Protoculture: Rock Band Network Promises Diversity

Some of the biggest video game news to hit today was Harmonix's announcement that Rock Band will soon support for user-created content to be made available on the Rock Band download store starting in August. While this may sound just sound like the download store will fill up with shameless, low quality, rip-offs of copyrighted songs, think again. In order to place a song on the download store, users have to input master tracks into a custom software where they can then set up note charts, lighting, camera angles, and characters that appear on screen when the song is played. And then, after all that, the song has to be submitted to Rock Band headquarters, where they make sure no copyright infringements occur before making it available for others to purchase for anywhere between 50 cents and three bucks. All artists that submit songs get a 30 percent cut too.

While I am glad that Joe Schmoe can now some cred for his home recordings, I think what's more exciting about this whole announcement is that band you know and love that hasn't seemed to make the Rock Band cut yet now has an easier means to make their songs available for you to play. In fact, along with this announcement, the head of Sub Pop records has announced that the label plans to release its hits using this service.

Hearing this announcement in particular makes it seem like Harmonix has been reading my mind. One of my few regrets about Rock Band was that the game was seriously lacking in some of my favorite artist, but Sub Pop just so happens to have some bands that are right up my alley. Acts like Band of Horses, Wolf Parade, Flight of the Conchords, and The Go! Team all have tracks that I thought could make for fun Rock Band experiences at one time or another, and now, bands like these and more could (hopefully) be hitting a console near you soon.