Harmonix, and MTV Games, today announced that a demo for Rock Band 3, the next generation in the ultimate social and interactive music gaming platform, is now available for PlayStation3 and the Xbox 360.
The Rock Band 3 demo features the opportunity to play four songs in Quickplay, featuring one standard venue and one “music video” venue. Fans can try out three-part harmonies and, for those who don’t yet have the Rock Band 3 keyboard or Rock Band 3 Fender Mustang PRO-Guitar Controller, keyboard parts are playable on legacy guitar controllers. The demo includes the following songs from the master Rock Band 3 soundtrack:
* Spacehog – “In the Meantime”
* White Stripes – “Hardest Button to Button”
* Slipknot – “Before I Forget”
* Foreigner – “Cold As Ice”
To download and play the Rock Band 3 demo for the PlayStation 3 system, you must have an Internet-connected PlayStation 3 console, a PlayStation Network account and at least one Rock Band or Rock Band-compatible third-party music game controller or USB microphone. If you don’t already have a PlayStation Network account, simply create one in the PSN Home Menu. Next, simply head over to Demos in the Featured Games menu and click Rock Band 3 demo to download.
To download the Rock Band 3 demo for the Xbox 360, you must have an Internet-connected Xbox 360, a Gold Xbox Live account (the demo will be available to Xbox Live free accounts Nov. 12) and at least one Rock Band or Rock Band-compatible third-party music game controller or USB microphone. Sign in to your Xbox Live account. If you don’t already have a Xbox Live account, simply select Join Xbox Live from the Xbox dashboard and create your account. In the Xbox Live menu, go to Game Marketplace and select Game Demos. Find the Rock Band 3 demo and select to download.
Rock Band 3 marks the debut of Rock Band Pro Mode, which bridges the world of gaming and real musicianship through a collection of new instrument controllers, trainers and gameplay options that open the door to real-world guitar, bass, keyboard and drum skills.
Rock Band 3 offers something for everyone. The game’s Career Mode takes the band on a journey to gain new levels of status while the environment around them changes from streets and subways to tour stops and mega-venues. For the serious player, the revamped Career Mode features more than 700 goals and rewards and seamless leaderboard integration for an endlessly deep campaign experience. The game also features easy drop-in and drop-out, easier No Fail accessibility and an all-new Party Shuffle. Rock Band 3 also adds a suite of social networking tools to the game, including the ability to create, save and share playlists online or on the console, so fans can engage friends over Facebook, Twitter, email and more. Check out those tools and more at the newly launched RockBand.com.
Rock Band 3 is compatible with all Rock Band and The Beatles: Rock Band peripherals, as well as most third-party instrument and microphone controllers. Rock Band 3 Pro Mode requires Rock Band Pro-compatible instrument controllers.
Harmonix has also teamed with Fender to create the Rock Band 3 Squier by Fender Stratocaster Guitar Controller, a full-sized, six-string electric guitar that also functions as a game controller that will be compatible with Rock Band 3 Pro Mode. The Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster will be available in March 2011.