Official Discussion Thread: New Rock Band DLC Releases Ending In April

[hmxhenry]

Hey gang,

As you may have seen in our recent announcement regarding the release of Rock Band Blitz tracks as singles, Rock Band DLC production has gradually slowed over the past 5 years. We’ve managed to maintain a consistent release schedule for a staggering 275 consecutive weeks, releasing over 4,000 songs for the Rock Band Platform, but in recent months we’ve scaled production down as we’ve transitioned resources onto other projects. With several new titles in development and developers needed to usher these new games along, April 2nd will be the last weekly DLC release for Rock Band.

While there is no content currently scheduled beyond April 2nd, we still have DLC releases lined up for the next few weeks, including the remaining tracks from RB Blitz, several Pro guitar upgrades, and a handful of artists who have not yet appeared in Rock Band. We’re incredibly proud of the DLC milestones we’ve set, especially producing the largest music library of any game available, and we wouldn’t have been able to release as much outstanding content without the support of our amazing community. As thanks to the community, we’re going to continue the ongoing DLC sale of 50% off over 1,100 songs so fans can continue to build their personal libraries from our back catalog.

We hope that you’ll all agree that this has been a tremendous run, and you should know it’s a ride that we at Harmonix have been thrilled to be a part of. We’re going to continue to support the forums and RockBand.com and hope to still see you rocking out online, in photos of Rock Band parties shared on Twitter and Facebook, or here on the forums. Whether you waited in line for a midnight release of Rock Band over 5 years ago, or you just joined the party with Rock Band Blitz… whether you’ve downloaded every single song we’ve ever released, or you’ve just played on disc songs until your neighbors moved away… whether you’re a metal shredder, or a bubblegum pop singer… thank you for being a part of our band.


Rock On,

Harmonix Music Systems

This is the official discussion thread for the announcement that weekly Rock Band DLC is ending. You can review the text of the announcement above and the FAQ bellow, and if you still have questions or comments feel free to post them in this thread. We'll respond to questions when possible, either here on the forums, on the weekly livestream, or in greater detail on the bi weekly podcast.

[hmxhenry]

Please give this FAQ a quick read before posting your questions or comments. Thanks.

As with the previous announcement regarding the wind down of RB DLC, we’ve tried to address as many of the expected questions in a convenient FAQ. You’ll find a number of anticipated topics addressed below, and we’ll be on hand to respond to other questions in this discussion thread. Hopefully this FAQ will serve as a helpful resource for people looking for more info.

1. Is this the end of Rock Band?

This is the end of weekly Rock Band DLC. Rock Band remains an essential part of the history of Harmonix, and the franchise will always be near and dear to our hearts. We don’t have any Rock Band titles in active development at the moment, and we’ll no longer be releasing weekly DLC, but you can expect us to continue to support the existing titles and the extensive song library. We’re not breaking up the band, but we are taking a break from 5+ years of weekly performances.

2. Why not switch to a monthly or semi-weekly DLC schedule instead?

As we transition more and more of our resources onto new projects in development, it’s not possible at this time to maintain that kind of regularity in DLC releases. The weekly release schedule is something that we are incredibly proud of, and we’ll be wrapping up DLC with over 275 weeks of consistent releases.

3. Is there any chance you’ll release Rock Band DLC again?

While we’re no longer actively pursuing content for release, we still have the technical capability should the right band and the right opportunity arise. We don’t have anything planned for release at the moment, but it’s not something we’ve ruled out.

4. Will the Rock Band Network continue to release content on a regular basis?

The current plan is for Harmonix to continue to support the backend technology that powers Rock Band Network on the Xbox 360 for the foreseeable future. Users on the Xbox 360 should be able to submit new content, test, and release as they have been for the last 3 years. It's important to note that this architecture relies on other technologies not directly in Harmonix's control, including the XNA architecture for submission. In the event that our ability to keep RBN up and running changes, we'll make sure to let everyone in the Creators community know with as much lead time as possible.

Unfortunately, PS3 submissions for RBN tracks are submitted in the same manner as standard Harmonix-released DLC and require constant Harmonix production attention. As a result, the last PS3 RBN release planned on our schedule is on April 2nd.

5. Are you shutting down Rock Central servers?

Rock Central servers, leaderboards, and the Music Store should continue to run without interruption for the foreseeable future.

6. What does this mean for the RockBand.com community on the forums?

We hope that RockBand.com will remain a meeting place for fans of the series. The forums will stay open, and posters can still expect to see Harmonix devs answering questions and engaging in conversation. Some outdated site features will likely be phased out in the coming weeks, and we’ll address those changes as they happen.

7. What will happen with Rock Band World and the content posted there?

Parts of Rock Band World will remain operational, but with weekly DLC ending we will no longer be updating with weekly Goals and Tournaments. We may update with additional Goals in the future, but they will be significantly less frequent.

8. What are you going to show on the livestreams in place of weekly DLC?

The livestreams have always been a platform for Harmonix content and we plan to continue on the same weekly schedule. We hope to use the livestream to showcase new Harmonix titles as we get closer to release, but it’s still likely we’ll be discussing Rock Band in some way, whether it’s running through the extensive back catalog, or interviewing devs, or hosting Q&As with the community. You can subscribe to the livestream here: twitch.tv/harmonixmusic

9. Do you have some big, crazy, extra special thing planned for the final DLC release?

We have DLC scheduled through the next few weeks, including what we feel is an appropriate track for the final release on April 2nd. Just prior to that, on Thursday March 21st, we’ll be hosting a big Rock Band show in Boston to coincide with PAX East. This event will be held at the Brattle Theater in Harvard Square, and it is open to non-PAX attendees as well, so keep posted for ticket preorder info in the next few days. Hopefully we’ll see a lot of you there!

10. What about these new IPs you’re working on? Are any of them Rock Band related / instrument based music games?

Harmonix has several new projects in the works, but unfortunately no Rock Band news at the moment. You can stay tuned to HarmonixMusic.com for future project announcements.

[blingdomepiece]

Sad news, especially for PS3 owners.

Thanks for everything though.

[robbiecon]

So, the party's over Legacy DLC time!!

Here's hoping for The Doors to finish it off. When The Music's Over and The End.

[jeronemitchell]

I am sad.

Thanks for being a great company, keeping us in the loop, and making one of the best f***ing video games ever (and this is from a guy old enough to remember playing the sit-down Pac-Man games).

[Moomoomoo]

booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[Krystof]

Sad news, but it sounds like it'll have a fitting end.

Thanks for 5+ years, Harmonix! Without a doubt the most memorable gaming experience of my life.

[MikeMcQ1]

F#@$ me.

[Lowlander2]

Think I've said everything that I can say on this. Better Rock Band ends on Roll The Bones than Test For Echo. The memory will never die, etc., etc. Thanks for the ride.

[Henry_Sardonicus]

I am sad. But the legacy won't die. Thanks for everything over the years.