Rock Band moshes over to Wii on June 22nd

Although PlayStation 2 / 3 and Xbox 360 owners have been living the dream for months, Wii owners can finally circle a date on their calender to undoubtedly be sick: June 22nd. As we expected, the title will indeed be adding Nintendo's darling to its tour 'round the consoles, but just like those pesky Ticketmaster fees, things aren't going to be all peaches and cream during the checkout process. For starters, Wii purchasers will be forced to swallow the "no downloadable content" and "no online multiplayer support" pills, and after those are down, they'll be forced to shell out $169.99 and know that their Wiimote won't have anything to do with the instruments (unlike Guitar Hero III's Wiimote-controlled axe). And no, your GHIII guitar most definitely won't play nice with Rock Band. Yes, that is the sound of your expectations being crushed.

Update: The crew over at Joystiq got in touch with Harmonix, who hooked them up with this pic of the white Wii drumkit and a few additional deets: although a lot of features got axed, including character creation and Mii support, Wii rockers will score wireless guitars out of the box. Sure, but we'd rather have GHIII compatibility, you know?

[Via NintendoWiiFanboy]

[Brad I @ Mar 24th 2008 5:55PM]

I guess that means I'll just stick with the 360...which I was planning on doing anyway.

[Curtis the Claw: Brawl Code 1075-0441-3284 @ Mar 24th 2008 6:00PM]

Even if there was a plus to having the Wii version why would you ever get it if you already had the 360 version?

[Brad I @ Mar 24th 2008 6:39PM]

I guess I should have been more clear...I don't have Rock Band for either...I've been leaning towards 360 but I wanted to see what the Wii version had in store.

[Brad I @ Mar 24th 2008 6:41PM]

I guess I should have been more clear...I don't have Rock Band for
either...I've been leaning towards 360 but I wanted to see what the
Wii version had in store.

[NewJohnny @ Mar 25th 2008 4:56AM]

I have a Wii but I bought a 360 just for Rock Band, knowing that the Wii version would suck. Which it does.

[Arvid @ Mar 24th 2008 5:58PM]

my expectation are most definately crushed... thank you engadget! :)

[andres @ Mar 24th 2008 5:59PM]

wow, that sounds like a crappy deal

[computer.dude.28 @ Mar 24th 2008 9:33PM]

I'm wondering if you can BT GlovePIE those instruments into your computer.. but for that price/feature cuts I won't be finding out!!

[Jonathan @ Mar 24th 2008 6:00PM]

"no downloadable content" and "no online multiplayer support" pills

Sounds like suicide pills to me.

[Jono345 @ Mar 25th 2008 1:02AM]

I'm still waiting for the 360 version to be released in australia instead of having to play a US-import at my mates place on his *shudder* ps3.

I'm horrified to think of how shafted Australian Wii owners are.

[sk8jon @ Mar 24th 2008 6:00PM]

We in the UK haven't even got the xbox 360 / PS3 version yet?!!!

[Bobs @ Mar 24th 2008 6:35PM]

The brits have been getting the ass end of the gaming industry, and for no real reason.

[Allen @ Mar 24th 2008 7:09PM]

Its karma, bob, nothing else. You guys get better cars, and three generations of the Focus when we get just one. We get better games.

You get what I want, I have what you want. Make with the grey market.

[Bobs @ Mar 25th 2008 1:25AM]

I live in southern california, lovley place, kinda, spanish will take you far here.

[Jordan @ Mar 25th 2008 2:59PM]

yeah... karma... we get good games, you guys get shitty teeth.

[Curtis the Claw: Brawl Code 1075-0441-3284 @ Mar 24th 2008 6:00PM]

I think most of us already knew we should be expecting the Wii version to just be another PS2 port.

[Killerchronic @ Mar 24th 2008 6:02PM]

Still waiting for this to come to the UK on any console :(
Not even a release date has been given yet.

[KEROLiUKAS @ Mar 24th 2008 6:18PM]

Just order it online..There is some solutions of running games from different regions,

[Jhongerkong @ Mar 24th 2008 6:04PM]

$170 for a gimped version?

Screw that

[Joe @ Mar 24th 2008 6:11PM]

Not using the same guitar is idiotic.

[mikeydeeb @ Mar 24th 2008 6:26PM]

eh, rock band relies on usb anyways.
it'll be interesting if they're the first game to use the ports for more than a keyboard.

plus, that would at least hopefully mean multi-platform support for the instruments, but then again... we can only hope.

[arl240 @ Mar 24th 2008 6:17PM]

Wow, I just was playing last night on the 360 at my brother-in-law's and thought to myself that the only reason they could be so stupid to delay it on the wii was to get the downloadable stuff and instruments down pat. We bought 4 songs last night on a whim and why they would shoot themselves in the foot by losing all of those sales escapes me. My wife will be disappointed to hear no DLC, as she is demanding this game for our Wii (and she doesn't play vids even). I am not sure if we will pick it up if it is a lameduck version.

[Flashpoint @ Mar 25th 2008 8:28AM]

Wii doesn't have a hard drive like the 360 and the PS3.

It therefore has the same lack of downloadables that Dance Dance Revolution has which is why for me, its an insufficient gaming console.

Too bad there aren't huge SDHC memory cards available that it can handle - like 50 GB.

[stompntom @ Mar 24th 2008 6:27PM]

No download content???
I ass/u/me the RIAA would not like the content downloaded to an SD card that you could share with friends (maybe)
I love my Wii but lack of internal memory of any decent size is a miss.

I did buy a PS3 for BluRay and picked up Rock Band - it is quite sweet

[Jim @ Mar 24th 2008 6:30PM]

Wow, that SUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKSSSSS!!!! I have the 360 version and have been using my GH3 controller since day 1, basically just playing it like another Guitar Hero game w/ loads of downloadable content ("Boston 6-pack" coming tomorrow!!!). I don't like the online play as much as GH3 since you can't pick your song and you can't play more than 1 song in a row (at least that's been my deal). Bad news for Wii owners. Ugh.

[Myrmidon @ Mar 24th 2008 6:33PM]

As a WII (and GH3) owner, I will probably purchase a PS3.

[Joseph @ Mar 24th 2008 6:35PM]

forget this.

sorry, no downloadble content, no online

no deal. Harmonix and Nintendo, you screwed this one up. Won't be buying this now.

[John B @ Mar 24th 2008 6:46PM]

I *almost* said "It's about time", but after I read that article it now looks more like "Not worth my time".

F**k you, Harmonix.

[dwain white @ Mar 24th 2008 6:51PM]

I love guitar hero for the wii, but I am not paying 165 dollars for something, that I could have used my existing guitar for and just bought the game. I will pass on this loser.

[Rory @ Mar 24th 2008 6:55PM]

Total BS.
As someone who owns only a wii, this comes as a disappointment.
I had hoped that we were past the days of Nintendo console owners getting screwed as publishers throw half-baked ports at them, opting to put premium content on the other consoles (..gamecube).
Apparently the crapware mentality is in full swing at Harmonix.

[Coldflame @ Mar 24th 2008 7:09PM]

This is fricken annoying, why pay 170 for a gimped version, I mean, no downloadable content? That's just annoying and stupid, why not make millions of dollars off of downloadable content, I mean, common sense says, make more money.
all in all
Wii Rock Band, FTL

[John B @ Mar 24th 2008 7:23PM]

I think the problem is that they'd probably have to integrate it into the Wii Points system, and I don't believe that Nintendo has made that payment route available to third parties yet. This is supposedly why Activision is "negotiating" with Nintendo for enabling DLC in "Guitar Hero".

[Skawt @ Mar 24th 2008 7:14PM]

What's sad is that the Wii version will probably sell better than both other versions combined. What a tragedy.

[Fed @ Mar 24th 2008 7:17PM]

Yawn..boring.

Both games are so yesterday..

[Dolgo @ Mar 24th 2008 7:30PM]

And don't forget guys! NO TRUE 5.1 Digital SOUND on Wii too!

[Eric @ Mar 24th 2008 7:32PM]

Am I the only one who doesn't think having to put a wiimote in a guitar is a good thing? WFT? If I have to put a $40 controller in my GH3 controller, why isn't it $40 less than the xbox one?

I think activision screwed us first and then harmonix decided to screw us by not screwing us the way activision did.

[computer.dude.28 @ Mar 24th 2008 9:31PM]

That's true! I was expecting the Wii version of GHIII To be so much cheaper since there's NO wireless equipment in the guitar.

[Reid Nicewonder @ Mar 24th 2008 7:43PM]

"Although PlayStation 2 / 3 and Xbox 360 owners have been living the dream for months"...

Kinda like this? -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE2FZvgo5-U

[Alex Padilla @ Mar 24th 2008 7:56PM]

Harmonix, I am truly disappointed. When I first heard about Rock Band rocking out on the Wii, I got excited and figured that I would propose splitting the cost of the game with my aunt and uncle for me and my cousins (since I'll be spending a good portion of the summer working with them). My cousins (two girls) love to sing (one even plays the drums), and I love to rock out on the guitar, so I thought this would be a sweet deal. I guess not.

Instead of Rock Band rocking out, it just got DRM-ed.

[Kunal @ Mar 24th 2008 7:58PM]

It sounds like the Wii is losing out on a great money-making title (6 million DLC's sold already WTF?!) because of its hardware constraints. Nintendo's bet on this generation has seemed to work out so far, but without an external hard drive (at a reasonable price) and a real online service, in the next year or so it wouldn't be hard to foresee the PS3 (which will surely be cheaper than current prices) taking a commanding lead with some great titles.
Of course, all the above could also be written off as Rock Band angst. Glad I bought it for my best friend's 360 at least!

[tiuk @ Mar 24th 2008 8:06PM]

Awesome, Wii owners get screwed again.

[Dj RaYz @ Mar 24th 2008 8:09PM]

Are the songs going to be in mono or stereo?

[rp @ Mar 24th 2008 8:48PM]

My band, The Megasuperdeathkillers, is not pleased with this total lack of RAWWWWWWWWWWWWWK.

[Marvin Quach @ Mar 24th 2008 9:40PM]

Here I thought I would be regretting my decision of getting Rock Band for the 360! (While that'd be bad, at least they'd be proving themselves!) But nope, Nintendo continues to disappoint. Nintendo, you *really* want me to sell you, don't you? Hell, Brawl didn't even entice me (much), why should I even bother with keeping the system?

[gadget chick @ Mar 24th 2008 9:41PM]

thank god the wii isn't my primary console it always gets the shit end of the stick when it comes to so many games.

[Matt B @ Mar 24th 2008 11:41PM]

Yeah, this announcement- which could've been awesome- really sucks. No GH3 guitar compatibiliy? RB guitar sans-Wiimote (and hence not compatible with GH3)? There goes they supposed support for guitar interoperability.

I was all ready to preorder it, but with those to bad decisions made, no deal. If I'm paying $170 for a game, I damn well better be able to use the Guitar from GH3 on RB, and vice versa.

You disappoint me Harmonix.

[Skawt @ Mar 24th 2008 11:42PM]

PC Gaming FTW...

...
...

is there even going to be a PC version of Rock Band?

[Jody @ Mar 25th 2008 9:04AM]

Wow this really sucks, guess I'll buy the 360 version and deal with cords. Too bad it will sell a zillion copies because most people with WIi's won't notice the differences. They put this thing out like this fully aware that most people would buy it regardless of how gimped it was.

[Marvin Quach @ Mar 25th 2008 9:07AM]

At the same time though, younger kids will probably see their older siblings playing this and want one, so they probably wouldn't know the difference anyways... (neither do most parents either, as long as it looks relatively similar and works)

[billy @ Mar 25th 2008 10:04AM]

This really sucks. My brother wants to buy my Wii...... I think I am going to sell it and jump to another console. 90 bucks for the WiiFit and crappy versions of GHIII and RB. I can almost understand lack of DLC but even stripping out character creation, online play, and use of miis.... Terrible job Harmonix...