2008.07.14 - Billboard - New Guns N' Roses Song Heads To 'Rock Band'

New Guns N' Roses Song Heads To 'Rock Band'

Antony Bruno, Denver

After a letting in a few peeks under the covers here and there in recent weeks, MTV and Harmonix have completely unveiled their plans for "Rock Band 2."

"Rock Band 2" will be an Xbox 360 exclusive at launch this September, with the PlayStation3 and Wii coming online before the end of the year.

In addition to several new gameplay features -- including new online battle options and greater control over single-player choices -- as well as a new lineup of instruments, "Rock Band 2" has a rather extensive music lineup in place.

First, the companies confirmed that the Guns N' Roses track "Shackler's Revenge" from the still-missing-in-action "Chinese Democracy" album will be on the game. Also included will be a first-ever appearance by Bob Dylan, contributing "Tangled Up in Blue," and AC/DC's "Let There Be Rock."

The news makes it seem increasingly likely that "Chinese Democracy" will finally see the light of day before year's end via Interscope. Nine seemingly complete tracks from the album, not including "Shackler's Revenge," leaked online earlier this summer.

More than 80 other songs will be included on the game disc, with 20 other bonus tracks available for download at the time of its release. The companies promise more than 500 downloadable songs available by the end of the year. Additional artists include Pearl Jam, Metallica, the Allman Brothers Band, Motorhead, Devo, Jane's Addiction, Megadeth, Paramore and Modest Mouse.

Existing "Rock Band" users will be able to transfer the entire soundtrack of the existing game, as well as any songs downloaded to date, to the new version. However, it's unclear whether that will carry a cost.

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