There has been much talking recently about the supposed compatibility between the upcoming Rock Band 2 and the songs that you have on your hard drive, downloaded for use in the first Rock Band game. Harmonix has already said that the two titles are similar enough that they can share the song library and the developers are also very conscious of the fact that players would not forgive them if they were forced to re-download songs that they already have.

Harmonix has decided to detail the process involved in transferring games from Rock Band to Rock Band 2. The good news regarding the transfer is the fact that it seems to be very easy. Just as the sequel is released in the United States, an update will be available for the original game which is designed to add an export feature to the menu. If a player selects the export option, he is prompted to offer a password which comes with copies of Rock Band 2.

The bad news regarding the transfer is that it will cost money. Harmonix says that the entire process for all the songs you own will most likely only set you back five dollars, but it still seems odd that you have to pay to use songs you have already purchased. For those who have hundreds of Rock Band songs, the price per song will be very low but the principle is a bit disturbing.

Rock Band 2 will be released in the United States in September and no European date has been announced for the moment. The first game in the series is now available on the Xbox 360 in Europe and versions for the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo Wii will be released later in the year.