LEGO Rock Band Announced
- Scribbled on April 21st, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
- Filed in Microsoft Xbox 360, Music/Rhythm, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Press Release, Release Date(s), Sony PlayStation 3
Well, I didn’t see that one coming. Harmonix and Traveller’s Tales have spawned a love child called LEGO Rock Band. It’s basically a “family friendly” version of Rock Band, which hopefully means it’ll be like Disney’s music games – only not cloying, annoying, and destroying music.
A sampling of what kind of music to expect from the game:
- Blur, “Song 2”
- Carl Douglas, “Kung Fu Fighting”
- Europe, “The Final Countdown”
- Good Charlotte, “Boys and Girls”
- Pink, “So What”
In between the cheesy (”Kung Fu Fighting”), you have some tunes that you wish they’d release for Rock Band, like “So What”, “Song 2″ and especially “The Final Countdown”. It’s nice to have Harmonix behind it – they’re far more music savvy than Disney, and Traveller’s Tales knows how to be family friendly without making adults want to gag themselves with a spoon. Backbone Entertainment is also developing as well.
LEGO Rock Band will be coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and Nintendo DS in late 2009. What do you think? Let us know.
[UPDATE: GamePro has posted the first screenshots.]
Click “Read more…” for the full press release.
(PS. The above video is definitely NOT a song from LEGO Rock Band, though it is on Rock Band 2.)
WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT, TT GAMES, THE LEGO GROUP,
HARMONIX AND MTV GAMES ANNOUNCE LEGO® ROCK BAND®
Rhythm Based Music Game Snaps Together Best-Selling Franchises to Create
Fun Family-Friendly Experience for All Ages
Burbank, Calif. – April 21, 2009 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games are joining forces with the LEGO Group, Harmonix and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), to merge two of the most popular videogame franchises with the creation of LEGO® Rock Band®. The unique family-friendly music experience is currently in development by TT Games in partnership with Harmonix, and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game, which will allow families, tweens and teens to experience a wild journey to rock stardom where they can “Build a Band and Rock the Universe,” will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ home videogame console. LEGO Rock Band for Nintendo DS™ will be co-developed by TT Games and Harmonix in partnership with Backbone Entertainment, a Foundation 9 Entertainment studio. All versions are scheduled for release holiday 2009.
LEGO Rock Band combines the multiplayer music experience of Rock Band® with the fun, customization and humor of the LEGO videogame franchise packed with brilliant chart-topping songs and classic favorites suitable for younger audiences, including:
Blur: “Song 2”
Carl Douglas: “Kung Fu Fighting”
Europe: “The Final Countdown”
Good Charlotte: “Boys and Girls”
Pink: “So What”
Players will become rockers as they embark on a journey to stardom that the whole family can enjoy as they work their way through local venues, stadiums and fantasy locations on Earth and beyond that mimic the imaginative settings that the LEGO world offers. Also continuing the LEGO “build-and-play” gaming experience, players will be able to create their own LEGO Rock Band style as they customize their minifigure avatars, band and entourage, including roadies, managers and crew. LEGO Rock Band supports Rock Band instruments, as well as other music game controllers.
“LEGO Rock Band combines two compelling properties and creates an experience that family members of all ages will enjoy playing together as a group,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games. “Harmonix and MTV Games are the world experts in music gameplay, and we’re genuinely thrilled to bring the unique and humor-filled LEGO experience to their Rock Band universe.”
“We’re thrilled to offer another LEGO branded gaming experience that will deliver humorous and social play for families and friends,” said Henrik Taudorf Lorensen, Vice President, the LEGO Group. “LEGO Rock Band is built around the same values of imagination and family-friendly creative role play that is present in other LEGO videogames. It will deliver innovative new elements of game play that complement the fun of the Rock Band experience.”
“Rock Band is a social game experience that crosses every generation and every genre of rock,” said Bob Picunko, Senior Vice President of Electronic Games for MTV Games. “Harmonix and MTV Games are big fans of the LEGO game franchise and excited to work with TT Games to develop a new take on Rock Band that focuses on great music and LEGO humor that’s fun for the whole family.”
About TT Games
TT Games (www.ttgames.com) is the combined publishing and development group behind the hit games LEGO® Star Wars™, LEGO® Batman™: The Videogame, LEGO® Indiana Jones™:The Original Adventures and BIONICLE® Heroes. Incorporating renowned UK developer Traveller’s Tales, TT Games has a distinctive focus on console, handheld, mobile and PC games of the highest quality, aimed at young gamers and their families.
About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group (www.LEGO.com) is a privately held, family-owned company, based in Billund, Denmark. It was founded in 1932 and today the group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of play materials for children. The company is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities through its products, which can be purchased in more than 130 countries. Visit www.LEGO.com
About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.
About MTV Games
MTV Games is dedicated to creating, marketing and publishing high-quality, innovative interactive products that are relevant to the MTV audience and complement the core values of the MTV Networks brands.
About Harmonix Music Systems, Inc
Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Cambridge, MA, and established in 1995, is the leading developer of groundbreaking music-oriented videogames. Harmonix was founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, who formed the company to invent new ways for non-musicians to experience the unique joy that comes from making music and have pioneered music and rhythm gaming in the US. For more information please visit www.harmonixmusic.com
Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Cambridge, MA, and established in 1995, is the leading developer of groundbreaking music-oriented videogames. Harmonix was founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, who formed the company to invent new ways for non-musicians to experience the unique joy that comes from making music and have pioneered music and rhythm gaming in the US. For more information please visit www.harmonixmusic.com
About Backbone Entertainment
Backbone Entertainment, a Foundation 9 Entertainment Studio based in Emeryville, California, is a long-standing developer of original, classic, and re-imagined games for all major platforms. Established in 1992 with an early foundation in emulations, conversions, and handheld games, the studio then broadened its focus to develop games for consoles. Backbone Entertainment is a leading developer of downloadable titles for XBLA and PSN, and specializes in clever games based on original and popular gaming franchises. The studio is one of the most experienced developers in the industry, and has shipped over 230 titles across all platforms over the last sixteen years. For more information please visit www.backboneentertainment.com.
About Foundation 9 Entertainment
Foundation 9 Entertainment is the largest independent games developer in North America. The company has studios across North America, Europe and Asia, making it a development powerhouse, uniquely positioned to deliver quality games on all gaming platforms for all age groups. The company’s studios are masters in working with original and licensed properties and have collectively developed more than 600 titles since 1992, including more than 45 in 2008 alone. For more information, please visit: www.f9e.com.
LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and the Knob configurations and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. © 2009 The LEGO Group ©2009 Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Harmonix, Rock Band and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., a MTV Networks company. Rock Band developed by Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. MTV: Music Television, MTV Games and all related titles and logos are trademarks of MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Backbone and the Backbone logo are trademarks of Backbone Entertainment, a Foundation 9 Entertainment company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:11 pm
How many band games can someone own?
April 21st, 2009 at 2:18 pm
My hope, Jonathon, is that it’ll allow me to import those songs to Rock Band 2.
But some people want to play Rock Band with their kids, and don’t want stuff like “Chop Suey” available. There’s just so much Jimmy Buffett available for that game.
April 21st, 2009 at 4:47 pm
The thing that sucks is that levels have to be designed by hand instead of by some sort of algorithm (as audiosurf does) and users are required to buy the same set of music over and over again for each new thing… I’ll buy the music game that lets me use the music I’ve already bought.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:58 pm
WHAT are you talking about? They’ll probably use the same files they use for Rock Band, since everything you get for Rock Band 2 can be for Rock Band as well.
April 21st, 2009 at 6:34 pm
What if I have guitar hero? What if I already have a large collection of music CDs and don’t feel like paying again for the music? That is what I’m talking about.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:43 pm
What about Guitar Hero? That’s a completely different license and publisher.
April 22nd, 2009 at 3:02 pm
I’m saying that this isn’t an issue with Rockband or Lego Rockband it’s an issue with how the genre is developing. I don’t want to buy music I already own. That’s it period.
You’re hoping that the LEGO music will be transferable but you don’t know that. For your sake I hope so too. My argument is that right now the developers keep wanting you to buy the latest edition of the game with new music on it. I don’t want that. I want one game that I can play all the music I own on.
April 24th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
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