It seems like only yesterday that we'd be booting up our copies of Rock Band on a weekly basis, just to check the store, and see what new tracks had been added that week. Our insatiable love for music games, combined with its winning four player co-operative band modes, and kind of ridiculous, yet fun all the same plastic instruments to strum in time with the notes on screen won us over, and kept us coming back for more. The way we all worked together, with the strategic Star Power deployments during those evil Green Grass and High Tides solos, the crazy octave jump we had to do while singing Wave of Mutilation because we couldn't quite go low enough and even the horror that was Muse's Hysteria on bass. We even remember the sad day our drum pedal bit the dust - oh Tom Sawyer, how you crushed our dreams, forcing us on a month long hiatus while we waited for a replacement.
You did this to us Rush! We hope you're happy!
We can hardly believe it's been almost two years since the final song hit the store, back in April 2013. Yet, totally out of the blue a few days ago, an email popped into our inbox from Harmonix, announcing some brand new downloadable songs for their plastic peripheral-based music game. But why? A last gasp attempt at making a bit of cash, following several non-Rock-Band-related games that weren't a commercial success (we're looking at you Fantasia)? A rather belated fourth birthday celebration for Rock Band 3?
Or, perhaps they're gearing up the Rock Bandwagon again for Rock Band 4.
When we spoke to the (now former) brand manager at Harmonix, John Drake, at Gamescom 2013 about the chance of a brand new Rock Band game, he didn't outright write things off. In fact, we were assured Harmonix would "love" to make a new Rock Band game - and getting your loyal fans to dust off their plastic instruments and jam once more, for old time's sake sounds like the perfect plan to drum up some interest, ahead of an E3 reveal this summer. After all, why jump through all the hoops of signing new deals with record labels, and all the pen pushing faffery that involves, if there's nothing huge on the horizon? Why bother signing the Arctic Monkeys up to make their Rock Band debut, if only as a download for a game that's been left dormant for two years? This must surely be the first sign that a new Rock Band's on the horizon. Hopefully, it'll come complete with a song list and career mode like the glory days of Rock Band 1 and 2, rather than the slight misstep that was Rock Band 3 - but really, we'll take anything at this stage.
Whether we'll see any more store updates in the coming months remains to be seen (if we do, then it'll only add more fuel to the Rock Band 4 fire), but this week's songs are as follows:
- Avenged Sevenfold - Shepherd of Fire
- Arctic Monkeys - R U Mine?
- Foo Fighters - Something from Nothing
Still, for those who've invested in the plastic instrumental fun, there's no denying these are exciting times. New downloadable songs for the first time in two years, and the very real prospect of a brand new game on the horizon. Even playing a game of "what if" raises plenty of tricky questions - will this be a next-generation exclusive, or will it come out on the 360/PS3 as well? Will you be able to carry your controllers across, or will you have to buy new instruments?
Only time will tell. In fact, as of right now, only one thing's for sure. After a two year hiatus, we're ready to rock once more.
