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Rock Band Wiikly: Blondie, All-American Rejects, Boston
Don't think of them as leftovers! Think of these Rock Band DLC oldies as freeze-dried goodies, ready to be served up for the Wii. We still don't see a pattern to how these track selections are being made, but we'll ask Harmonix.Individual Tracks (200 Wii points apiece) "Hanging on the Telephone" - Blondie "Dirty Little Secret" - All American Rejects "Hitch A Ride" - Boston "Peace Of Mind" - Boston "Smokin" - Boston "Something About You" - Boston Although "Rock Band Wiikly" could very well be with us until mid-2010, the "new" Rock Band Weekly tracks should become available for Wii sometime this month.[Thanks, Riley]
Rock Band Wiikly: Six more tracks, just what we needed
Another week, another bundle of Rock Band DLC oldies for the Wii, which according to the press release should be available now.Individual Tracks (200 Wii points apiece) "Attack" - 30 Seconds to Mars "Gimme Three Steps" - Lynrd Skynrd "Live Forever" - Oasis "Just What I needed" - The Cars "Siva" - Smashing Pumpkins "Tell Me Baby" - Red Hot Chili Peppers Fun fact: the Rock Band series has about 559 songs. At this point, Wii owners have access to 212 of them, leaving 347 songs to go. At 6 songs per week -- not counting any future DLC -- we should see Wii owners catch up to everyone else some time before mid-2010.
Rock Band Wii store adds 6 tracks, DLC schedule syncing in Feb.
Harmonix announced today that six DLC tracks, previously released on other Rock Band enabled consoles, are now available on the Wii's Rock Band music store.Individual songs (all tracks are 200 Wii Points/$2) "March of the Pigs" - Nine Inch Nails "The Collector" - Nine Inch Nails "Rockaway Beach" - Ramones "I Fought the Law" - Clash "Margaritaville" - Jimmy Buffett "Volcano" - Jimmy Buffett The developer plans to continue releasing packets of previously released DLC content on Wii every week until it's completely synced with the library on Xbox 360 and PS3. Furthermore, starting in February, new DLC should also become available to Wii owners. Those preparing to start a Rock Band Wii music library better pick up a solid 2GB SD card for storage... just not the "official" one, please.
Wii Rock Band music store launches
The Rock Band music store is now open for business on Wii. The store (Xbox 360 version pictured) launched today with 50 songs, including Rock Band 2's 20 free bonus tracks. Harmonix notes in the Rock Band forums that more DLC will be released in the coming weeks to "catch Wii users up with other systems."A list of the released tracks can be found after the break. The free tracks are in bold and the premium songs are 200 Wii Points ($2) each. Welcome to 2007, Wii.[Thanks, Graham M.]
PSA: Rock Band 2 SD card not required for Wii DLC
We're sure that most of our readers will already know this, but this is for our more casual audience. Rock Band DLC for the Wii is quite exciting, but let's be clear that nobody needs to buy the recently announced $13 Rock Band 2 SD card for it to work. The Wii should support any brand of SD card up to 2GB (beyond 2GB we get into murky tech territory).A quick search on Amazon finds that most 2GB SD cards can be purchased for under $10. For those who just can't live without the branding on this SD card (which you'll never see once it's inside the console), it'll be available this spring. Also, this PSA extends to those outrageously priced Wii-branded SD cards as well.
GHWT for Wii instruments compatible with Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 for the Wii looks to be doing so many things right, especially when compared to the original's more lackluster release. The best news we got from IGN's preview is that the game is compatible with all the instrument peripherals on the system to date -- Guitar Hero 3, GH World Tour and the original RB (natch). The Official Joystiq Instrument Compatibility Matrix has been updated.On a related note, we've heard your thoughts and suggestions for how we can make the ICM (as we affectionately call it) better, and we promise more update are on the way soon.
Rumor: Rock Band 2 pushed back to January?
You know how we were all expecting Rock Band 2 next month? Well, there's some fresh intel that says otherwise, stating that the game will not ship until January 5th, 2009. The source? The official site for Rock Band.In poking around the net, other retailer sites such as Amazon, Best Buy, Gamestop, and Walmart list the game as releasing around the 16th and 17th of next month. Is this merely a glitch in the official site for the game, or should we expect to get our rock on in 2009?[Thanks, Tony!]
USA Today: Wii's Rock Band 2 to feature DLC, online play
USA Today reports that the Wii version of Rock Band 2 will feature downloadable songs and online multiplayer. Up until this point, the available features for the game on the best-selling console have been nebulous. USA Today's original article stated that there would be no online functions, but has since been updated with new wording.We've contacted both MTV and Harmonix PR to confirm the information. Harmonix previously stated it would be difficult to have DLC on the Wii due to storage size and/or SD card retrieval issues.Update: A Harmonix rep has confirmed Rock Band 2 for Wii will have song DLC functionality like PS3 and Xbox 360from the online music store.
IGN's sticks-on impression of Rock Band Wii drums
Although we've seen a picture of the Rock Band Wii drum kit before, IGN has gotten its hands on the final retail product. Beyond the obvious Wii white color difference of the drum set, the site says that the drums come with the "upgraded" components currently packaged with the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.The upgrades include a strengthened kick pedal and "somewhat" softer drum pads. For people who bought one of the original copies of Rock Band, they would notice a thicker spring beneath the Wii drum's kick pedal. The site concludes there isn't much difference in the hardware, but the Wii version has no DLC song option. If you have the option of purchasing Rock Band for another console, it's probably best to do so.
Joystiq hands-on: Rock Band (Wii)
Rock Band is coming out on the Wii June 22, with the guitar-mic-drum-game bundle price of $179. You've played it on other systems. I played it on the Wii. My short impression: It's Rock Band on the Wii.Rock Band looks a little different on the Nintendo system. The controllers are all finished in white and mimic Nintendo's blue LED dots to mark the player order. Best of all, the guitar controllers are wireless ($60 alone). [Update: A couple comments have asked good questions about how the wireless gear connects. There's a USB hub and dongle with an RF transmitter. So the Wii Remotes aren't a factor except for the mic user.] And the white drums ($80 alone) and other hardware include behind-the-scenes revisions that weren't included in the original launch last fall. Harmonix mentioned that those changes, including a wider drum layout and sturdier parts, have been rolled out to the 360 and PS3 already.Rock Band Wii includes 63 songs, including a few "bonus" tracks that PS3 and 360 owners might have already downloaded, like "Roxanne". As already lamented, the Wii version doesn't offer online downloads or internet play, but game representatives indicated that those are important additions that they're pursuing. (Roughly $12-million worth of "important" and counting.) However, there are no specific plans to either add them to the Wii game or save them for a Rock Band 2.%Gallery-19082%
Rock Band Wii 'bonus songs' already released on 360/PS3
"Bonus" means different things to different people. Harmonix has revealed the Wii's additional Rock Band tracks, and they're a collection of songs you might have already downloaded on the 360 and PS3. There's nothing wrong with that, but why all the secrecy and hype? Here's the list of the five tracks that supplement the original roster: "Dirty Little Secret" - The All American Rejects "Don't Look Back in Anger" - Oasis "Roam" - The B-52's "Rockaway Beach" - The Ramones "Roxanne" - The Police
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?
Rock Band Wii 'Special Edition' on June 22, $170
Harmonix confirmed today that Rock Band for Wii will be released on June 22nd for $169.99. The so-called "Special Edition" bundle will include the game, drums, microphone and a wireless guitar. Standalone instruments will also be available for purchase on June 22nd. The Wii edition will feature 63 songs, including five unspecified "bonus" songs. We've asked Harmonix to answer some of your more burning questions -- we'll update this post when they do.Update: Check out Harmonix's answers to some of your most pressing questions ... also, first image of Wii drum kit!
