For hardcore Rock Band fanatics (like myself), today is a good day. Not only do we get the must-anticipated
Rock Band 3, but with it comes new instruments, a Doors pack and much, much more. But with the sweet comes the sour, as some of us loyal rockers have discovered.
For months Harmonix has been touting that "most" Rock Band 1 and 2 songs would make their way into Rock Band 3. We knew that there would be some missing songs (there were when we went from Rock Band 1 to 2), but it wasn't until the wee hours of Tuesday morning when we discovered what those missing songs are. In case you missed it, here's what you WON'T be playing if you buy Rock Band 3 ...
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AC/DC - "Let There Be Rock"
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Journey - "Any Way You Want It"
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Metallica - "Battery"
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Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Give It Away"
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Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dani California" (RB1)
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Soundgarden - "Black Hole Sun" (RB1)
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Soundgarden - "Spoonman"
Do you notice anything strange about that list? Forget AC/DC, Journey and Metallica for a moment, four of the songs being excised are from either Soundgarden or the Red Hot Chili Peppers. We know that the recently reunited Soundgarden has recently teamed up with Activision for a
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock pack-in,
a music video and
an exclusive best-of track pack (which includes both songs being cut from Rock Band 3). I think it's safe to say that Chris Cornell and company have officially chosen a side.
But what about the Red Hot Chili Peppers? With both songs excluded from the Rock Band 3 fun, it certainly points to
the rumored (and yet-to-be denied) Guitar Hero: Red Hot Chili Peppers game. If you'll recall, earlier this year the buzz was surrounding a RHCP game that would come out after Warriors of Rock. Because Activision refused to officially announce the project, many gamers either forgot about it or chalked it up to internet rumor mongering. But this turn of events certainly adds evidence that this band-specific game is actually headed your way.
Need more proof? The exact same thing happened two years ago when Harmonix was finishing up Rock Band 2. Those who paid the $5 to export the 50+ tracks from Rock Band 1 into Rock Band 2 discovered that Metallica's Enter Sandman did not make the leap. At the time it was explained away by licensing problems, likely due to Activision picking up a large chunk of Metallica's back catalog for their own Guitar Hero game. It seems like history is repeating itself.
At press time there is no official announcement explaining these exclusions, but I wouldn't be surprised if little to nothing is said about the Soundgarden or Red Hot Chili Peppers deal. While it's true that I could be way off base with this speculation, these cuts are a bit curious. What I do know for a fact is that with "Give It Away" officially out of the game, my complete Blood Sugar Sex Magik album is rendered incomplete. I paid $20 for the full album, it's a shame I won't be able to play through the entire disc in Rock Band 3.
