I'm not allowed to say more yet...

[SackAttack]

...and even this may be too much, but Rock Band is absolutely going to DESTROY Guitar Hero.

I'm in absolute awe.

That is all.

[SirFozzie]

You know, I'm now going to steal your brain and squeeze the knowledge of it out, right?

[Karlifornia]

...and even this may be too much, but Rock Band is absolutely going to DESTROY Guitar Hero.

I'm in absolute awe.

That is all.

I remember hearing shit like this about what turned out to be the Segway.

[SackAttack]

I remember hearing shit like this about what turned out to be the Segway.

Believe or doubt. The choice is yours.

[MikeVic]

What's Rock Band? That 360 music game where people play over XBox Live and make a full band (sing, guitar, drums)?

Tell more please!!

[SackAttack]

What's Rock Band? That 360 music game where people play over XBox Live and make a full band (sing, guitar, drums)?

360/PS3, yes.

I'm under embargo until next month, so I'm really not allowed to say more than I have about it. My initial comments will have to do until then. :(

[Butter]

Good thing you started the thread then.

[MikeVic]

360/PS3, yes.

I'm under embargo until next month, so I'm really not allowed to say more than I have about it. My initial comments will have to do until then. :(

Damnit! I lost access to a PS2, but recently borrowed one from a friend that has GH 1. I was going to buy a PS2 for GH 1, 2, and eventually 80s... then contemplated a 360 for GH 2, and eventually 3. But I have a Wii, and apparently GH 3 will be out for that... so I was confused about what to do before. But now with 360/PS3 getting a potentially better music game... well, I guess it's a good problem to have. :)

[Ksyrup]

You could just read this thread for more details...


http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=57968&highlight=%22rock+band%22

[Draft Dodger]

additional details here
http://www.destructoid.com/tons-of-new-rock-band-deets-nex-thoroughly-approves-33071.phtml

[SirFozzie]

there's a ton of information (and supposedly pictures), in the just released Game Informer

[sabotai]

Believe or doubt. The choice is yours.

Considering that 95% of the time doubt ends up being the right choice...

[DanGarion]

Here is the info from the Game Informer.

hxxp://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=163628

[MikeVic]

Well, I'm going to wait until it comes out. Any release date announced yet? It all sounds to good to be true.

edit: too good to be true, for a decent price (<$150).

[Buccaneer]

Is this like someone barging into the room with an alledged secret...except that everyone in the room already knew?

[Anthony]

Good thing you started the thread then.


hahaha, 10 bonus points for you.

[SackAttack]

Is this like someone barging into the room with an alledged secret...except that everyone in the room already knew?

You can look at it that way if you want to, but that's really not what the intent was/is.

The fact that the game is going to be awesome isn't any secret.

Thing is, though, what I saw last night goes far beyond Rock Band. That was the highlight of my night, certainly, and the reason I geeked out enough to create this thread, but there was a bunch of other stuff too...and it's ALL embargoed. Can't talk about any of it yet (and you don't know how much that's killing me), but considering that what I had to say was "a secret that everyone in the room already knew," I figured it was a fairly harmless pressure release valve for me so I could try and get some sleep last night.

(Didn't work, for what that's worth.)

[sterlingice]

Well, if anyone has this month's Game Informer (also known as "that magazine you can never figure out why you get and then remember it's because you want your 15% off at EBGames), they have a 6 or 8 page article on Rock Band.

SI

[MizzouRah]

http://kotaku.com/gaming/clips/an-early-look-at-rock-band-274885.php

I am sooooooo getting this, and yes friends of mine I have dibs on the drums!!!!!!


Edit: Thanks to Bill Harris for the link!

[MikeVic]

http://kotaku.com/gaming/clips/an-early-look-at-rock-band-274885.php

I am sooooooo getting this, and yes friends of mine I have dibs on the drums!!!!!!

Oh man.... this could be a 360 seller for me if Wii doesn't get it.

[SirFozzie]

HOLY FUCK.

I definitely want to do a FOFC band. This is a 360 seller.

[sabotai]

I can't decide on if that video is really awesome or really sad.

[MikeVic]

I can't decide on if that video is really awesome or really sad.

Really awesome.

[MizzouRah]

SirFozzie: AE, you'd better start playing that f'n guitar like you mean it! You're bringing down every member of this band!!

:)

[Eaglesfan27]

That video is awesome. I'm not a huge fan of Guitar Hero, but this looks great.

[Anthony]

where's the cowbell?

[SackAttack]

That's what the lead singer does when the others are having their solo moment.

[SackAttack]

Oh man.... this could be a 360 seller for me if Wii doesn't get it.

The only platforms confirmed right now, I think, are PS3 and 360. Doesn't mean Wii won't, but with the DLC plans that Harmonix has, it seems unlikely unless Wii gets a hard drive.

[WVUFAN]

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/801/801493p1.html

Between the video that was posted, what SackAttack has said and this preview, I am in awe of Harmonix if they pull this off as intended.

That, and Don't Fear the Reaper? I'm sold.

[Desnudo]

Really awesome.

Seconded

[kingnebwsu]

One thing to read about it...another to see it in action. Should kick Guitar Hero's ass :D

[EagleFan]

I can't decide on if that video is really awesome or really sad.

Too late to vote really sad?

[WVUFAN]

Too late to vote really sad?

Too late, the votes are in, and it is officially awesome.

:)

[SackAttack]

I told you!

[SackAttack]

Just got word that the embargo is lifting as of tomorrow morning.

Not really sure why IGN got to run something prior to the lifting, but my guess is they got some hands on time separate from the event at which this embargo was imposed, and so got around it that way.

Either way, I'm about 12 hours from being able to "say something."

Preview will go live on Gamenikki at 9am PST.

[SackAttack]

where's the cowbell?

The microphone serves as either the tambourine or cowbell, depending on the song.

[SackAttack]

More has been said (http://www.gamenikki.com/g3/previews/xbox360/Display.php?id=4).

A lot of that information has probably already trickled out, courtesy of Game Informer and IGN, but there might be a tidbit or two in there that's new.

[Mustang]

Sounds like you can turn of the vocal element (Assumed from the text - The game is online, of course, and you'll be able to mix-and-match not only the number of human players).

I just hate karaoke and the thought of playing online with someone singing very badly or not even close to the right words just isn't appealing. The rest of it sounds great though...

[SackAttack]

That's what it sounded like to me, too. The vocal track will still be there, but you don't necessarily have to have live karaoke going on, no.

Thing is, the game gives you the right words in the lyrics thing up top, so what you should mostly have to worry about is somebody who just can't carry a tune.

[oykib]

Yo, what's up with the Gamenikki background? The light grey on white does not make for pleasant reading.

[Karlifornia]

Yo, what's up with the Gamenikki background? The light grey on white does not make for pleasant reading.

It's a well known fact that SackAttack hates people with vision problems. He calls them "Myopies"

[SackAttack]

Yo, what's up with the Gamenikki background? The light grey on white does not make for pleasant reading.

Gotta be honest, it isn't something that has ever posed a problem for me.

We use CSS, so I'd imagine a new skin wouldn't be hugely difficult to add. Is there a specific color combination that would work better for you?

[WVUFAN]

It's a well known fact that SackAttack hates people with vision problems. He calls them "Myopies"

That's AWESOME! I'm gonna start using that.

[Pyser]

Gotta be honest, it isn't something that has ever posed a problem for me.

We use CSS, so I'd imagine a new skin wouldn't be hugely difficult to add. Is there a specific color combination that would work better for you?

um black letters on a white background?

also, can you make the text bigger? that was like an eye exam

good writeup though. i went from not caring about the game to contemplating buying a new system for it

[SackAttack]

Re: text/background, I'll look into it and see what we can do on that front.

As far as text size goes, I don't know if we can do anything there without breaking the site design. I'll talk to my tech guy, but in the meantime, the old "Ctrl+scroll" trick if you have a scrollwheel mouse should at least make things readable while I try to find out if there's anything we can do shy of overhauling the entire site.

For what it's worth, we've had to do an overhaul two or three times in the past, so it's something I'd like to avoid if necessary. Since, y'know, we don't actually PAY anybody and all that.

[SackAttack]

Dola, just in checking, it appears that the text isn't actually on the grey. the grey surrounds the white box that the text goes in.

So it seems like darkening/possibly enlarging the text and maybe increasing the contrast between the hinterlands and the white text box there might bring a better result.

[SackAttack]

Tech guy is working on a solution in the form of a new selectable skin. We'll see if he can pull a rabbit out of his hat.

[Anthony]

i bought 2 used games from Game Stop. after a couple hours with both my 360 said it couldn't read the disc and it would time out my session on Live and bring me back to the marketplace. is this a 360 issue or was i just buying messed up discs from GameStop. i haven't experienced this with Forza2 (purchased new). i could see *some* fine scratches on the discs, but nothing i'd mark as damaging. games in question are NBA 2K7 and College Hoops 2k7.

[SackAttack]

Could be either. If your system is new, I'd mark it down to more likely something being wrong with the disc.

I know for my used game purchases, I'll typically rent the game first via GameFly. If it works fine, I'll use their "keep it" option, which is frequently much less than the retail-minus-$5 that GameStop will sell the same game for.

Just as a f'rinstance, GameStop sells NBA Street 360 used for $49.99.

I bought the copy I was renting from GameFly for $27.99.

You can do that without renting it from them first, of course, and they guarantee the condition of the discs, but you can't return the game and say "I didn't like it." Little caveat emptor there, and the biggest reason why I'll rent the game from them first.

[Anthony]

you may have just sold me on Gamefly

NOTE: and my cosole is only 2-3 weeks old/young.

[SackAttack]

you may have just sold me on Gamefly

NOTE: and my cosole is only 2-3 weeks old/young.

Yeah. Gamefly is seriously the best rental service I've ever used, bar none, and their prices are ridiculously good on the 'Keep It' side of things. Been using them since May '04 or so.

Paid $14.99 (normally $19.99, but every three months' paid membership gets you $5 in "GameFly Dollars" that you can redeem in their store) for Sonic the Hedgehog 360 this week, and that goes for $34.99 at GameStop. I get so much use out of the regular rental service that using their 'Keep It' service is almost a no-brainer.

[Mustang]

I've tried Gamefly 2x. The first time they were ok but, the second time, they sucked. I cancelled my account after 3 weeks without receiving a single game from them. (I had 2-3 games 'shipped' that never made it to my front door)

Although.. they do have good prices on used games. I will give them that.

[Ksyrup]

Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, MTV Games, a division of MTV Networks which is a division of Viacom, and rock icons METALLICA announced today a deal that will showcase the incredible depth of the band's music in the highly anticipated videogame Rock Band. The Grammy-award winning metallers are making key tracks from their celebrated catalog available as digitally-distributed game levels. The incomparable metal song "Enter Sandman" will ship on the game's disc this holiday season.

[bhlloy]

If you live on the West Coast, Gamefly absolutely rocks. Probably helps that I could drop my games in to the warehouse on my way to work, but I have very rarely waited more than 2 days for a game, and 98% of the time it's a one day turnaround. I've only had a game go missing once, and even then it turned up a week or so later after I had already received the replacement.

That being said, I've never heard anything but bad things about the service from anyone who doesn't live on the West Coast. Didn't they open a warehouse in PA a few months ago to try and improve the service though? Might be worth another go if you live in the northeast.

[SirFozzie]

NICE!

[SirFozzie]

And for us older guys..

Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive is in the tracklist too..

Can't wait to see how badly that gets butchered

[SirFozzie]

From the EA Press Conferenece

- Full albums will be available as DLC. The Who - Who's Next is the first album
- Shitloads of Metallica as DLC. "Enter Sandman" will come included on the game disc.
- Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive in game
- Indie bands will be able to submit their music
- Little Steven from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band is picking the music for DLC
- New DLC every week.

[Groundhog]

Metallica's One would be a fun little number.

[Neuqua]

And for us older guys..

Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive is in the tracklist too..

Can't wait to see how badly that gets butchered


SOLD!!!

When is this game supposed to come out? Hopefully after a 360 price drop.

[MikeVic]

You'll have to pay for DLC, right?

Looks like I really have to get Rock Band. I never got the hype around Metallica (not a big metal fan), but I love Enter Sandman and a couple of their other songs.

[Eaglesfan27]

I posted this in the E3 thread, but it is worth cross posting here. They have announced that with weekly digital downloads there will be "thousands of songs" for this game.

MikeVic, yes I'm sure they will charge a fee for the DLC's.

[sterlingice]

I posted this in the E3 thread, but it is worth cross posting here. They have announced that with weekly digital downloads there will be "thousands of songs" for this game.

MikeVic, yes I'm sure they will charge a fee for the DLC's.

Hm... I was hoping they wouldn't go to this pricing model. I'm gussing it won't be as nuts as the insane X360 3 songs for $10. But this means there will only be one Rock Band game for quite a while. The gameplay improvements and options between GH and GH2 were pretty steep with practice mode, co-op, better hammer ons/pull offs, and an unlock shop that made more sense. I'd rather they had stayed with "here's 50 songs for $50 and a game with some improvements" model.

SI

[WVUFAN]

In case this hasn't been posted yet, but the officially released current track list for Rock Band:

FIRST 16 OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED ROCK BAND SONGS:
1970s
The Who "Won't Get Fooled Again"
Mountain "Mississippi Queen"*
David Bowie "Suffragette City"
Black Sabbath "Paranoid"*
Blue Oyster Cult "Don't Fear the Reaper"
The Ramones "Rockaway Beach"

1980s
Rush "Tom Sawyer"*
Bon Jovi "Wanted Dead or Alive"

1990s
Nirvana "In Bloom"
Stone Temple Pilots "Vasoline"
Weezer "Say It Ain't So"
Foo Fighters "Learn to Fly"
Metallica "Enter Sandman"

2000s
The Hives "Main Offender"
The Strokes "Reptilia"
Queens of the Stone Age "Go With the Flow"

That, along with the full album of The Who's "Who's Next" available for download on release.

All but Mississippi Queen is a master track.

[sterlingice]

That's such a beautiful list. It makes me want to cry :)

SI

[SackAttack]

It is a beautiful list. I wanted to post it on Gamenikki when I got it Wednesday but we couldn't remember the Little Piggy address. So much for meticulous planning. :)

I need to post most of the stories that came in my email that day, plus start getting up the previews and my pictures of me making an ass of myself on the karaoke part of the game.

[SackAttack]

Oh, also my interview with Harmonix prez Alex Rigopulous.