It’s the return of THIS WEEK IN ROCK BAND! Wow, it has been five months since my last TWIRB update.  Gee, I have slacked since Simon started doing the weekly Rock Band DLC updates, plus our friend Tommy at RockBandAide has been kicking ass and taking names on all things Rock Band.  Though, I do miss the TWIRB pieces that I used to write, plus there is so much Rock Band news within the past week. So, here goes THIS WEEK IN ROCK BAND!

Rock Band 3 Announced

Let’s start this off with a giant BANG!  Just today, news started flying across the Twitterverse from @deliciousbees at Harmonix, that EA will continue to work with MTV/Viacom to publish Rock Band 3. Sure, that’s great news for the business people, but the big news from @johntdrake is that Rock Band 3 is expected “holiday 2010″.

Here’s the quote:

Harmonix is developing Rock Band 3 for worldwide release this holiday season! The game, which will be published by MTV Games and distributed by Electronic Arts, will innovate and revolutionize the music genre once again, just as Harmonix did with the original Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and The Beatles: Rock Band. Stay tuned for more details!

So, we get no songs or features, or nuthin’.  But, we get something unofficially official, and that’s exciting.

Rock Band Network Store Opens, 116 Songs Available

On March 4, rumblings started in the wee hours from a Billboard.biz web posting about RBN store going live.  As the day progressed, Xbox users noticed a title update to Rock Band 2.  Then a couple hours later, Rock Band Network appeared as a new in-game music store.  Just like that, more than 100 songs were available for purchase. The official announcement came same day.  In less than a week, more than 115 songs have been made available for purchase, from 99 cents to 3 dollars, all in Microsoft funny money of course.  It seems that a few more songs appear available every day.  So, take a look and download the free demos of songs. Many will be unknown, but you may find something new you love.  There are some mid-range names starting to pop up in RBN too; Steve Vai, Flight of the Conchords, Jonathan Coulton, to name a few.  PlasticAxe did a great job building a list of all the RBN songs.

Lady Gaga and Eric Cartman DLC Announced for Next Week

We are going to get some Band Hero equivalent songs for next week.  The bizarre (yet beloved) Lady Gaga will make a 4 song appearance on Rock Band, plus a spoof by South Park’s Eric Cartman.

“Lady Gaga Pack 01” will include “Bad Romance,” “Just Dance,” “Monster” and “Poker Face”

All platforms will get the pack (individual for Wii)
Announcement here.

DLC Week of 3/9 – White Stripes, Shaimus, Neil Pert and more!

This weeks DLC, out today, is a great mix covering a few genre’s. You”l be able to pick these up on all consoles this week.

The Futureheads – “Decent Days & Nights” +
The Futureheads – “Hounds of Love” +
The James Gang – “Walk Away” +
Neil Peart – “The Hockey Theme” + *
Shaimus – “All of This” + *
Shaimus – “Tie You Down” + *
The White Stripes – “Fell in Love with a Girl” +
The White Stripes – “Seven Nation Army”
The White Stripes – “You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You’re Told)” +

With that, what’s NWIRB?  NEXT WEEK IN ROCK BAND!

• Closer to PAX East. More details about Rock Band at the big show.
• Looking for more Green Day: Rock Band details.

Last week, we updated our Slacker Radio Rock Band radio station with the recent DLC plus upcoming DLC.  We even started moving into the realm of Rock Band Network (RBN).  Today, we have taken it a bit further.  Realize that many RBN artists are unsigned, and not well known on the internet radio world, but surprisingly,I am able to find quite a few RBN tracks.

I have only sifted through the announced list of RBN tracks from last Wednesday, and only up to the letter “J” “T”.    The good news, 16 31 songs so far from RBN are available on Slacker…and I have added them to the station for your listening pleasure.  The updated RBN list is at the bottom.

Remember, Slacker can be enjoyed from your favorite web browser, as long as you have Flash installed (and I’m 101% sure you do).  Plus, Slacker for iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm WebOS, and Android all exist.  If you haven’t tried Slacker on your phone, just go to www.slacker.com to download the free app.

Direct link to Rock Band Station on Slacker.com

Rock Band Network, now on Slacker:
3 Inches of Blood – Battles and Brotherhood
Bif Naked – Sick
Color Theory – If Not Now When
Dear and the Headlights – Talk About
Despised Icon – Day of Mourning
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Angel Lust
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Horses in Heaven
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Running for the Razors
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Sestri Levante
Five Finger Death Punch – Burn it Down
Flogging Molly – Drunken Lullabies (Live)
Flogging Molly – Requiem for a Dying Song
In This Moment – Mechanical Love
Jonathan Coulton – Creepy Doll
Jonathan Coulton – Ikea
Jonathan Coulton – The Future Soon

UPDATE: Just added a bunch more.

KMFDM – A Drug Against War
KMFDM – Juke Joint Jezebel
Lacuna Coil – Survive
Longwave – No Direction
Marillion – Whatever Is Wrong With You
of Montreal – Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse
Senses Fail – Lady in a Blue Dress
Skeletonwitch – Crushed Beyond Dust
Skindred – Stand for Something
Steve Vai – For the Love of God
Steve Vai – Get the Hell Out of Here
Steve Vai – The Attitude Song
Stroke 9 – Kick Some Ass
Stroke 9 – Little Black Backpack
Suicide Silence – Disengage

Our Slacker Radio Rock Band radio station has been updated with this weeks installment of Rock Band DLC. This week you get 21 new tracks including packs from White Stripes, Mother Hips, HIM, and Disturbed. I now working to locate the additional 116 Rock Band Network songs released withing the past 48 hours.  Yes, 116 RBN songs released in less than 48 hours.  Those will be coming to the channel soon.
UPDATED: Just added a few RBN songs to the station.

3 Inches of Blood – Battles and Brotherhood
Bif Naked – Sick
Color Theory – If Not Now When

Direct link to Rock Band Station on Slacker.com

We have the official current list of songs available on Rock Band Network (which just opened this afternoon).  This is defintely the biggest week for Rock Band downloadable content since the release of Rock Band 1 in 2007.  Check out the current band/song list below.  Then, turn on your Xbox 360 and start spending those MS Points. SOURCE

3 Inches of Blood – Battles and Brotherhood
Alias Unknown – Top Back
Amberian Dawn – He Sleeps in a Grove
Amberian Dawn – River of Tuoni
Andrew Buch – Trippolette
Audio Fiction – Race The Hourglass
Bif Naked – Sick
Blackmarket – Tongue Twister Typo
Bojibian – Still There
C&O – We Are the Best
Chaunce DeLeon and The Fountain of Choof – Tadpole Search and Rescue
Children of Nova – The Complexity of Light
Color Theory – If Not Now When
Dear and the Headlights – Talk About
Despised Icon – Day of Mourning
DnA’s Evolution – The Heist
Error 404 feat. CJ Watson – If Trucks Drank Beer
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Angel Lust
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Horses in Heaven
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Running for the Razors
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Sestri Levante
Five Finger Death Punch – Burn it Down
Flogging Molly – Drunken Lullabies (Live)
Flogging Molly – Requiem for a Dying Song
Foreword – Watch It All Go Down
Free Spirit – Far Away from Heaven
Full-Source – End Quote
Full-Source – It’s Not You, It’s Everyone
Full-Source – Red Sky At Morn
Furly – Icarus’ Song
Gandhi – Arigato
Giant Target – In Memories
Giant Target – Signs
Glass Hammer – Hyperbole
Glass Hammer – Sleep On
Heaven Ablaze – Parhelia
In This Moment – Mechanical Love
James William Roy – Paper Valentines
Jonathan Coulton – Creepy Doll
Jonathan Coulton – Ikea
Jonathan Coulton – The Future Soon
KMFDM – A Drug Against War
KMFDM – Juke Joint Jezebel
Kristin Hersh – Fortune
Kristin Hersh – Mississippi Kite
Lacuna Coil – Survive
Lead the Dead – Rip’er
Longwave – No Direction
Marillion – Whatever Is Wrong With You
Matter in the Medium – Persistence of Vision
MC Frontalot – Goth Girls
Nick Gallant – Inside Out
Nick Gallant – Turn Yourself Around
Of Last Resort – Fade Away
of Montreal – Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse
Pink Flag – Nancy Drew
Ron Wasserman – Fight Back
Rose of Jericho – Buried Cold
Scratching The Itch – Lemon Juice
Scratching The Itch – The Buddy Disease
Scratching The Itch – You’re My Everything
Senses Fail – Lady in a Blue Dress
Skeletonwitch – Crushed Beyond Dust
Skindred – Stand for Something
Speck – Grumpytown
Speck – VP of Booty Reports
Stars of Boulevard – Limousine
Stephanie Hatfield and Hot Mess – Can I Stay
Steve and Lindley Band – Backyard Buildyard
Steve Vai – For the Love of God (Live)
Steve Vai – Get the Hell Out of Here
Steve Vai – The Attitude Song
Stroke 9 – Kick Some Ass ‘09
Stroke 9 – Little Black Backpack ‘09
Suicide Silence – Disengage
Surprise Me Mr. Davis – Sissyfuss
The Cold Goodnight – Give
The Dirty Love Band – Moonboy
The Everybody – You Got That
The Fisticuffs – Liverpool Judies
The Hold Steady – Sequestered in Memphis
The Humans – It’s Good
The Kimberly Trip – California
The Main Drag – Cease and Desist
The Main Drag – Don’t Let Me Down (Slowly)
The Main Drag – Dove Nets
The Main Drag – Homosuperior
The Main Drag – How We’d Look On Paper
The Main Drag – Love During Wartime
The Main Drag – Megatron
The Main Drag – Talk Them Down
The Main Drag – Teeth, Face, Outerspace
The Main Drag – Tricky Girl
The Main Drag – What’s Your Favorite Dinosaur?
The Shins – Australia
The Slip – Children of December
The Slip – Even Rats
Ultra Saturday – Not My Fault
Ultra Saturday – Superhero!
WaveGroup Feat. Becca Neun – Liquid Smog (StompBox Remix)
Wounded Soul – Rx
You Shriek – Lilith in Libra
You Shriek – No Heroes
Zack Wilson – Another California Song
Zack Wilson – Ox

My daily Google search for all things Rock Band returned a result from Billboard.biz. Is that a real Billboard web site?

Anyway, according to the article, Harmonix’ long developed Rock Band Network is opening today for business. If true, you, me, and all our friends on Xbox Live (sorry PSNers and Wiizers) will have a slew of lesser known, cheaper to buy, and community created tracks to play in Rock Band 2.

Nothing in the Billboard article states any official announcement of the RBN opening, other than old info that we already know.  So, this remains on the rumor category until someone can confirm that “yes, the RBN store is now available on Xbox Live.”

UPDATE: The RockBand forums are lighting up now. People are buzzing. So far, Xbox Live users have seen a title update for Rock Band 2, but after searching around the menus, there’s no new content. Stay tuned…

Additional updates come from our friend at RockBandAide:

UPDATE 2: Rumors are swirling that the “star ratings issue” has been fixed with the patch, although people are not seeing an RBN store details… yet.

UPDATE 3: Rock Band superstar @BillTVShow let me know that this thread over at the official RockBand.com forums has people also commenting on what they’re seeing.

UPDATE 4: IT’S OPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s available under the “Music Store” menu! GO, GO, GO!!!!  (You may need to restart, but all signs are saying the RBN is now officially a-go!)

UPDATE 5: Also from @BillTVShow, the RBN is its own “location” in the sortable menu, so you can sort by RBN tracks.  He noticed too that if you press SELECT, you can rate a song!

UPDATE 6: The RBN is currently only available in the US and Canada (and I’ve heard Canadians are having some trouble getting it to work).  EU and other territories will be receiving it hopefully in a few weeks.

Did you know you can stream YouTube, Hulu, and Flash videos on your Xbox 360?  Well you can, with a nifty piece of Windows software called TVersity.  It’s pretty simple too.  You just install the TVersity client on your Windows PC, make sure your Xbox 360 and PC can communicate via Windows Media sharing (or similar), and then you are ready to go.

The TVersity client allows you to configure what you stream from adding YouTube channels, syncing your entire Hulu feed, or specifically adding RSS feeds.  The Flash feature is brand new with a recent update to TVersity, so I have not checked it out yet. TVersity came in very handy on New Years Eve for me, as I wanted to stream some YouTube videos on my TV, but could not figure out how to do it.  After a friend introduced me to TVersity, and we spent about 10 minutes downloading/setting it up, I’m a TVersity fan now.  I suggest paying for the Pro edition which (1) gives you full capabilities, (2) helps fund additional development of this excellent application.

Here are the updates to the recent TVersity release.  If you have any specific questions regarding setup, let me know in comments.

We are pleased to announce the release of TVersity Pro edition 1.8 featuring:

• New implementation of the off-screen web browser based on Google Chromium for increased stability and speed. In fact we think this is approaching rock solid levels and can soon come out of beta (please be sure to let us know what you think).
• We are opening the list of supported premium content sites so that advanced users can add new ones (only web pages with Flash video for now). If you are an advanced user and you are not intimidated by xml files then check osb.xml, it is pretty much self explanatory.
• List of supported websites can now be updated without requiring a new release. From now on, new sites will be added and pushed to all users. (Advanced users should send us their additions since from time to time we overwrite osb.xml).

Last year we made the first release of our Pro edition, with the intention to enable access to premium web content (including movies and full TV episodes). The big promise of this approach was the use of a full blown web browser running on your PC but displaying web content on your TV. Ultimately we want to let you access any website on TV with this technology, today we are taking another step in that direction by letting you access any video site with Flash video (and not just the ones we decided to support).

Full release note are here.

Download latest version here.

Have questions related to adding premium content sites? Need support for the Pro version? Try our new questions and answers tool available at: answers.tversity.com.

NOTE: There are a couple similar products out there, including PlayOn. I haven’t used anything other than TVersity, but you may have varying milage with competitors too.

Next week’s DLC has been announced, and this week it features a return of some old favourites in Rock Band and one new artist.  Harmonix is releasing a second three-pack of Nu Metal from Disturbed, as well as double singles from DLC alumni Mother Hips and Silversun Pickups.  Making their RB debut is a band called TRUSTcompany.

• Disturbed – Meaning of Life
• Disturbed – Voices
• Disturbed – The Game
• The Mother Hips – “Third Floor Story”
• The Mother Hips – “White Falcon Fuzz”
• Silversun Pickups – “Panic Switch”
• Silversun Pickups – “Sort Of”
• TRUSTcompany – “Downfall”

Disturbed has been featured twice before in the weekly DLC, with a three song pack in June 2008 and two more followup singles in May 2009, and also featured a song on the Rock Band 2 disc.  Their music has a very complex and pulsing sound that translates very well to the note highways of Rock Band; the band’s songs are among some of the more interesting and fun pieces to play as the riffs are very addictive once you get the pattern down.   Indie rockers The Mother Hips were one of the so-called ‘Bonus’ tracks from the first Rock Band disc with their song “Time We Had” and also had a DLC track in May of 2008.  Silversun Pickups make their second appearance in DLC with two tracks from their latest CD, 2009’s “Swoon”, and are currently on tour with the wildly popular Muse.

March 2nd will also feature the debut of TRUST Company, whose sound is described as “Alternative Post-Grunge”.  Their track “Downfall” was their highest charting single to date and the song has appeared in over 10 different videogame soundtracks including “BMX XXX”, the “MVP Baseball” franchise, “Burnout” and “Project Gotham Racing 2″ as well as being the promotional theme song to many WWE Pay-Per-View events.  Recently the band has experienced hard times and have parted ways with some of the founding members of the group, so the outlook for more DLC from TRUST*CO is not terribly promising.

Next Week’s Prediction:  Classic rock from Scorpions and Flock of Seagulls, as both bands have “Best of” compliations out shortly.  My advice:  Run so far away!

So far in February we have been treated to three consecutive weeks of brand new music and artists in our weekly Rock Band DLC, and the selection spans not only the last few decades of Rock music, but also spans several genres of music, from Motown R&B to Electronica.   New music is always welcome, not only to attract new fans to the game, but to keep existing fans interested by allowing us to expand our setlists and ‘repitoire of replica-rock’.  Here’s a rundown of what has been added this month:

Otis Redding – “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”
Otis Redding – “Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)”
Otis Redding – “I’m Sick Y’all”
Otis Redding – “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember”
Otis Redding – “Love Man”
All Time Low – “Weightless”
Alphabeat –“Fascination”
Brian Setzer Orchestra – “Stray Cat Strut”
The Chemical Brothers – “Let Forever Be”
HIM – “Heartkiller”
HIM – “Ode to Solitude”
HIM – “Wings of a Butterfly”
KSM – “Distracted”
Marilyn Manson – “The Dope Show”
One Night Only – “Just For Tonight”
The Police – “Walking On the Moon”

There have been some standout singles, and of course the can’t-miss pack from Otis Redding which is one of the first track packs especially for Rock Singers – basically the other instruments are not the focal point of the music and complement the vocalist.  H.I.M. is a finnish metal band, and they describe their music as “Love Metal” however I find that their sound is akin to the later works of Black Sabbath.  “Stray Cat Strut” is a classic from 80’s pop music.   The Chemical Brothers make their debut with their trademark, digital electronic sound.  Marilyn Manson is no stranger to heavy metal fans, and finally The Police’s “Walking on the Moon” contains their world famous mix of rock and reggae riffs (one of their all-time best songs, check out Cas Haley’s rendition from America’s Got Talent Season 2).  Once again Harmonix have treated fans to a wide assortment of music, and this is exactly what they need to keep doing to attract as large an audience as possible.

Next Week’s Predictions:  I was right about H.I.M. but wrong about the date.  I’m getting closer.  March 2 will be new music from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and a follow up pack from Gorillaz.

There is some interesting pontification going on over at the Rock Band forums today, around one of the most anticipated (and yet still not delivered) bands to be added to the Rock Band DLC arsenal. The one and only, Pantera.

From newcomer phildo2000 over at RockBand.com

I know RB likes to sometimes time their DLC releases with cd releases……well check out the news below. March 30?????

“The planned onslaught of Pantera reissues will soon kick off with what looks to be a new greatest hits collection set to be the first out of the gate. Due out through Atlantic/Warner on March 30th is a new compilation titled “1990-2000: A Decade Of Domination“. No further details have been revealed as to what the offering will feature as of yet.” I got this info from www.theprp.com.

For me, I’m more than ready for some Pantera. 1 song, a 3 pack, or their entire greatest hits collection…I’ll take them all.

What about you?

PAX East is coming up soon.  If you missed my earlier post on “What Is PAX East and Who Is Going?“, just read the post for an intro.  Since the official PAX East site still does not have an official schedule posted (plus there will be many unofficial events), I’m starting to organize events in (and around PAX East).  I will continue to update this as we get closer to the event, which is in Boston, MA March 26-28 twenty-ten.

UPDATE: Events in red are confirmed. Events in black are 90% accurate, and I ‘m in process of confirming with various schedules.

Friday March 26

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Journalists vs. Developers: The Ultimate Grudge Match- Manticore Theatre

Game developers can’t stand those damned journalists, the way they pick apart your three years of hard work with a review they wrote in an afternoon. And journalists don’t understand why game developers won’t listen to all of their great ideas! What happens when we force some of the industry’s most opinionated writers and developers to hash out their issues in front of an audience? Will they finally see eye-to-eye, or kill each other in public? Watch as writers Chris Kohler (Wired.com) and Patrick Klepek (G4) square off against game creators John Drake (Harmonix) and another guest from the industry.

Panelists Include: Chris Kohler [Editor, Games, Wired.com], John Drake [Publicist, Harmonix Music Systems], Patrick Klepek [News Editor, G4] SOURCE

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Grassroots: Why Gamers are Getting Involved and Why You Should Too- Naga Theatre

Over the years we as a community of gamers have had our fair share of nemeses ranging from politicians, activists, and…ahem…lawyers. And make no mistake, as one discredited opponent fades away there will be more to fill the void. Find out how we’ve been fighting back, where we’ve found success (and failure), and how you can help the cause. SOURCE

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM – Radio Free Nintendo: A Live Nintendo Podcast for Grown-Ups- Wyvern Theatre
Radio Free Nintendo has delivered a weekly discussion on all things Nintendo since mid-2006, in a convenient podcast format. This outspoken and funny group of Nintendo experts comes from the oldest and largest independent Nintendo website in the world, Nintendo World Report. We love Nintendo games, except when we don’t, and we appreciate/criticize Wii and DS games in the context of multi-platform gaming. We know the best Metroid upgrades, the worst Zelda dungeons, and what makes Sin & Punishment sublime. We own more WiiWare games than you knew existed. And we’re not afraid to compare Mario with Ratchet & Clank or Prince of Persia.

Panelists Include: Jonathan Metts [Contributing Editor, Nintendo World Report], Karl Castaneda [Contributing Editor, Nintendo World Report], James Jones [Features Editor, Nintendo World Report], Jon Lindemann [Director, Nintendo World Report], Karl Castaneda [Contributor, Nintendo World Report] SOURCE

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM - PAX East 2010 Keynote - Main Theatre
Best known for his role as Wesley Crusher on Star Trek The Next Generation and Gordie in Stand by Me, Wil Wheaton has since become one of the most prominent and vocal bloggers of our culture with topics ranging from his personal growth as a geek, to Star Trek, to naturally gaming. We are super excited to have Wil present the very first PAX East keynote. It’s going to be awesome.

Speaker: Wil Wheaton SOURCE

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM - It’s Got A Good Beat, And I Can Kill Zombies To It - JamspaceSince the first kid heard the four-note Space Invaders theme blasting out the arcade doors, music has played a powerful role in the history of digital games. Join panelists Aubrey Hodges (Doom, King’s Quest, Spy Hunter, Madden NFL), Jim Bonney (Mortal Kombat, John Woo’s Stranglehold), Tom Salta (H.A.W.X, GRAW 1 & 2, Red Steel), Gene Rozenberg (Henry Hatsworth, Madden NFL) and Duncan Watt (League Of Legends, Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway, Need For Speed: Undercover), for an audiovisual trip celebrating great videogame music – from the past, to the present… and into the future. Audience discussion encouraged.

Panelists Include: Duncan Watt [Founder/Creative Director, Fastestmanintheworld], Tom Salta [Composer], Gene Rozenberg [Composer, 38 Studios (Maynard, MA)], Aubrey Hodges [Audio Director/Composer, 38 Studios (Maynard, MA)], Jim Bonney [Audio Director/Composer, Irrational Games] SOURCE

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM - Online Gaming Communities and “Real Life” Relationships- Manticore Theater
Are you are a member of one or more online gaming website communities? Perhaps the friendships and relationships you formed online have made their way into your everyday “real life”. You are certainly not alone. We will discuss the communities we have created and support, and how they impact real life relationships for gamers of all types.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM – Puppet Masters – The not so Invisible Hands of Video Game PR- Naga Theater
Four masters of video game PR talk about the role of public relations in the video game industry. They’ll cover the buying and selling of souls, crafting and controlling messages, the rise of community, and how social media is changing how they do business.

Panelists Include: Charles Husemann [Editor in Chief, Gaming Nexus], Arne Meyer [Senior Manager, Marketing Communications, Naughty Dog], Aram Jabbari [Manager of Public Relations, Atlus], Stephanie Tinsley Schopp [Owner, Tinsley PR], Chris Paladino [Promethium Marketing, Director of Community Relations] SOURCE

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Penny Arcade Panel #1 - Main Theater
Make sure to get there early for this one, as its one of the most well attended panels of the show. Two mics on stage, two mics in the crowd. Line up for your questions and Gabe and Tycho will do their best to accommodate! And god, please no “who would win in a fight” questions. If you can’t make this particular Q&A, be sure to catch the second Penny Arcade Panel. SOURCE

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Design an RPG in an Hour - Wyvern Theater
We’re making a pen and paper RPG, and you’re invited to the design meeting! During the panel, you’ll address the problem-solving and analytical questions required to design a successful game. During the discussion, we’ll cover the basics of game theory and how to outline, centered around an example you’re participating in.

Panelists Include: David Hill [Game Designer, Machine Age Productions], Filamena Young [Game Writer, Machine Age Productions] SOURCE

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM – IWADON: A Tribute to an Unsung Hero of Game Music- Jamspace
Game composer Hiroyuki Iwatsuki (Iwadon on Twitter) has been writing game music for 20 years, but now for the first time his work is gaining international recognition. Game Music 4 All, a videogame-inspired music and nerdcore news site, is collaborating with artists from all over the world in arranging Iwatsuki’s remarkable and often overlooked music for the 8-bit Nintendo, Game Boy, Super Nintendo and Xbox Live Arcade in assorted musical styles. The tribute compilation will be made available online for free in time for PAX East, along with lengthy liner notes in English and Japanese. In this panel you’ll learn all about Iwatsuki’s unique history in games and the making of the IWADON tribute from site founder Genoboost (Anthony Ruybalid) and research organizer Jeriaska.

Panelists Include: Anthony Ruybalid [Founder, Game Music 4 All] Jeriaska [Correspondent, GameSetWatch] SOURCE

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM – Storytelling in the world of interactive fiction- Wyvern Theater
Text adventures have been quietly experimenting with narrative gaming for thirty years. Five authors from the amateur interactive fiction community discuss the design ideas in their games — reordered storylines, unreliable narrators, deeply responsive NPCs — and how they apply to other kinds of games. (Rob Wheeler (mod.), Robb Sherwin, Aaron Reed, Emily Short, Andrew Plotkin) SOURCE

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM – NVIDIA Presentation – Main Theater
Come see NVIDIA unveil the next generation of PC gaming. Want to see what’s hot and what’s next? If you’re even vaguely a fan of PC games and miss this special event, you’ll likely be spending the next few months kicking yourself. Line up early as seating is limited. ‘Nuff said. SOURCE

9:30 PM – 11:00 PM – GET LAMP Panel/Screening- Naga Theatre
Premiere of Get Lamp!
The current plan as approved by the PAX organizers is the showing of the main GET LAMP episode at 9:30, followed by a panel on stage of people interviewed for the film, and then some showings of a few more features of the DVD after that, including the Infocom and Bedquilt episodes.

Saturday March 27

 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM – The First Annual Joystiq Blueberry Muffin Tops Breakfast BAND PICK-UP – location not announced
Due to the overwhelming number of people coming to PAX East and the fact that the room can only hold 300 people at a time, we’ve decided to implement a bracelet system for entry. To obtain the bracelet, we’ll post Alexander Sliwinski’s location and picture here at Joystiq.com on Facebook and on Twitter @JoystiqBBMTat 6 a.m. on Saturday morning. He’ll be in very close proximity to the convention center. To obtain a bracelet you’ll need to show your PAX East badge to him when he arrives at 8 a.m., as the breakfast will occur within the convention center. (Alexander Sliwinski) SOURCE

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM – The First Annual Joystiq Blueberry Muffin Tops Breakfast SOURCE

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM- Memes, Microcultures, and 2D Chicks: Our Future in the Otaku Gamer – Wyvern Theatre
Alex Leavitt (Comparative Media Studies, MIT) explains how a new generation of entertainment is succeeding in a market which chooses to de-emphasize the games in favor of the characters. And as the Japanese fans influence the industry through their own amateur initiatives, what will the future of American gaming hold when online fandoms adopt similar appetites? (Alex Leavitt) SOURCE

8:00 PM – 1:00 AM – Gamers Gone Wildhosted by SFX-360 & 2old2play – Lir, 903 Boylston Street
Rock Band tournament, Cosplay contest, Xbox 360 raffle, prizes. 21+ and no cover charge.

9:30 PM – 11:00 PM – The Joystiq Podcast LIVE! – Manticore Theatre
Alexander Sliwinski & Justin McElroy gaming journalists of Joystiq.com.

UPDATED!! 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM – Major Nelson Radio Podcast LIVE!- Wyvern Theatre
Larry Hryb (Xbox Live’s Major Nelson) and the podcast team (e, Stepto, and Laura L0llipop) will record their regular podcast, in front of a live audience.

Sunday March 28

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Panel on security for Xbox Live- Stephen Toulouse, Director of Policy and Enforcement for Xbox LIVE, location not announced

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM – Game Journalism Panel – location not announced
Kyle Orland of Crispy Gamer, Gus Mastrapa (Wired, Crispy Gamer, The Onion AV Club, Past, X-Play, Edge), Susan Arendt of The Escapist, Chris Grant of Joystiq (Editor in Chief), Lev Grossman of Techland and Time Magazine SOURCE

More Announcements, not yet dated/timed/located:

• day/time not announced – Bringing Up the Next Generation of Geeks – location not announced
  • (Dave Banks, Natania Barron, John Booth, Doug Cornelius, Michael Harrison, and Corrina Lawson) SOURCE
• Music acts:
  • Anamanaguchi
  • Jonathan Coulton
  • MC Frontalot
  • Metroid Metal
  • Paul and Storm
  • Protomen
  • The Video Game Orchestra
• Exhibitors:
  • 2K Games
  • Dell
  • EA
  • Harmonix
  • Microsoft
  • Nintendo
  • NVIDIA
  • Rockstar Games
  • Sega
  • Ska Studios
  • The Behemoth
  • Turbine
  • Twisted Pixel Games
  • Ubisoft
  • Wizards of the Coast SOURCE