Rock Band 3 out this autumn

By Robert Purchese Published 10 March, 2010

Will "revolutionise" the genre, says dev.

Rock Band 3 has been confirmed for an autumn 2010 release worldwide.

Confirmation came via the Facebook page of Rock Band.

"Harmonix is developing Rock Band 3 for worldwide release this holiday season," blurted the update.

"The game, which will be published by MTV Games and distributed by Electronic Arts, will innovate and revolutionise the music genre once again, just as Harmonix did with the original Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and The Beatles: Rock Band."

Actual solid, touchable details are scarce. We don't know whether Harmonix's interest in Natal or PS3 wand has come to anything, nor whether mentions of a keyboard instrument are accurate.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (27) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • andywilkie35 #1 2 years ago

    Yay!

  • MiniAmin #2 2 years ago

    Now I wouldn't mind Natal with this type of game! Body tracking to replicate your real life body movements in game, but with support for the proper peripherals so that you retain the precision that a rhythm game demands.

  • LiveForever #3 2 years ago

    Haven't they learned anything from Beatles Rock Band?

  • Erinan #4 2 years ago

    I'm all for it - assuming that they'll keep on using their existing song collection. Wouldn't mind having more European/UK bands though...

  • kincaide #5 2 years ago

    I like Beatles Rockband.


    It rocks.

  • wizlon #6 2 years ago

    I'd like to see the game come with a few tracks on disk but include a 50 free song downloads. That way you could download and play the songs you want to play.

  • the_th0r #7 2 years ago

    really like the rock band games, especially when drunk of my arse... not really sure how beatles rock band revolutionized the genre though... but sure, any excuse to get pissed and hammer away on tiny plastic instruments or sing like a lunatic will be accepted...

  • Hog-lumps #8 2 years ago

    All I want to know is whether I can transfer all my previous songs across, ala RB1 and RB2.
    Edited by 1 at 10/03/10 @ 09:15

  • glottis0 #9 2 years ago

    Rock Band 2 and Beatles Rock Band didn't revolutionise, so much as hone the genre. Going with their definition of the word 'revolutionise', I expect Rock Band 3 to be slightly prettier, slightly more polished, and have even more exclusive/mainstream songs on the disc.

    Which isn't really exciting any more, is it?

  • kinky_mong #10 2 years ago

    "I'd like to see the game come with a few tracks on disk but include a 50 free song downloads. That way you could download and play the songs you want to play."

    Only problem with that is it's very difficult to scale the difficulty to proper teirs for the Tour and Challenge modes with that method.

    Can't help but feel this is a completely unnecessary sequel though.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #11 2 years ago

    The big question is: Will they be able to get RB2 or the DLC tracks working in RB3? If they do, they should get a medal. Another one - they already deserve one or two for their fantastic support of the RB platform as a whole.

  • spliffhead #12 2 years ago

    Pretty please a full size 8 octave plastic grand with built in theramin!

  • RobotRocker #13 2 years ago

    Flute peripheral + Thick as a brick and I am there day 1

  • Doctor_What #14 2 years ago

    I'd just like a decent framerate on the PS3 this time please. :/

  • schnide #15 2 years ago

    I suppose my request for a Triangle peripheral is going to go unheeded again.

  • Toothball #16 2 years ago

    @MiniAmin

    I wouldn't mind some Natal support for this, but there's no way I'm discarding the instruments I've spent quite a bit on for some silly gesture-based play. I can't imagine they'd go that far with it though.

  • Grom #17 2 years ago

    It'll actually be called Prog Rock Band 3, and will come with a stack of 3 synths, a hammond organ, an ersatz white vinyl cloak and a Rick Wakeman wig.

  • MiniAmin #18 2 years ago

    @ Toothball

    Yeah, I totally agree with you. I meant the ability to use the original peripherals with Natal, so your avatars move in sync with you while you play the instruments. I didn't mean Natal to replace the instruments as the source of input, that'd be horrid.

  • Doctor_What #19 2 years ago

    Natal's not very good at detecting seated players or very fast movements, so it would be rubbish at tracking a drummer. It could work for a lead singer though.

  • abcd #20 2 years ago

    A USB electric guitar?

  • CosmicGypsy #21 2 years ago

    I love RB, but as far as I can see the best way to get a Keyboard peripheral into it would be to do a sequel like this. Any pre-existing DLC tracks which could utilise the keyboard could be updated and the update put on the disc.

    If they don't make this change, I am not sure a new version will be worth it for me. I already have over 300 songs on my Hard Drive and I, like Wizlon, would rather just download the songs I actually WANT to play.

  • LiamK #22 2 years ago

    That's the problem they've got. If it just uses the existing instruments, it's going to be hard to see how it'll beat Rock Band 2 + whatever monster library you've downloaded for it (Queen FTW!). If it uses new instruments, well, a lot of people are already on their third or forth guitar. Do you really want to fork out for new ones yet again?

  • RobotRocker #23 2 years ago

    I'd just like a decent framerate on the PS3 this time please. :/

    You do know the whole thing runs at a rock solid 60FPS right? The playing field runs at 60FPS but the background models run at 60FPS with a visual filter to make it look like 25FPS (to make it more film like. The biggest inspirations to the art team are The Kids Are Alright and Stop Making Sense, fact fans). If you have a look at the Apple Rooftop concert in Beatles RB, thats the biggest case of where filtering is apparent, particuarly at the end of I Want You (She's so Heavy).

    Its something Digital Foundry should have a look at as it is a really interesting case of visual trickery.

  • Murton #24 2 years ago

    I've said this in the last couple of Rock Band/Guitar Hero threads, if either side wants to "revolutionise" the only way to do that is to go modular. As Wizlon suggested, the disc contains the engine, front end and all the mechanic stuff that you need plus a handful of tracks and then allow players to choose their own tracks from the download library. That way nobody has to play the obligatory Aerosmith or Bon Jovi tracks that are always on these games unless they actually want to.

  • Oceadge #25 2 years ago

    I wonder if Rock Band 2 will be released in Australia before 3?

  • Luxsy #26 2 years ago

    Will it revolutionise the genre by being affordable?

  • Doctor_What #27 2 years ago

    Well, something makes the scrolling text much harder to read and appear to be more stuttering when the crowd pans into view in the background. I've got the PS3 version and the 360 version plays a lot more smoothly without the same effect interupting play.

    I'd be interested in a comparison of the two versions because it's one of the times when I really have noticed the framerate effecting the gameplay.

    This isn't a fanboy rant (I generally prefer the PS3) it's just something I've noticed many times.