong"
Sonic Youth - "Teenage Riot"
Soundgarden - "Spoonman"
Squeeze - "Cool for Cats"
Steely Dan - "Bodhitsattya"
Steve Miller Band - "Rock’n Me"
Survivor - "Eye of the Tiger"
System of a Down - "Chop Suey"
Talking Heads "Psycho Killer"
Tenacious D - "Master Exploder"
Testament - "Souls of Black"
The Donnas - "New Kid in School"
The Go-Go’s - "We Got the Beat"
The Grateful Dead - "Alabama Getaway"
The Guess Who - "American Woman"
The Muffs - "Kids in America"
The Offspring - "Come Out & Play (Keep ‘em Separated)"
The Replacements - "Alex Chilton"
The Who – "Pinball Wizard"