Rock Band’s Facebook Push Reveals Future DLC
A few weeks ago, @RockBand started a push to reach 2 million “Likes” on Facebook, with the promise of revealing the names of artists forthcoming to DLC. Several people sent me tweets, emails, etc. letting me know that this was going on, just in case I wasn’t already following @RockBand on Twitter. We didn’t feature this on the site, because we already assumed those who follow this site, also follow @RockBand and/or already “like” Rock Band on Facebook, so a message here would be like preaching to the converted.
The push started out with the promise of revealing upwards of the next four artists, but a few weeks have passed since the campaign started, and the promise was that the longer it took to reach the 2 million, the lower the number of artists would be revealed. However, Harmonix is still going to announce four forthcoming DLC artists, despite already learning about Slipknot and Limp Bizkit via the normal weekly DLC announcements. The artists that Rock Band announced today are:
- Coldplay
- Breaking Benjamin
- Stevie Wonder
- Dream Theater
[via Facebook]
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I know it’s a long shot, but if “The Scientist” by Coldplay is one of the tracks, I will lose it…seriously, it is one of my favorite songs ever.
Im happy for the new artists coming to Rock Band. Interested in what BB and DT have to offer
Wow! Awesome news! I’ve been expecting Coldplay ever since keys were announced. Hope it’s a big pack with singles from all their albums. I LOVE me some more Breaking Benjamin (Breath and Shallow Bay, please). Kind of surprised though, since the band is sort of on bad terms at the moment. Must have made the deal before everything went down. As for Stevie, if they don’t have “Superstition” and “I Just Called to Say I Love You”, I will seriously be disappoint. Not a fan of Dream Theater, but I’m glad to the prog fans get their wish (too bad it’s just a single).
There should be a focus mode so I can play like Stevie Wonder.
VERY excited about all four artists. This is a great step-up from the past two weeks.
Tim the Enchanter Reply:
October 6th, 2011 at 7:21 am
just close your eyes
Coldplay is way overdue. I fail to see why BB gets special attention.
Really don’t care for BB. Coldplay & Stevie Wonder I may consider but Dream Theater will be a DEFINITE BUY for me! I’d like the DT song to be “Pull Me Under.”
Everytime I click a link to see the next Tuesday’s DLC, I hold my hands together and silently pray I’m gonna see Dream Theater listed.
I actually think I’m close to freaking out right now.
You rock, Harmonix.
@myself: A single. Whatever, as long as they pick the right song.
Now would be a good time to release Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence!
killer_roach Reply:
October 7th, 2011 at 3:55 pm
So true… although pretty much any DT song over ten minutes in length would work.
Stevie Wonder is a legend I guess so it’s cool that he’s coming out even though I’ve personally never really been into his stuff.
Dream Theater may or not be good depending on the song but is still a boring announcement since they are only getting a single.
The other two I wouldn’t download if Harmonix were paying me to do so. But frankly I’m disenfranchised enough with Rock Band at this point that no amount of crap will surprise me anymore. It’s become increasingly clear to me lately that the people calling the shots no longer care about providing music that matters, opting instead for lowest-common-denominator music that will appeal to the masses. I was hoping we would be getting less of this shit when Harmonix broke off and was on their own again, but instead we seem to be getting an ever increasing amount of it. Which leads to one of two conclusions: Either their old parent company actually had a GOOD effect on them and now we are seeing the badness beneath, or the Rock Band franchise as a whole is struggling to remain solvent and they are desperate. Neither is a good sign.
Scumbag Rock Band fan Reply:
October 6th, 2011 at 10:44 am
Assumes everyone likes the same music as myself.
Declares Rock Band sucks when my favorite DLC isn’t announced.
Beckett Reply:
October 6th, 2011 at 10:46 am
Read someone’s opinion. Assumed they were stating it as fact because obviously everything that isn’t EXPRESSLY stated to be an opinion must be fact. Made an ass out of self.
FoxForever Reply:
October 6th, 2011 at 6:12 pm
You really have to remember that Harmonix is a business. Most businesses will try to do something that makes a quick buck to get more money to do what they want (hence release DLC that they like I suppose). But I don’t get that slight redundancy in your statement with stuff that “appeals to the masses” because I hear Stevie Wonder probably every day on the radio (along with Coldplay), yet he is a “legend” and Coldplay is not. What defines “legend”
Tim the Enchanter Reply:
October 6th, 2011 at 11:09 am
I think you’d download them if you were paid to do it. That would be a pretty sweet way to get income.
I am just curious though, what are examples of music that you think matters?
Beckett Reply:
October 6th, 2011 at 11:25 am
I wouldn’t, because I’m on PS3 and can’t delete them later without having to redownload everything. As someone who has been playing Rock Band and downloading DLC since day 1 this would obviously be a TON of work, I mean they’d have to be paying me hundreds and hundreds of dollars to justify the time investment it would take.
Music that matters: bands that are trying new things (or were trying new things in a time when they were a modern band). IE music that isn’t boring radio-rock which has been designed specifically to produce hits. Examples by decade: 60′s: The Velvet Underground; 70′s: Iggy and the Stooges; 80′s: My Bloody Valentine; 90′s: Hum; 00′s: Sleater-Kinney.
Just bands pulled from the top of my head, if I thought about I’m sure I could come up with a lot more but hopefully you see my point and I don’t need to. We still get some music like this sometimes and that’s all fine and good, my point is merely that as the years have gone on, the focus has definitely shifted.
The music selections for DLC back when Rock Band 1 was the new hotness seemed like they were made by musicians who happened to also make video games. Over the years this has moved, nowadays it seems like the decisions are being made by corporate types trying to figure out “what the kids are into these days”. And that’s fine, it’s their game, this is all just one person’s opinion after all. But this is one person who doesn’t like it, not one bit. Really discouraging too, I had such high hopes because (a few questionables aside) the on disc songs for Rock Band 3 were so great, it felt like the musicians were in charge again when I read that setlist. But the DLC since then has been the opposite of that with just a few bright spots.
Tim the Enchanter Reply:
October 6th, 2011 at 11:45 am
I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you didn’t like the recent Limp Bizkit announcement. You could argue though that they were a band trying something new and one of the leaders of the nu-metal/rap-rock fad.
Nevertheless, I see what you’re saying. I’ve at least heard of each of the bands you mentioned (sans Sleater-Kinney) but am familiar with little to none of their music. I think its hard to sell those type of songs by themselves because people buy whats popular. Its much easier to group a single from those bands you mentioned into a disc game because there is less pressure on it needing to sell well on its own merits. I guess keep your fingers crossed for a RB4 in the future which will hopefully include more music of your tastes.
RockBandAide Reply:
October 6th, 2011 at 11:48 am
Not disagreeing with any points brought up, but there are FOUR songs from Sleater-Kinney in Rock Band. Not as many as the Foo Fighters, but definitely more than other more popular/recognizable bands. http://www.rockband.com/songs/artists/Sleater-Kinney
Definetely looking forward to BB and Coldplay. Hoping for Yellow and In My Place!
Out of the four, Stevie Wonder and Dream Theater are the only ones I’m interested in. If the DT track isn’t from Images & Words or Awake, I’ll prolly be passing on it.
For those disappointed over Breaking Benjamin and Dream Theater, or feel like they’re out of place next to Coldplay and Stevie Wonder, HMXHenry just revealed they weren’t originally part of the 4 DLC All Stars announcement for hitting 2 million fans. The 4 big bands they originally intended on announcing were:
-Coldplay
-Slipknot
-Stevie Wonder
-and whoever is being announced on Friday for next week’s DLC
I thought it was really weird how they’d hype up these 4 acts and one of them is only getting a single. I guess Dream Theater and Breaking Benjamin were kind of a consolation prize announcement.
HugoM Reply:
October 6th, 2011 at 11:38 am
Ha! That makes more sense. So Friday should be surprising…
Stevie Wonder!!!! w00t!!!!
Happy to see more Breaking Benjamin. I knew some of my friends listened to the band’s music before the first pack arrived, but had never heard anything by them before. The pack is one of my most played packs, even now. If the second pack is similar in quality, that’s a definite buy.
Psycged to read Dream Theater, incredibly disappointed to read it’s only one song. I’m hoping it’s not the lead single off ‘A Dramatic Turn of Events’, but rather the longest song, ‘Breaking All Illusions’, or a good song from earlier albums. ‘The Glass Prison’ would be great, for instance. I also wouldn’t mind one of their more melodic songs.
Don’t really care about Coldplay. So many of their singles sound alike, and to me, fairly boring. If they have better deep cuts, I’ll approach them openminded.
And I think I don’t identify enough music as Stevie Wonder to be excited about this. The first song that came up in my head is ‘I Just Called to Say I Love You’, which wouldn’t bode well. I’ll see when the time comes.
I just realized Coldplay’s new album just came out.
I’ve never heard any songs from it, but I can guarantee that at least song from that album will be on there.
One less slot for one of the songs I want by them…
Hayden Reply:
October 6th, 2011 at 9:07 pm
You should try listening to Coldplay’s new album. It’s by the people who made some other things that you like. You might hear the DLC that you never knew you wanted.
Stevie Wonder is long overdue… here’s hoping for Living in the City, and some of his earlier stuff. His later stuff isn’t nearly as cool.