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LotRO musicians prepare for Weatherstock 2011
With summer almost upon us, the fair free folk of Middle-earth are gearing up for the largest player-organized in-game event of the year: Weatherstock 2011! Lord of the Rings Online adventurers from around the world will flock to the summit of Weathertop in the Lone-lands on the Landroval server to hear nine excellent outfits perform in an epic Battle of the Bands. A Casual Stroll to Mordor has all of the essential details for this event, which runs from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 18th. Among those contributing to the concert are The Green Hill Music Society, The Breakfast Club, and The Blackheart Pirates. Each band will perform a trio of songs (plus a possible encore) in an effort to take home one of three awards. Weatherstock is made possible by LotRO's unique music system, which allows players to compose and perform songs with a variety of instruments. This is always a fun event, and the LotRO Lorebook has additional information for those attending (hint: turn off names!). Mark this on your calendar so that you don't miss the excellent tunes!
Weatherstock '10 takes the stage in LotRO this Saturday
You know how your hippie relatives are forever bragging about how they went to Woodstock during the Summer of Free Love, and how your generation will never experience something that historical and muddy? Well, now you can get all up in their faces and say, "Yeah, but were you at Weatherstock in Lord of the Rings Online, dealing with lag and hobbits underfoot? I thought not!" Weatherstock has become a tradition on the US Landroval server, a yearly gathering of bands and music lovers at the summit of Weathertop (aka Amon Sul) in the Lone-lands. Where once Frodo and Aragorn fought off the Nazgûl, these grounds now will be covered in song and spirits. Organized by the Lonely Mountain Band kinship, Weatherstock will feature three hours of music as 10 bands face off to win prizes. However, only one group will be chosen by the crowd and declared the best. The player-run event is very organized, with "Freakout Zones" and cheap goodies available. If you play on another server and want to check Weatherstock out, lowbie characters will be protected by event security, who are tasked with beating down enemy mobs on the road to the summit. You can surf the crowd at Weatherstock on Saturday, June 12th, 7pm EST on the Landroval server.
Beatles: Rock Band bests Guitar Hero 5 in U.S. Sept. sales
The Beatles: Rock Band's initial U.S. tour at retail has proven boast-worthy for its promoters. Following two promising platform appearances in NPD's top 10 software sales chart for September, MTV Games and Harmonix have declared B:RB "the top selling music video game in the U.S. for September." The Beatles–only game (released September 9) outsold Guitar Hero 5 (released September 1) with 595,000 units to 499,000 units in total U.S. sales for the month, according to a statement released by the NPD*. Additionally, charity-driven purchases of the "All You Need Is Love" DLC track exceeded 100,000 downloads on Xbox 360 in September.The makers of B:RB have also rubbed in a few seemingly noteworthy facts; namely, (1) U.S. purchases of GH5 in September were eligible for a free mail-away copy of Guitar Hero: Van Halen, and (2) GH5 is available on one additional platform, PS2. Of course, Van Halen isn't exactly the American equivalent of The Beatles, and the PS2 is no longer the dominant platform to stage one's acts upon. Still, despite the staggering odds stacked against its success, B:RB managed to capture the mindshare of U.S. gamers. (And we all know that Americans like to speak their minds with their monies.)The sales de-feat must feel good for MTV Games and Harmonix -- what with B:RB being burned in the sales competition with GH5 by the kingdom that birthed the band (see: Chart-Track UK September sales rankings posted after the break). What was it? Right: Guitar Hero 5 supposedly outsold The Beatles: Rock Band "2-to-1 in the UK." So, score a victory for B:RB in the battle of the bands fought in U.S. retail last month. But let's not forget there's a bigger, "World War of Rock" being waged, as well. And our wallets are the oft-unreported collateral damage.
And our latest contest winner is ...
Well, our latest giveaway has come to a close and it's about time we chose the winner. The winner of our prize pack is none other than: kurisuchanrin, who will likely share this prize pack with his wife Congrats to our winners and better luck next time to all of you. Keep your eyes on Wii Fanboy. We'll be starting up another giveaway soon.
Thankswagging: Holiday prize pack up for grabs
We've got a special giveaway lined up for you this week. We're calling it Thankswagging, bundling together a bunch of items for one lucky reader as a thanks for, well ... just being you! We appreciate you guys (and gals!) stopping by every day to read us and make our cold, dark corner of the internet a little brighter. So, we're running this giveaway starting today and ending Sunday, November 30th at 11:59pm ET. The winner will be selected the following day via random drawing. To enter, simply tell us what you're thankful for this year. It can be gaming related or not. Just tell us what you're thankful for.One lucky reader will walk away with a Psyclone Touchcharge Kit ($70), along with a copy of Heavenly Guardian ($20), Summer Sports: Paradise Island ($20), and Battle of the Bands ($20). Of course, we've got a couple of rules. For one, you have to be at least 18 years of age and a current and legal resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec) and you may enter once per day. Also, before entering, read the official rules right here.Best of luck to you all and thanks for reading!
Wii Fanboy Review: Battle of the Bands
While the current reigning music games, Rock Band and Guitar Hero, contain some great music, they're really defined by their controllers. People bought Guitar Hero because of its gimmicky guitar controller -- many purchasers no doubt didn't even know or care what music was included. Rock Band's big draw was its drum kit and the simultaneous band gameplay that comes with the combination of all the instrument controllers. As the Guitar Hero series (and Rock Band) grew in popularity, the music became more important, but the experience of simulating instruments remains more important than what the songs are for most casual players.Battle of the Bands, like the earliest music games, doesn't rely on a gimmick controller, except, of course, for the one that comes standard with the Wii system. Its true gimmick, and the feature that defines the game, is its music. Planet Moon and THQ can proudly claim some of the most interesting and entertaining music in the genre. The gameplay diverges from the usual rhythm game fare as well.%Gallery-16095%
Widget of the Bands
We might not be getting Wii game demos any time soon, but if you want to sample the rhythm game Battle of the Bands, you can try out a widget that simulates THQ's recently released Wii software. Of course, we'd have to hope that the Wii game controls much, much better than this keyboard-utilizing demo, but it still gives you a general idea of Battle's basics.Essentially, you have to hit the notes in rhythm with the 1, 2, and 3 buttons (or use the mouse), depending on where the note lies on the strip. Each time you hit a certain amount of notes correctly, you'll launch a weapon at the opposing player. You can change weapons as well, but the more powerful the attack, the more notes you'll have to hit to activate it. All in all, it's nothing more than a way to kill a few minutes on the internet, but it's still the closest you can come to experiencing Battle of the Bands without trying the real thing. This widget is also a good way to give you an idea of the changing styles of music in the game, so it's really worth a look if you're interested in the title -- just don't expect to have an easy time with the keyboard controls. Gallery: Battle of the Bands [Via GamerTell]
WRUP: Rockin' out edition
For us, the only title of interest in this week's releases is Battle of the Bands. We'll admit that we enjoy the rhythm-based games quite a bit, so naturally it appeals to us. Of course, what with us being bloggers and all, we probably won't get a chance to play it until Nintendo's next console is released.That isn't the case for you all, we're sure, who have time to play games and read gaming blogs on the internet (thanks!). What will you be playing this weekend? Picking up anything new?%Gallery-16095%
Wii releases for the week of April 21st
Well, if you're looking for your musical fix and don't want to spend a ton of money on Rock Band when it releases, then perhaps Battle of the Bands is for you. There's also two other titles up for grabs (one of which we're reviewing right now).This week's retail releases are: Battle of the Bands Heavenly Guardian Wild Earth: African Safari So who's excited for what?
Joystiq impressions: Battle of the Bands (Wii)
THQ's under-the-radar Wii game, Battle of the Bands is coming out this month. I recently saw the game in action, and I finally have a grasp on its concept. Thankfully renamed from Band Mashups, Battle of the Bands pits two gamers against each other in a Wiimote-only rhythm competition. As Guitar Hero-style commands float by, players flick the controller down, left, right, or shake it with the beat.A successful string of hits activates the "battle," firing shots at the enemy band. An aptly timed B-button blocks those volleys. This attack-and-defend mechanic controls the tug-of-war between the two players; when one is leading, the shared song plays in their chosen genre, flipping between hip-hop/funk, rock, country, marching band, and latin. The game's 30 different songs all have these versions, so you could hear "Whoomp! (There it is)" as country or "Man of Constant Sorrow" in hip-hop.The game is heavily tuned for two players, although single-player options are included. I think it'll make a good party game in limited doses, and unfortunately, it's another Wii game that should be online but isn't.%Gallery-15552%
Battle of the Bands trailer feels good
We didn't even realize what vaguely familiar song was being mashed up in this Battle of the Bands trailer for a minute -- it sounded cool, and it was exciting, and it seemed like the kind of thing we would enjoy playing in a rhythm game. Then the "Latin" version kicked in and we figured it out -- it's Gorillaz' "Feel Good Inc."! Hearing our favorite songs in so many different styles is going to be novel for a long time.As for the actual gameplay, we aren't quite sure how the waving-based control scheme will hold up. We hope it works as well as the musical concept of the game.%Gallery-16095%[Via GamesPress]
Battle of the Band Archetypes
We aren't entirely certain about the actual back-and-forth-waggling mechanics of Battle of the Bands (formerly Band Mashups). But we are quite certain that we enjoy the over-the-top band graphics. THQ and Planet Moon want to make damn sure that you know which musical style your band represents. A "rock" band could look like anything, from guys in suits and identical haircuts to people who look like they just got out of class, but Planet Moon went super-goth. Not only was this guy probably just listening to "Bela Lugosi's Dead," he appears to be dead himself. The styles are also reflected in the gameplay tracks. %Gallery-16095%
Band Mashups possibly gets a title mashup
Gamefly is listing an upcoming Wii game from THQ called Battle of the Bands. Since THQ's Band Mashups is a game about ... battles of bands, we're guessing that this is an alternate title for the same product. Further evidence of this theory: the page links to Gamespot's and IGN's galleries of Band Mashups. The final, conclusive piece of evidence: THQ's own website. But is this an older title or a newer one? Did it change from Battle of the Bands or to Battle of the Bands?As for which title is better, we're of two minds. Band Mashups is more clever, and accurately describes the major gimmick of the game, but Battle of the Bands is familiar and even iconic. %Gallery-16095%[Via GoNintendo]
