LoungeNet

benvis

I was out of town this weekend for a friend's wedding. I was wiped out at the hotel at one point and happened to flip through some channels and saw and advertisement saying that the wii version of rock band was coming out on June 22nd. That's today!

I had played some rock band at Luke's on his 360, and I really enjoyed it. On the way back from the wedding (in the central valley, outside in 110 degree weather, if you're wondering) I stopped in a Best Buy and picked it up.

You can imagine my disappointment when I realized that instead of being like the 360 version of the game, it's pretty much exactly the PS2 version of the game.

No world tour, no character customization. No mention of online play. Bah. I mean, it's still a fun game, but instead of the rock band experience, I feel like I'm getting guitar (+drums +mic) hero.

Of course, I should have checked online to see what was and what was not different from the 360 version. I dunno, I guess I expected them to put a "Warning: Contents Gimped" label on the box or something. It looks like Best Buy won't accept a return if I decide I don't want to keep it.

The choice, then, is to keep it, or try to unload the Wii version on Craigslist and go buy myself a 360 and the 360 version of rock band. Given what you all have experience of Rock Band, is the career mode a make it or break it proposition?
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doug

If you have someone to play with, Band World Tour is great fun. If it's going to be mostly you alone, the solo game consists of working your way up the difficulty list, and is not too different from a long quick-play session.

That said, the Wii/PS2 versions are gimped in other ways, and I personally wouldn't bother with either of them. No downloadable content is the big thing, they have a good selection of downloads. You can look at what's available before dropping the cash. You also can't create your own character, which is pretty fun. If there's other games you're wanting to get with the 360, I would go ahead and start down that road.

I have the PS3 version (because there were other PS3 games I wanted) and they're basically the same except you can do voice chat in the 360 version. The "Home" release for PS3 should add that functionality so they'll be nearly identical.

Karzon

They will be releasing expansion discs for the PS2 and Wii (i.e. collections of downloadable content from the other systems). I personally think the character customization, and being able to use that character online, it one of the cooler features. If only they had been able to include the World Tour Online mode.
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Why am I talking when there is Science to do on the people who are still alive?

doug

The collections won't include everything, though, so you end up getting stuff you don't want, and not getting stuff you do want.

Luke

Personally, I do think that the additional features of the XBox 360 / PS3 versions of the game are sufficient to recommend those over the Wii / PS2 versions. If there are already several 360 / PS3 games that you want to play, you might as well pick one of those consoles up and commence the rocking.
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"Countrymen, I say to ya, beware Canadia." MC Frontalot, "Canadia", Final Boss

asullivan

Yeah I'm totally planning on getting the PS3 in the next 6 months. I'm really looking forward to Rockband using wireless controllers, Metal Gear 4, and FFXIII. Plus the Blue Ray player might be interesting to look at. Then again I would need an HD TV first... Ah so many ways to spend my hard earned money.

A.
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♪I've got Soul, But I'm not a Soldier, ♪

The Killers "All These Things That I Have Done"

zarquan

Looks like Rock Band 2 is coming out later this year (September for 360, later for others). Info here. The good news is that all your downloaded songs will work with RB2. The interesting thing is that downloaded RB2 songs will work with the original RB. Also, in the interview, they seem to hint that Band World Tour will work online this time, though they will neither confirm nor deny it.

So, if you don't have RB yet (or you have the Wii RB Very Happy

), you may want to wait until RB2 comes out, since you will have access to all the downloadable songs that are out now.
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It is my firm belief that it is a mistake to hold firm beliefs.

asullivan

Ooo!

A.
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♪I've got Soul, But I'm not a Soldier, ♪

The Killers "All These Things That I Have Done"

doug

Oh man so awesome http://i334.photobucket.com/albums/m409/cb_Dew/Rock%20Band%202%20-%20GI/page7.jpg

(From http://rockband.scorehero.com/forum/topic-11340.php)

asullivan

Whoa! and I thought that drumming was hard with only four drum pads. That will make it really flexible in how you drum.

Now will they come out with a more realistic guitar?

A.
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♪I've got Soul, But I'm not a Soldier, ♪

The Killers "All These Things That I Have Done"

doug

http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/07/rock-band-round.html

They're also going to take a limited number of real Strats and convert them to controllers for a special edition of some sort.

True Mike

Argyle

zarquan

The Rock Band 2 song list is announced. 84 songs on disk, plus 20 bonus free downloads at release. All original master recordings. Looks pretty sweet.
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It is my firm belief that it is a mistake to hold firm beliefs.

Argyle

Heh. Survivor.

Back in high school, one of the local radio stations had a parody bumper of the old Folger's Crystals coffee ads, where they swapped some listener's normal awesome rock for a Survivor tune. Predictably, the listener yells, "What is this Survivor crap?"

From that moment forward, "Survivor?!" was a drop-in substitute for "What the hell?"
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