Pro Mode Guitar Songs to Cost an Extra Dollar in Rock Band 3

[Logan Westbrook]

Pro Mode Guitar Songs to Cost an Extra Dollar in Rock Band 3

If you want to put those hard earned guitar skills to use in Rock Band 3, you're going to need ever-so-slightly deeper pockets than everyone else.

There's a price you pay for being a guitar virtuoso. Ordinarily, it's a more nebulous fee made of up determination and effort, but when it comes to Rock Band 3 [http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Keyboard-Software-Bundle-Xbox-360/dp/B003RRTWSE/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285878925&sr=8-1] it's a little simpler, coming it at a buck per song.

Rock Band 3's Pro Mode gives players a more realistic experience playing the songs than the regular mode does, but according MTV Games Paul DeGooyer, creating the Pro Mode guitar parts takes much longer than for any of the other instruments. That was why, he said, the decision had been made to sell the Pro Guitar parts separately.

Each song will cost $1.99 and will include the regular gameplay modes, plus the pro modes for every instrument bar the guitar. If you want the Pro guitar part as well, the price for the song increases to $2.99. DeGooyer said that he thought that the price was fair, and better than the alternative, which was to include the pro mode guitar in all DLC and just increase the price for everyone. He also noted that not every song was complex enough to warrant a Pro Mode guitar part.

When it comes to adding in Pro Mode content and keyboards - the new instrument that Rock Band 3 is introducing - to previously available songs, DeGooyer said that the costs hadn't been finalized, but that a major artist with DLC already available would be getting retrofitted with the new content, as well as a healthy cross section of other songs.

Rock Band 3 will be available on October 26th.

Source: IGN [http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/112/1123373p2.html]






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[Kapol]

I think that's a little stupid. We're already paying more for a song then it would cost to actually buy it from Itunes of something like that, so why do we have to pay $3 for 1 song if we want the full experience?

 

[PxDn Ninja]

I think that's a little stupid. We're already paying more for a song then it would cost to actually buy it from Itunes of something like that, so why do we have to pay $3 for 1 song if we want the full experience?

Because iTunes simply holds onto the track itself. These are several audio tracks, each with a corrisponding notechart that has to be created, coded, tested, and verified by Harmonix, then cleared through Sony and Microsoft. This takes time and money.

While I'm not looking forward to paying more for the songs, it is a fair price.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

That's not too bad...As long as they still have slight discounts for buying song "packs".

I think that's a little stupid. We're already paying more for a song then it would cost to actually buy it from Itunes of something like that, so why do we have to pay $3 for 1 song if we want the full experience?

Because they have to put work into making the note charts for the game.

 

[MrLS]

Wait i'm confused... Do we only have to pay extra for the DLC or the songs in the Pro mode overall?
It would suck if I had to pay even more for all those RB 1 and 2 (and soon 3) songs I already own then.

 

[Jared]

Well, I dont know how to play so to me no skin off my nose - I just want the Keyboard!

 

[Kapol]

I think that's a little stupid. We're already paying more for a song then it would cost to actually buy it from Itunes of something like that, so why do we have to pay $3 for 1 song if we want the full experience?

Because iTunes simply holds onto the track itself. These are several audio tracks, each with a corresponding notechart that has to be created, coded, tested, and verified by Harmonix, then cleared through Sony and Microsoft. This takes time and money.

While I'm not looking forward to paying more for the songs, it is a fair price.

And the people who actually MAKE the songs have to write, produce, and play the song, as well as worry about the fact that more people are likely to pirate the song then buy it. I'm not saying it's easy on the developer, but it's a bit unfair to charge more for one instrument then the others just because it's somewhat more difficult. That's even more relevant when you figure that the guitar is what most people play and are best at.

 

[bojac6]

I think that's a little stupid. We're already paying more for a song then it would cost to actually buy it from Itunes of something like that, so why do we have to pay $3 for 1 song if we want the full experience?

Because iTunes simply holds onto the track itself. These are several audio tracks, each with a corresponding notechart that has to be created, coded, tested, and verified by Harmonix, then cleared through Sony and Microsoft. This takes time and money.

While I'm not looking forward to paying more for the songs, it is a fair price.

And the people who actually MAKE the songs have to write, produce, and play the song, as well as worry about the fact that more people are likely to pirate the song then buy it. I'm not saying it's easy on the developer, but it's a bit unfair to charge more for one instrument then the others just because it's somewhat more difficult. That's even more relevant when you figure that the guitar is what most people play and are best at.

Bolded text mine: isn't that the entirety of how you determine pricing? An XBLA arcade game costs less because it was less time and effort to produce than a full release. A Ford made on an assembly line costs less than a Ferrari made by hand because it was less effort.

Good bands (well popular ones anyways) not only get some of the money from sales, but also an up front record deal, concert fees, licensing fees, potentially commercial and movie deals, and tons of other income. Harmonix makes money one way, through sales. That means they have to recoup every man hour cost and other fees simply through selling stuff, while the band has many avenues of revenue.

Put it another way, Harmonix is going to charge enough to make money, but this way they are giving people not interested in pro mode the chance to spend less. I think this reasoning makes perfect sense and is far preferable to just a higher price for every one.

 

[AgentBJ09]

Sounds fair to me.

They are giving us more in depth tracks to play, and programming all that for each song can't be a simple process.

 

[PxDn Ninja]

I think that's a little stupid. We're already paying more for a song then it would cost to actually buy it from Itunes of something like that, so why do we have to pay $3 for 1 song if we want the full experience?

Because iTunes simply holds onto the track itself. These are several audio tracks, each with a corresponding notechart that has to be created, coded, tested, and verified by Harmonix, then cleared through Sony and Microsoft. This takes time and money.

While I'm not looking forward to paying more for the songs, it is a fair price.

And the people who actually MAKE the songs have to write, produce, and play the song, as well as worry about the fact that more people are likely to pirate the song then buy it. I'm not saying it's easy on the developer, but it's a bit unfair to charge more for one instrument then the others just because it's somewhat more difficult. That's even more relevant when you figure that the guitar is what most people play and are best at.

Actually, the original artists cut is included already.

$0.99 Goes to liscensing the song (this pays the label, band, engineers, and all that),
$1.00 Goes to Harmonix for standard work (multitrack master rights, standard note chart, musicians to clean up trouble spots)
$1.00 Goes to Harmonix for the Pro Mode additional work (detailed note chart for more complex instruments).

When you by off iTunes, you are just paying for that initial 99 cents part of a harmonix song package.

 

[Dorkmaster Flek]

Sounds fair to me too. The pro guitar/bass charts are insanely complicated. The fact that we're getting pro drums (and always have been, awesome), full keys (regular and pro) and vocal harmonies in new DLC with no price increase is fantastic.

 

[LawlessSquirrel]

Well, that's a little annoying but the rationale is understandable. Pro Mode Guitar is the main draw for me (it's all good, but that in particular), so I'll still be paying the extra.

Shame it's more pricey, but it's understandable considering the amount of extra work involved over the other note tracks. They're right, this is at least better than the alternative.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Sounds like the Recording Industry is tightening the thumbscrews for its licensing fees.

 

[ShadowKatt]

And pro mode does....what, exactly?

I love Rock Band and Guitar Hero. I live, breathe, and sleep music. And when I play, I play Expert only. Expert differs from Hard in that every single note and chrord is represented, so what is pro-mode adding?

 

[Frostbite3789]

You play the actual guitar. It's going to really hurt if pro-mode and their guitar aren't up to standard. I wouldn't hold my breath for it to be as good as they say it will.

 

[Im Nightmare]

So will this mean I have to re buy all the songs I already have to play pro mode? If so screw that.

 

[JEBWrench]

And pro mode does....what, exactly?

I love Rock Band and Guitar Hero. I live, breathe, and sleep music. And when I play, I play Expert only. Expert differs from Hard in that every single note and chrord is represented, so what is pro-mode adding?

Pro Mode means you actually play the song on one of their actual guitar controllers.

 

[ShadowKatt]

And pro mode does....what, exactly?

I love Rock Band and Guitar Hero. I live, breathe, and sleep music. And when I play, I play Expert only. Expert differs from Hard in that every single note and chrord is represented, so what is pro-mode adding?

Pro Mode means you actually play the song on one of their actual guitar controllers.

Oohhh, I see. I had to do some research just to see what you were talking about, but damn.

The whole reason I don't play real guitar is because my fingers can't reach all the way around the neck. No way in hell I can play one of those.