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Rock Band 2 standalone instruments set to ship next week
Previously, the ship dates for Rock Band 2 instruments ranged from "sometime within the next few months" to "sometime." Now, however, we're hearing that the standalone wireless drums ($90) and guitar ($70) will begin to ship out next week (at least for the Xbox 360). Additionally, Mad Catz's Fender P-Bass wireless guitar controller ($70) and the wired ION Drum Rocker set ($300) should clutter up floor space around the same time. RB2 party to celebrate the Q3 close? Sign us up.
Konami wants music peripherals to be universally compatible
Rhythm game fans seem to be in a tough spot. It used to be that we could just buy whatever interested us, and that was that. Now, as new peripheral after new peripheral gets manufactured (of the same instruments), there's a problem: we're running out of space. Not all of us live in big, swanky mansions (or even small, cozy houses for that matter). Another problem? Money. Faux guitars and drum sets don't come cheap, so buying multiple game instruments isn't very economical.Konami feels our pain, which may end up being their pain if people start avoiding Rock Revolution. We think Konami might be in a lot of trouble, since Rock Band and Guitar Hero are already well-established in the gaming world. Rock Revolution is the new kid on the block, and if people already have closets full of peripherals and empty wallets, the game might suffer for it. Since Guitar Hero is currently the most owned of the bunch, Activision has no plans to make things any easier for its competitors. Harmonix, meanwhile, preaches universal instruments, but Rock Band's drum set might be too different from Rock Revolution's to even aim for compatibility. What do you think, though? Is there room for another multi-instrument rhythm game in today's market?[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
First Mad Catz Rock Band instruments next week (probably)
According to RockBandMods.net, the officially licensed Mad Catz Rock Band instruments -- announced ages ago -- will finally release next week. Apparently, the instruments were listed on Amazon at one point, but the listings have since been removed. The instruments listed are/were: Wired bass guitar -- Officially licensed Fender Precision bass replica with 'split strum bar' that allows for simultaneous up and down strumming. (June 22 - $69.99) Wired guitar -- Officially licensed Fender Telecaster guitar replica with programmable strum bar (programmable, as in 'cheating'?), 'quick response' fret buttons (release date not listed -- $79.99) Wired microphone -- Integrated d-pad and face buttons (!), lock/unlock button, 'high profile' pop stopper (supposedly out now, though not in stores yet -- $59.99) Portable drum kit -- Small, portable drum kit with quiet pads and foam tipped drumsticks. Custom drum pad covers available. It's not clear if this set is actually freestanding or it has to be set on top of something (July 15 - $49.99) Premium wired drums -- Full drum set designed after real electric drum sets. Features high hat (with foot pedal), crash cymbal and 'fully adjustable' drum heads with 'two axis motion' and the ability to reposition each drum head (August 1 - $149.99) We expect that most gamers will be most interested in the portable and premium drum kits. Unfortunately, there isn't an actual photograph of either product, so we're still in the dark about how exactly the portable drum set will work. Still, we can't help but be intrigued. It's also worth noting that all of the peripherals seem to be wired (although the portable drum kit doesn't specify wired or wireless). A wireless version of the bass is expected in September. Wireless versions of the other instruments remain in the dark (though we imagine there will eventually be a wireless version of the guitar).Anyone ready to open their wallets for one of these?[Thanks, eric e]
EA's CEO nonchalantly mentions "coming launch" of Rock Band for Wii
Finally got around to trading in that raincheck for your very own Wii? Good. Ready to pick up Rock Band? Believe it or not, we think we know that the aforementioned title is indeed headed to Nintendo's darling -- that's according to EA's CEO John Riccitiello, who was reportedly heard mentioning its "coming launch" on a recent conference call. Apparently, IGN even went the extra mile and pinged EA for additional confirmation (and got it), and while no details surrounding a release date, price or wicked new setlist were uncovered, at least you've got a few ticks to start scrounging up spare change.[Via Joystiq]
Rock Band instruments pursuing solo careers February 12th
In a bit of shocking news today, two members of the Rock Band instruments set (drums, guitar) have declared that come February 12th, they're going solo. Citing "creative differences," and the original bundled guitar's inability to "clean up its act," the two solo pieces will be on their own and available for $79.99 and $59.99, respectively. This should come as good tidings for players who've had trouble getting a bass into the mix (PlayStation 3 gamers), or those who've wanted to rock the drum vs. drum match-ups. No word on whether the microphone will join the fray and walk out on the trio, though rumor has it a number of labels are ready with offers.
Rock Band controllers priced and dated
While the foaming from the mouth may have subsided somewhat in the months since Rock Band's original release, we know that there's still a large number of you waiting for the instruments to finally become available individually. EA has today thrown you all a bone - but beware, it's a bit mouldy. The prices and dates for the guitar and drum controllers have finally been announced.The drums will be available from the 12th of February for $79.99 and the guitar from April 1st for $59.99. This makes the bundle pack a damn good deal. It also means you've got another two months of waiting until PS3 owners can play four player. Pretty unimpressive, if you ask us.
New MMOSG: Sociotown
A new MMOSG (that's Massively Multiplayer Online Social Game, which I don't recall seeing before, but sure, why not?) has sprung up, and it's called Sociotown. Now, not to knock something before it's even been released, but when I hear 'socio-' anything, I immediately think sociopath. And that's not the image you want to send across for a virtual world.Regardless, from looking at the latest footage, there are a few things I need to comment on. Won't you follow along with me? First of all, point-and-click movement is awkward. I've never liked it, despite the fun to be had in Diablo and Mythos, and prefer WASD movement. Second of all, the look of this world is similar to a lot of other similar social spaces, so no innovation there. Third, there is some interest in not being able to immediately see another person's name, forcing you to introduce yourself to him/her. Fourth, 'Socio dollars' is just more awkwardness -- why not SoBucks?
How would you change Rock Band?
There's only a select few titles that are really worth obsessing over for nearly half a year, but apparently, Rock Band is indeed a member of that upper echelon. After months of drooling over images of the game's accompanying hardware assortment, the star-studded title has finally landed on store shelves, and according to Electronic Arts, copies haven't been hanging around for long. In a report posted yesterday, EA noted that it moved "hundreds of thousands" of boxes over the Thanksgiving weekend, and judging by most every review we've seen, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. 'Course, with so much critical hardware packed in, it's not terribly surprising to hear that some early adopters found a few flaws, but it seems that EA has fessed up to the issues and is offering VIP treatment (read: immediate replacements) to those with jacked up axes. Now that you've had some time to work out those vocal cords, brush up on your drum rolls and mosh in your own living room, inquiring minds are dying to know how you would have done things differently. We've already given you a shot to vouch for your rhythm game of choice, but haters and posse members alike can feel free to step up to the proverbial microphone and voice your wishes. Would you have thrown in a Telecaster rather than a Strat? How about embedding an accelerometer in the microphone in order to accumulate kudos for mindless twirling? Totally bummed by the omission of a wildly flamboyant mic stand a la Steven Tyler? Whatever your beef, don't hold back on this one -- your All Access pass to remixing Rock Band has (un)officially been granted.
Texas Instruments' DaVinci chip brings high-def to a new low
Texas Instruments has launched their latest low-cost DaVinci MPEG-4 video encoder / decoder intended to bring high-def to a new product set. The $12 DM355 handles MPEG-4 and JPEG processing on an ARM9E CPU core with uber-low power consumption making it perfect for digital photo frames, IP video cameras, digital still cameras and even video baby monitors. If that's not enough, the chip is also equipped with additional coprocessors for resizing, histogram generation and an on-screen display. The low-cost chip of course has its limitations as it cannot encode and decode at the same time but it should work just fine for the stated on-way applications. Oh, and yes, a high-def baby monitor is a good investment even though the old one works fine.
Rock Band's microphone, prototype drum set unveiled
Hot on the heels of Rock Band's Stratocaster (which we've now learned will act as the guitar and bass) being unveiled, a scan from Game Informer has blessed us with shots of the game's (apparently) wireless microphone and drum set. The mic, which appears to be standard fare, could potential come bundled with the game, and it is even noted that Harmonix may support "other USB microphones as well." The real standout here, however, is the prototype drum set, which reportedly "won't change much" from the picture you see above. Notably, the game will also include a "real pair of wooden sticks," and those who have fallen head over heels for their current Guitar Hero II controller will appreciate the ability to use it with Rock Band. Click on through to see the page scan in its entirety.
Student co-develops head bangin' music maker
Nah, it's not quite a throwback to the 80s, but Zane Van Dusen has co-developed "a computer interface that tracks the movement of a user's head to allow them to produce electronic sounds and compose music on a virtual keyboard in both solo and ensemble settings." The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute senior worked with a team of musicians and programming gurus to create a device that would enable those with extremely limited mobility to still express their creativity through music, and aside the from therapeutic benefits, it also holds promise for expanding into a venue for verbal communication. Essentially, the user can line him or herself up with a camera, and as the head bobs, the software determines the new X and Y coordinates and "uses the information to play a note or trigger a sound." While it might not be quite as totally radical as the Guitar Zeros, it sure sounds more exciting than the Bacterial Orchestra.[Thanks, Amber]
Thingamagoop: the synth with personality
Meet Thingamagoop. Like regular analog synthesizers, this Bleep Labs creation emits all sorts of wild, far-out sounds, but unlike most other synths, its main oscillator is controlled by a photocell instead of the usual keyboard -- frequency is adjusted by turning the main knob, and the type of modulation is selected by toggling the device's, um, nipples. Okay, we're cool with non-traditional input methods, but why endow this $100 handmade model with such a creepy-looking face? "Because there are not nearly enough beeping, zapping, bixxerfouping, anthropomorphic synthesizer monsters in the world," according to the creators. How very true.[Via Music Thing]
Hello Kitty Stratocaster goes high-end
Oh Hello Kitty, you adorable little tease -- usually the items graced with your lovely visage are priced with the budget-conscious Japanese schoolgirl in mind, but frankly we're a bit surprised to see you endorsing a product that's going for an eye-popping $21,625. That's right, for the same cost as almost a hundred of those regular Kittycaster guitars, Sanrio and renowned retailer Mitsukoshi are offering a super-limited-edition Stratocaster from Fender that features an over-sized homage to the frisky feline on the pick-guard along with a blown-up version of her famous signature on the neck. Surprisingly, your twenty grand doesn't even seem to buy the usual gold-plated, jewel-encrusted gaudiness found on most products in this price range, but what you're really paying for here is exclusivity -- Mitsukosh apparently has one of the only three models that were manufactured. Sure, we love us some Hello Kitty, but for this kind of loot we'd rather buy a ticket to Japan and camp out in one of the Sanrio stores for a few weeks, using hundreds of plush Kitties as a mattress.
Blue Man Group's crazy musical instrument toys
We're no fans of over-enthusiastic men in face paint, but there's something very appealing about this, the first of the Blue Man Group's new toy range. They all rocking the same PVC tubing meets Apple G5 meets Fisher Price styling, and feature "new proximity sensor technology, pre-programmed songs [and] interchangeable instrument sounds" to "enable kids to mix and layer music with a simple wave of their hands." This is the 'Percussion Tubes' model; the little green drawer on the right is for your iPod, which can play out of the speakers so you can "jam along with your favourite tracks." There's also a keyboard version, and a more interesting sounding Drum Suit and Air Pole. Can't wait until the circuit benders get their hands on these, which they surely will, the Percussion Tubes being $69, and the Keyboard being $79 -- available in July.
