RockBand
Latest
GHII X-plorer plays nice with Rock Band
For those about to rock that just plunked down $90 for Guitar Hero II, we have some good news. On the official Rock Band website, a Harmonix developer by the name of Jason Booth has confirmed that older Guitar Hero guitars will work with the upcoming title. We assume he's referring to the Xbox 360 X-plorer guitar, as the PS2 guitars are essentially incompatible with the PS3.The politics of this announcement are interesting, as the next iteration of Guitar Hero will be developed by Neversoft instead of Harmonix. Harmonix, meanwhile, is working with MTV and Electronic arts on Rock Band. If Harmonix owns the rights to the Guitar Hero controller, it could mean Neversoft will have to develop a completely new one for Guitar Hero III. Throw in RedOctane's (and thus Activision's) legal battle with The Ant Commandos and it gets even more confusing.Granted, GHIII is still a ways off, but we don't relish the idea of dishing out gargantuan sums of money every time a new music game hits.Here's hoping the X-plorer will be compatible across the board.[Via TeamXbox]
Rock Band wireless guitar on GameStop.com
As a general rule, GameStop is perfect for coming up with good video game rumors. In fact, it's practically a rumor generator. That said, this particular product listing is very interesting. Just yesterday, it was announced that Harmonix was working with MTV and Electronic Arts to create Rock Band (think Guitar Hero with a full band). Now we see this listing on GameStop for a wireless guitar controller ($80? Ouch). We have no way of knowing if the controller would be specifically for Rock Band, but we would certainly hope not, considering Guitar Hero II has yet to be blessed with such a peripheral for the Xbox 360. The listing has a ship date of November 1st of this year. Do we really have to wait that long to get some wireless guitar action?And that's when the GameStop rumor train comes full circle, as apparently you can already buy 360 wireless guitars used (they're even back ordered). We'll just have to wait and see how accurate the Rock Band guitar listing turns out to be. Keep your fingers crossed.[Thanks, Shafnitz]
Harmonix introduces "Rock Band" to the world
Harmonix, the legendary minds behind the legendary Guitar Hero titles, have introduced to us the latest idea from their rockin' minds: Rock Band. Along with MTV, Harmonix and Electronic Arts are all gathering their creative forces to create a four-person rock experience, complete with guitar, bass, drums and a microphone for a lead singer. Of course, if you're feeling especially talented, you could be a three-piece band if you can sing and strum simultaneously.Coming to both the PS3 and 360 this coming holiday season (right around Christmas, we'd imagine), there is going to be a wealth of online features to make this game worth the price, even if you've no friends willing to play with you (ahem). Teaming up with musicians across the country and downloading songs... sounds amazing, doesn't it?There's so much coming for this game and hopes are running very, very high. Having been dreamt of for years by gamers and developers alike, the advent of online distribution for games, music, and online features... we can only imagine the badassery this game will provide us. Go ahead and check out the huge preview over at IGN and let us know what you think of this fantastic idea. Not that we're leading you on by calling it a "fantastic" idea or anything...
Harmonix announces Rock Band
Apart from the lucky few that have received their pre-orders early, 360 owners have yet to get their mitts on Guitar Hero II. It may come as a surprise then, that Harmonix, developer of the GH series, has announced its next project, Rock Band. Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. According to USA Today, players will interact with one of four different devices this time: guitar, bass, drums, or microphone. Not only that, but the game will support online play, allowing different "members" of the band to play with one another across unfathomable distances. What is more, thanks to Harmonix's new owner, MTV, you can expect more original recordings and fewer cover bands this time around. The game will be published by EA and should debut by the end of the year.While we love us some Guitar Hero, we do have our questions. First of all, given the absolute timing necessary for a game of this nature, we have to wonder about the quality of online play. Second, if you manage to get your whole band into one room, you'd best hope you have one huge television. We're not sure the gang will love the idea of squinting the night away as they try to decipher the correct set of rapidly moving colors. And, of course, what happens if you and your friends reach some "creative differences?" What if you have to audition a new drummer? Drummers come and go, you know.Still, the concept is grand, and we can only hope that Harmonix pulls it off. In the meantime, we've got some practicing to do.[Via Joystiq]
USA Today: Harmonix announces Rock Band for Xbox 360, PS3
Bidding farewell to the solo gig and the lone Guitar Hero, Harmonix has revealed its next game to be a monstrous multiplayer musical mash-up. USA Today reports that Rock Band will simultaneously support four peripherals -- two guitars (one bass, one lead), a drum kit and a microphone. You'd expect things to get cramped with all those blaring devices and gyrating gamers, but we assure you, the world's wide stage is more than accommodating. Arriving on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 just in time for the holidays, Rock Band will allow you to jam with friends both in person and online. "You could have one guitarist in Germany and another one in Texas, a drummer in New York and a singer from somewhere else, and they can play together online," says EA's unshaken David DeMartini. The article notes that while EA is publishing the game, creative and financial support is provided by new Harmonix owner, MTV. As a result, the game's licensed tunes are expected to come from the original artists. "We'll be covering a great breadth, from metal to classic rock to Southern rock to everything in between," assures Harmonix co-founder, Alex Rigopulos. Once the game arrives, it is likely that more songs will be made available for purchase and download online. With Guitar Hero II arriving on the Xbox 360 tomorrow (6 April in Europe) and Rock Band slated for the end of the year, how long until exhausted gamer bodies hit the flo?[Update: The official press release reveals the list of music labels contributing master recordings: EMI Music, Hollywood Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group's Universal Music Enterprises and Warner Music Group's Rhino Entertainment.]See also: Guitar Hero Effects Pedal confirmed in 360 instructions[Thanks, FranX]
