X-Play Hands-On Rock Band 2

Harmonix PR Coordinator John Drake brings a new preview build to the X-Play studio.

The 1UP Show: Rock Band 2 Preview

Here's an in-depth look at one of the most anticipated sequels this holiday season, Rock Band 2, from the latest episode of The 1UP Show.

PlayStation 3 Music Peripherals Are Compatible

SCEA Director of Publisher Relations Michael Shorrock made a huge announcement on the PlayStation.Blog yesterday. 

Shorrock and his team have been working closely with Harmonix, Activision, Neversoft and Konami to "ensure that PlayStation 3 guitars and drum sets will all feature a basic level of gameplay compatibility".

And so, he announced that Guitar Hero: World Tour's guitar and new drum set will be compatible with Rock Band 2 and vice versa. What's even better news? Shorrock has gone even further to state that his team is "working hard to ensure compatibility between the Guitar Hero and Rock Band titles currently on the market".

For more compatibility details (including Konami's Rock Revolution and Sony's SingStar), check out the official PlayStation.Blog!

The Complete List of Rock Band 2 Trophies

IGN got a hold of the full list of unlockable trophies in the PlayStation 3 version of Rock Band 2! Here it is:

Skill based

• Solid Gold, Baby! — Gold star any song
• Flawless Fretwork — 100% a song on Expert guitar
• Flawless Drumming — 100% a song on Expert drums
• Flawless Singing — 100% a song on Expert vocals
• Flawless Grrove — 100% a song on Expert bass only using up-strums
• Flawless Guitar Solo — 100% a guitar solo using on the solo buttons
• The Bachman-Turner Award — Maintain deployed overdrive for 90 seconds
• Million Point Club — Earn more than 1,000,000 points in a single song
• Bragging Rights — Defeat a player in either Score Duel or Tug Of War
• Comeback Kid — Defeat the last player that beat you in either Score Duel or Tug Of War
• Band Savior — Be a savior 3 times during one song
• Hello Cleveland! — Deploy vocal overdrive 4 times in a single song

Band World Tour mode
• Got Wheels — Won a van in World Tour
• Open Road — Won a bus in World Tour
• Jet Setter — Won a jet in World Tour
• Worldwide Sensation — Gain the ability to play around the world
• West Coast Performer — Played a set on the west coast of North America
• God Save The Band — Played a set in the United Kingdom
• Heartland Performer — Played a set in Middle America
• Western Europe Performer — Played a set in Western Europe
• East Coast Performer — Played a set on the east coast of North America
• Eastern European Performer — Played a set in Eastern Europe
• Road Dog — Played in every venue in the world
• One Million Fans — Reached 1,000,000 fans in Band World Tour
• Secret trophy
• Secret trophy
• Secret trophy
• Secret trophy
• Secret trophy

Exploration based
• Clothes To The Edge — Buy over $100,000 worth of clothes
• Needs More Umlauts! — Made a band logo
• The San Dimas 4th Annual Award — Competed in a battle of the bands
• You're Hired! — Hired a staff member
• You Killed The Radio Star — Made a music video

Tour Challenge
• Along For The Ride — Beat an instrument-specific challenge while playing another instrument
• Challenge Novice — Complete 25 Challenges on Medium Difficulty, or 10 Challenges on Hard Difficulty, or 5 Challenges on Expert Difficulty
• Challenge Master — Complete 25 Challenges on Hard Difficuly, or 10 Challenges on Expert Difficulty
• Challenge Savant — Complete 25 Challenges on Expert Difficulty
• The Final Countdown — Unlock an impossible challenge
• Stage Igniters — Beat the impossible band challenge
• Lord Of The Strings — Beat the impossible guitar challenge
• AN-I-MAL!!! — Beat the impossible drum challenge
• Virtuoso — Beat the impossible vocal challenge
• Groove Assassin — Beat the impossible Bass challenge
• Buy A Real Instrument Already! — Beat an impossible challenge on Expert difficulty

Drum Trainer
• Beat It! — Complete all beats at 60BPM or higher, or half of the beats at 140BPM or higher
• The Beat Goes On — Complete all beats at 100BPM or higher, or half of the beats at 180BPM or higher
• Fill Me In — Complete all fills at 60BPM or higher, or half of the fills at 140BPM or higher
• Fill Legend — Complete all fills at 100BPM or higher, or half of the fills at 180BPM or higher

Rock Band 2 BUNDLE Pushed Back

The Rock Band 2 Special Edition Bundle was originally announced as an Xbox 360 timed exclusive dated for September 14th. 

According to Kotaku, it's been revealed that only the Xbox 360 standalone game will be released on that day. The Special Edition bundle (which includes all the instruments and the game) will launch in mid-October, alongside the release of the PlayStation 3, Wii, and PlayStation 2 version. The bundle's MSRP is roughly $189.

E308: G4-Exclusive Hands-On with Rock Band 2

Live at E3 2008, Harmonix Vice President Greg Lopiccolo gives G4 an exclusive hand-on demo/performance of Rock Band 2 with Olivia Munn on the mic and Morgan Webb on guitar. You gotta watch this!

Rock Band 2 Features Drum Trainer and Wireless Instruments

In addition to having current Rock Band DLC compatibility, Rock Band 2 will also feature new and improved wireless instruments (also compatible with the original Rock Band) and the previous Rock Band instruments will work with Rock Band 2! The new Rock Band 2 wireless guitar will have a more durable strum bar and quieter fret buttons. The wireless drum kit will feature upgrades such as a reinforced metal pedal, quieter pads, and velocity sensors. On top of that, the sequel will feature a new "Drum Trainer" which will literally teach you how to play drums. Visit Kotaku for more details!

E308: Entire Rock Band 2 Track List Revealed

Rock Band 2 is gonna be huge. With over 80 songs outta the box and 20 songs available as free DLC, we're looking at 100+ tracks from Harmonix (not to mention full compatibility with the DLC from the original Rock Band)! Harmonix has also announced that users will be able to export MOST Rock Band tracks and upgrade them into Rock Band 2 gameplay! Rock Band 2's setlist will only feature master recordings and artists such as AC/DC and Bob Dylan. Metallica and Pearl Jam will be in it, too! Here's the official confirmed list from Kotaku:

Rock Band 2 On-Disc Track List:
Artist Song Title Decade

1. AC/DC “Let There Be Rock” 1970s
2. AFI “Girl’s Gone Grey” 2000’s
3. Alanis Morissette “You Oughta Know” 1990’s
4. Alice in Chains “Man in the Box” 1990’s
5. Allman Brothers “Ramblin’ Man” 1970’s
6. Avenged Sevenfold “Almost Easy” 2000’s
7. Bad Company “Shooting Star” 1970’s
8. Beastie Boys “So Whatcha Want” 1990’s
9. Beck “E-Pro” 2000’s
10. Bikini Kill “Rebel Girl” 1990’s
11. Billy Idol “White Wedding Pt. I” 1980’s
12. Blondie “One Way or Another” 1970’s
13. Bob Dylan “Tangled Up in Blue” 1970’s
14. Bon Jovi “Livin’ on a Prayer” 1980’s
15. Cheap Trick “Hello There” 1970’s
16. Devo “Uncontrollable Urge” 1980’s
17. Dinosaur Jr. “Feel the Pain” 1990’s
18. Disturbed “Down with the Sickness” 2000’s
19. Dream Theater “Panic Attack” 2000’s
20. Duran Duran “Hungry Like the Wolf” 1980’s
21. Elvis Costello “Pump It Up” 1970’s
22. Fleetwood Mac “Go Your Own Way” 1970’s
23. Foo Fighters “Everlong” 1990’s
24. Guns N’ Roses “Shackler’s Revenge” 2000’s
25. Interpol “PDA” 2000’s
26. Jane’s Addiction “Mountain Song” 1980’s
27. Jethro Tull “Aqualung” 1970’s
28. Jimmy Eat World “The Middle” 2000’s
29. Joan Jett “Bad Reputation” 1980’s
30. Journey “Anyway You Want It” 1970’s
31. Judas Priest “Painkiller” 1990’s
32. Kansas “Carry On Wayward Son” 1970’s
33. L7 “Pretend We’re Dead” 1990’s
34. Lacuna Coil “Our Truth” 2000’s
35. Linkin Park “One Step Closer” 2000’s
36. Lit “My Own Worst Enemy” 1990’s
37. Lush “De-Luxe” 1990’s
38. Mastodon “Colony of Birchmen” 2000’s
39. Megadeth “Peace Sells” 1980’s
40. Metallica “Battery” 1980’s
41. Mighty Mighty Bosstones “Where’d You Go” 1990’s
42. Modest Mouse “Float On” 2000’s
43. Motorhead “Ace of Spades” 1980’s
44. Nirvana “Drain You” 1990’s
45. Norman Greenbaum “Spirit in the Sky” 1960’s
46. Panic at the Disco “Nine in the Afternoon” 2000’s
47. Paramore “That’s What You Get” 2000’s
48. Pearl Jam “Alive” 1990’s
49. Presidents of the USA “Lump” 1990’s
50. Rage Against the Machine “Testify” 1990’s
51. Ratt “Round & Round” 1980’s
52. Red Hot Chili Peppers “Give it Away” 1990’s
53. Rise Against “Give it All” 2000’s
54. Rush “The Trees” 1970’s
55. Silversun Pickups “Lazy Eye” 2000’s
56. Smashing Pumpkins “Today” 1990’s
57. Social Distortion “I Was Wrong” 1990’s
58. Sonic Youth “Teenage Riot” 1980’s
59. Soundgarden “Spoonman” 1990’s
60. Squeeze “Cool for Cats” 1970’s
61. Steely Dan “Bodhitsattva” 1970’s
62. Steve Miller Band “Rock’n Me” 1970’s
63. Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” 1980’s
64. System of a Down “Chop Suey” 2000’s
65. Talking Heads “Psycho Killer” 1970’s
66. Tenacious D “Master Exploder” 2000’s
67. Testament “Souls of Black” 1990’s
68. The Donnas “New Kid in School” 2000’s
69. The Go-Go’s “We Got the Beat” 1980’s
70. The Grateful Dead “Alabama Getaway” 1980’s
71. The Guess Who “American Woman” 1970’s
72. The Muffs “Kids in America” 1990’s
73. The Offspring “Come Out & Play (Keep ‘em Separated)” 1990’s
74. The Replacements “Alex Chilton” 1980’s
75. The Who “Pinball Wizard” 1960’s Bonus Artist Bonus Song Title Decade
76. Abnormality “Visions” 2000’s
77. Anarchy Club “Get Clean” 2000’s
78. Bang Camaro “Night Lies” 2000’s
79. Breaking Wheel “Shoulder to the Plow” 2000’s
80. The Libyans “Neighborhood” 2000’s
81. The Main Drag “A Jagged Gorgeous Winter” 2000’s
82. Speck “Conventional Lover” 2000’s
83. The Sterns “Supreme Girl” 2000’s

More details from Kotaku, here.

First Rock Band 2 Gameplay Footage!

Harmonix just hooked up GameTrailers with an exclusive trailer of the first gameplay footage of Rock Band 2. It looks like they just upped the ante for rival Guitar Hero: World Tour...

Rock Band 2 - Exclusive E3 2008 Gameplay Reveal

GameSpot's Rock Band 2 Hands-On Preview; 10 Tracks Revealed!

Gamespot Senior Editor Brian Eckberg gives you a hands-on preview of Rock Band 2. Eckberg states that all downloadable content from Rock Band will "work seamlessly" in the sequel. He also gives 10 officially released songs for Rock Band 2:

1. "Ace of Spades" by Motörhead
2. "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters
3. "Pinball Wizard" by The Who
4. "Panic Attack" by Dream Theater
5. "Any Way You Want It" by Journey
6. "Chop Suey" by System of a Down
7. "Kids in America" by The Muffs
8. "Give It Away" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
9. "Hello There" by Cheap Trick
10. "Pump It Up" by Elvis Costello