Harmonix Lists Rejected Rock Band Names

Harmonix senior designer Dan Teasdale schooled GDC attendees today on the design philosophies that factored into the creation of Rock Band. That includes the critical “one question,” a rule that even affected the game’s name.

The question was “Does it feel like an authentic band experience?” Design decisions that elicited a “Yes” to that all-important question include things like “big rock endings” and being pulled “back from the brink” by your bandmates. In the “No” column were things like minigames, flaming guitars and… Nickelback.

It also affected the name of the game.

Teasdale showed a series of e-mail exchanges with notes on rejected titles for the game. Some were “too metal.” Another was panned for implying the use of trumpets. Others were just bad. Here’s a sampling:

• Power Chords

• Big Band Blowout

• Metal Lords

• I Want To Be A Rockstar!

• Rock Band: World Tour

That last one was rejected — well, trimmed down — because it was felt that “This will never sell.”