AC/DC now exclusive to Rock Band, no online play, and other details on the upcoming expansion pack

After reading the brief New York Times article today and then the press release about "AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack," I found myself still wondering exactly what the game is, how it works, and why MTV is choosing this route. So I spoke to the cable conglomerate and budding videogame publisher's Paul DeGooyer, senior VP of electronic games and music. Here's what I learned about what "AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack" is, what it isn't, and why it exists:

-It contains 18 songs (listed below), all recorded live from the famous Castle Donington Show in 1991. None of the songs are from the band's new album "Black Ice." As the Times already reported, both the game and the album will be available exclusively at Wal-Mart.
(Those of us in the rare position of not living near a Wal-Mart will just have to buy it online, I suppose.)

-AC/DC is now exclusive to "Rock Band" for "a term." No idea how long that term is. But just as Aerosmith is exclusive to "Guitar Hero" for a while after its eponymous game, MTV has a similar deal with AC/DC. That deal has resulted in this expansion pack and also the inclusion of "Let There Be Rock" in "Rock Band 2." No word on whether there will be future AC/DC songs for the "Rock Band" platform, either on discs or available to download, as part of the exclusive deal.

-Unlike "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Edition," you don't play as the band. You're covering AC/DC, just as you do every other group in "Rock Band." "There are some custom graphics," explained DeGooyer, "but we really don't think people are looking for little avatars and that's why it's not a $59 game." (It's a $39 game on 360, PS3 and Wii, $29 on PS2).

-The game will feature some, but not all, of the functionality from "Rock Band " and "Rock Band 2." All four instruments (guitar, bass, drums, mic) are used, you can "tour" through all 18 songs on your own or in a group, there are score duels and tug of war. However, there's no online capability. If you want to play with your friends, you have to be in the same room. In addition, there's no character creator. I would assume there are set characters you can choose from instead.

-All 19 tracks can be transferred onto a PS3 or 360 hard drive free of charge in order to import them into "Rock Band" or "Rock Band 2." Then they show up like any other downloaded tracks and can be played with all of the game's modes, online or offline.

But this can only be done once per disc. That's MTV"s way of preventing someone from sharing a disc with friends, or re-selling it, and essentially engaging in piracy. Seems reasonable to me. Given that songs cost $2 to download online, 18 tracks for $40 is just slightly more than it would cost to buy them online. Not the best deal ever, but not a rip-off either.

-DeGooyer says that AC/DC members chose to put the "Live at Donington" songs in the game and that MTV enthusiastically agreed. "To us it hung together more than cherry picking master recordings," he said. "It really is an experience. You put the disc in and you play through a live set."

-No specific word on whether there will be more expansion tracks along these lines. But launching a game like this in concert with an album as part of a big retail promotion fits in with MTV's strategy of integrating "Rock Band" into the overall music business so that a videogame component becomes a natural part of any product launch or marketing push.

"This is a huge statement about our platform and how meaningful it has become," DeGooyer commented "We want to be an authentic component of the music business. If a band is trying to get something done, if they've got a great new record or are going on tour, we'd love to be working with them. It could be a DLC pack or something more like this, which is all the bells and whistles."

-Not sure of the answer to my favorite question after dealing with the one major annoyance of "Rock Band 2": Do you have to play through the tour to unlock all the songs? Or are they all available as soon as you turn the game on? Update: I got the answer. All the songs on the disc are immediately available. They don't need to be unlocked.

-Here's the game's set list, which is the exact same set list as "Live at Donington" for those who own the DVD (or, as in the amazing case of one person I know who was bragging today, were there):

"Thunderstruck"
"Shoot to Thrill"
"Back in Black"
"Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be"
"Heatseeker"
"Fire Your Guns"
"Jailbreak"
"The Jack"
"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"
"Moneytalks"
"Hells Bells"
"High Voltage"
"Whole Lotta Rosie"
"You Shook Me All Night Long"
"T.N.T."
"Let There Be Rock”
"Highway To Hell”
"For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”