Last night, Game Informer put up their weekly podcast featuring both Rock Band 3 and Dance Central. HMXers John, Sylvain, and Daniel are on hand to talk about the game, and in a conversation about transitioning from fake to real instruments, Daniel casually tossed out that you can learn to play real guitar on “Space Oddity.” While this is not an official confirmation, it’s the closest thing that we can get to an official confirmation.

And yes, you’re welcome for not making a “Ground control to Major Tom” reference that always seems to find its way into anything related to “Space Oddity.”

What’s also interesting to note is that “Space Oddity” was also on the mystery leaked list from a few weeks back. Man, that list is looking more and more accurate every day!

UPDATE: I guess it’s official confirmed after seeing @MrPope’s tweet:

New RB3 song announced! RT @RockBand Check out the @GameInformer Podcast featuring RB3 goodness and @JohnTDrake! http://bit.ly/bww5K7

Go to GameInformer to listen to the whole thing, as it is very entertaining!

Big ups to @HeyRiles for the notification on this one, but according to an admin at Linkin Park fansite LPAssociation.com, we can expect to see some cross promotion with Linkin Park featuring two songs from their forthcoming album release “A Thousand Suns” due out the same day, as well as six other older hits from the band. While this is not a confirmation, it does sound somewhat legit, as the source also notes that songs will be featured in other rhythm games.

Included below is a supposed official pic of Warner’s (WEA) licensing from the site:

[LPAssociation.com via @HeyRiles]

This week’s Throwback Thursday DLC track is one from a band who, in my opinion, had the PERFECT ending song to any rhythm game. For Guitar Hero 2, the final song was “Free Bird,” and for a guitar-based rhythm game, the song by Lynyrd Skynyrd is truly the best song you can have to capture the finale of an amazing game like that.  Sadly, to date, they have only released two songs into the Rock Band library (the other was “Gimme Three Steps”), and both of those were released in 2008.

While Lynyrd Skynrd’s “Simple Man,” this week’s Throwback Thursday DLC pick, is an amazing song and should absolutely be highlighted as such, I urge everyone to go back and scoop up this and “Gimme Three Steps” if you haven’t just to help ensure we see more songs from Lynyrd Skynyrd in Rock Band in the future. They have plenty other songs that would be excellent additions to the catalog, including their mainstream hit “Sweet Home Alabama” and the afore mentioned “Free Bird,” just to name a few.

As for the song itself, it’s quite a bit slower than your average DLC offering, and because of this, don’t expect anything terribly difficult on any instrument. But the lack of technical charts on this song should be more than made up with by the quality of an excellent classic southern rock song. This song has been covered many times, including an excellent version by alt-rockers Shinedown, and has been featured in one of my favorite movies and psuedo-namesake inspirer Almost Famous.

Check out the full band gameplay video below, courtesy of @HeyRiles!

The song can be purchased in the Rock Band 2 music store, or online at Xbox.com, for 160 MSP ($1.99).

Surprise DLC announcement… incoming!

Seen first from @thebeststeph, and just a moment ago from the official @RockBand account, there will be a three pack from industrial rockers Ministry. The songs included in the three pack are:

• Jesus Built My Hotrod
• Stigmata
• Thieves

Now, the only real question (that I don’t have the answer to) that remains is will we see MORE songs released next week, as well? The two previous weeks saw 8 and 9 songs released, so I’m optimistic that we will.

UPDATE: Nope, that’s it for next week.

[from Revolver Mag]

If any of you are planning a trip between now and the end of the year, you may want to take advantage of this deal. Desires Hotels, a collection of modern boutique hotels, is offering a promotion where if you stay for two nights, in addition to getting 10% off the bill, you’ll also receive a copy of The Beatles: Rock Band game. And if you’re really high rolling it and stay for three nights in a suite, you get the same 10% discount, but instead receive The Beatles: Rock Band Limited Edition Premium Bundle (the “good” bundle)!  While I have never stayed at a Desires Hotel location, I have wined and dined in their amazing restaurant and bar in the lobby of the Iron Horse Hotel down the street from me here in Milwaukee, and can say that it is EASILY the nicest hotel in the city. And if you’re not going anywhere soon, but still have a location near you, come on in for The Beatles: Rock Band Happy Hour at participating Desires Hotels!

Go HERE for all the details on taking advantage of this deal!

• Robotmakers – Building a Robot (160 MSP)
• Sleater-Kinney – Entertain (160 MSP)