Now THIS is the way to do a sequel!!!!

THANK YOU, Harmonix!

Check this out: 

  • Rock Band 1 DLC is compatible.  This means that the 50 songs I’ve bought are going to work.  Makes sense, right?  I’m looking at you, Guitar Hero.  Individual game discs for say, the 80’s or Aerosmith suck ass.
  • Rock Band 1 instruments are compatible.  Awesome!  Not as big a deal as the DLC, but this means my investment in the original instruments isn’t going to waste, either.

You guys win:  I’ll surely buy RB2.

Surprise! Rock Band 2 announced – Joystiq:
by Ross Miller Jun 30th 2008 3:33AM

One of gaming’s worst-kept secrets is now official: Rock Band 2 is coming. IGN has the scoop and an interview with lead designer Dan Teasdale, who reveals that all the current and future DLC will be compatible with both versions of Rock Band, as well as the same instrument controllers.

While details were scarce, Teasdale said to expect improvements for band and character customization as well as the navigation system and Band World Tour. Citing the current issues with random set lists, Teasdale said, “Nobody wants to play Green Grass and High Tides in their first random set list.” Visually, the few images seen show the game has changed very little from its predecessor (and yes, it turns out the box art from a leaked survey was accurate).

As for what songs to expect, Teasdale said, “we’ve also secured what I can easily say is the best set list I’ve ever seen in a music game.” He provided no examples, although we wonder if The Beatles fall onto that list. Rock Band 2 is set to debut at E3 next month.