New title from hmx confirmed: Rock Band Blitz

[Spidermaniac]

Yup. The games got big BECAUSE you didn't need to know the instrument. Pro instruments were always going to be a niche.

My initial instinct is to agree with this -- it absolutely describes how I started and how I continue to play.

But, I was looking up the leaderboard "Top 1%" scores to throw some numbers out. . .and it looks like in recent DLC there are more top 1% scores listed for pro guitar and pro drums than regular guitar and drums. In keys, the regular mode only barely edged out the pro mode. I'm not sure how reliable these numbers are or really what they mean (do pro guitar upgrades make those DLC tracks sell better than the non-upgrade tracks?)

And given that the last 3 "challengers" to Rock Band have tried to emphasize "real instruments" (PowerGig, Rocksmith, BandFuse), has the market really gone in that direction? Has the 5-button party-game style of play been overtaken by the much more difficult pro mode play among remaining players?

[Lowlander2]

But, I was looking up the leaderboard "Top 1%" scores to throw some numbers out. . .and it looks like in recent DLC there are more top 1% scores listed for pro guitar and pro drums than regular guitar and drums.

lolno

I mean, for Pro drums, maybe. I am legitimately surprised that there are a lot of them, but I still don't think they would quite eclipse the amount of legacy players.

As for guitar, u trippin

[rkbdgurl]

My personal forum speculation machine leads me to believe that it's either a new Rock Band game or something else.

I like this. I'm so hoping for a new RB game, however, I also believe that if it's " something else", Hmx is quite capable of coming up with something that will surely capture my imagination, and of coarse, my money. The future is lookiing bright

[Pitch-Black]

The more I've been thinking about it, the more I start leaning toward a possible new RB game but one that's going to be offered via XBLA and PSN as a digital release. I think this would raise the awareness of RB being still alive, it would probably incorporate all the instruments and DLC available (and in the future) and thus have the potential to increase DLC sales but will have a new direction than what we're used to in a RB game (what, I have no clue) to the end that it is something NEW. It also would potentially mean a much earlier release than the holiday season and wouldn't have to get buried in with the big-hitters that are usually coming out at that time (and would also explain a not at E3 announcement). It would, in ways, go a long way in explaining the 3 song a week DLC thing. It was hinted at that SECRETS had something to do with this. They're saving up some of what they have for bigger releases after the new game hits, possibly. This also wouldn't prevent a forth-coming RB 4 in any way. Maybe I'm dreaming.

[Spidermaniac]

lolno

I mean, for Pro drums, maybe. I am legitimately surprised that there are a lot of them, but I still don't think they would quite eclipse the amount of legacy players.

As for guitar, u trippin

Yeah, I've always thought so, too. Any idea how the 1% numbers are calculated on the Leaderboards and why they'd be reporting more PRO results than standard play? It's screwing with my paradigms

As for the announcement itself, it might be an RB4 teaser at PAX. That's what my heart wants. My head says it will be a new IP, the "spiritual successor" to RB if you will.

[Dangimarocker]

It's Rock Band: Meets Guitar Hero...

[SirDavidTLynch]

If there's less than 1000 scores, the leaderboards show them all instead of the two or three in the top 1%.

For pro drums, it's the most accessible, and with the least reason to go
back to basic mode.

[NOT_Travis]

That's me. I love cupcakes.

Here's the leak:

Dingo Amiga Mango Klezmer Possum Spoon Church Frumply

I sure hope that that's not Vogon poetry.

On topic: as others have said, to remove the legacy/5-button gameplay that a million unique users are using every week (I can't remember the podcast that was on, but it was said by someone from HMX a few months ago) would be shooting themselves in the foot. My cousin's our 5-button guitarist and despite wanting a Musting for Xmas a few years ago, something he did receive, he isn't using it. The learning curve is far too steep for him to stay interested. So I sincerely doubt that the legacy is ever going away, simply because that would rob this game of the gaming aspect.

However, Alex Rigopolous was the one who mentioned "a reimagining of the Rock Band franchise." I have no idea what that could mean. The same core mechanics but more as an RPG as some have speculated about/wished for? That could be cool. Either way, I'm very interested.

As far as which game it will be, I'm thinking that it's very telling that it was @RockBand on twitter, NOT Harmonix's account that mentioned this. That tells me that it's almost definitely Rock Band related.

[GNFfhqwhgads]

For pro drums, it's the most accessible, and with the least reason to go
back to basic mode.

Also, a surprising amount of people owned the Pro variation since RB2.

to remove the legacy/5-button gameplay that a million unique users are using every week (I can't remember the podcast that was on, but it was said by someone from HMX a few months ago)

They said over a million unique users played the game each month, and that it wasn't close to being the same million each time.

[NOT_Travis]

Also, a surprising amount of people owned the Pro variation since RB2.

They said over a million unique users played the game each month, and that it wasn't close to being the same million each time.

OK, month. Thanks. That's what I was looking for.

I think too many here are listening too much to gaming sites that keep trying to proclaim that music games are dead. Henry just said that the company's healthy in this week's discussion thread.