Rock Band gets official pricing, ship date details

Although Rock Band was available for pre-order from a number of e-tailers earlier this summer, we're now hearing the "official word" from the suits at MTV regarding pricing. According to the MTV Multiplayer blog, both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions "will launch on November 23rd at a cost of $169.99." Bundled in will be the game, a single guitar, a mic and a drum kit. Additionally, the PlayStation 2 version -- which seemed to be on track for a 2008 release -- will reportedly make it onto store shelves just before the last ditch holiday rush, as it is now scheduled to land on December 10th for $159.99. As expected, the PS2 / PS3 packages will include wireless guitars, and while an optional cordless axe will certainly be available for the Xbox 360, its bundle will (sadly) include one with a tether. Oh, and Amazon has already updated its pages to reflect the finalized figures.

[Via IGN]

[nickels @ Sep 29th 2007 11:19AM]

uk release dates/pricing?

[RazorD @ Sep 29th 2007 3:21PM]

Sometime in Q1 2008, apparently :(

[Brad @ Sep 29th 2007 11:59AM]

November 23 = Black Friday

Very smart marketing move since so many people will be out shopping that day anyway.

For those not familiar with Black Friday, see here: http://www.bf-07.com

[jmattick @ Sep 29th 2007 12:10PM]

Which will also make it damn near impossible to get a copy. Great.

[mistersquared @ Sep 29th 2007 3:11PM]

woot! Nov 23 is mah birthday... oh wait...

[Mike @ Sep 29th 2007 5:08PM]

Hey Nov 23 is my birthday, too. =) It's a great time for a birthday with black friday, thanksgiving, and getting all those holiday release games.

[Jeff @ Sep 29th 2007 12:33PM]

i seriously think this thing will get about a week in the sun, and then tank miserably.

[ethan @ Nov 18th 2007 2:47PM]

I dunno... Guitar hero had a really slow burn, which grew and grew. I remember seeing it in 2005 and laughing at how dumb it was. Now it's huge. It's going off the heels of GH3.
I don't know how popular the microphone will be. I would like to see a music video of a great band playing their own song on "Rock Band" and getting a low score at the end or something. Spike Jonze should direct it.

[MastrCake @ Sep 29th 2007 12:47PM]

Heh, like $169.99 is gonna stop me...

[FrannckyB @ Sep 29th 2007 12:54PM]

So wait, where is the bass ?! I always thought this was supposed to have a guitar and a base. Even the screen shots showed 2 guitar tracks and a drum track. WTF!

[alexander @ Sep 29th 2007 2:01PM]

I like the concept, but the microphone is so unbelievably corny that it will probably ruin it. I'm getting guitar hero 3.

[Typhoid Mary @ Sep 29th 2007 2:01PM]

So many wannabe rock stars out there...What ever happened to a simple air guitar?

[sn1per420 @ Sep 29th 2007 2:10PM]

Anyone read the article? Yes, it'll be $30 less than expected, but it also only comes with ONE guitar. So if you want a full 4 person band, it will cost you MORE than $200.

[sinenomen @ Sep 29th 2007 2:37PM]

Here's a better idea, just buy a freakin' guitar and learn to play for real.

For all the time you'd invest in this thing, you'd be better off learning something more productive, than just being good at a video game and having to buy new songs to play, instead of just learning them.

[Paul @ Sep 29th 2007 2:56PM]

exactly,sineomen. you take all this time to play a fake guitar when you could be learning how to play a REAL guitar

[johnzilla @ Sep 29th 2007 5:17PM]

If only I had a dollar for every time somebody posted a rant on a guitar game-related thread about learning to play a real guitar, I'd be rich by now.

Some people just don't get it: some people like to play games for entertainment and to relax. That's all. And some people like to spend hours learning to play guitar (or any other musical instrument) because they crave the attention they get from playing guitar in front of other people: aka rock star syndrome.

I like to play Guitar Hero. It is just a game. I don't care who sees me play it, I don't care to be famous, and I certainly don't need to play in front of a group of people because I get off on other people telling me how great I am when I play guitar in front of them. These games are just games, nothing more.

Telling people who like to play Guitar Hero and similar games that they should just forget it and learn to play a real guitar instead is like telling people who like to play Halo that they should just forget it, buy a real gun and go out and shoot people instead.

It is just a game. If you can play guitar, more power to you. Have fun. Enjoy yourself. But telling other people that they should drop games and learn the real thing instead is just ignorant.

[Magallanes @ Sep 29th 2007 9:42PM]

If was legal (and not a sin) i will buy a weapon for shooting at real people but it is not also fast driving, to be part of a mafia and such.

Anyways this game can be funny but not enough to spend $150 in a single game.

[TheMindFantastic @ Sep 30th 2007 5:15PM]

Here is an idea why do we create guitar based games instead of another fracking shoot-em up gung-ho red-white and blue blood all over the walls... I believe its a good deal better seeing games that don't follow the typical genre's and it promotes MUSIC, not gunplay/swordplay/pre-eminantdeathplay. For those who say well... Guitar Hero came first... why in the hell aren't we all just playing DOOM or Castle Wolfenstien then for our shootemup fix? We play video-games sometimes we need an interface through videogames to make real life stuff more interesting to do. Lets face it how many people actually picked up a guitar and learned how to play on their own vs the people who tried for an afternoon and simply gave up because it wasn't interesting enough to master?

[ethan @ Nov 18th 2007 2:57PM]

Hey, I'm fine with people NOT learning how to play real guitar, and playing this game a ton. Real guitar is something you'll enjoy forever, if you play daily.
The less people out there playing guitar for real the better. Just makes my 7 year talent more rare. Don't get me wrong, I've played the game, and it is SIMILAR to playing real songs, but it's teaching impatience. You're learning how to play the song on the game WAY faster than you would in real life. But playing "Cherub Rock" on guitar is way more gratifying.
I don't play guitar to show off in front of others, I play because it's a very amusing and interesting talent, and there's no limit EVER. I will never perfect the guitar, but you can perfect this game, and eventually beat it.
I'm not bashing on the game, or the players, but I just want you to know that the most gratifying things in life are found by REAL interaction, and not simulations.
And before you all call me oldy, I'm 23.

[rawr @ Sep 29th 2007 3:01PM]

The guitar controller works for both guitar and bass tracks. So for a full band you need:

2 guitar controllers.
1 drum controller kit.
1 other controller + a microphone (can use XBL headset)(XBL headset + 360 wireless = semi-wireless mic).

[srw985 @ Sep 29th 2007 3:08PM]

SEMI-wireless mic? Whats stopping you using the 360 Wireless Headset?

And whats the UK Release date? Please not spring 08!

[srw985 @ Sep 29th 2007 3:09PM]

oh, and du ya have to buy it in a bundle, or can you just get the game on its own and buy a guitar separetly and use controller as a substitute, like with guitar hero

[Kaemon @ Sep 29th 2007 3:59PM]

Black friday eh? That just means most people will preorder this game now, I guess, unless you're at a place that doesn't let ya preorder. Haha.

[john @ Sep 30th 2007 1:06PM]

What does this have to do with the iphone, ipod touch, or Apple?

[Andrew H. @ Sep 30th 2007 8:20PM]

nothing. go away.