Lego Rock Band
Encyclopedia
Lego Rock Band is a music video game
and part of the Rock Band
series developed by Harmonix Music Systems
, but also incorporates elements from other Lego video games as developed by Traveller's Tales
. The game is published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and MTV Games. The game was released on November 3, 2009 for Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
, and Wii
home consoles in the United States. A Nintendo DS
version was also developed in conjunction with Backbone Entertainment
.
The game, as with other games in the Rock Band series, allows up to four players to use instrument controllers to play lead
and bass guitar
, drums, and vocals
on a number of rock music
songs. In addition, aspects of building with Lego
bricks are incorporated into the game, allowing players to customize their avatars
and other band assistants, and include additional Lego-themed gameplay modes. The gameplay and the game's 45-song soundtrack has been selected to create a "family-friendly" game. Players are able to export the songs from the game into other Rock Band titles, while existing and future downloadable content
that passes family-friendly filters can be incorporated into the game; however, songs released after Rock Band 3 are not compatible due to changes in the song format.
Lego Rock Band was met with moderate reviews, which praised the inclusion of both the Rock Band and Lego video game aspects incorporated into the game, but questioned some selections on the game's soundtrack and some features that would be at odds with the target audience of the game.
bricks as in Traveller's Tales's
other Lego-themed games. Up to four local players can play lead
and bass
guitar, drums
, or vocals
across the songs in the game using specially designed Rock Band or Guitar Hero controllers. During each song, players attempt to match notes (shown as Lego bricks) as they scroll on-screen in time with the current song. On lead and bass guitar, notes are hit by holding down the frets indicated on-screen and using the controller's strum bar when the note passes through the target area of the track. Drummers simply hit one of the four colored drum pads indicated as the notes cross the target area, with wide orange notes indicating kick drum notes. Singers have to sing in relative pitch
to the song's original pitch.
Completing consecutive series of notes will build up a player's scoring multiplier and add to the band's total Lego "studs" (equivalent to points) for the song. Certain phrases of notes are glowing "energy phrases"; successfully completing these adds energy to the player's "Overdrive" meter. When they have enough energy, a player can activate Overdrive to double the band's studs multiplier. Players are rewarded with up to 5 stars for completing a song based on their performance.
Players can choose from five difficulties ("Super Easy", "Easy", "Medium", "Hard", and "Expert") at the start of each song, with higher difficulties generally having more notes of the song in the track. Super Easy is a new difficulty for Lego Rock Band. Super Easy uses the same notes as Easy, but on Super Easy it doesn't matter what pitch is hit for vocals, which fret is held for guitar and bass, or which drum head is hit for drums. Lego Rock Band also includes other features not found in Rock Band 2
to make the game easier, such as an "Automatic Kick Drum" modifier which eliminates the need to use the drum controller's bass drum pedal. It is also impossible to fail a song when a player is performing poorly; instead, poor performances consume studs that have already been earned for the song, although the player will have a chance to get the lost studs back before the end of the song. Certain songs which feature long intros or outros, such as "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
" by The Police
, can also be played in "Short Song Mode", in order to help younger players with shorter attention spans stay interested in the game.
The Nintendo DS
version of Lego Rock Band is similar to the PlayStation Portable
game Rock Band Unplugged
. During each song, the player switches between the various instruments, trying to keep all four members of the band "happy"; this is done by successfully completing a series of notes for the specific instrument, and then correctly hitting a final, purple note to increase that band member's happiness. Band members' happiness will fall over time, requiring the player to continually switch between band members to maintain the band's overall mood and score multiplier. The game uses the touchpad, stylus, and face buttons of the DS, and does not require or support additional peripherals like the console versions do. Up to four people can play at a time, each using a separate DS and playing their own instrument..
The Lego Rock Band Music Store includes downloadable content
(DLC) from the standard Rock Band Music Store which has "been identified to be suitable for all ages". Also, any songs exported from the original Rock Band and its Track Packs deemed "Family Friendly" can be used in the game. All songs available in Lego Rock Band are compatible with other entries in the Rock Band series and can be exported to those games for along with the use of a unique code included on a paper insert included in the game case. No songs released as DLC after Rock Band 3s
release are compatible with previous games, including Lego Rock Band, due to changes in the format of the files. The Wii version of the game cannot use any downloaded or exported songs, and its songs cannot be exported to other games.
. The game was announced officially on April 21, 2009.
TT Fusion
's head of animation, Matt Palmer, stated that Harmonix had approached Traveler's Tales who, in turn, approached TT Fusion on the game concept around October 2008. At that time, about 50% of the studio was against the concept, but had come around by the end of 2008, realizing that they "weren’t just skinning one franchise on another". Despite skepticism for the viability of the game, the game is stated to combine "two compelling properties" by Traveller's Tales managing director Tom Stone, and has been called "a social game experience that crosses every generation and every genre of rock" by MTV Games senior vice president Bob Picunko.
Iggy Pop
voices the in-game tutorials for the game, and lends his trademark shirtless image to a Lego avatar for the game. David Bowie
, along with his band and a venue loosely based on his music video for "Let's Dance
", also appears in the game. The bands Queen
, Blur
, and Spinal Tap
have Lego avatars for the game. In the case of Queen guitarist Brian May
, he had required that the developers represent his hair style on his Lego caricature. John Drake of Harmonix stated the presence of Pop and Bowie add "rock credibility" to the family-friendly title. TT Fusion opted to map the motions of the Lego mini-figurines to key frame
animation instead of motion capture
which had been used on previous Rock Band titles, as it allowed for them to animate more exaggerated motions and effects.
gave the game a score of 8 (of 10), praising some of its new features like the Super Easy mode, but criticizing the soundtrack as hit and miss, and a bit repetitive if the player does not have any downloaded songs. Jack DeVries of IGN
gave the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions a 7.0/10, calling the presentation "adorable" and "just so damn cute", but still thinks of this game as "half a game for the full price" mainly because of the reduced soundtrack. The Wii version fared less well, receiving a 5.5/10, due to "terrible looks" and "hard to read text." In contrast, the DS version scored an impressive 8.4 from IGN's Craig Harris, who praised it as feeling fresh and new compared to the console versions. GameTrailers
gave the game 7.9 criticising the lack of previous features such as online play, and called the Lego presentation superficial, saying the purchase decision will lie squarely on the song preferences. The game has sold approximately 600,000 units by March 2010.
Lego Rock Band was nominated for the "Best Family Game" Interactive Achievement Award from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
, but it lost to The Beatles: Rock Band
. The nominees also included Guitar Hero 5
, Wii Fit Plus
, and Wii Sports Resort
.
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
and part of the Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
series developed by Harmonix Music Systems
Harmonix Music Systems
Harmonix Music Systems is an American video game development company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States...
, but also incorporates elements from other Lego video games as developed by Traveller's Tales
Traveller's Tales
Traveller's Tales is an English software house founded in 1989 and fully established in 1990 and based in Knutsford, Cheshire.It is part of the TT Games group—after the merger of publisher Giant Interactive and the developer Traveller's Tales—along with TT Games Publishing...
. The game is published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and MTV Games. The game was released on November 3, 2009 for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, and Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
home consoles in the United States. A Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
version was also developed in conjunction with Backbone Entertainment
Backbone Entertainment
Backbone Entertainment is an independent video game development company located in Emeryville, California.Backbone Entertainment is the result of a 2003 merger between Digital Eclipse Software and ImaginEngine...
.
The game, as with other games in the Rock Band series, allows up to four players to use instrument controllers to play lead
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, drums, and vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
on a number of rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
songs. In addition, aspects of building with Lego
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
bricks are incorporated into the game, allowing players to customize their avatars
Avatar (computing)
In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
and other band assistants, and include additional Lego-themed gameplay modes. The gameplay and the game's 45-song soundtrack has been selected to create a "family-friendly" game. Players are able to export the songs from the game into other Rock Band titles, while existing and future downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
that passes family-friendly filters can be incorporated into the game; however, songs released after Rock Band 3 are not compatible due to changes in the song format.
Lego Rock Band was met with moderate reviews, which praised the inclusion of both the Rock Band and Lego video game aspects incorporated into the game, but questioned some selections on the game's soundtrack and some features that would be at odds with the target audience of the game.
Gameplay
Lego Rock Band is based primarily on the same gameplay as the main Rock Band series, though it includes aspects of collecting and building with LegoLego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
bricks as in Traveller's Tales's
Traveller's Tales
Traveller's Tales is an English software house founded in 1989 and fully established in 1990 and based in Knutsford, Cheshire.It is part of the TT Games group—after the merger of publisher Giant Interactive and the developer Traveller's Tales—along with TT Games Publishing...
other Lego-themed games. Up to four local players can play lead
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
guitar, drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, or vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
across the songs in the game using specially designed Rock Band or Guitar Hero controllers. During each song, players attempt to match notes (shown as Lego bricks) as they scroll on-screen in time with the current song. On lead and bass guitar, notes are hit by holding down the frets indicated on-screen and using the controller's strum bar when the note passes through the target area of the track. Drummers simply hit one of the four colored drum pads indicated as the notes cross the target area, with wide orange notes indicating kick drum notes. Singers have to sing in relative pitch
Relative pitch
The term relative pitch may denote:* the distance of a musical note from a set point of reference, e.g. "three octaves above middle C"* a musician's ability to identify the intervals between given tones, regardless of their relation to concert pitch * the skill used by singers to correctly sing a...
to the song's original pitch.
Completing consecutive series of notes will build up a player's scoring multiplier and add to the band's total Lego "studs" (equivalent to points) for the song. Certain phrases of notes are glowing "energy phrases"; successfully completing these adds energy to the player's "Overdrive" meter. When they have enough energy, a player can activate Overdrive to double the band's studs multiplier. Players are rewarded with up to 5 stars for completing a song based on their performance.
Players can choose from five difficulties ("Super Easy", "Easy", "Medium", "Hard", and "Expert") at the start of each song, with higher difficulties generally having more notes of the song in the track. Super Easy is a new difficulty for Lego Rock Band. Super Easy uses the same notes as Easy, but on Super Easy it doesn't matter what pitch is hit for vocals, which fret is held for guitar and bass, or which drum head is hit for drums. Lego Rock Band also includes other features not found in Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
to make the game easier, such as an "Automatic Kick Drum" modifier which eliminates the need to use the drum controller's bass drum pedal. It is also impossible to fail a song when a player is performing poorly; instead, poor performances consume studs that have already been earned for the song, although the player will have a chance to get the lost studs back before the end of the song. Certain songs which feature long intros or outros, such as "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" is a song by British rock group The Police from their album Ghost in the Machine. It was also a hit single that reached the top of the charts in the United Kingdom in November 1981 and hit number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart that same...
" by The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, can also be played in "Short Song Mode", in order to help younger players with shorter attention spans stay interested in the game.
Game modes
The main game mode is the "Story Mode", which is structured similarly to the "Tour" mode of the other Rock Band games. The Story mode follows the player's band through their career, starting by playing gigs at smaller venues and taking requests for special performances. New gigs, venues, and vehicles to get to those venues are unlocked as the band earns stars and fans. By completing gigs, players earn objects they can use to customize their Lego avatars, decorate their "Rock Den", or buy staff members to help their band earn fans and studs. The story mode also includes special gigs called "Rock Power Challenges" in which the band uses the "power of rock" to complete a task such as demolishing a building or escaping a dinosaur. During Rock Power Challenges, players take turns playing sections of the song rather, and poor performances can lead to failure of the challenge. Players can also play in "Free Play" mode which allows them to play any song without having to enter Story Mode.Nintendo DS version
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
version of Lego Rock Band is similar to the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
game Rock Band Unplugged
Rock Band Unplugged
Rock Band Unplugged is an expansion of the Rock Band series of music video games released for the PlayStation Portable. The game is developed by Backbone Entertainment in conjunction with Harmonix Music Systems and is distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts...
. During each song, the player switches between the various instruments, trying to keep all four members of the band "happy"; this is done by successfully completing a series of notes for the specific instrument, and then correctly hitting a final, purple note to increase that band member's happiness. Band members' happiness will fall over time, requiring the player to continually switch between band members to maintain the band's overall mood and score multiplier. The game uses the touchpad, stylus, and face buttons of the DS, and does not require or support additional peripherals like the console versions do. Up to four people can play at a time, each using a separate DS and playing their own instrument..
Soundtrack
Lego Rock Bands 45-song soundtrack was selected to be "suitable for younger audiences" than those of other Rock Band games. The Nintendo DS version of the game features a 25-song subset of the songs in the console versions.The Lego Rock Band Music Store includes downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
(DLC) from the standard Rock Band Music Store which has "been identified to be suitable for all ages". Also, any songs exported from the original Rock Band and its Track Packs deemed "Family Friendly" can be used in the game. All songs available in Lego Rock Band are compatible with other entries in the Rock Band series and can be exported to those games for along with the use of a unique code included on a paper insert included in the game case. No songs released as DLC after Rock Band 3s
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...
release are compatible with previous games, including Lego Rock Band, due to changes in the format of the files. The Wii version of the game cannot use any downloaded or exported songs, and its songs cannot be exported to other games.
Development
Industry rumors circulated in early 2009 of the game's existence and appeared to be true when mention of the game was shown in a slide (that was later removed) in Harmonix's Dan Teasdale's presentation at the 2009 Game Developers ConferenceGame Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking...
. The game was announced officially on April 21, 2009.
TT Fusion
TT Fusion
TT Fusion is a software house based in Wilmslow, Cheshire, England...
's head of animation, Matt Palmer, stated that Harmonix had approached Traveler's Tales who, in turn, approached TT Fusion on the game concept around October 2008. At that time, about 50% of the studio was against the concept, but had come around by the end of 2008, realizing that they "weren’t just skinning one franchise on another". Despite skepticism for the viability of the game, the game is stated to combine "two compelling properties" by Traveller's Tales managing director Tom Stone, and has been called "a social game experience that crosses every generation and every genre of rock" by MTV Games senior vice president Bob Picunko.
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
voices the in-game tutorials for the game, and lends his trademark shirtless image to a Lego avatar for the game. David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, along with his band and a venue loosely based on his music video for "Let's Dance
Let's Dance (David Bowie song)
"Let's Dance" is the title album track on David Bowie's album Let's Dance. It was also released as the first single from that album in 1983, and went on to become one of his biggest-selling tracks....
", also appears in the game. The bands Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
, and Spinal Tap
Spinal Tap (band)
Spinal Tap is a parody heavy metal band that first appeared on a failed 1979 ABC TV sketch comedy pilot called "The T.V. Show", starring Rob Reiner...
have Lego avatars for the game. In the case of Queen guitarist Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
, he had required that the developers represent his hair style on his Lego caricature. John Drake of Harmonix stated the presence of Pop and Bowie add "rock credibility" to the family-friendly title. TT Fusion opted to map the motions of the Lego mini-figurines to key frame
Key frame
A key frame in animation and filmmaking is a drawing that defines the starting and ending points of any smooth transition. They are called "frames" because their position in time is measured in frames on a strip of film...
animation instead of motion capture
Motion capture
Motion capture, motion tracking, or mocap are terms used to describe the process of recording movement and translating that movement on to a digital model. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, and medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robotics...
which had been used on previous Rock Band titles, as it allowed for them to animate more exaggerated motions and effects.
Reception
Game InformerGame Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
gave the game a score of 8 (of 10), praising some of its new features like the Super Easy mode, but criticizing the soundtrack as hit and miss, and a bit repetitive if the player does not have any downloaded songs. Jack DeVries of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions a 7.0/10, calling the presentation "adorable" and "just so damn cute", but still thinks of this game as "half a game for the full price" mainly because of the reduced soundtrack. The Wii version fared less well, receiving a 5.5/10, due to "terrible looks" and "hard to read text." In contrast, the DS version scored an impressive 8.4 from IGN's Craig Harris, who praised it as feeling fresh and new compared to the console versions. GameTrailers
GameTrailers
GameTrailers is a media website that specializes in video game related content. It provides free access to original programming , game trailers and recorded game play. Along with standard definition , many of the video clips are offered in a higher resolution .Users can upload videos, create...
gave the game 7.9 criticising the lack of previous features such as online play, and called the Lego presentation superficial, saying the purchase decision will lie squarely on the song preferences. The game has sold approximately 600,000 units by March 2010.
Lego Rock Band was nominated for the "Best Family Game" Interactive Achievement Award from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences , founded in 1996, is a non-profit organization that promotes computer and video game entertainment with the annual D.I.C.E. Summit event, where its Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony has been held annually since 1998...
, but it lost to The Beatles: Rock Band
The Beatles: Rock Band
The Beatles: Rock Band is a 2009 music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It is the third major console release in the Rock Band music video game series, in which players can simulate the playing of rock music by using...
. The nominees also included Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...
, Wii Fit Plus
Wii Fit Plus
is a fitness video game by Nintendo for the Wii console. The game is an enhanced version of Wii Fit and was announced at Nintendo's E3 2009 media briefing on June 2, 2009. The game was released in Japan on October 1, 2009 and in North America three days later on October 4. It was released in South...
, and Wii Sports Resort
Wii Sports Resort
Wii Sports Resort has received generally favorable reviews, with an average score on Metacritic of 80%. IGN gave it a 7.7 out of 10, citing the impressive fidelity of the controls and how the graphics, as compared to the majority of Wii games, were superb. GameTrailers gave an 8.6 out of 10....
.