Harmonix today announced that next week's Rock Band DLC will include Nine Inch Nails and Shinedown.

Available via Xbox Live on Tuesday, July 22 for 440 Microsoft Points ($5.49) will be a Nine Inch Nails three-pack including "Burn", "Capital G", and "Last".

From Shinedown, the tracks "Devour" and "Junkies For Fame" will be added to the game. Each track will be available separately for 160 Microsoft Points ($1.99) each.

As usual, PlayStation 3 owners will be able to purchase the tracks the following Thursday, July 25.

MTV has chimed in on Japanese publisher Konami's recent lawsuit, which alleged that MTV subsidiary Harmonix's multi-instrument music title Rock Band (PS2, PS3, 360, Wii) violates Konami patents from 1999.

"Konami's actions are extremely surprising," an MTV spokesperson told to MTV News "Successful products such as 'Rock Band' can often become targets for baseless litigation. We have substantial defenses to this claim and intend to vigorously defend it."

In the lawsuit filed yesterday, Konami accused Rock Band of infringing on its patents for a "musical-rhythm matching game" and attempted to block sales of the game. The accompanying documentation included drawings of players using a guitar-shaped controller--a likely reference to Konami's series of Guitar Freaks games.

Prior to the debut of Rock Band last fall, Harmonix was responsible for the creation of the Guitar Hero series and worked with Konami on the Karaoke Revolution series. Konami is currently planning to release a Rock Band-esque title, Rock Revolution, on (PS3, 360, Wii, DS) this fall.

DrumMania and Guitar Freaks publisher Konami today filed suit against Harmonix parent company Viacom over patent violations related to Harmonix's rhythm title Rock Band.

Konami claims that the company's patent for a "musical-rhythm matching game," filed in the United States circa 1999, predates and supersedes Harmonix's 2007 patent filing for a "game controller simulating a musical instrument."

According to Bloomberg, Konami seeks cash compensation and an order to block the use of Harmonix's inventions. Viacom is waiting to receive the complaint before responding to the allegations.

Konami released the Japanese rhythm arcade games DrumMania and Guitar Freaks in 1999, with Guitar Freaks being initially ported to the United States later that year. The company is now planning to release its own Rock Band-style game titled Rock Revolution.

Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and his bandmates have repeatedly turned down offers to bring the rock outfit's catalog to rhythm titles, the Wall Street Journal reports.

According to Led Zeppelin's management company Q Prime Management, the band isn't comfortable granting rhythm game developers access to its catalog of master tapes, which are necessary to create authentic Zeppelin-performed game tracks.

Harmonix and Neversoft have previously made use of cover bands to bring popular songs to the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises in the absence of master tracks. Amidst a sharp spike in sales and broad popularity, follow ups Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour will be comprised solely of master track versions of songs.

Led Zeppelin is often cited as one of the most requested bands for rhythm titles. Reports recently surfaced that the Beatles' management team was in talks to bring the celebrated pop rockers' catalog to Rock Band and Guitar Hero, though no official announcements have yet been made.

Developer Harmonix has unveiled next week's downloadable content for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions of its multi-instrument music title Rock Band:

• Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Snow (Hey Oh)"
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Tell Me Baby"
• Rush - "Closer to the Heart"
• Rush - "Working Man (Alternate Take Master)"

A cover of Rush's "Working Man" was previously released as DLC this past January.

"This version, however, is an alternate-take master from the same session [Rush] recorded the hit with an alternate solo," Harmonix's Sean Baptiste explained on the game's forum. "It has never been released."

Individually priced at 160 Microsoft Points ($2) a piece, each master track will be available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace beginning Tuesday, July 8.
As usual, the PlayStation 3's online PlayStation Store will receive the songs on the following Thursday, July 10.

Following up on this morning's revelation that PS3 and 360 Rock Band owners will be receiving a best-of The Who compilation, the band has detailed the bundle's 12 tracks.

Compiled with the assistance of surviving band members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, the pack serves as a replacement for the promised release of The Who's entire "Who's Next" album as DLC, which proved impossible due to missing master tracks.

The Best of The Who Rock Band Edition (All Master Tracks):

1. Amazing Journey
2. Baba O'Riley
3. Behind Blue Eyes
4. Eminence Front
5. Going Mobile
6. Leaving Here
7. My Generation (Live At Leeds) -- "Special edited version"
8. Real Good Looking Boy
9. Sea & Sand
10. Summertime Blues (Live At Leeds)
11. Who Are You
12. Young Man Blues (Live At Leeds)

Available to Xbox 360 gamers on Tuesday, July 15, each song will sell individually for $1.99, with the whole package going for $19.99. The band claims the PlayStation 3 pack will hit the same day, though it is more likely that it will, as all past Rock Band PS3 DLC, arrive the following Thursday, July 17.

A 12-track compilation of The Who songs will be released as downloadable content for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions of Harmonix's Rock Band the week of July 15.

The upcoming bundle replaces the promised debut of The Who's entire "Who's Next" album, which proved impossible after several master tracks turned up missing. Only 2 of the pack's 12 tracks--"My Generation" and "Who Are You"--have been revealed.

Each song will sell individually for $1.99, with the whole shebang going for $19.99.

"We were trying to release 'Who's Next' in its entirety, but we were unable to locate all the masters," Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos told The Associated Press. "In the face of that, [surviving band members] Pete [Townshend] and Roger [Daltrey] helped curate this best-of soundtrack of everything we were able to find."

Compatible with the fall release of Rock Band 2, the compilation will be available to Xbox 360 gamers on Tuesday, July 15, with the PlayStation 3 edition following on Thursday, July 17.

Harmonix revealed the Crüefest Pack as next week's downloadable content for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions of Rock Band, as well as a free track from the upcoming comedy "The Rocker."

Featuring bands performing at the festival of same name, the Crüefest Pack includes:

• Mötley Crüe - "Down at the Whisky"
• Papa Roach - "Time Is Running Out"
• Trapt - "Who's Going Home With You Tonight"

The tracks are available for 80 Microsoft Points ($.99) per download.

Also on offer next week is "Promised Land", a song by the fictional '80s hair metal band Vesuvius appearing in the summer comedy film "The Rocker". The track will be available as a free download.

Per Harmonix's usual DLC schedule, the content will hit the Xbox Live Marketplace on Tuesday, July 1, with a PlayStation Store release following on Thursday, July 3.

Publishers Activision and MTV Games are courting representatives of the Beatles to license the wildly popular band's catalog for use in their respective rhythm franchises Guitar Hero and Rock Band, the Financial Times reports.

According to the report, both publishers have held discussions with representatives of the band concerning a "Beatles-themed video game."

It was not immediately clear whether the companies seek to license the music as downloadable content for existing titles or for a completely new Beatles-focused game, similar to Neversoft's Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (PS2, PS3, Wii, 360).

Any licensing agreements for the Beatles' catalog would first have to be cleared by Apple Corps, a multimedia corporation established by the band to oversee its business interests, as well as the music group EMI, which owns the Beatles' ... Read more

Harmonix has announced that three new Weezer tracks will hit the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions of Rock Band next week, alongside the previously announced release of the Pixies' "Doolittle" full downloadable album.

Composed of songs from the band's latest album, the Weezer Pack includes:

• "Dreamin'"
• "The Greatest Man that Ever Lived"
• "Troublemaker"

All three tracks are master recordings and priced individually at 160 Microsoft Points ($1.99), or as a bundle for 440 Microsoft Points ($5.49).

In line with the typical Rock Band DLC schedule, both the Weezer Pack and Doolittle will debut in the Xbox Live Marketplace on Tuesday, June 24, and hit the PlayStation Store on Thursday, June 26.

Punk rockers The Offspring revealed several other tracks set to debut as downloadable content for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions of Harmonix's Rock Band.

The track titles were divulged on official website. Upcoming Offspring tracks bound for Rock Band include "Come Out and Play (Keep 'Em Separated)," "Self Esteem," "Gone Away," "All I Want," "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)," and "The Kids Aren't Alright."

The content follows yesterday's release of the band's new single "Hammerhead" on the Xbox Live Marketplace. As always, the track will hit the PlayStation 3's PlayStation Store this coming Thursday.

No release dates were provided alongside the announcement of the new tracks, with the website stating simply that the songs were "coming soon."

While the Pixies' Doolittle album won't arrive until June 24, Harmonix has pulled back the curtain on this week's downloadable content for Rock Band on PS3 and Xbox 360:

• Avenged Sevenfold - "Afterlife"
• Avenged Sevenfold - "Critical Acclaim"
• Crooked X - "Rock N Roll Dream"
• The Offspring - "Hammerhead"

The Avenged Sevenfold tracks, one of which was previously rumored, and that Offspring tune will sell for 160 Microsoft Points ($2), while the Crooked X single will go for 80 Microsoft Points ($1). All songs utilize the original master recordings.

As usual, the content will hit the Xbox Live Marketplace on Tuesday, June 17, with a PlayStation Store release following on Thursday, June 19.

Rock Band developer Harmonix has announced that it will release the Pixies' "Doolittle," the game's third downloadable album, on PS3 and Xbox 360 the week after next.

Per the typical Rock Band DLC schedule, Doolittle will debut in the Xbox Live Marketplace on Tuesday, June 24, and hit the PlayStation Store on Thursday, June 26.

While the entire record actually runs for 15 songs, only 14 tracks will be offered as one of the 15--"Wave of Mutilation"--is already included on the Rock Band disc itself.

Those 14 tracks will be available in a 1520 Microsoft Points ($19) bundle, with each track going individually for 160 Microsoft Points ($2).

A complete list of the 14 master recordings follows, provided by... Read more

Four new downloadable tracks for Harmonix's Rock Band were reportedly revealed in an MTV ad promoting this week's release of the MTV2 track pack on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

According to screen captures of the ad spotted by Joystiq on the Bemanistyle forums, the promo shows "Aesthetics of Hate" by Machine Head, "Afterlife" by Avenged Sevenfold, "Breed" by Nirvana, and "Burn" by Nine Inch Nails within the game's track selection screen.

While three of the four tracks appear to be new arrivals, Nirvana's "Breed" came up within a leaked list of upcoming Rock Band DLC which surfaced in February. Many of the tracks on the list—including Blur's "Beetlebum", Jonathan Coulton's "Still Alive" and six Grateful Dead songs—have since seen release on Rock Band's music store.

Very few of the tracks on the leaked list have yet to be released, although songs from The Who's "Who's Next," previously announced for a full album release, have reportedly been stymied by the theft of the original master tapes.

Next week's downloadable content for Harmonix's Rock Band will be what the developer refers to as the MTV2 three-pack, plus an additional track from post-punk revival rockers Maximo Park.

The MTV2 pack includes "Moving to Seattle" by the Material, "A Clean Shot" by the Myriad, and "Bullets and Guns" by Them Terribles. The sole Maximo Park track up on offer is "Girls Who Play Guitars," which is not included in the MTV2 pack. All four of the songs are master recordings.

All four tracks will be sold individually for 80 Microsoft Points ($.99) a piece, while the MTV2 three-pack is offered at the non-discounted price of 240 Microsoft Points ($2.99).

As always, the tracks will be available for download on the Xbox 360 edition of Rock Band on June 10, followed by a PlayStation 3 release on Thursday, June 12.

In what might be the strangest pairing of acts yet witnessed, Harmonix today announced that next week's Rock Band DLC lineup will offer tracks from soft-rocker Jimmy Buffett and metal band Disturbed.

The lineup includes new original recordings of Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville," "Cheeseburger in Paradise," and "Volcano", available for 160 Microsoft Points ($1.99) a piece or 440 Microsoft Points ($5.49) for the pack.

Meanwhile, master tracks of Disturbed's "Indestructible," "Inside the Fire," and "Perfect Insanity" will run 80 Microsoft Points ($.99) a piece.

As always, the songs will be available for download within the Xbox 360 edition of Rock Band on June 3, followed by a PlayStation 3 release on Thursday, June 5.

New-wave band Devo, best known for its hit 1980 track "Whip It," will soon be featured in Rock Band according to a report on G4TV.

Founder Mark Mothersbaugh told the outlet that three Devo tracks will make it onto Harmonix's rhythm platform, with "Through Being Cool!" confirmed as one.

"They wanted 'Through Being Cool' for some reason, which is kind of odd because it's all synth solos, so we re-recorded it," said Mothersbaugh.

"My brother Bob, who's our guitar player, played all my synth solos, synth leads, as guitar leads, so it would relate to the game better, and then we recorded one of those little crazy endings that they put on it."

Following the release of Judas Priest's "Screaming for Vengeance," developer Harmonix has announced that Rock Band's second downloadable full album is The Cars' 1978 self-titled debut, due for release on the Xbox 360 and PS3 next week.

The entirety of the album will be priced at 1200 Microsoft Points ($14.99). Individual tracks, such as "Just What I Needed" and "You're All I've Got Tonight," will be priced at 160 Microsoft Points ($1.99).

The Cars' self-titled album will arrive in the Xbox Live Marketplace on Tuesday, May 27, with the PlayStation 3 release following on Thursday, May 29.

With Judas Priest's "Screaming for Vengeance" and the Cars' self-titled out of the way, the remaining announced but yet unreleased full albums for Rock Band include the Who's "Who's Next" and the Pixies' "Doolittle".

A complete track listing for the Cars' self-titled album follows... Read more

Next week's downloadable content for Harmonix's Rock Band will consist of the nine bonus tracks added to the UK edition of the instrument-based music game, which debuts on May 22.

Studio owner MTV Games had previously confirmed to Shacknews that the songs would hit North America, but did not provide a release date at that time.

Each will sell individually for 160 Microsoft Points ($1.99), and with the exception of Blur's "Beetlebum," all are master tracks performed by the original recording artist.

• Blur "Beetlebum" (Cover) (English)
• Oasis "Rock 'n' Roll Star" (English)
• Tokio Hotel "Monsoon" (English)
• Muse "Hysteria" (English)
• Les Wampas "Manu Chao" (French)
• Playmo "New Wave" (French)
• Die Toten Hosen "Hier Kommt Alex" (German)
• Juli "Perfekte Welle" (German)
• H-Block X "Countdown to Insanity" (German)

Per usual, the songs will be available for download within the Xbox 360 edition on May 20, followed by a PlayStation 3 release on Thursday, May 22.

When Neversoft's Guitar Hero IV (PS2, PS3, X360, Wii) arrives this fall, it may compete with Harmonix's Rock Band (PS2, PS3, X360, Wii) for more than just retail dominance--the battle of the bands may very well extend into your living space.

As revealed earlier this week, Neversoft's Guitar Hero IV (PS2, PS3, X360, Wii) will bring drum, vocal, and music creation support to the franchise. Now it appears GH4 may not be compatible with the Rock Band drum kits that are already in the homes of many gamers.

A picture of the wireless Guitar Hero IV drum kit, located within the pages Game Informer magazine's June issue, reveals it to have three drum pads, two cymbal pads and a foot pedal. That gives the kit a higher number of inputs and a different physical arrangement than the Rock Band drum set, which has four drum pads and a foot pedal.

Given these differences, it does not appear likely that Guitar Hero IV will be compatible with Rock Band's drum kits, especially taking the companies' past feuding into account. Shacknews has contacted both Harmonix and Neversoft owner Activision for comment.