UPDATE: SPOnG has been informed by one of our forum posters that while a charge will be applied for exporting tracks using this new patch, Rock Band owners will not have to pay to merely download it. As players attempt to export tracks, they will be asked for a license key. It is the key that is charged for, not the patch. As such, owners of the game will not be hit with a charge simply to enable the download of future Rock Band tracks. Thanks to S1ckH4nds.


Harmonix giveth and Harmonix taketh away. You think the developer is being all pleasant and helpful with a patch that will enable you to export tracks from the Rock Band disc to Rock Band 2, then you're hit with a sting.

The patch will cost what the announcement tells us is a "nominal fee" $4.99 (€3.50/£2.83) or 400 Microsoft Points. Once the patch is downloaded an "export disc" tab will appear under the extras option in the Rock Band menus. This will enable 55 tracks to be exported from the original game to its sequel.

That's all well and good, it's a nice little feature. Until you get a little further down the announcement, where we're told, "In addition, this patch is required for all future downloadable content releases for Rock Band." Yup, in addition to the cash you have to shell out for Rock Band DLC you will now have to pay for the privilege of handing over your dough.

That's for the original Rock Band. Even if you never bother to buy Rock Band 2, you'll need the patch for future DLC. The reason for the "nominal fee", apparently, is to "to compensate music licensors for expanded use."

Hello there Edgar Bronfman of Warner Music and thanks.

However, when we Europeans finally do get Rock Band 2, Harmonix advises that the following tracks won't be available for export - "'Paranoid' as made famous by Black Sabbath, 'Run to the Hills' as made famous by Iron Maiden, and 'Enter Sandman' by Metallica". Additionally, in Europe, Tokio Hotel’s Through the Monsoon won't be available for export.

With this in mind, we're all going to the Underwater Castle's rehearsal room to form a punk band with Mark SPOnG on drums. Who wants in?

You can find out more about Rock Band 2 on SPOnG's dedicated game page.