*** Note – The following Rock Band 3 review does not formally review the Keyboard, the Pro Guitar peripherals or Pro Mode since they were not available to us at the time of the review. This has been reflected in the review score.***

Harmonix began taking the music genre by storm with their work on the initial Guitar Hero. After parting ways from Activision, they took the game to the next level by making drums and vocals the new standard.

They also came up with the idea of the Rock Band franchise as a platform rather than an annualized release like Guitar Hero has taken (Guitar Hero being on their sixth consecutive yearly release with Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock) After two years since Rock Band 2, Harmonix looked to step up their game by adding an additional instrument in the keyboard to the band mix as well as a Pro mode to help players learn how to play guitar, drums and keyboard using music in the game.

They also took concepts from other spinoff titles such as Rock Band: Green Day like vocal harmonies and brought them to the fold as well.

Gameplay:

Not much has changed for Rock Band 3 for the standard band format. Two guitars and a drum set each have a cascading highway of notes down the screen as the vocals scroll across the top.

There is now of course the substitution of a new instrument in the keyboard which can even be used to play the guitar parts of older Rock Band music that hasn’t gotten the keyboard face lift.

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It’s a beautiful day in Los Angeles as E3 kicks off in full force. We’ve been wondering the show floor and checking out as much as we can to bring you all the highlights of new games, booths, sights and more from the show.

First up today we’ve got a gallery of  the show floor and some of the booths from the various companies here at the show. Plus, we’ve got some shots from the giagantic and awesome Activision show last night that took place at Staples Center.

In case you din’t hear about it, the Activision show featured footage from their various upcoming titles including DJ Hero 2, Tony Hawk: Shred, True Crime: Hong Kong and, of course, Call of Duty: Black Ops. The show also featured performances by DJ Z-Trip, Tony Hawk, N.E.R.D, Jane’s Addiction, Usher, Chris Cornell, Rihanna, Eminem and more. Quite a show indeed.

Check out the gallery after the jump and keep it here for more as the E3 show progresses.

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Video games are a big part of the world these days. People love them and they far surpass pretty much any other form of entertainment in terms of revenue. Yes, they even beat the movies. One of the most popular game titles to hit stores in the last few years has been the Rock Band franchise. Rock Band 1 and 2 have sold millions of copies and now Rock Band 3 has been announced and looks to add millions more units sold to that already impressive total for the franchise.

Some of the new features and tracks announced for Rock Band 3 include access to the most music available in any video game with more than 1,500 tracks and growing, a new keyboard gameplay and three-part harmonies for up to seven players rocking together, Rock Band Pro Mode and much more. We could go into all the new features and song that will encompass Rock Band 3 but instead, why not hear it directly from the people who are bringing you the game. So, here’s all the info directly from an official Rock Band 3 press release. Oh, and at the end we’ve also included a couple preview videos for the game as well so be sure and check them out.

The Most Music. Period.

The Rock Band 3 disc soundtrack contains 83 of the best bands from around the world, including bands that have never appeared in a music game, as well as support for existing Rock Band tracks (Rock Band and Rock Band 2 discs, downloaded songs, track packs, AC/DC Live: Rock Band™ Track Pack, LEGO® Rock Band and Green Day: Rock Band™).
Additionally, Rock Band 3 will give players immediate access to a music library approaching 2,000 songs by launch, with new content added regularly. Rock Band’s gigantic music selection dwarfs that of any other music game on the market.

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Rock Band has never failed to satisfy the wanna-be rock stars within us, but has yet to focus on the younger generation of budding rockers, until now. LEGO Rock Band will feature everything we know and love about the previous Rock Band games as well as the family-friendly, silly antics gamers have come to expect from the LEGO franchise. Players will be able to design their whole band as well as their roadies and manager.

Some notable tracks from the kid-friendly setlist are “Song 2″ by Blur, Carl Douglas’ “Kung Fu Fighting”, Good Charlotte’s “Boys and Girls” So What” by Pink, and “The Final Countdown” by Europe.

Coming this Holiday season for the PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and DS, LEGO Rock Band puts the power of Rock into the hands gamers of all ages as they “Build a Band and Rock the Universe.”

Check out the video featuring the “Rock Power Challenge” and Tick Tick Boom! by The Hives after the jump.

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