Looking to start up a charting group in Australia, but...

[TalkieToaster]

Since MMO games can't be rated, how is it any different to downloadable content? Especially since the content is going by the original game's guidelines? That is, Rock Band is rated PG or M, therefore the content created for it must stick to being what is considered PG / M rated.

Sorry, probably should have been clearer, it has nothing whatsoever to do with DLC. XNA is designed for standalone games, which have to be rated. It's just an unfortunate side effect of Harmonix using XNA as its framework that we can't access RBN. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure Aussie PS3 users can get the RBN tracks that are put on their store, because they're just treated as normal DLC.

And for the record, MMOs do have to be rated now. The reason they weren't until a couple of years ago was that no one noticed until then.

[Maghook]

Baaahhhhh! It's nice to know that typical Australian laziness and incompetence also applies to corporations and legal systems governing this stuff.

[Quazifuji]

There is a group that will submit for you and pay you everything you would have got, but I can't remember if it's Fairwood or TAG

I believe it's Fairwood. Maghook, this is definitely an option if you just want to author their music and get it in the game. You can do all the authoring yourself as long as you submit it through a US company.

[FairwoodStudios]

I believe it's Fairwood. Maghook, this is definitely an option if you just want to author their music and get it in the game. You can do all the authoring yourself as long as you submit it through a US company.

Yea, it's certainly a possibility. We'd have to discuss the legal specifics, our proxy program is phrased to assume the band did the authoring so that would need adjusting. But like any good law there's a way around it.

[HMXLachesis]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure Aussie PS3 users can get the RBN tracks that are put on their store, because they're just treated as normal DLC.

You're not wrong. Once an RBN song is ported over to PS3, it's treated like regular DLC by Sony.

[Maghook]

Bah, that's silly! xD

Maybe I will look into having it submitted by Fairwood. I dunno. Guess I may as well wait a bit longer and see if I luck out. seems like there's no point if the store doesn't open up to us Aussies...

[TalkieToaster]

I was thinking, I wonder if it'd be worthwhile lobbying Microsoft to open up RBN to us. I mean, we can submit to XNA, so a least some of the framework is there. I really don't know how it all works, but you'd would think it'd be possible for them to allow RBN through, while still blocking access to the indy games, and thier evil unratedness. Just maybe not worth the hours if would take for someone to set it up. If they thought they could make enough money off us from it, they could probably figure something out.

Because I really can't see if happening any other way. If we're really lucky, we might get an R rating in the next year. Then everyone will be like "We gave you that! Stop complaining! Go play Mortal Kombat!". And we'll still be sad.

[Maghook]

Maybe. I'll try to get in touch with someone from Microsoft. I have not received a reply from the XNA team. I don't see how RBN can be blocked if it requires the physical Rock Band disc, which has already been rated, in order to play the content. It's entirely different from an "Indie Game"...

[Bront20]

Maybe. I'll try to get in touch with someone from Microsoft. I have not received a reply from the XNA team. I don't see how RBN can be blocked if it requires the physical Rock Band disc, which has already been rated, in order to play the content. It's entirely different from an "Indie Game"...

It's probably an all or nothing thing though. But good luck.

[Maghook]

Yeah, I was told by MS the same thing, that Australian laws prevent anything cool from happening. I will contact Fairwood Studios through their website, but I will leave a couple questions here that I'm wondering about...

When I go to create an XNA profile, I need to submit a name and a website... I'm assuming the name will the the publishing name, such as "Fairwood Studios", but what about the website address? Can I just create a YouTube account, or WordPress blog and use that?

Also, if I partner with Fairwood Studios, will the songs be published under my authoring group's name, or Fairwood Studios' name?

I just need to think up a decent name now... any suggestions?