Rock Band Bundle Only Option Available This Year

Via 1up, an interview at the site bits bytes pixels and sprites with the folks at Harmonix clarifies a great deal about Rock Band . The co-op multiplayer rhythm game is due out before the end of the year, and at least in 2007 the only way to get it will be the $169 bundle pack. There's also some information on the game's downloadable content, which sounds like it will be considerable: "Harmonix is committed to providing gamers with a wide selection of new content and promises that one week from launch The Who's famous album "Who's Next" will be made available for download. Harmonix has also scheduled new content to be released every week until the end of 2007 to keep the game fresh throughout the holiday season."

Comments

I've heard this before

[WndrBr3d]

The biggest problem I have with Harmonix and their PR with downloadable content is they really burned XBox360 users with GH2. Their PR campaign before the games release was that GH2 for the 360 would have "more online content than anyone has ever seen in a game..." (link to interview). This gave people who had already spent $100+ on GH2 for the PS2 (Game/Controller + Additional Controller) a valid reason to buy it again.

Here we are six after GH2 for the XBox360 was released. What downloadable content do we have? Four song 'packs' with songs that were already in GH1, and a song pack of indie bands few have heard of.

So, although the offer of copious amounts of downloadable content for Rock Band is tempting and easy to get excited about, it should be taken with a big, big big big grain of salt.

Wii

[Fozzyuw]

All well and good, but the only news I want about Rock Band is information on when it's being released for the Wii. I was this close *holds two fingers together* at buying a 360 just to get this game but then the Harmonix CEO said they would "Absolutely" have a Wii version. So, I'm holding off until then.

If rabid Rock Band mania consumes me, I guess I'll pick it up for the PS2 until a Wii version is released.

Re:hrm

[Kilraven]

My understanding is that you can only get the game with the bundle pack. Peripherals will be sold separately as it seems the game will only come with 1 guitar and it's capable of being played with 2. If they're going to see the drums at the start, has yet to be seen. According to the article it's one guitar, one mic, one drumset, and the game. Peripherals won't be sold until early '08 - which I'm not sure if they meant actual or fiscal year.

The issue I have with this is things break. While the bundle is a damn nice deal for the initial purchase, what if the drumset or mic breaks two months down the road? I'd rather not purchase some off party piece - they never look or feel the same - or wait six months to purchase a replacement. I want to be able to sign, curse just a little (or a lot depending on how it broke), and run out and get a replacement that day.

Not to mention, dueling drums like Bongos in DK would be nice, as well.

Konami, anyone ?

[damaki]

Now that Rock Band is bound to arrive soon, I am questioning more than ever the international marketing choices of Konami. I mean than Konami already did every rythm that Rock Band will regroup but still, did not have a clue on how to penetrate the american and european markets. Are they totally dumb?
Guitar Freaks has existed for years, and because of its japanise-ish (though nice) tracklist, they never exported it. Same goes for Drummania which definitely rocks. And how about the karaoke thingy? They had these all and discarded the foreign markets.
I guess that some Konami executives must be currently in a mass sepukku movement.
They have all these great franchises but are absolutely unable to exploit these correctly outside Japan.

Well... as long as I can buy those Bemani games, I do not really care. Long live Bemani, hail Beatmania, and all these other venerable but high quality franchises.

Re:Konami, anyone ?

[Captain Spam]

You do have a point about western markets (i.e. me) more likely to enjoy rhythm games with western songs in it. That's the entire reason Elite Beat Agents exists as a distinct game from... erm... whatever the original Japanese version was, I keep forgetting the name. The songlist is entirely different, the missions are different, and it all in all has a different feel. Switch markets, switch cultures, switch the game up. Basic marketing.

But honestly, the Bemani division may be catching on, if only slightly. Their cash cow is still the DDR series, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. It has to be; they haven't really released any US version of DDR since DDR:USA, yet most US arcades (yes, of the few left) can be found with an imported, possibly illegal, definitely untranslated DDR machine in it.

But then comes DDR Supernova, what I believe is the latest in the arcade series (I could be wrong; I like DDR more than most people, I would guess, but I hold no claims in being an expert on the subject). Looking at the game, it appears that they geared it directly for a western market. I mean, besides the fact that the menus and warning screens are in English. In addition to a smattering of songs from past DDR games, it also comes with numerous mixes and/or edits of otherwise western songs. I've seen Jerk It Out, a dance mix of Angel Is A Centerfold, and one or two songs by Janet Jackson in the lineup, and I haven't even looked at it that much in-depth. I'd say that they're possibly getting into the western markets with their rhythm games.

In terms of Guitar Freaks, an arcade nearby has it, and I do enjoy it, but the Guitar Hero series has far too much of a foothold in the US market. If Bemani has plans on reworking Guitar Freaks for western markets, they may be too late already.

Just my opinion on the matter.

Re:Too much space

[jollyreaper]

I hear you on this one. It seems to me that this game just requires too much space. Unless you have an entire room dedicated to video games, it seems like something that will just end up getting shoved in a closet to get it out of the way. At which point you'll get too lazy to take it out again, and you'll stop playing. In the suburbs, I hear they even have dedicated masturbatoriums! Wow, such largess!

How exciting!

[Tol Dantom]

How exciting that premium content that I must pay exorbitant prices for will be released not even a week after the game is released, further mocking me by ridiculously not being included in the original purchase even though its ready at the same time. Where do I sign up?