No Rock Band 3 this year

By Ellie Gibson Published 8 January, 2009

Next game "maybe" to have keyboard.

Harmonix boss Alex Rigopolous has confirmed we won't see a third Rock Band game this side of 2010.

Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show (as reported by Crispy Gamer), Rigopolous said, "We've actually made a choice to break out of the annual release cycle for Rock Band this year."

This is partly because Harmonix is busy working on the Beatles game announced last October. But also, according to Rigopolous, it's "because the annual cycle places limits on the choices you can make as a developer". He added, "We're trying to take a long term view."

Once the Beatles title is out of the way, Rigopolous said, Harmonix is keen to have a go at Led Zeppelin's back catalogue. But what about those rumours Rock Band 3 will work with a new keyboard peripheral? "The only answer I can give you to that question right now is maybe," he offered.

In the meantime, look out for our review of the first Rock Band game for Wii later this week.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • andywilkie35 #1 3 years ago

    fine by me, I'm still playing RB2 daily, as long as the DLC is as consistent as it has been since the launch of RB1 then there's nothing to worry about

  • Eraysor #2 3 years ago

    RB2 is still brilliant, but this is probably the best chance that GH has to crush the RB franchise if they release GH5, which is very likely. I'm a little worried that going a year with no release is going to entirely divert attention to GH.

    Hopefully not having to make RB3 means they can churn out more DLC per week. The keyboard is a slightly worrying addition, as although I would love to try it not all rock songs have keyboards in them.
    Edited by 1 at 08/01/09 @ 09:26

  • Goodfella #3 3 years ago

    Can't wait for the Beatles game and as if that isn't awesome enough he mentions having a go at Led Zeps back catalogue?!

    *Faints*

  • jaxon58 #4 3 years ago

    Didn't they say before RB1 came out that they wouldn't make this a year-on-year franchise? In which case, this news is about 18 months old.

  • abcd #5 3 years ago

    Rigopolous reminds me of a game that came out on the Amiga years ago.

  • Snooz #6 3 years ago

    Will the keyboard have only 5 keys or what?

  • Eighthours #7 3 years ago

    Hopefully not having to make RB3 means they can churn out more DLC per week. The keyboard is a slightly worrying addition, as although I would love to try it not all rock songs have keyboards in them.

    It wouldn't surprise me at all if they've built little "hooks" into every song so far to make them easily updatable to plug in the keyboard app if it comes.

  • spadge #8 3 years ago

    keyboard + rockband = DOORS

  • MikeN #9 3 years ago

    @Jaxon58 +1

    Aye, they said the same thing with the release of RB1 - it was supposed to be a 'platform' rather than a franchise for yearly releases. How about instead of waffling about possible future releases they pull their finger out and get the RB2 instruments out in Europe?

  • PatrickEwing #10 3 years ago

    keyboard + rockband = Inspiral Carpets

  • Toothball #11 3 years ago

    Keyboarding? Going to have to find a keyboardist for the band I guess. Better get more practice in with the rest of the instruments too.

  • kinky_mong #12 3 years ago

    How about instead of waffling about possible future releases they pull their finger out and get the RB2 instruments out in Europe?

    This x1000.

    The only thing stopping me from getting RB2 is that I want the new instruments to go with it.

  • Thunderbolt #13 3 years ago

    'RB2 is still brilliant, but this is probably the best chance that GH has to crush the RB franchise if they release GH5, which is very likely. I'm a little worried that going a year with no release is going to entirely divert attention to GH. '

    Agreed. GH has the better instruments but RB is the better game.

    I do think that this type of game has now achieved market saturation so maybe a wait and see attitude is the best.

  • frycrayola #14 3 years ago

    A keyboard will let me bring my flatmate back on board for this, dabbling as he does with the monochromatic instrument of choice. I wonder how it'll work though. I envisage it having about 12 to 15 keys, encouraging two-handed play but without being overly complex.

  • Stu #15 3 years ago

    Keyboard also = Keane

  • MKorkia #16 3 years ago

    Keyboards = Jean Michel Jarre!!!

  • Thunderbolt #17 3 years ago

    Best case scenario - Nine Inch Nails

    Worst case scenario - Coldplay

  • kinky_mong #18 3 years ago

    With a keyboard at least someone will have something to do during that breakdown in Won't Get Fooled Again.

  • theindustrialone #19 3 years ago

    Best case scenario - Nine Inch Nails

    Worst case scenario - Coldplay

    QFT

  • coojam #20 3 years ago

    Worst case scenario - Nine Inch Nails

    Best case scenario - Coldplay


    Fixed. What can I say, I like Coldplay and indie.

    Edited by 1 at 08/01/09 @ 13:05

  • makeamazing #21 3 years ago

    I was thinking about this the other day, and a POP Band with Keyboard would be very cool. Especially if it was a more realistic instrument that could teach people to learn how to play. Thats when I will definately get into this, at the moment, I just dont want to jump on this band wagon (pardon the pun).

  • Sonic_D #22 3 years ago

    Coojam, you're embarrassing yourself, please leave this discussion about rock and retreat to music for wet boys room.

    Please HMX release the RB2 drums over here asap, forget the guitars, just the drums matter. The RB2 music selection is so much better than GH:WT. I own both and actually prefer the GH interface, esp for the tougher tracks as I like Hyperspeed level 3. But the music selection bores me silly.

  • Fleisch #23 3 years ago

    The game is excellent.

    Harmonix utter lack of community care for europe with regards the instruments for RB2 is sickening though. There is a forum post on the official forums which started in october 08 asking for information. None has been given and the instruments are still not out. Amazon even have a release date for the MadCatz cymbals for the RB2 kit! BUT NO KIT TO USE THEM ON.

    This situation is utterly disgusting and really makes me question my future purchasing of a RB title. Unless the release the LedZep game, but that's in support of the might Zep.

  • actionfitz #24 3 years ago

    yearly cycles suck donkey balls - I speak from experience as a dev.
    you get a maximum of 6 months dev time, then QA, marketing etc needs to kick in.
    Good - non indie - games need more TLC than that.

    I remember just finishing version 3 of a certain popular rally franchise when we were told that 4 needed to be out within 12 months due to some business gubbins...
    we had to canibalise tracks from older versions (1, 2 and 3) cut them in half, splice them with other tracks from different countries, recolor them and hey presto... you have a new rally game.
    To our credit we got it done... and it was recieved even better than the last one lol.

    only problem then was that the company directors thought to themselves... "hmm maybe EA are on to something!"
    lets do it again!!
    prompting a large staff turnover that year : /
    (me included).