Source: G4's X-Play and an alleged play tester, by way of Rock Band fan site ScoreHero.

　　What we heard: Rock stars aren't exactly known for the ability to keep a low profile, and the same can be said for the games that turn everyday Toms, Dicks, and Harrys into them. On Monday, MTV Games and Harmonix dropped the official announcement of Rock Band 2, the follow-up to last year's critically acclaimed four-piece rhythm game. Although the game makers were quick to point out that the 200-plus songs available for download from the original would transfer to Rock Band 2, they made no indication of any new acts that would be added to the tour.

　　However, plans to keep that setlist under wraps may have experienced a miscue. During a segment on G4's X-Play, the cable-television station may have inadvertently aired a portion of that song list as part of the game's announcement. And thanks to the modern marvel known as TiVo, a ScoreHero forum dweller captured a screenshot (pictured) of the pertinent info and posted it to the site's message boards. As per the screenshot, the songs that may appear in the game are: System of a Down's "Chop Suey," Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Give It Away," Foo Fighter's "Everlong," Kim Wilde's "Kids in America," Motorhead's "Ace of Spades," Cheap Trick's "Hello There," Journey's "Any Way You Want It," The Who's "Pinball Wizard," Blink 182's "All the Small Things," Boston's "More Than a Feeling," and "Panic Attack," which could be from a variety of bands. Save for the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Give It Away," no band names were associated with the song titles.

　　So are these songs slated for Rock Band 2 and not merely upcoming downloads for the original game? The most convincing evidence comes by way of the two listed songs already available as downloadable content. Whereas Blink 182's "All the Small Things" and Boston's "More Than a Feeling," respectively released during weeks 9 and 19, bear the traditional arrow indicator of downloaded content, the remaining nine songs are demarcated by a "2" symbol.

　　The shot also contains a few other indicators that this is an early look at Rock Band 2's roster. Namely, the song-selection menu resembles more the in-game Rock Band Store than the current playlist interface, and it makes sense that Harmonix would employ this heavily altered layout for the game's next edition. Yet another indication is the inclusion of The Who's "Pinball Wizard." The song was a notable omission from the recently announced best-of The Who 12 Pack for Rock Band, which led to speculation that the song was being kept in reserve for Rock Band 2.

　　A second batch of alleged Rock Band 2 songs also found their way online by way of ScoreHero's message boards. Claiming to have play-tested Rock Band 2, a poster apparently leaked a number of songs from the setlist. The message has since been deleted by forum moderators, but not before its contents were passed around online. Reported songs mentioned in the post include Linkin Park's "One Step Closer," Megadeth's "Peace Sells," Rage Against the Machine's "Testify," The Guess Who's "American Woman," Billy Idol's "White Wedding," Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know," Jethro Tull's "Aqualung," Thin Lizzy's "Bad Reputation," The Go-Gos' "We Got the Beat," Alice in Chains' "Man in the Box," and Soundgarden's "Spoonman."

　　It bears mentioning that some unannounced songs that have appeared in in-development Rock Band footage have the precedence of not making it into the final cut. When some of the first footage of Rock Band was shown in July 2007, Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" accompanied it. However, that song has yet to surface in the game. However, the song did make its way to rival rocker Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

　　The official story: MTV Games and Harmonix had not responded to requests for comment as of press time.

　　Bogus or not bogus?: The G4 leak appears legit, but no promise on whether all of those songs will make it to the final edition. No call on the play-tester leak, though at least a few of those bands--Linkin Park, Foo Fighters, and Billy Idol--have been confirmed for Guitar Hero World Tour.