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AC/DC subject of first group-centric Rock Band

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpotPosted Sep 30, 2008 9:51 am PT

MTV inks deal with Australian rockers to release first band-based stand-alone product exclusively via Wal-Mart in November; pack's 18 tracks can be added to Rock Band, Rock Band 2; no DLC version planned.

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

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Three months ago, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith launched to middling reviews and solid sales--just over 1 million units as of the end of August, according to the NPD Group. Until today, it seemed that the tribute to the Boston rockers would be the only band-centric instrument-based rhythm game until Guitar Hero: Metallica ships in 2009.

However, today Electronic Arts, MTV Games, and Harmonix upended that theory by revealing a new Rock Band game focused on legendary Australian group AC/DC. The AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will be available as a stand-alone product for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on November 2 in North America for $39.88 and the PlayStation 2 for $29.88. A Wii edition will arrive on November 16 for $39.88 in the US and Canada, with all four versions hitting the UK, Europe, and Australasia in December.

While the game will be available at "most major retailers" internationally, domestically it will only have one source. The The New York Times reports that in the US, the AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will only be sold at Wal-Mart, its Sam's Club subsidiary, and its online store. The megaretailer has struck a deal with AC/DC's label, Sony-owned Columbia Records, to promote Black Ice through dedicated stands in its stores peddling AC/DC albums, DVDs, T-shirts, and other merchandise--including games.

"If you want to be a physical band, you better make an alliance with a strong physical retailer," Columbia Records chairman Steve Barnett told the Times. "It's a great way to sell the new album, the catalog, the game, merchandise and DVDs." A Rockstar rep confirmed to GameSpot that Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, and Walmart.com will be the only places the track pack will be available, and no downloadable version is planned.

Gamers who want to incorporate the songs from the new game into their regular Rock Band and Rock Band 2 repertoires are in luck. "All tracks from the AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will also be available for play in Rock Band and Rock Band 2 by entering a special export authentication code for the Xbox 360...and PlayStation 3," said MTV Games in a statement. No mention was made of the versions for Wii and PS2.

One thing the AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track won't have is a virtual version of guitarist Angus Young jumping around in his trademark schoolboy uniform. "AC/DC's likeness are not used as characters or avatars in the game," a MTV Games rep told GameSpot. "AC/DC LIVE Rock Band Track Pack is like Rock Band and Rock Band 2 in that it is completely focused on the music while giving people the opportunity to live out their rock star fantasies as themselves rather than playing as digitized versions of the artists."

A compete list of AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack's 18 songs--all of which are live versions taken from various performances--is listed below. The total running time of the combined songs is just over 99 minutes.

"Thunderstruck"
"Shoot to Thrill"
"Back in Black"
"Hell Ain't a Band Place to Be"
"Heatseeker"
"Fire Your Guns"
"Jailbreak"
"The Jack"
"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"
"Moneytalks"
"Hell's Bells"
"High Voltage"
"Whole Lotta Rosie"
"You Shook Me All Night Long"
"T.N.T."
"Let There Be Rock"
"Highway to Hell"
"For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)"

288 Comments

  • B1G_DADDY

    Posted Dec 4, 2008 12:15 pm PT

    Could anyone message me and tell me if this game is compatible with RB1, and if so can you rip the songs to RB1?

  • B1G_DADDY

    Posted Dec 4, 2008 12:14 pm PT

    And no its not overpriced, rip the songs to your HD, and then sell the game to gamestop or whatever other video game retailer, you would get like $15 - $20

  • B1G_DADDY

    Posted Dec 4, 2008 12:12 pm PT

    i hate how you cant find acdc anywhere!! you cant find them on any dlc for rock band or GH (until now). you cant find them on itunes either, i always wondered why? do they have something against it?

  • 623482

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 9:32 am PT

    In reply to Land o Funk

    AC/DC made their name through there exhilarating Live performances, so using studio albums would be stupid. Though I do agree they should of chucked some Bon Scott in there as well. Maybe have a couple of tracks from his live performance in Paris or maybe some of his most earliest performances, as tribute to the rocker.

  • Aaron1224

    Posted Nov 2, 2008 7:27 pm PT

    I love AC/DC its gonna be awesome

  • cowsgomoo62

    Posted Nov 1, 2008 7:33 am PT

    @willpeters

    Rock Band sells songs for 2 dollars each. So the songs alone on the disc should be 36 dollars, plus you get a disc keep forever. It's not that overpriced when you look at it that way.

  • Goldieboy87

    Posted Oct 30, 2008 8:45 pm PT

    AC/DC FTW!!!! Was gonna get GH:WT till I saw this! Shame there's no song from the new album :S T.N.T is better live

  • Land-0-Funk

    Posted Oct 29, 2008 5:11 pm PT

    Wish they were the actual songs (I have all the Bon Scott albums), but I understand since AC/DC Live is a popular album

  • willpeters

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 10:40 pm PT

    This is ridiculously overpriced; $40 for 18 songs! They don't even put the ACDC characters into the game. Shame on you Harmonix and Columbia Records.

  • ahahaG

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 9:51 pm PT

    T.N.T this game will be DY-NO-MITE!

  • zutolor

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 6:28 am PT

    wait... Let There Be Rock??? that song is in Rockband 2 so why did they add it like it's live but it's going to be pretty much the same but it is a good song

  • zutolor

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 6:22 am PT

    HIGHWAY TO HELL THAT'S AC/DC BEST SONG SO GETTING IT

  • PhoenixVenom

    Posted Oct 26, 2008 11:17 pm PT

    its about time, AC/DC Rules All

  • Clank17

    Posted Oct 26, 2008 9:52 am PT

    i am definetley getting this game

  • doctorwang12

    Posted Oct 24, 2008 3:02 pm PT

    HELL YES...i am deffinately getting this..this is one of the very FEW reasons y i want 2 get rock band 2 now...(even tho world tour is gonna kick more ass)!!

  • mzb82

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 3:57 am PT

    I wonder how much MTV kissed AC/DC a@@ to get them on Rockband seeing how there material isn't even on itunes

  • real-guitarhero

    Posted Oct 22, 2008 3:59 pm PT

    acdc for life

  • Kyler

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 3:29 pm PT

    Do any of you people that are bashing this pack have a quality stereo? Have any of you heard the AC/DC Live at Donington? Heard it on a good stereo? The dvd/bluray were mixed very well in 5.1 and have exceptional sound, much of the classic's done on here are louder and cleaner and rock harder than when they were done with bone scott in the 70's. So as a matter of fact they sound better than the original recordings. This pack will be very popular for Rock Band and will cure the AC/DC craving for these type of games.

  • ReactorBird

    Posted Oct 18, 2008 3:02 pm PT

    I'm sure if I wait then Guitar Hero World Tour will release some sort of DLC for AC/DC. It's just a sit and wait kinda thing

  • Ace237

    Posted Oct 14, 2008 12:08 pm PT

    It's about quality, not quantity. Aerosmith vs AC/DC= no contest.

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