Rock Band to add country on Dec 16

[Avatar_Ko]

Did you just try to use Nintendo as an example of bad business practices?

No, I'm talking more about making a deal with the devil. Spurning your dedicated fans in order to make more money. I've been a Nintendo fan for years and I loved the Gamecube, but my Wii collected dust. Every once in a while a good game would come out and I'd play it and finish it and then it'd be months before I turned the thing on again and they still have nothing solid announced. They're making money out the wazoo, but they've lost their status as my favorite company.

[HazyCloud]

Nothing better than throwing a Rock Band party at your house and having people who have different tastes in music joining in because they know all are represented.

This FTW.

10 char

[T-Hybrid]

I frankly think that HMX is doing exactly what they need to. Provided that "Rock Band" was never meant to pigeon hole the game into a certain list of genres...but there is definately a "line" that divides fans of rock music and country music.

If this is true, HMX is smart to first introduce a genre such as this with a group of bands that are more likely to have a wider spread of potential buyers besides just country fans.

Remember, name recognition means a LOT to people just getting into music games. So I would imagine the music we'll see from these artists will be radio hits (likely songs even rock fans will have heard once or twice).

Depending on how well these songs go over with the general populace (read: Not just here on the forums), HMX will then gauge where to go next. I would imagine once they've got country fans interest with modern acts, then they'd be willing to go deeper into the history of country for guys such as Nelson and Cash.

But by that same vein, if country fans get into RB due to these new songs, expect a few weeks to come where we get country DLC that the average rock fan may NOT have heard of...but is a HUGE hit with country fans.

Just like how today we'll occasionally see DLC that is more for fans of a specific genre than for music fans overall.

Frankly I'm excited for it. Because if country does well in RB, it opens HMX up to introduce other more specific genres.

...Now if only they'd update MC Frontalot to officially become the first "Hip-Hop" song so we can be rid of that stupid "Other" category.

[Sayburr]

Nothing better than throwing a Rock Band party at your house and having people who have different tastes in music joining in because they know all are represented.

Now, that is the best response I have seen. During the Halloween party I actually had a couple of people who were interested in playing, but after looking over the song list they declined. These were country music fans… yeah, they need to expand their knowledge of music, but the trick is to have songs they know before moving onto songs they don’t know.

[o1skinneej]

I frankly think that HMX is doing exactly what they need to. Provided that "Rock Band" was never meant to pigeon hole the game into a certain list of genres...but there is definately a "line" that divides fans of rock music and country music.

If this is true, HMX is smart to first introduce a genre such as this with a group of bands that are more likely to have a wider spread of potential buyers besides just country fans.

Remember, name recognition means a LOT to people just getting into music games. So I would imagine the music we'll see from these artists will be radio hits (likely songs even rock fans will have heard once or twice).

Depending on how well these songs go over with the general populace (read: Not just here on the forums), HMX will then gauge where to go next. I would imagine once they've got country fans interest with modern acts, then they'd be willing to go deeper into the history of country for guys such as Nelson and Cash.

But by that same vein, if country fans get into RB due to these new songs, expect a few weeks to come where we get country DLC that the average rock fan may NOT have heard of...but is a HUGE hit with country fans.

Just like how today we'll occasionally see DLC that is more for fans of a specific genre than for music fans overall.


Frankly I'm excited for it. Because if country does well in RB, it opens HMX up to introduce other more specific genres.

...Now if only they'd update MC Frontalot to officially become the first "Hip-Hop" song so we can be rid of that stupid "Other" category.

QFT! I just really hope (for my own selfish reasons) that the addition of Mainstream Country is followed by either more Alt-Country, (I used to hate country until I heard Gram Parsons) or the classic stuff that only a few would probably complain about. (Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings)

[Parodygm]

I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of people claiming "Rock Band not Country Band" are the same people who really would be happy with it being "Metal Band not Rock Band"...

[jasoncourt]

I'm definitely not a country music fan, but then again there is a song I like once in a while. I'll put it this way, there are few stinkers on the Rockband 2 disk and for download. Good and bad(subjective obviously) songs come in all music types. I say the more variety, the better. I like MUSIC. If its good I'll give it a try. I don't care if its honkey-tonk, bluegrass, speed metal or reggae ton. I don't prefer any of those types of music, but lots of people do and one thing this game has done is expose players to songs and music genres that they might never have listened to otherwise.

Rockband, you wanna 'go country'? Go for it. Just try to keep it fun to play, which usually means upbeat...ahhhhh, I trust ya.


oh PS: a couple of those stinkers: Rob the Prez o Dent, Shoulder the Plow, Cool for Cats (just my opinion)

[SteveoKnievo]

No Bocephus?

[hmxhenry]

REMINDER - until HARMONIX confirms, this is pure speculation...

Thanks for the disclaimer Sayburr! You are the portrait of responsibility.

Country DLC is definitely coming. The release date and artists listed in the CMT blog are correct, and we'll have more information about track selections and pricing shortly.

[skyttskytt]

Yeah. My gut is saying it'll be one of Paisley's more rocking singles (though, they all effing rock in my opinion). Start a Band would melt some faces, but so would Ticks, or Alcohol's solo that fades out at the end.

But damn, if they release Mr. Policeman... woe unto all of you guitarists who call yourselves experts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlQQMLTDbFE

That sounds incredibly fun. I'm not a fan of the sort of pop-country that goes on lately with that genre, but would be more than happy to play something more along the lines of how country began. My grandfather actually played that style of music, and it is awesome.