Called the "New York City" pack, it will include three songs from a recent live performance in NYC: Jet, Band on the Run and Sing the Changes. Or, as per usual, you could just download them individually.

They'll hit Xbox Live on January 5, and the PSN on January 7.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 owners with a taste for twang should count their money, then decide if new downloadable tunes from Alan Jackson, Keith Urban, Shania Twain, Martina McBride and more are in the cards. These seven new country hits will be dealin' out as of December 29 on the Xbox 360 and Wii and January 7 for the PlayStation 3.

The entire "Going Country Pack 02" will cost $10.99, £4.99 UK, €7.99 EU or 880 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360, depending on your currency of choice. That works out to $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU or 160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360 per track.

• Alan Jackson – "Good Time"
• Cross Canadian Ragweed – "Cry Lonely"
• Jason Aldean – "She's Country"
• Keith Urban – "I Told You So"
• Kenny Rogers – "The Gambler"
• Martina McBride – "This One's For the Girls"
• Shania Twain – "Any Man of Mine"

That game was self-contained. If you wanted to play The Beatles' songs in another version of Rock Band, tough, you couldn't. But Green Day: Rock Band will do nothing of the sort, and will feature "a fully exportable track list that will allow users to play the songs in "Rock Band" and "Rock Band 2" on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation".

Wii users, meanwhile, will just have to make do.

Amazing how the power of technology can make the band appear as if they aren't too old for this stuff.

As you can see, the band's rocking out to "American Idiot" with note highways, band shots, the works. And then as if to drive home the point, the title card Green Day: Rock Band slams over it at the end. Sounds rather definite to me. I guess we shall know if this is for-sure real or not in about 90 minutes, right?

MTV Teases 'Green Day: Rock Band' [Joystiq]

Rubber Soul isn't just one of The Beatles' best albums. It's perhaps one of the greatest albums of all time, constantly making such lists in periodicals such as Rolling Stone which are in the know when it comes to this sort of thing. Only three tracks from the album made it onto the disc for The Beatles: Rock Band, and quite frankly "Drive My Car," "I'm Looking Through You" and "If I Needed Someone" just weren't enough. The album has so many amazing songs, like "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)," "Nowhere Man," "Girl," and "In My Life," all of which will be available next week as part of the Rubber Soul Complete the Album Pack. The eleven songs will set you back $13.49 on the PlayStation Network or 1440 Microsoft points, with individual songs available on both consoles as well as the Wii.

This is the Beatles album that holds the most memories for me, particularly with the song "Michelle," which my family would sing to me when I was a little girlish-looking baby. I'd post a picture, but the Kotaku comments section can't handle that much "Awwwwww."

Rubber Soul Complete The Album Pack Track Listing:

· "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"
· "You Won't See Me"
· "Nowhere Man"
· "Think For Yourself"
· "The Word"
· "Michelle"
· "What Goes On"
· "Girl"
· "In My Life"
· "Wait"
· "Run For Your Life"

"We can confirm that 39 positions were eliminated today at Harmonix as part of re-structuring to better align our staffing to best suit our product development plans and schedules moving forward," an MTV Games / Harmonix spokesperson told Kotaku in an e-mailed statement. "Those affected were primarily in QA. The others affected ranged from administrative to other various roles within the company."

Kotaku received word independently that at least one staff designer was among those laid off.

But the Rock Band publisher indicates that sales of Rock Band were not a factor, pointing to a shift in out-sourced and part-time QA at Harmonix rather than full-time testers.

The Beatles: Rock Band has sold more than a million copies worldwide according to the company, though the music gaming category has been softer this year. At an investors conference in New York yesterday, EA CEO John Riccitiello, whose company distributes Rock Band, said that packaged sales of Rock Band (meaning discs and instruments, not the vigorously downloaded add-on songs) was down by "hundreds of millions of dollars." Downloaded songs remain hot, with more than 60 million songs in Rock Band's 1000-song library paid for and downloaded date, according to MTV.

It's two great tastes that taste odd together! The combination of Slipknot and Simon & Garfunkel is very much how I'd imagine a jelly doughnut filled with pickle relish would taste. Luckily you don't have to buy them together. Still, Slipknot's "Duality," "Psychosocial," and "Sulfur" could be just the right counterbalance to the soothing classics "I Am A Rock" and "The Sounds of Silence." It's the sort of odd pairing I don't think anyone has attempted. I'd daresay that if you played all five tracks on random in an MP3 player it might commit suicide.

One of the artists' additions are also playable in LEGO Rock Band. I'll let you figure out which.

Also coming next week is Light Resolve's "Dreaming of Love," which is only appearing on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 Rock Band Music Store. Sorry Wii owners. You can go listen to the track on the group's MySpace page if that makes you feel better.

Joystiq reports that Harmonix is diverting its resources away from Unplugged DLC and toward Rock Band Network deployment, downloadable content for the console versions of Rock Band and "unannounced future projects." That "future" may include more Rock Band Unplugged-tailored tracks, just don't count on a weekly refresh.

In the meantime, have you missed any of the already available tracks? Sounds like you'll have plenty of time to catch up if you did.

Rock Band Unplugged has no more 'planned' weekly DLC [Joystiq]

The Rock Band Network is a service that allows people to turn listenable music into music that is playable in Rock Band, empowering any musician or fan with the proper rights to expand the Rock Band music library and make some money off sales to gamers of the songs they work on. The Network is currently in closed beta.

The November launch of the service on the Xbox 360 that was suggested by Harmonix to Kotaku this past summer isn't happening.

An MTV Games spokesperson broke down the current roll-out plan:

"We're working hard to get the Rock Band Network open public beta release of tools up before the end of the year, with our RBN storefront launching in early 2010. Exact dates still TBD. The tools necessary for bands to start authoring and prepare their content for review are already live on Creators.rockband.com/tools/download. The open beta launch will add access to the currently private website where all of the RBN community activity and peer reviewing of tracks will take place. People who join the Rock Band Network (bands, fans or otherwise) will be able to play and preview any song before it hits the store, so they should stay tuned for the official launch."

So the closed beta continues and it sounds like it will open up to the rest of the public by New Year's. If you want to buy the songs people are coding, however, you'll need to wait until 2010.

The RBN is planned for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Originally, the 360 version was supposed to launch first. There was no word today about whether that is still the plan.

[PIC]

Today Harmonix and MTV Games proudly announced reaching and surpassing the goal they set back in August, with more than 1,000 songs from from nearly 400 different artists available for purchase and play between the Rock Band Music Store and the songs included on the Rock Band and Rock Band 2 discs. This week also marks the 105th consecutive week of new Rock Band DLC releases. Impressive!

"When we launched Rock Band two years ago, we made a promise to create a music gaming experience that delivered on a weekly basis more songs and artists than ever imagined," said Alex Rigopulos, co-founder and CEO of Harmonix Music Systems. "We're extremely proud to pass this remarkable milestone of over 1,000 songs in Rock Band and will continue to innovate and bring more of the best music to Rock Band players all over the world."

With the impeding launch of the Rock Band Network Music Store, which will allow bands to upload their own music for purchase, expect that number to explode in the coming months. Enjoy the milestone while you can, cause we're more than likely going to leave it in the dust real soon.

It's coming up on Thanksgiving weekend in the states, so Harmonix has gotten next week's Rock Band Music Store additions announcement out of the way so the team can get down to the serious business of eating until they can't move. Next week brings three new Nirvana tracks to Rock Band, including the Nirvana track, along with a strangely crippled 3-pack debut for 80's icons Night Ranger.

Nirvana Pack 02 comes complete with "Smells Like Teen Spirit," which is the one Nirvana song everybody knows, as well as the Live at Reading version of "Lithium" and the MTV Unplugged version of "Come As You Are," the latter of which is strangely available for LEGO Rock Band as well.

Night Ranger's 3-pack consists of "(You Can Still) Rock in America," "Don't Tell Me You Love Me," and "You're Gonna Hear It From Me," all three of which can be purchased in both normal and LEGO Rock Band. A lovely selection, but without Sister Christian this track pack is dead to me. Dead I tell you!

You're motorin'!

Not only does next week's Rock Band Music Store update bring six live tracks from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, it also gives us insight into what Harmonix feels is family friendly. For instance, "Refugee," "A Thing About You," and "Here Comes My Girl" are all available for LEGO Rock Band as well as the normal version, while "American Girl," "Even the Losers," and "Mary Jane's Last Dance" are not. All of the tracks are from The Live Anthology, in stores November 24th.

Kelly Clarkson makes her Rock Band / LEGO Rock Band debut with "Miss Independent,", rounding out a non-Petty, family-friendly trio that includes the Go-Go's "Our Lips Are Sealed" and Pink's "Who Knew."

Things can only get worse.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Nov. 24) and PlayStation 3 system (Nov. 26):

· Go-Go's – "Our Lips Are Sealed" +
· Kelly Clarkson – "Miss Independent" +
· P!nk – "Who Knew" +
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "A Thing About You (live)" +
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "American Girl (live)"
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "Even the Losers (live)"
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "Here Comes My Girl (live)" +
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "Mary Jane's Last Dance (live)"
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "Refugee (live)" +

The Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band complete the album DLC pack for The Beatles: Rock Band is now available for the Xbox 360 and Wii, with the PlayStation 3 version arriving on Thursday. I'm looking forward to giving the new songs a go, if I can ever wrest my copy of the game away from my older brother. You hear that, Richard? I want my game back! Now more pretending to be asleep when I knock on your door. I can hear you singing. Sometimes I have nightmares.

Next week fans of The Beatles will be able to complete what the Rock Band titles started with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," "With A Little Help From My Friends," "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," "Getting Better," and "Good Morning Good Morning" with the final eight songs from the band's eighth studio album. The aptly-titled "Fixing A Hole" joins "She's Leaving Home," "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!," "Within You Without You," "When I'm Sixty-Four," "Lovely Rita," "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" and "A Day In The Life," completing the album so popular it was made into a musical starring Peter Frampton and the Bee Jees.

The new tracks will be available on November 17th for the Xbox 360 and Wii and November 19th on the PlayStation 3. The full pack will run $13.49 or 1080 Microsoft points, with individual songs running $2 a pop.

Like Activision's recently-released Band Hero, LEGO Rock Band seeks to be the E for Everyone answer to the band-based rhythm genre, delivering songs that parents don't have to explain to their children while blushing profusely. Unlike Band Hero, however, LEGO Rock Band has the power of one of the world's most popular toy lines behind it. There's really no doubt that the familiar red logo on the front of the case will attract game buying parents like moths to a flame. Will they get burned?

Loved
Rock Band's Gameplay: It's the same Rock Band gameplay we've all come to know and love, plastic instruments and all. Cosmetic changes aside, there's nothing stopping anyone who has played previous Rock Band titles from picking up the mic, drumsticks, or guitar and rocking out.

LEGO Charm: If you don't find the LEGO video games charming on some level, you might as well treat LEGO Rock Band as a giant, $50 track pack. If you do find the LEGO-brand cuteness adorable, then the game has plenty for you to gush over, from the LEGO block notes on the highway to the ridiculous hijinks your band and crew get up to during jam sessions. New venues are opened up by unlocking new, increasingly absurd LEGO vehicles, with each new location loaded with cute little touches that you'll only notice if you are watching someone else play. Once again, Traveller's Tales manages to squeeze refreshing water from a LEGO block.

Rock Challenges: While they aren't particularly challenging, LEGO Rock Band's Rock Challenges do split up the monotony of playing song after song after song. These special stages have specific goals, like blowing up a building with the power of rock, or ridding a haunted mansion of ghosts. In single player you simply play through the song presented as per normal, but with a friend the action is broken up, giving each player a bit of solo time to accomplish their goals. Again, not all that challenging, but a welcome distraction. Plus, the Ghostbusters challenge features some of the most adorable moments in gaming this year. To quote my girlfriend, "Cutest. Thing. Ever."

Eclectic Selections: Despite its family-friendly theme, LEGO Rock Band has managed to gather together a nicely varied list of music that might not have seen the light of day in any other Rock Band title. The introduction of my favorite band, Counting Crows, to the Rock Band universe was almost worth the game's $50 price tag for me, while songs like "Kung-Fu Fighting," "Ghostbusters," and "Walkin' on Sunshine" are exactly the sort of light-hearted fare that other Rock Band games lacked.

It's A Brick House: Like other LEGO games from Traveller's Tales, LEGO Rock Band is all about collecting bits, and once you've collected those bits you can use them at the in-game store to buy new outfits, instruments, staff members, and even decorations for your LEGO headquarters. Your headquarters acts as the main menu for the game, so being able to add your own personal touch is kind of nice. This is really the feature that separates the game from the rest of the Rock Band lineup, even if it doesn't allow for in-depth customization of your pad.

Super Easy: A new addition to the standard Rock Band difficulty settings, Super Easy means even your most uncoordinated friends can pick up a guitar and play, as long as they have even the most rudimentary grasp of the concept of rhythm. Just push any button and strum, or hit any drum pad. We don't care which, just pound the damn thing. There, now you're playing Rock Band. Perfect for those singers in your group who are afraid of the plastic instruments.

Export Business: If all else fails, LEGO Rock Band functions as a 44 song track pack. A code included with the game allows you to export the songs on the disc to regular Rock Band for $9.99, meaning that if you'd like to play "Accidentally in Love" with your friends without worrying about LEGO Rock Band's lack of online multiplayer, you still have another option.

Hated
Skimpy Track List: Three years ago we would have been perfectly happy with 44 songs, but these days that's around half of what we generally expect. The songs might be a nice collection of tunes, but when you have to play them over and over again throughout your career in order to progress, they wear thin rather quickly. In one venue I played through two songs I wasn't particularly fond of, only to have both of said songs show up in the mystery set list I played next. That's not fun. That's annoying.

Offline Only: I suppose stripping away the online play from previous Rock Band titles was one way of making LEGO Rock Band more family friendly, but its presence is definitely missed.

LEGO Rock Band makes several painful trade-offs in order to present a game that can be considered family friendly, and your enjoyment of the game hinges on whether or not you can handle the changes. You get half as many songs as a normal Rock Band release and no online multiplayer, in exchange for a rhythm game that's brimming with unique LEGO personality and music you won't find anywhere else, until Harmonix releases the tracks as paid DLC for the regular versions. Plus, LEGO Rock Band is by far the most accessible of the Rock Band titles, with a lower level of difficulty making it an excellent gateway game.

There's a lot to love in LEGO Rock Band, as long as you don't try and take it too seriously.

LEGO Rock Band was developed by Harmonix and Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii. Retails for $49.99 USD. A copy of the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Played through complete career mode on the Xbox 360 version both alone and with a friend.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

The fact he mentions a third Rock Band should surprise only those who wake up every morning shocked to see the sun has risen. But the specifics, and why he's involved in the project, those are a little more interesting.

"I'm working on 'Rock Band 3' and making the controllers more real so people can actually learn how to play music while playing the game," he told the newspaper. "Give me a couple years, it's going to happen."

I don't know. I enjoy playing Rock Band because I can't play the guitar. If I wanted to learn how to play the guitar I'd, well...learn how to play the guitar.

The ever-changing Thenewno2 [Chicago Tribune]

In order to properly play "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," "Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine," and "Icky Thump," the three White Stripes tunes making their way to the Rock Band Music Store next week, you will need a divorced spouse you are still on amazingly good terms with. If you are drumming, it'll be best if you've never had a lesson, and if you are playing the guitar you'd best own a mic stand. Otherwise the experience will be totally ruined.

If you can't handle those restrictions, you're probably better off playing The Damned's "Smash it Up (Part II)" or Kasabian's "Club Foot," the two other songs coming to the console versions of Rock Band next week, or No Doubt's "Excuse Me Mr." and the Dropkick Murphys' "I'm Shipping Up To Boston," this week's Rock Band Unplugged additions.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Nov. 10) and PlayStation 3 system (Nov. 12):

• The Damned – "Smash It Up (Part II)" +
• Kasabian – "Club Foot" +
• The White Stripes – "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" +
• The White Stripes – "Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine" +
• The White Stripes – "Icky Thump"

Tracks available for Rock Band Unplugged (Nov. 12):

• No Doubt – "Excuse Me Mr."
• Dropkick Murphys – "I'm Shipping Up to Boston"

"I think my Lego character is wonderful. I want one," he said, according to BangShowBiz.com "We had discussions about the hair, there were a few emails. They had to negotiate to use my likeness, but it's a nice thing."

That's May's plasticy perm above, depicted with Lego Freddy Mercury in the game. May said a jealous Joe Elliott, the Def Leppard singer, called him up to complain that he didn't get a minifig version. "Joe Elliott rang me up and said he was pissed off because they didn't make one of him," May said.

See? Not everyone hates being paid to appear in a video game ...

Brian May's Lego Hair Demands [BangShowBiz.com on Yahoo! UK, via Eurogamer]

Three shots of Nirvana and a four-pack of Foo Fighters grace the Rock Band Music Store next week, with Joan Jett and the Blackheart's "Fake Friends" this week's sole non Nirvana-related track.

For those of you who prefer Dave Grohl stick to drumming, Nirvana's "About a Girl," "School," and "Blew" will keep him quietly hitting the skins. Those of you wishing for a more pronounced Grohl presence should be pleased with "Best of You," "The Pretender," "Wheels," and "Word Forward" from the Foo Fighters.

If you prefer a more portable Rock Band experience, there's always Bullet For My Valentine's "Waking the Demon" and System of a Down's "Toxicity" for Rock Band Unplugged on the PSP, both of which contain zero Grohl-levels.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Nov. 3) and PlayStation 3 system (Nov. 5):

• Foo Fighters – "Best of You"
• Foo Fighters – "The Pretender"
• Foo Fighters – "Wheels"
• Foo Fighters – "Word Forward"
• Nirvana – "About a Girl"
• Nirvana – "Blew"
• Nirvana – "School"
• Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – "Fake Friends"

Tracks available for Rock Band Unplugged (Nov. 5):

• Bullet For My Valentine – "Waking the Demon"
• System of a Down – "Toxicity"

Traveller's Tales does what they do best in this cinematic launch trailer, lampooning existing properties through gratuitous use of LEGO blocks. Why simply stop at a tour bus, when the whole of LEGO creation is at your fingertips?