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Guitar Hero IV drum kit gets pictured, "cymbals" and all
Game Informer is at it once more: after securing the first snapshots of Rock Band's prototype drum set and microphone last summer, the gaming mag has now produced the first image of Guitar Hero IV's kit. Apparently designers wanted this one to resemble an actual electric kit a bit more than the one bundled with RB, most evidenced by the pair of "cymbals" perched atop the trio of circular pads. Upon banging on a "first-run prototype" in the Neversoft offices, Game Informer was fairly impressed with the layout, but we're still left to wonder if these will be compatible with Rock Band (or vice-versa). Another faux drum kit in the den and we'll be struggling to maintain sanity (and a functional relationship).[Via Joystiq]
Rock Band Wii drum kit pictured, nagging questions answered
click to enlarge Today's Rock Band for Wii announcement left us with some lingering questions. Here are Harmonix's answers [update: added answers to Mii support, 480p questions]:Will the Wii version of Rock Band include the Rock Band Store, and downloadable tracks?When developing Rock Band for the Wii platform, we focused on making the core gameplay experience as solid and enjoyable as possible while tailoring it specifically to the strengths of the platform. The Wii version still contains the robust four-player band experience and all the fun at the core of other versions of Rock Band. However, because the Wii's online capabilities and potential have yet to be fully realized, we wanted to wait before we explored online functionality for Rock Band to ensure that players get the high-quality of online performance they've come to expect.Will the Wii "bonus songs" be Wii-exclusive, or five songs included on the disc from the Rock Band DLC store?We'll announce the songs closer to launch. Stay tuned!Will the Wii version have missing or crippled features similar to the PS2 experience?
Hacker makes mini-sized Rock Band drums
Want to quiet down the extremely loud clackety-clack of the Rock Band drum kit? You could simply use a few circles of foam rubber, or, if you're like hacker David Yoon, you can create your own extremely cute miniaturized drum kit for quiet, pencil-stick, desktop drumming.The hack, which includes a foot pedal made from two sandwiched CDs, has the added bonus of being playable in an extremely enclosed space and/or by an extremely agile mouse. So if you have either of those things (and a bit of technical know-how), give it a go. If you have neither, well ... just enjoy the picture.[Via Engadget]
Complicated fix for overworked Rock Band drums
It's no secret that Rock Band hardware has experienced its fair share of failures, and while the kick pedal has caused the lion's share of grief on the drums, we're pretty sure at least some of you out there have thoroughly ruined those heads. If so, the similarly bummed folks over at Official Xbox Magazine have a possible solution. We'll be honest -- the "fix" described in the read link below isn't for the faint of heart, but if you're too impatient to take your problems up with Harmonix, find the smallest screwdriver you can and have at it.[Via MAKE]
Rock Band standalone drum kit now shipping in US and Canada
If you've been hankering after some Rock Band but hesitant to buy the full bundle because you've already got a couple Guitar Hero controllers lying around, or you've just beaten your existing drum kit to pieces, you're in luck -- Harmonix is now shipping the Rock Band Drum Kit to stores in the US and Canada, just a little bit later then we'd heard. The kit will retail for $80, which isn't all that bad -- especially considering the myriad alternate uses for the triggers once you get bored of playing "Maps" over and over again. Expect it to pop up soon in US stores, with a 2-8 week delay before it hits Canadian shelves.[Via Joystiq]
Rock Band hack turns game drums into real drums, won't improve your timing
It was only a matter of time before someone came up with this hack. Instead of dropping an arm and a leg on some high-falutin' Simmons rig, you can now utilize your Rock Band drum kit to bone up on your "In the Air Tonight" fills. A gentleman named Andrew Rudson has taken the kit out of the game, turned it into a proper instrument, and is calling it Drum Machine. Using a "hack" to get the set playing nice with Windows, Andrew has augmented the experience by creating a drum "brain" that lets you assign sounds to the pads, a slick 3D interface which allows you to watch an on-screen representation of your kit in action, and a record / playback component so that you can review and / or show off your killer performances. Check the video after the break to see what we mean, and then hit up Andrew's site for the software.[Thanks, Graham]
Turn real drums into a Rock Band drum controller
Just as it's impossible to look cool playing a big plastic guitar, it's pretty hard to be taken seriously as a "drummer" when tapping away on an electronic drum machine straight out of an '80s video. Luckily for those who care about looking cool, Otronicon has posted a set of pictorial instructions for turning a real, full size drum kit into a Rock Band-compatible drum controller.You might think that the real drum would be even worse than that clacky drum controller at drowning out the in-game drum line. Not to worry... just fill your drums with foam to quiet that natural drumming sound. So, to summarize, these instructions let you replace your fake drums with real drums that are working very hard to be fake drums. Just so we're clear.
Rock Band drums on your PC. Why?
An intrepid blogger at dxprog.com has discovered how to use the Rock Band drum kit with a Windows PC. The whole process seems pretty simple, and has been made even simpler thanks to an installer program (use at your own risk) created by the blogger in question. Essentially, the process just tricks the PC into thinking the drum kit is an Xbox controller.Unfortunately, there's nothing to be done with this fabulous bit of hacking yet. We suppose you could try using it to play a PC game, though we imagine such attempts would be less than successful (though possibly hilarious). We're sure someone will create a program just for the drums though (perhaps the successor to Frets on Fire?). For now, you'll have to entertain yourself by watching the numbers light up on the config screen.[Via Joystiq]
