Harmonix have recently announced that they're going to have to up the pricing of downloadable songs for Rock Band - but only if the songs feature a pro-mode guitar part.
Only playable using either an official Rock Band 3 stringed Fender, or a 120+ button MIDI guitar, the pro-mode tracks are intended to be accurate tablatures of playing the song on a real guitar. Obviously, there's a fair amount of extra work that goes into these, as you're putting four entirely new tracks together (one for each of the pro difficulties).
People will just be paying about 75p more for the pro-mode guitar part, but only if they want it - it sounds like Harmonix are planning to do 'standard' and 'premium' versions of the songs, as they say they didn't think the alternative of including them all in a regular download and upping the price for everyone "is really fair".
That song will cost you another 75p, missy.
This new pricing could up the price of the guitar pro mode enabled songs from 160 to 240 Microsoft Points (from £1.33 to £2.00) for the Xbox 360, and from 200 to 300 Nintendo Points (from £2.00 to £3.00).
Luckily, the standard versions of the songs will still have pro-mode drum and keyboard parts included, as well as three part vocal harmonies and non-pro mode guitar and bass parts. If you ask us, the price hike is well worth it, as the pro-mode enabled songs will effectively teach you to play that song on a real guitar. Letting you start on easy, and then gradually up the difficulty until you're effectively playing a 1:1 tab of the song, it sounds like an amazing way to learn to play songs - especially for a beginner, like us.
Rock Band 3 will be making it's way to stores by the end of the month - the 29th October to be exact - till then you can read our preview from Gamescom, where we got a chance to play Rock Band 3 with the developers.
