Very Large RBN hands-on with tools writeup on joystiq

[Bobman32x]

Joystiq has a big RBN write up with 3 stories in a row. Here's the links, but ill also paste the story itself, but click the links for pictures

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/27/im...work-creation/
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/27/ro...ee-song-demos/
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/27/ro...s-out-of-luck/
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Within seconds, it's clear that Rock Band Network isn't for amateurs. The tools being offered by Harmonix are fully-featured, professional programs that are meant for artists serious about getting their content into Rock Band and, yes, making money. With Harmonix admitting that first-time users will take 20-40 hours to finish a single song "all the way," it's clear that this isn't meant for the average gamers that have a bit of spare time on their hands.

There are four main steps in getting a song onto the upcoming Rock Band Network Store. The most important (and most time-consuming) part of the process is creating the note tracks. Harmonix has partnered with Reaper to create a Rock Band-specific plug-in that allows music producers to start creating Rock Band tracks. Caleb Epps demonstrated the program to us, noting, "what you see is what we use at Harmonix."

For anyone that's produced MIDI music, the interface should be incredibly familiar. What makes the Rock Band version of Reaper special is how everything is already clearly laid out and labeled: each color of each instrument has its own specific track. Producers simply add notes to each of the tracks, and a separate playback window will show how it will look like in-game. It's a time-consuming process made even more complicated by the fact that new tracks must be created for every difficulty: you won't be able to upload an Expert-only song, for example.

Reaper also allows for deeper audio manipulation, allowing producers to splice, mix and sample as in most professional audio production suites. There are a few automated scripts, however, to make the translation into Rock Band a bit easier. Harmonix joked that there's a "make it loud button," a macro that applies customized normalization across the song that adjusts levels to make the interactive sections more recognizable while playing.

Once the tracks are laid out and aligned properly with the music, the next step is to import the track into Magma. Magma converts the audio and note information into a playable Rock Band track, and automates the various interactive elements of a track. Magma will choose appropriate camera angles, placing in markers to have the game focus on the guitarist or vocalist during a solo, for example. However, those that want total control over this process can export this information out of Magma back into Reaper, and make additional tweaks as they please. There are a few things that Harmonix won't allow you to edit, though: lip syncing, which is rendered automatically, and access to the Rock Band fog peripheral. (Harmonix was concerned that creators would abuse this meta information by overwhelming the fog peripheral to activate every second, for example. Considering the limited use and availability of the peripheral, there was little insurance that the community would be able to properly test for abuse.)

Magma also appends all the meta information required to upload the song to the Rock Band Network, such as author, cover art, price, genre, sub-genre and difficulty. Free songs are not allowed on the Rock Band Network, so bands will be required to charge 80, 160 or 240 ($1, $2 or $3). The number of sub-genres has greatly expanded in Rock Band Network, allowing artists of all kids to show off their goods -- whether it's trip rock, or nu-jazz. When all of the information has been input, Magma converts the file into a .RBA (Rock Band Audition) file and prepares it for use on Xbox 360.

The process of compressing the various audio info and preparing a playable Rock Band song takes about three minutes, depending on the user's computer's processing speed. There is one important restriction to keep in mind, though: because Magma is based on Games for Windows Live, there's no Mac support at all. If you want to get your song into Rock Band 2, you'll need to use a PC.

Once the song is uploaded to the Rock Band Network servers, it will be playable from Rock Band 2's to-be-patched "Audition Mode." While the option will be visible for all Xbox 360 players post-patch release, only members of the XNA Creator's Club will be able to access the service. Here, all in-production songs will be displayed to play and review.

Playing an original Rock Band Network song will look like playing any other Rock Band song. However, there will be a few changes specific to "Audition Mode." For example, players will be able to use the D-pad at any time to slow down a song, almost to a standstill. This will allow creators to make note of any microscopic errors they might discover in the note map. Additional information on the screen, like the MBT, indicates the song's position in Reaper, so producers know exactly where to go when editing their songs.

Even if you're not willing to spend 20-40 hours creating an original Rock Band song, the upcoming addition of the Rock Band Network to Rock Band 2 will prove to be a worthwhile experience for all fans of the franchise. A new patch will add the Rock Band Network Store to Rock Band 2 this November, and will grant PS3 and Xbox 360 owners access to a whole new catalog of music that goes well beyond the scope of official Rock Band Weekly releases.

To prepare for what could be an overwhelming amount of new content, the new store will offer an even more comprehensive sorting method. Options available in the front menu will grant easy access to the "Top 10," "Harmonix's Picks," "Random," and "Browse." Players will be able to browse music by artist (alphabetically), or by an expansive amount of sub-genres, as eclectic as speed metal and rockabilly.

None of the songs on the Rock Band Network will be free, ranging from $1 to $3 in price (set by the artist). However, players are encouraged to try out these user-provided songs through free demos. Every song on the Rock Band Network will offer a free demo lasting one minute or 35 percent of the song's length, whichever is shorter. The songs download to the system hard drive and can be played from the Quick Play menu as any other track. The song will abruptly end when the demo is over, and players will be given an option to quit, purchase the song, or delete it from the hard drive. Purchasing the song will grant immediate access to the full track; there's no need to re-download the entire song.


The Rock Band Network community is already available as a closed beta, but an open beta is scheduled to launch in mid-October, about a month after Audition mode is patched into Rock Band 2. Then, the Rock Band Network Store will be available in November for both Xbox 360 and PS3 users to enjoy. All artists will be paid through XNA, and will receive 30 percent of their chosen selling price. (The remainder will go to Harmonix and the platform holders.) While this may seem like an unbalanced cut, Harmonix notes that this is the same deal that everyone gets when entering the Network: Your band is agreeing to the same terms as a major record label; keeping all artists on equal footing.

In addition to the 30 percent share, publishers on the Rock Band Network must also meet a minimum sales threshold, which wasn't quantified beyond "small," before earning income. Should your song reach that number, the checks will come automatically every month. It's an exciting, but unproven, business model that might provide a new revenue stream for up-and-coming artists. The cost of entry is relatively low for what is, essentially, a new avenue of music publishing: a copy of Rock Band 2, an Xbox 360, a $99 Creator's Club membership, and the $60 license for Reaper. For dedicated enthusiasts and professionals alike, that's an easy price to swallow.

Aspiring artists that want to publish their songs in the Rock Band Network will have to stick with Xbox 360. The tools, which were developed through Microsoft's XNA program, can't be ported over to Sony's machine. However, PS3 owners will still be able to access a large number of user-uploaded songs through the Rock Band Network Store, which will be patched into Rock Band 2 late this year; most likely in mid-November.

Not every song from the Rock Band Network will be available for PS3 owners. The option to bring a song over to the PS3 version of the Store will be offered at Harmonix's discretion, and even then it will be entirely "opt in." Artists will have to do some paperwork to properly port their songs onto the PlayStation Network, a process Harmonix believes no one will refuse. "It's more revenue, right?"

Essentially, PS3 owners will have access to the "greatest hits" of the Rock Band Network, while members of the Xbox 360 Creator's Club will be able to play and review every song that passes through the servers. Wii owners, on the other hand, are completely out of luck. "We would love to get it running on the Wii," Harmonix told us. However, the studio doesn't have the ability to patch games on Nintendo's platform. Until Harmonix discovers a workaround, Wii owners can only purchase additional songs officially distributed through Rock Band Weekly.

[wcarnation]

Only partial support for PS3 makes me cry. I know why it happens, but it's still sad.

[Sayburr]

Interesting article... nice to finally be able to put a date to RBN... November. Sounds like I will have another item to add to my Thanksgiving list.

[dragonflyr]

nice find, sayburr .. .thanks!

can't wait for the plugins!

pfft ... actually .. can't wait to read the whole article..

[HMXEnosity]

Interesting article... nice to finally be able to put a date to RBN... November. Sounds like I will have another item to add to my Thanksgiving list.

November is when the store launches. The Open Beta will start before then.

[linkman26]

What the hell!?!?!?


Didn't you guys announce the RBN for Wii as well when it was first announced? And now you're taking it away from us?

[davidshek]

What the hell!?!?!?

Didn't you guys announce the RBN for Wii as well when it was first announced?

No, they did not.

[willthegreat]

From the announcement:

Tracks for the Rock Band Network will be made available later in the fall on the Xbox 360® video game entertainment system from Microsoft. Stand out tracks will follow on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ console. Joining the more than 750 tracks available to date, the Rock Band Network Store will greatly increase the amount of music available through the Rock Band music platform and further confirm MTV Games and Harmonix’s position as the leading provider of downloadable content for music-based video games.

I think what the Joystiq article is saying is that PS3 will actually get a RBN Store interface with limited access to songs and Wii will only get what Harmonix ports to the Wii store. Just my interpretation, no official clarification from HMX that I know of.

[k-mac]

The open beta doesn't start until October? I thought it was supposed to be late August/early September.

[zulux21]

well as it stands now I dont think there is a single band I know listed as coming... I am a little sad that the ps3 is only getting a greatest his, but as long as that includes any songs I might want it's fine by me, just less money I will spend on songs ^_^;

now it will be tourture if some masterplan or black mages makes it to the rock band network and doesn't make it over on greatest hits.