Official Discussion Thread: RBN Impact of Today's Announcement

[HMXLachesis]

Today, we announced that new DLC Releases for Rock Band 3 will be ending in April. This discussion thread is specifically for how this announcement impacts the Rock Band Network. Question 4 of the FAQ specifically addresses the RBN's future:

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.

If you have unanswered questions about how this announcement will impact the RBN, this thread is a good place for them. I'll answer what I can here, but a better place to hear answers will be in tonight's Harmonix livestream at 6 PM Eastern. The link to the broadcast is here: http://www.twitch.tv/harmonixmusic

Thank you,
HMXLachesis for Harmonix Music Systems

[HMXLachesis]

For reference, here's the original announcement:

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

[jibjqrkl]

there were some questions in the other threads if PS3 RBN would get a slight increase in number of songs released for these last few weeks. any news on that?


And thanks for at least continuing support for Xbox RBN <3

[HMXLachesis]

And here's the FAQ in full.

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.

[sonicnerd23]

Well, looks like I need to invest in a 360.

[SheSaidSheSaid]

Someone asked in the PS3 request thread whether all remaining PS3 RBN releases have been selected already. I'm pretty sure of the answer, but an authoritative response from someone with HMX in their name would be most helpful.

[HMXLachesis]

Because of this situation, I've been holding off on the final submissions to Sony. However, the longer I hold off, the more likely release delays become. Consequently, I need to submit those songs in the next 1-2 weeks.

Once the final submissions are in, I'll close the PS3 request thread.

[SheSaidSheSaid]

Question: "Bottle Rocket" by Brian Kahanek was released 2/8. It's therefore not currently eligible, but it will be before the fateful day comes. Is it up for consideration?

What's the date cut-off? Even the songs that just came out this week will have passed their 30 days exclusivity before 4/2, but are they eligible for consideration?

[HMXLachesis]

Question: "Bottle Rocket" by Brian Kahanek was released 2/8. It's therefore not currently eligible, but it will be before the fateful day comes. Is it up for consideration?

What's the date cut-off? Even the songs that just came out this week will have passed their 30 days exclusivity before 4/2, but are they eligible for consideration?

The 2/21 RBN release will definitely be eligible for PS3.

The 2/28 release may or may not be eligible. I don't want the final release on PS3 to be late, and the longer I hold off on completing this submission, the more likely it is to go late. I'm keeping an eye on the situation to figure out how heavy the risk is.

I'll be closing the PS3 RBN request thread after I submit the final PS3 releases to Sony, so - if I close this thread before 2/28, then the 2/28 release was not eligible, and if I don't, then it is.

[TubaDude49]

The 2/21 RBN release will definitely be eligible for PS3.

The 2/28 release may or may not be eligible. I don't want the final release on PS3 to be late, and the longer I hold off on completing this submission, the more likely it is to go late. I'm keeping an eye on the situation to figure out how heavy the risk is.

I'll be closing this thread after I submit the final PS3 releases to Sony, so - if I close this thread before 2/28, then the 2/28 release was not eligible, and if I don't, then it is.

8, not 28