Author Topic: I WIN! HARMONIX ENDING ROCK BAND DLC, THE END IS NIGH (Read 1379 times)

MyNameIsMethodis · « **on:** February 18, 2013, 12:13:58 PM »

ey 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

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233673
'

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #1 on:** February 18, 2013, 12:18:23 PM »

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Don Flamenco · « **Reply #2 on:** February 18, 2013, 12:26:21 PM »

I'm very surprised the support lasted this long. Good on them. There must be more than enough music to keep people busy for a long time.

Cerveza mas fina · « **Reply #3 on:** February 18, 2013, 12:30:19 PM »

This game will make them money for the next 20 years if they keep the licenses.

EmCeeGrammar · « **Reply #4 on:** February 18, 2013, 12:54:39 PM »

Quote from: Premium Lager on February 18, 2013, 12:30:19 PM

This game will make them money for the next 20 years if they keep the licenses.

No

MyNameIsMethodis · « **Reply #5 on:** February 18, 2013, 01:07:18 PM »

They've actually been losing money on DLC for the past two years.

Joe Molotov · « **Reply #6 on:** February 18, 2013, 01:30:55 PM »

No one cares about plastic guitar games anymore, get a life.

Cerveza mas fina · « **Reply #7 on:** February 18, 2013, 01:32:39 PM »

Quote from: MyNameIsMethodis on February 18, 2013, 01:07:18 PM

They've actually been losing money on DLC for the past two years.

Really?

That's pretty bad.

Don Flamenco · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2013, 01:36:12 PM »

who puts up the money for this these days, mad catz?

MyNameIsMethodis · « **Reply #9 on:** February 18, 2013, 01:36:12 PM »

Yeah. Music companies where charigng I read upwards of 10k + for even the shittiest bands to liscence songs. They all still thought the games sold mad money.

Rocksmith devs were smart though, they didn't go for master tracks so they can get by with regular liscencing fees

Cerveza mas fina · « **Reply #10 on:** February 18, 2013, 01:37:35 PM »

That means they got some shitty people licensing this stuff, they should have offered a piece of the pie instead of paying up front.

pilonv1 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 18, 2013, 07:48:48 PM »

I looked at my Rock Band gear in the cupboard the other day and thought about getting it out to play the Beatles game, but then I thought better of it and played some TF2 instead.

I do miss playing it but they never set up RBN in my region so I won't shed a tear.

chronovore · « **Reply #12 on:** February 18, 2013, 08:14:01 PM »

I just dropped spacebucks on a heap of DLC, now have almost everything I ever wanted in RB.

Many of the older tracks are now only 80 Microsoft points, not 160 Microsoft points. I also cleaned up a whole bunch of DLC during their big sale.
How long can anyone expect them to make DLC for a game that came out three years ago?

MyNameIsMethodis · « **Reply #13 on:** February 18, 2013, 08:55:58 PM »

Quote from: Oscar the Grouch on February 18, 2013, 08:30:58 PM

Wouldn't MTV/Viacom have been handling the licensing? Their lack of savvy about the gaming market might explain any rawness in the initial deals, and inertia would probably explain why those kinds of deals continued.

And yeah, this had a good run. It's a shame greed choked the market out, but I tip my hat to Harmonix for how long they supported this.

MTV and Viacom got burned HARD with Beatles and Rock Band Green Day. They dumped them fast and furious, Harmonix went independant, and since MTV was more than willing ot pay the ridiculous liscencing fees because they wanted to "make it" in the video game business, Harmonix was fucked once they went independant as they couldnt possibly fund the fees on their own.

Similiary, RBN went down this path once big bands starting showing up. I think some of the early authors made deals with bands like Evanescance to get their material on there by giving them 100% of all profits from RBN (which was still like $.05 a song sold lol). Then when bands learned of this they refused to work for lesser deals with RBN artists; which is why it quickly degenerated to meme songs.

e; Oh also, Rock Band Pearl Jam is a completed product sitting in Harmonix headquarters. Pearl Jam got ahold of the liscencing fees and told Harmonix they changed their idea on how much they wanted, and Harmonix wouldn't buldge, so there's a completed version of a Rock Band game sitting on hard drives (along with Rock Band Japan which I heard a rumor was also finished but not sure. ) that was cockblocked from release due to liscencing.

chronovore · « **Reply #14 on:** February 18, 2013, 10:49:36 PM »

I'd always assumed that RB1 Japan never coalesced because of the gordian knot nature of JASRAC licensing contracts.

Sho Nuff · « **Reply #15 on:** February 19, 2013, 02:21:00 AM »

Quote from: chronovore on February 18, 2013, 10:49:36 PM

I'd always assumed that RB1 Japan never coalesced because of the gordian knot nature of JASRAC licensing contracts.

Ding ding ding! Galapagos contracts win again

MyNameIsMethodis · « **Reply #16 on:** February 19, 2013, 11:33:06 AM »

I just wonder if it was a unique game or just literally Rock Band 1 with Japanese artists in it. Maybe some day we'll find out

Cerveza mas fina · « **Reply #17 on:** February 19, 2013, 12:24:27 PM »

Fees are negotiable, someone fucked up it seems. 10k a track doesnt really seem too bad for a worldwide license for a few years. Unless no one buys that track that is.

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #18 on:** February 19, 2013, 12:27:23 PM »

had a good run. loved me some RB2 and Beatles Rock Band.

I actually just put RB2 in again on a whim and have been enjoying the game all over again. I don't think I'll ever dislike playing plastic guitar vidyas

Joe Molotov · « **Reply #19 on:** February 19, 2013, 12:46:40 PM »

Real talk, I got more money tied up in RB DLC than my 360 + all other games combined are worth. I can never get rid of my 360.

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #20 on:** February 19, 2013, 12:51:06 PM »

same here :'(

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Author Topic: I WIN! HARMONIX ENDING ROCK BAND DLC, THE END IS NIGH (Read 1379 times)