Harmonix May Allow Me to Sell My PS3

942

 

by Editor In Chief – Mark Bohdanyk, Published 1/17/2015

942.  That’s the magical number for me and my PS3.  In order to understand how I got to that number, you have to understand two things:

1. That I am a karaoke hound across every major continent (I have karaoked at the Red Balloon in Kansas (Did you know it’s one of the few places to have Jeremy by Pearl Jam — it was recalled), I have karaoked in Japan, England, France and Canada).  I love to sing.  This is not a well-known fact amongst my friends.

One of my haunts in Sapporo, Japan

One of my haunts in Sapporo, Japan

2. When the PS3 first came out, in fact up until the last three years of its life, there was a little-known and even less used feature that allowed you to share content with up to FIVE other people if you purchased it digitally via the PSN.

Knowing these two things, you can imagine that I *did* take advantage of #2, that the band Balpocalypse was #8 in the world on the PSN for the majority of Rock Band’s lifespan of live DLC offerings.  Matt/NeoSapian and I traded off purchasing content almost every week.

Rock Band 3 came out at a very transitional time for me.  I had purchased a house in a place I wasn’t expecting to live, and so I found some friends who were interested to play and hang out.  I had a tip jar (imagine a mason jar, but like 50 times bigger).  We would throw parties, and groups of people would show up.  And when they requested songs, we pointed to the tip jar, and they complied.  We got good.  Really good.  It stopped being fun and games — but the funny part was it was STILL fun and games, just we were getting competitive.  *I* was getting competitive, and my guitar and drum players stepped it up to match.  We continued on that way for almost three years.  We hit the top of the charts.  And then my George Foreman PS3 choked on its own barbiturate mix, it’s eyes slotted yellow and its disc ejecting limply to the side.  This was back before Sony really had their content management system sorted (it was a huge mess).  The short form after an hour on the phone with them was that they couldn’t deactivate my now dead PS3 fat for the slim I owned instead, and so I had to kick one of my five valued friends off my list to reactivate and re-download all my songs.

Rock band said there was already a band with my band’s name.  So Balpocalypse II was formed.

My life changed in short succession after that.  My career changed, and so did where I lived.  I moved from the Ozarks to Alabama.  I did not find any Rock Band friends there.  My old band mates had neither a PS3, the game, equipment, nor desire to own it.  And so I found friends via the Rock Band forums.  We played every.single.day.  And Balpocalypse II soon overtook the original band’s records.  And my friends and I kept buying.  And buying.

942, as you’ve probably ascertained by now, is the number of Rock Band tracks I own on my PS3.  The slim monolith stands next to my router and PS4, gathering dust and reminding me of exactly *where* the only place I can get my Rock Band on today is.

Imagine my surprise when last week, Harmonix released NEW tracks for Rock Band 3.  My ears perked.  “Could they be testing the waters for traction,” I thought to myself.  And then my inbox received a message from Harmonix directly, as if they were answering me.

“Fill Out This Important Rock Band Survey,” the title read.  “Fuck Yes, I’ll fill out your survey,” I shouted!

It asked most of what you would guess would be in there, but what I was excited about, was they allowed me to rate how important retaining all my current downloadable content for the next gen system was to me.

This made my day specifically because when I bought into Rock Band, it was because of Harmonix’ commitment to Rock Band as a platform, as opposed to a game where DLC would have to be repurchased ad naseum.  It was, in fact, one of the main differences that persuaded me to invest in Rock Band, as opposed to Guitar Hero.  The fact that I actually felt part of a band didn’t hurt Rock Band, either.

Remember These? (or if you're like me, Still Have These?)

Remember These? (or if you’re like me, Still Have These?)

 

It asked how many plastic instruments (working) I still had (three — 1 guitar, 1 keyboard, 1 pro drum set plus microphones), and whether I’d want the new game with all the plastic instruments (yes, please) or just 1 instrument.

To be honest, I kept staring at my PS3 the entire time I was filling it out.  Because now, I have a ray of hope that I may not need that stoic repository of musical goodness much longer.

 

Click this link to see the survey for yourself.

 

Would you want a next gen Rock Band?  Would you want new plastic instruments?  What’s your favorite Rock Band memories?  Let us know in the comments below!