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Rock Band lawsuit settled; Konami and Harmonix dismiss 'all claims and counterclaims'
Konami and Harmonix have settled their dispute originating in a 2008 lawsuit launched by Konami, reports Bloomberg. According to a filing in federal court in Texas this week, the two parties agreed to dismiss "all claims and counterclaims" in the suit, which alleged that Harmonix's Rock Band infringed upon patents owned by Konami. Additionally, a 2009 countersuit by parent company Viacom on behalf of Harmonix was dropped yesterday in a filing in federal court in Boston. The terms of the agreement between Konami and Harmonix were not disclosed -- but we do so badly hope they involved a rooftop, two ninjas and a mean jam session.
Rock Revolution for only $5, still not worth it
This is a warning to anyone out there enticed by the image to the right: The overlords at Best Buy actually expect you to pay them five dollars for taking a copy of Rock Revolution off their hands. At first, we assumed that the company was rewarding customers for freeing up much needed shelf space. Alas, it is not so. Rather, it seems that Rock Revolution has been relegated to but one, rickety step above landfill status. It has hit the very, very bottom of the bargain bin. We're not sure if this sale is going on at all Best Buy locations, but it might be worth checking your local store just for posterity. Bring a camera, because this may be the only time you will ever see a new, sealed game for five bucks. We're not suggesting you actually buy it, of course. [Thanks, Bryan!]
Snag the EndWar headset bundle for $40
Newegg.com is selling the Tom Clancy's EndWar headset bundle for only $40. That's a considerable savings, even over Amazon's already reduced price. If you've been waffling over whether to pick up EndWar, or even a headset, this deal is worth a look.Now, that's all well and good, but the bigger news just might be that you can also pick up Rock Revolution complete with the sweet drum kit for $40 as well. At that price, it's almost worth giving it to a friend as a prank.Almost.[Via Cheap Ass Gamer]Source - Newegg.com -- Tom Clancy's Endwar w/HeadsetSource - Newegg.com -- Rock Revolution w/Drum Kit
Konami counter-sued by Viacom over Rock Revolution
Last July, Konami filed a lawsuit against Viacom, parent company of Rock Band developer Harmonix, claiming the game infringed on patents it held for music titles utilizing guitar controllers. After six months of silence, Harmonix has decided to sue back, claiming Rock Band actually improved on Konami's patents -- and Rock Revolution is, in fact, infringing on Viacom patents. Confused yet?The gist of Harmonix's counter-suit involves a claim Rock Revolution is actually more like Rock Band than Konami's GuitarFreak franchise, the design of which is likely the basis of the original suit. We naturally picture all of this unfolding Phoenix Wright style, but the reality is most likely far, far less interesting. We'll let you know if any sparks begin to fly.[Via Shacknews]
dreamGEAR unveils Warbeast guitar controller, Quad Dock controller chargers
The perfect complement to ION's Drum Rocker kit, dreamGEAR has unveiled the WarBeast wireless guitar controller for PlayStation 3 and PS2. It's compatible with Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and Rock Revolution games and features a removable faceplate for customization and removable neck and headstock for easier transport. Officially licensed by B.C. Rich, the company is touting this axe as the first and only full-sized guitar controller on the market -- although we bet Starpex and maybe even Gene Simmons would beg to differ. It's now available on the company's website for $130, though if you can't afford that Rock n' Roll lifestyle, Amazon's got it for $90. They've also got a new Quad Dock Xbox 360 controller charger and some refreshed versions of their PS3, Wii lineup, which aren't out yet -- according to Electronista they'll go for around $30 or $40.[Via Electronista]Read - dreamGEAR WarBeast product pageRead - Amazon WarBeast product page
Joys be thine: Rock Band getting Holiday-themed DLC [update]
[Update: Ruh-roh -- Harmonix has just sent out a press release in which the Wii isn't mentioned. Looks like we're waiting for these!]Here's something to while away those Christmas Day hours traditionally spent arguing with family/feigning enthusiasm for horrible presents: Rock Band downloads! Harmonix has announced a trio of Holiday tracks, all of which should be available for download on December 23: "Hanukkah Blessings" by Barenaked Ladies "Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You" by Billy Squier "Blue Christmas" by The Pretenders No "Fairytale of New York"? Bah. Also, MTV Multiplayer reports that neither Activision or Konami has anything Holiday-related planned for Guitar Hero World Tour or Rock Revolution. Wait, people actually bought Rock Revolution? How ... quaint. Footage of all three lies in wait past the break!%Gallery-19119%
Shipping this week: Banjo's Edge at War edition
The holiday onslaught continues as we are once again greeted by numerous heavy hitters. We've got your Mirror's Edge, your Banjo, your Call of Duty, your Command & Conquer. Please let us remind you that we are only two weeks into November and the gaming bonanza has yet to be fully unearthed. So, choose and choose wisely. Unless you're filthy rich, of course (and if you are, could you spare us a few bucks?). Call of Duty: World at War Mirror's Edge Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts Pro Evolution Soccer 09 WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 Rock Revolution [Via Joystiq]
Shipping this week: it begins edition
And here ... we ... go. We're halfway through October and it's finally started. The industry imposed holiday game torrent is upon us. We hope you've saved up some cash (or tidied up your GameFly queue) because, starting now, you're going to need it. Just look at all of these games: Dead Space Saints Row 2 Blitz: The League II Golden Axe: Beast Rider Rock Revolution FIFA Soccer 2009 Yeah, this is going to be a tough couple of months.[Via Joystiq]
DS releases for the week of October 13th
You may not be terribly excited about some of this week's releases, but it's safe to say we can all agree on one thing: there's a lot of them! My Japanese Coach may actually hit this week, as well as Korg DS-10. What'll you be buying? Battle of Giants: Dinosaurs Bratz Girlz Really Rock Cesar Millan's Dog Whisperer FIFA Soccer 09 Korg DS-10 Littlest Pet Shop: Garden Littlest Pet Shop: Jungle Littlest Pet Shop: Winter Lovely Lisa My Japanese Coach Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 Prey the Stars Rock Revolution Smart Girl's Party Game Tak: Mojo Mistake Ultimate Card Games
Hands & Vocals-on: Rock Revolution (DS)
We don't know what to make of Konami's DS version of Rock Revolution. The PS3/360 version is pretty easily summed up: it's Rock Band + a ridiculous drum - a functional GUI. While Rock Revolution screams "me too" on the home consoles, it's a rather innovative concept for Nintendo DS. Shouldn't that be commended?Perhaps, but the ambitious concept is marred by lackluster execution. Rock Revolution DS gives players different ways of playing for the drums, guitars and yes, vocals. For better or worse, Konami has opted not to include a Guitar Hero-esque peripheral with its game, relying exclusively on touch-screen controls for the guitar sections of the game. Unfortunately, this turns out to be a rather uninvolved process. Icons appear from the top left and right of the screen, with arrows pointing in the direction the player should swipe their stylus. That's it. Even in the more challenging difficulties, swiping the stylus up and down gets plain ol' tiresome after a while.The drums in Rock Revolution DS also mimic the console game's six-pad setup ... right down to the relentless difficulty. In this mode, color coded icons appear on the top screen, and players must hit the appropriate drum on the bottom screen. Unfortunately, this mode has inherited the console game's lackluster GUI, with an amateurish virtual drum design and illegible icons that make gameplay more difficult than it should be. The incredible disparity between easy and medium difficulties must also be noted: while the easy difficulty is borderline catatonic, the medium difficult sends a flurry of almost indecipherable notes that led us to near instant failure. Where's the middle ground? How will players make the transition from these wildly differing modes? %Gallery-32048%
BYOG: Konami not making Rock Revolution guitar, bring your own
Forced with making up for lost time in the battle for rhythm game supremacy, Konami is evidently taking the curious path of removing bullet points from the back of Rock Revolution's future box art. First, despite a corporate lineage that includes Karaoke Revolution, Konami axed the expected vocal portion, leaving just guitar and drum tracks. (Wouldn't want to cannibalize those Karaoke Revolution sales, would we?)Now, Konami has axed the axe, telling MTV that they'll only be offering the unwieldy drum kit in mid-November, about a month after the standalone game launches October 14th. The full peripheral lineup from the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games should work just fine with Rock Revolution but, something tells us Konami's going to have a tough time leading this revolution. Well, there's always a chance of a legal payday!
Konami: Rock Revolution still releasing this year, other drum sets work with our game
That is, if you live outside of Europe. Konami has told our cruel overlords at Joystiq that North American gamers need not worry, as Rock Revolution is "still on track for a fall 2008" release, despite rumors that say otherwise. They also detailed some stuff about drum compatibility.If you're playing Konami's title with another drum set, the game will automatically configure to that specific set. For example, when using the Rock Band drum set, the game will switch to four on-screen notes and five when using the Guitar Hero: World Tour set. Konami expects their drum set to be compatible with the competition via a patch after release.
Rock Revolution drum compatibility detailed; game 'on track' for '08
Konami has detailed how its seven-input drum set will be compatible with Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour's kits, which have four and five inputs, respectively. We've been informed that the game will "reconfigure" itself depending on the set being used with the game. For example, instead of seven lines of music, it will adjust to four when using the Rock Band 2 drums and five for GH:WT. The company expects its drums to be compatible with the competition's via a patch issued after launch.The company has also told us that reports of the game's delay to 2009 only applies to Europe. The game is "still on track for a fall 2008" release in North America. We're sure all the rhythm-game fanboys out there are breathing a sigh of relief ... right? Hello?
Rumor: Konami's Rock Revolution may occur in 2009
An associate producer for Konami's Rock Revolution confirmed that the game would be delayed until early 2009 during the company's Leipzig press conference, IGN reports. We've contacted Konami to find out if the representative meant that the title will be available for Europe in 2009 (this is a European press event after all), or if the game has actually been delayed from its original Fall '08 release in North America as well. We'll update as soon as we get the official skinny from Konami.[Via Wii Fanboy]
GC 2008: Rock Revolution late to the stage?
We may have to deal with the rock status quo for a while until the Revolution arrives. According to IGN, Niais Taylor, associate producer of Konami's Rock Revolution, provided an "early 2009" release window for the music game during a demo of the drum kit (which the Wii version does not use). However, there is a bit of potential confusion.If this unspecified release period is worldwide, or for the US, then the game has been delayed from its previous "2008" release. However, if this is the European release date -- which seems likely, since this information was presented at the Leipzig Games Convention -- then the European release, at least, is on track and we don't have any more information about the US release. But the possibility of a delay, we felt, was worth passing on.
Microsoft says Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour, and Rock Revolution instruments to be cross-compatible on 360 as well
It's sad that the petty bickering between Activision, Harmonix, and Konami required console makers to step up and ensure that gamers didn't end up with piles of redundant plastic instrument controllers, but things are starting to get better -- just as Sony did yesterday, Microsoft announced that it's requiring Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Revolution to be cross-compatible on the Xbox 360. The post on Redmond's Gamerscore blog isn't chock-full of details, but we'll commend Microsoft and Sony for getting involved to make sure that all the lawsuits and infighting don't adversely affect their customers -- now if they could only find a way to make those drumkits actually fit into a living room, we'd be all set.[Via Joystiq]
MS: Xbox 360 instruments from Rock Band 2, GH: World Tour and Rock Revolution will be cross-compatible
Clarifying its stance on rhythm game compatibility issues, Microsoft's Gamerscore Blog announced today that all the instruments for Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Revolution will be "cross-compatible" on Xbox 360.Sony announced yesterday that PlayStation 3 would feature full cross-compatibility among the three games as well. Guess that leaves only Nintendo to make it official.Update: The Instrument Compatibility Matrix has been updated[Thanks, Mike]
Joystiq's updates the Instrument Compatibility Matrix
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Guitar_Hero_Rock_Band_Instrument_Compatibility_Matrix_v3_0'; Now that Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Revolution are all headed our way, Xbox 360 gamers will soon be flooded with new instrument peripherals. This raises the question: which instruments will work with which games? Joystiq has stepped up to the proverbial plate and provided the answer: the Joystiq Instrument Compatibility Matrix 3.0. If you're planning to pick up any of these upcoming music games (and you really should be), consulting this handy chart is a must. It will be updated as new information is released, so be sure to bookmark it for the next time you've got a hankering for a new plastic instrument.
Rhythm game peripheral compatibility made simple
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Guitar_Hero_Rock_Band_Instrument_Compatibility_Matrix_v3_0'; With SCEA bringing word of cross-peripheral compatibility for PS3 rhythm games yesterday, consumers looking for that "one music set to rule them all" seems to be a reality drawing closer. However, making sense of the fickle plastic instruments jungle is still quite a daunting task and knowing where each individual peripheral fits into the mass is still a convoluted process. Making life easier on all of you, Joystiq have provided a simple to read chart which clearly illustrates compatible peripherals across all platforms -- behold the Instrument Compatibility Matrix, version 3.0. Color-coded and accompanied by lots of visuals, hunting for that perfect set to fit your needs couldn't be more convenient.
Joystiq's Instrument Compatibility Matrix, v3.0
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Guitar_Hero_Rock_Band_Instrument_Compatibility_Matrix_v3_0'; With Sony shedding some new light on the sea of plastic instrument compatibility nonsense, we thought it was time to update our compatibility charts for the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series, as well as newcomer Rock Revolution. Introducing the Instrument Compatibility Matrix, version 3.0. We'll keep updating this page as new information percolates out, hoping one day to fill in every square with a green "yes." Until that time, check out our chart skills.Update: Now with more green care of Microsoft's compatibility commitment.
