Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Future Rock Band DLC Won't Work With Old Games
Moving forward, new downloadable songs will only work with Rock Band 3.
Even as the new Bon Jovi pack releases this week, Harmonix is clarifying its approach to DLC moving forward. All the downloadable songs released after October 26, 2010, will require Rock Band 3 in order to play. The shift in policy is necessary because of new features included in the downloadable songs that wouldn't be available playing in Rock Band 1 or 2. Harmonix told Joystiq that the lack of backwards compatibility for future songs was "due to the new authoring standards, inclusion of new instruments, new lighting / venue cues, etc.".
Moving forward, players will be able to purchase new DLC based on what features they're interested in acquiring. Brand new songs will include instrument parts for everything except for pro guitar and bass, and those instruments can be purchased separately for an added cost. Meanwhile, to answer calls from users who want some of the old downloadable songs to have the new instruments, you can re-buy those tracks as Rock Band 3 versions, with keyboards and harmony vocals. Those songs will also have pro-guitar and bass available for an additional cost.
It is unfortunate that new DLC won't be playable in old versions of the game, as many players would undoubtedly continue to purchase DLC on their older games. As for the other piece of news, that players will need to repurchase old DLC in order to play them with new instruments, it might be unfair to level blame at Harmonix or MTV Games. The developer could have easily left those tracks alone, and never offered an update that could allow playing them with new instruments. Now, players can pick and choose the tracks they really care about, and buy whatever they see fit.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
