Rock Band 3 detailed, 25-key keyboard and a real guitar coming
Harmonix is taking the plastic instrument music game genre to the next level
Forget about the E3, the lid has been blown on Rock Band 3 by USA Today who have not only shown off the game, but they have revealed tons of new information about it, including the new keyboard instrument and as well as a real stringed guitar to play the game with. But if you want to play it the old fashion way, you still can, as Harmonix have told USA Today the game is "an experience that is both accessible to players who are just getting into this thing, and builds something for the hard-core player who is maybe a little bored with where music games are."
The new keyboard instrument is a proper MIDI-Keyboard with 25 keys. The play field will slide across the full keyboard range for the songs that need it. The Pro mode plays the game 1:1 with the real instrument so you have to hit all the keys in the song.
The new Rock Band Pro mode is a new mode that bridges the gap between playing an instrument and playing a game. The mode will teach you how fundamental in drumming, keyboards and Guitars. More realistic notes replace the coloured notes on the highway with numbers replacing them for the Guitar telling you where to hold your fingers and strum. Just like a real Guitar.
To accompany the new "Pro Mode", there are two new guitar instruments and one of them is a full-sized fully functional six-string Stratocaster. "It can tell where your fingers are based on technology in the neck and the bridge of the guitar. No buttons. While youre playing it, it feels exactly like playing a real guitar," because thats what youre doing." The other Guitar is one made by Mad Catz that has multiple buttons on each fret. There is a new drum kit with 3 symbols and you now play the right symbols in game using the mode. Current cymbals available for Rock Band 2/Beatles Drum Kits and the ION Drum Rocker are assumed to be supported for this new mode as well.
You can now drop in and out of the game at any time without interrupting the flow of the game, but theyve also taken it a step further by being able to switch difficulty and instruments on the fly as well.
There is also a new career mode which follows the story of your band, a new party mode which the developer describe as taking the original Rock Bands world tour mode and mixing it together with Mario Party.
An initial set list was also revealed, there will be 83 songs on the new disk joining the near 2000 songs on the Rock Band Store. The games music library will be also be getting a revamp to be able to find the songs you want to play without having to scroll through 2000 songs.
Heres a look at the track list.
2000s
Combat Baby — Metric
Dead End Friends — Them Crooked Vultures
Get Free — The Vines
Lasso — Phoenix
Me Enamora — Juanes
Oh My God — Ida Maria
Portions of Foxes — Rilo Kiley
The Hardest Button to Button — The White Stripes
1990s
Been Caught Stealing — Janes Addiction
In the Meantime — Spacehog
Plush — Stone Temple Pilots
Walkin on the Sun — Smash Mouth
1980s
Crazy Train — Ozzy Osbourne
Here I Go Again — Whitesnake
I Love Rock and Roll — Joan Jett
Just Like Heaven — The Cure
Rainbow in the Dark — Dio
The Power of Love — Huey Lewis and the News
Sister Christian — Night Ranger
1960s-1970s
Bohemian Rhapsody — Queen
Break On Through — The Doors
Crosstown Traffic — Jimi Hendrix
Some big big changes in store for Rock Band, who is excited?
