https://www.pcmag.com/news/ubisoft-shuts-down-multiplayer-online-services-for-90-games

They are prepping for the new online service they are rolling out and without significant changes to the games they cant connect to it. The new version of Rocksmith, Rocksmith+, will be totally online dependant and if you dont have internet... you can't use it. Needless to say not having an offline mode is not popular with 99.9% of the Rocksmith community and honestly a LOT of people will simply not use it and continue to use RS 2014 Remastered, which is the current version. Hell, I still have the original installed as there are certain things it does I like better than the current one.

I was in the beta for the new version, which is due to be released soon, and the online component cause a lot of lagginess which is not conducive to playing music. They are also making it a service. Instead of buying the game and DLC Content, they will charge the standard $15.00 a month but there will not be DLC and you have access to the entire catalog of music. This is good in a way however, if they decide to pull the plug on the game you lose everything. This will also preclude any custom DLC content from being used so any bands / artists that they can't get to sign on you will never see any music from them.

It's kind of that way in the current version but there is a Custom DLC community that produces the files for the songs that you just can't get as DLC and the catalog is HUGE. A lot of it is newer or foreign music / groups but there are also files for the groups that will not allow their music to be used such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, etc. Currently i have around 1700 songs in the current version and can play everything from classical adaptations, country, metal, all the way to old school rap music.

I have to say that the "game" has been more of a teaching tool to me as i never took a lesson but, much like the game states, I have learned to play bass pretty damned well using it.

They were making changes to the game since the beta based on user input and rumor is they have added keyboards to it. Added to lead, rhythm, and bass guitar, if this is true I will more than likely get a subscription as I would really like to learn keyboards/piano but I really am sad the new version does not support offline playing and downloadable DLCs as this will severely reduce the amount of selection and possibly hamper the gameplay.