Harmonix's Next Game: ROCK BAND!!!

[imdaly]

Hoooooly cow! I've been HOPING to see something like this one day, but honestly never thought it'd be so soon!

UK, April 2, 2007 - Having cranked up the volume to 11 and wowed rock fans with Guitar Hero, Harmonix is planning to take the virtual videogame group genre a step further with its latest release, Rock Band.

The game, revealed earlier by USA Today, sees developer Harmonix, along with its owner MTV, teaming up with Electronic Arts to offer budding musicians the chance to create their own rock group. We're talking the shebang too, because the game will support four instrument controllers including lead guitar, bass, drums and a microphone for the lead singer.

Scheduled for release on PS3 and Xbox 360 this Christmas, Rock Band promises a wealth of online features, including the chance to team up with musicians in other countries and the ability to download songs.

Although a track listing has yet to be announced, EA has revealed that several major music publishers are involved with the project. EMI Music Publishing and Warner/Chappell Music are allowing "unrivaled access to their catalogues of incredible songs". These mega-publishers house labels including EMI Music, Hollywood Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group's Universal Music Enterprises and Warner Music Group's Rhino Entertainment, which have all agreed to supply master recordings by their artists for use in the game.

With such a healthy list of labels backing its play, Rock Band will be able to offer music that spans all genres of rock, from classic to metal to punk. And the music won't stop with the release of the game this holiday. During a conference call with the press, Alex Rigopulos, co-founder and CEO of Harmonix promised that downloadable content would be a key part of Rock Band's success. "We have very, very ambitious plans in the area [of downloadable content]," Rigopulos said, adding that Harmonix has "big plans [for] building an online library."

Jeff Yapp, Executive Vice President of MTV Program Enterprises said Rock Band is a "completely new model that gives labels a way to promote artists" and opens a new revenue stream. No specifics about downloadable content were revealed during the call.

Rigopulos called Rock Band the game Hamonix has been "literally dreaming of for years and years." Along with plans for downloadable content, Rock Band enables up to four players to get online and rock out with one another. According to Rigopulos, Harmonix has created a "brilliant technical solution to latency problems," though specifics were not discussed. Both PS3 and 360 have camera peripherals and Harmonix is considering options to allow these so that friends can see one another rock out from one living room to another. There is also potential for user-generated content to make its way online.

One area of concern is the cost for a game that uses four proprietary controllers. Rock Band's publisher, EA, has not yet decided how it will package the game. EA Vice President David DeMartini acknowledged that pricing is a concern and that EA was looking at a variety of packages. Rock Band may ship in a four-in-one massive box and/or as separate units. One thing is certain, if you are about to buy Guitar Hero II on Xbox 360, the Red Octane instrument will not work with Rock Band. The peripherals for Rock Band are being created by Harmonix and will not be identical to the guitar recently released by Activision for 360.

Despite the potential high cost of a four-instrument music game, Rock Band has incredible potential. No one seems more excited than Rigopulos, who said: "Rock Band is Harmonix's most ambitious project to date, and it will take music gameplay to an entirely new level. MTV has given us the freedom and the resources to really swing for the fences and make the game we've always wanted to make."

Source

And no, this is NOT and April Fool's Joke!


MUST. HAVE. THIS. GAME.

 

[Aiden]

It'll be really expensive

 

[Fran]

I'm guessing around $250-300 for the total package.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

I call drums!

 

[Fran]

Well, $60 for GH2 for 360, $30 for the guitar... two guitars, a mic, and drums = Around $200 I bet.

 

[GL1]

But honestly, Guitar Hero II has carried the PS2 for the past 6-8 months. It sounds like it'll be more than worth it.

Besides, if they sell individual instrumetns seperately (wise) then it's all good. I personally would suggest selling a package with a mic, drums and a single guitar, with the second guitar sold seperately. You gotta remember, SOME people will be playing this solo/over the net, so having individual instruments AND single instrument-with-game packages is almost necessary.

A distribution nightmare, I'm sure...

 

[The Last Meatbag]

I wonder if there will be room for a bassist so two people can play guitar.

 

[Sun_Down]

I've been saying they should do this since Guitar Hero hit the shelves. Damn Harmonix, takin' my idea that I never verbalized to anyone but my friends...

 

[Drizzle]

Does anyone else think this has the potential to fail miserably?

I don't think many people are willing to virtually pay the price of another console for this. I don't think the price should go past $150 for the whole package.

 

[GL1]

DOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!

Haha... stop being silly. People have spent $300 on GH2 already without blinking. Spending $300 for the whole package that the vast majority of users won't buy and won't need to at all (since most players are one person, and not four) isn't a hurdle, and hardly worth mentioning.

If you have four friends playing alongside you on your Rock Band, you need to get those freeloaders to pitch in!

But yeah, here's my suggestions:

Guitar and Game
Just a guitar
Just a mic
Just drums
Mic, Guitar and Drums
Mic, Guitar, Drums and Game
Just the Game (but... why?)

I think that should do nicely. Not TOO convoluted, but still allows players to get in exactly on the floor they want.

 

[SouLeSS]

How the hell are htey going to do the drum thing? Theres no way they can come even close to representing even a 4piece set with 2 cymbals, unless they just have it all on one pad and you just press buttons.

 

[The Last Meatbag]

....Harmonix's abilities are limitless boyo.

 

[GL1]

Indeed... A simple six-pad drumpad with some attatched plastic sticks will do wonders.