Rock Band

[LeadingMan]

A long time ago in a far away land there was a little company named Harmonix that created games called Guitar Hero. And it was good.

Then the big bad wolf came and ate up all the Guitar Heroes. And poor Harmonix went "Wee wee wee" all the way into MTV's loving arms. And they made a kickass new multiplayer rock game.

Taking their music game knowledge gained from greats like kareoke revolution, amplitutde and Guitar Hero 1 and 2, Harmonix has begun development on a little game known as Rock Band. In it, you and your buddies can join up online and fill in the parts of a Rock Band using fun periphrials that only make you look slightly like a dork.

Bring on the images:

Rock Band is being developed concurrently for the Xbox 360 and the PS3. Reportedly it will be able to use the Guitar Hero controller for the guitar and bass.

Here's a little bit of IGN's Q&A with the CEO of Harmonix.

GN: Will the game play in a similar way to Guitar Hero - e.g. the notes scrolling down the screen indicating when to strum along? Or will each instrument play differently?

Alex Rigopulos: Unfortunately I can't comment in any detail yet on the Rock Band gameplay or user interface. However, what I can say is that each instrument absolutely has its own design needs, which is something we've naturally had to take into careful account when crafting the gameplay and interfaces for the different instruments. As you know, Harmonix has been developing music games for many years: first Frequency and Amplitude, then Karaoke Revolution, then Guitar Hero. With Rock Band, we've been able to apply all of that prior experience to create a new integrated game design and interface that we're pretty proud of.

IGN: If you're playing the game by yourself, how do the other three parts work?

Alex Rigopulos: If you're playing solo, the rest of your band is on auto-pilot.

IGN: Will you need to play all four parts to unlock everything or could you, for example, just play bass and get everything there is in the game?

Alex Rigopulos: Any one instrument will get you to all of the music and most of the other assets you can achieve in the game. There are a few "special rewards" per instrument, though.

IGN: What genres of music are you targeting for Rock Band?

Alex Rigopulos: The game will include a broad spectrum of rock, everything from classic to modern, punk, metal, alternative, Southern rock, you name it. We've also secured a lot of original multi-track master recordings. Being able to listen to these has been incredible.

Curious? Read more here.

Anyways, what do ya'll think?

Personally I'm far more excited for this than GH3. Which is saying a lot since GH3 looks rad. :awesome:

[Natsu]

oh well looks like I won't be playing this since I don't have either a 360 or PS3.. so I'm out.

[Ceraziefish]

It looks pretty cool, but who knows.

[Galkar]

Hopefully they won't skimp out on the difficulty like GHII *sulk*. If it really is compatible with the GH controllers I'll probably end up buying it.

[J-Stop]

Isn't this going to retail for $200?

I'm interested in it, but if they're forcing people to buy it only with everything instead of a stand-alone game, or say, the game with one peripheral for $60-$80, then count me out until a heavy price drop happens.

[The Lone Magician]

I must force my friend to buy this.

[Belial]

I wish I knew someone who owned a 360 or a PS3 and would be willing to take donations to the "Rock Band Fund".

[LeadingMan]

- One disk with 4 separate campaigns. Guitar, Drum, Bass and Vocal. Each can be played on its own from start to finish, in addition, a full band game is designed to allow for one huge co-op playthrough.

- Will feature full support for four player online play on both 360 and PS3. Any combination of on/offline play will work and each player can pick their own difficulty setting.

- Flexible community system will allow you to find bandmates anywhere in the world

- There will be a way for you to share your band's triumphs with the world, but the details are still under wraps.

- Musical fret-boards are now transparent so you can see more of the background visuals. Guitar is on the left side of the screen, Bass on the right and drums down the middle. Vocals scroll from right to left along the top of the screen.

- Guitars and Bass now have 10 frets. 5 for the regular sections of the game and 5 for the newly designated solo sections.

- Whammy bar is back as is the tilt to activate rock band's version of star power

- there is a five way switch on the guitar that allows for 5 different self-applied effects to the sound.

- Singing is now more in depth. There is a phoneme detector that will pick up individual vowels and consonants you say. Build up enough highly judged phrases and you'll be able to sing free-form. If you do well enough in free-form, then you'll trigger the vocalist's version of star power.

- Microphone doubles as a tambourine on many songs to combat super long guitar solos where the singer doesn't have much to do.

- Drums are apparently insane. You use actual sticks and hit one of four colored pads in front of you, in addition to a kick pedal attached to the drumming unit. Drummers will also have the ability to do fills etc. in their own little free-form section, do well and you'll trigger the drummers version of star power.

- If one person fails, the whole band does not fail, their section simply turns gray and they have to sit out the rest of the song unless one your band mates initiates star power, which will bring you back into the fold.

- If all bandmates can reach the end of a song, you'll be greeted with one huge free-form jam session.

- There will be a character creation system, and you can create multiple avatars that play different instruments.

- Four themed clothing stores in addition to licensed guitars and pedals and other rock paraphernalia.

- A full set of mo-cap stage movements have been added for each instrument. You can decide whether your vocalist moves like Axel Rose, or stands his ground like Clapton.

- 40 performance venues planned

- All peripherals will be unique to each platform. This isn't the developer's decision. Apparently MS peripherals require special circuit boards.

- You'll be able to craft your own band logo

- The HUD in the screens isn't final but is a good indication of what you can expect

- 4 songs announced in the article, not sure if this is new or old but whatever.

Weezer - Say It Ain't So - Original Master Track

Black Sabbath - Paranoid - Original Master Track

The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again - Original Master Track

Nirvana - In Bloom - Original Master Track

INSTRUMENT DESCRIPTIONS

Sorry I can't post photos so my descriptions will have to suffice

Guitars/Bass

Guitars are an exact 3/4 replica of a Fender Strat.

Xplorer guitars will work for 360 owners, but you may not be able to pass on all the new stuff this model has.

Five familiar buttons near the top of the neck, five buttons near the body of the guitar. You will use these new buttons during specially designed solo sections using ONLY hammer ons and pull offs, no having to worry about your strum bar. Signature Fender 5-way switch has been added. By shopping at the in game store you'll be able to purchase several virtual effects pedals such as Flange, Wah, Chorus and Echo. These can be applied during your song by setting the 5 way switch to the desired effect.

Microphone

There will eventually be a Rock Band branded Mic

Other USB mics will be supported, but Harmonix will probably NOT allow the use of the 360 headset due to its low fidelity. Mics will be usable as tambourines during certain songs.

That's all for mics!

DRUMS

The picture of the drum peripheral in the mag is not final.

It consists of four pads, a kick pedal and legs for the enire unit to stand on. Think of it as a TV dinner tray stand only cooler

Leftmost pad (red) is your snare drum, everything else doubles as toms and cymbals depending on the song.

A set of real wooden drum sticks will ship with the unit.

A piece of the stand can be taken off so that the unit can sit lower, or on a coffee table.

There is a kick pedal

If you play drums in this game on hard or expert, then you're really playing the drums. Apparently you could sit down at a real set and play the same songs.

[Cleese]

My god, this game,

it

has

everything.

[The Lone Magician]

Why does the best game in the universe NOT come out for my system, God?! WHY THE F*** NOT?!

[Galkar]

- Guitars and Bass now have 10 frets. 5 for the regular sections of the game and 5 for the newly designated solo sections.

- there is a five way switch on the guitar that allows for 5 different self-applied effects to the sound.

- If one person fails, the whole band does not fail, their section simply turns gray and they have to sit out the rest of the song unless one your band mates initiates star power, which will bring you back into the fold.

- If all bandmates can reach the end of a song, you'll be greeted with one huge free-form jam session.

- A full set of mo-cap stage movements have been added for each instrument. You can decide whether your vocalist moves like Axel Rose, or stands his ground like Clapton.

My god.

I don't want to have to spend that much money on one game, I really don't, but it's looking like I might have to.

[LeadingMan]

They honestly haven't announced the price. I wouldn't expect it to cost much more than Guitar Hero being that they aren't packaging all the equipment together.

[Galkar]

They honestly haven't announced the price. I wouldn't expect it to cost much more than Guitar Hero being that they aren't packaging all the equipment together.

Yeah, but if I get the game I have to get the drums and mic.

[Makil]

Guitars are an exact 3/4 replica of a Fender Strat.

Ugh how basic and boring.

I still want the game though. Holy shit.

[Galkar]

Even if they're sort of generic strats still look cool.

Plus then I can pretend I'm playing my actual guitar.

[Tanni Foemangler]

ho-lee shit. i WILL be convincing my roommate to buy this game

[Ceraziefish]

So far the drumming part seems to be the coolest.

I really have a feeling that guitar and bass are going to be less interesting to me.

Still, with all the work it would take to get a band good at this game... You might as well start a real band. That's how I feel, anyway.

[The Lone Magician]

So far the drumming part seems to be the coolest.

I really have a feeling that guitar and bass are going to be less interesting to me.

Still, with all the work it would take to get a band good at this game... You might as well start a real band. That's how I feel, anyway.

Speaking of which...

http://www.theguitarzeros.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9e56cxCduo

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vbpZBQ7jXgI

[Galkar]

At least that guy knows how to play a real guitar. And using a binary system to increase the range of pitches was a really good idea.

Also that bassist looked like he had no idea what he was doing.

[LeadingMan]

Strat revealed. zOMG

[ROCKSTEADY]

this is getting a little ridiculous.

Play REAL instruments. I guarantee it will be infinitely more fun and worth your while.

[LeadingMan]

this is getting a little ridiculous.

Play REAL instruments. I guarantee it will be infinitely more fun and worth your while.

Yes, because that's what I'm looking for. I'm looking to spend $700 bucks on a guitar and an amplifier, and then once I've got it! Well... shit. I have no idea how to play. Time for lessons and countless hours so I can be mediocre at an instrument and start a shitty band that goes nowhere except our local skeezy bar and only continues to perpetuate the dilluson that "someday I'm gonna make it."

Or I could pay 80-100 bucks and play a videogame that I enjoy, which coincidentally plays nothing like a real guitar.

They don't correleate, so please hop off your soapbox. Part of me wonders if you're in the "don't play first person shooters, join the army" group.

Edit: That came off way angrier than I intended really, but I'm getting sick of people making these statements. Real instruments and playing a simple rythm game are nothing alike. You don't see dance afficionados freaking out when people buy DDR with a pad.

Also, that whole scenario I detailed out is even worse if you wanna play the drums.

[Natsu]

shit I may need to get a system to play this.

[Cleese]

Whens this out? I can't wait anymore.

[Adam]

I was set on GH3 but after seeing those 4 songs and the gameplay screens, I'm sold to both of them, but more so Rock Band.