Hooray for being European!

[URL=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/885/885168p1.html]Rock Band 2 will be out for the 360 in September[/URL] and later the year for the rest of the platforms (yes, fuck you MS as well… I hope it cost you an arm and a leg). It will feature new improved, but fully backwards compatible instruments and complete cross-title DLC support so any songs downloaded for RB1 will work on 2, and any new songs released will work on the first as well.

If the details hadn’t been so damn juicy I’d hate them even more. Seeing how Rock band 1 still hasn’t got a set European release date besides the 360 version for UK, France and Germany where it is already out… but the rest of Europe are stuck with importing it still.

Ok, somewhat less hate.

[URL=http://kotaku.com/397432/europe-gets-rock-band-2-in-september-as-well]Looks like Europe will get both Rock Bands at once[/URL].

Doesn’t really look any different than the first. Honestly I thought Rock Band was supposed to be modeled as a platform and you’d just pay to download the content. It hasn’t even been a year since the first one released. I knew they’d have to release another eventually, but why so early and if they haven’t bothered to change alot from the first one why even bother to release another? I guess the existing instruments will be compatible, but they’ll probably make new ones and expect people to buy them again.

Feel bad for you Swedes since I knew you’ve wanted to get it. But to anyone else here in the States and so forth, are you still even playing Rock Band? Last time my friend and I ever played it was when the “Still Alive” song was released on the DLC. Like with all new interesting video game experiences, it was fun for good long couple of months, but after a while I guess my friend (like usual) didn’t take much interest in it anymore.

Jim, King of Awesome - 30 June 2008 03:48 PM

I knew they’d have to release another eventually, but why so early and if they haven’t bothered to change alot from the first one why even bother to release another? I guess the existing instruments will be compatible, but they’ll probably make new ones and expect people to buy them again.

Seeing how they plan to do this, it makes a ton of sense actually. It feels wrong to call it Rock Band 2 though… but the original game has a list of minor to major complaints, where the major ones basically is about the quality of the instruments. By releasing a second game, fully compatible with the old instruments and downloaded songs, people who want to can buy the full kit and get improved instruments, while the rest can just buy the disc and get a shitload of new songs and a tweaked version of the game that includes a ton of fixes (after all, Photoshop CS3 doesn’t look that much different from previous versions either) for less money than the same amount of songs would probably cost as downloadable content.

If they’re really devious, they’ll work the patch that Activision blocked into the PS3 version, allowing guitar hero instruments to work on Rock Band 2.

That last part where Activision doesn’t want you to use GH guitars on RB, but Harmonix does is one of the reasons I’m now saving for RB2 instead of GH4… that and the more or less promise to release Muse’s Black Holes and Revelations as a full downloadable album for Rock Band.

Looks like EA/Harmonix [URL=http://kotaku.com/5021316/wait-no-europe-may-not-be-getting-rock-band-2-in-september]is handing over Europe to Activision on a silver plate[/URL]. No matter how I see Activision as the cheap usurpers, the MS Windows of the rythm games… releasing so many versions of their games and blocking out standards forcing people to buy multiple setups of instruments on the PS3… they are still actually releasing their damn games in a timely fashion in Europe.

Great news to get about 15 minutes after reading Chop Suey will most probably be in RB2…

Urgh… more news about Rock Band II… according to subscribers to IGN insider (losers!), an interview with some Harmonix guy claims all Rock Band 1 songs will be available as free downloads for Rock Band II… which would bring the songs available with the game (without extra fees) into triple digits easily. Damn them for making this sound like such a juicy deal.

I’m not sure if I believe that unless they intend to charge big bucks Rock Band II. The real question is what they intend to do differently in Rock Band II to justify making a sequel. I suppose this is EA and no justification is needed other than $$$.

Argh… this is so confusing… according to [URL=http://kotaku.com/5022939/rock-band-2-features-drum-trainer-wireless-instruments-full-backwards-compatibility]this article[/URL] it goes like this:

[quote author=“Kotaku”]First things first: If you already own Rock Band and you buy Rock Band 2 all of your songs will transfer over automatically and free o’ charge.

Which could mean only downloaded songs, which the actual fact sheet mentions, but could also mean disc songs, which I fail to find mentioned. It does mention an actual drum school though, which is kind of neat.

Fun Fact: Rock Band 1 is due for release in Sweden on July 24th… for Xbox 360 only. I’m not getting it. I’ll see how I feel about it when Rock Band 2 hits, but there’s no way I’m getting Rock Band 1 now.

Finally! ROCK BAND HAS A FINAL EUROPEAN RELEASE!!! And, just two weeks after the sequel is released for 360 in the US, Europeans without a 360 can finally play the first Rock Band without importing it. At least they’re dropping the price somewhat… but I’m not getting it when the sequel is already out. Well, at least I’m not getting the instruments… I might get GH: World Tour and then get the Rock Band disc as long as the instrument compatibility deal is as good as Sony promised a while back.

We’ll see what I’ll do. I’ll wait for reviews to comment on the actual hardware before I decide what setup to use.

[URL=http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/08/18/ps3-music-peripheral-compatibility-update/]This is what in the end finally pushed me over the edge[/URL]. Well, that and [URL=http://kotaku.com/5046518/tool-confirmed-for-guitar-hero-world-tour]this[/URL]. I have now preordered Guitar Hero: World Tour for the PS3 and plan to get the Rock Band discs later on. From all previews it sounds like the World Tour hardware is the best, so I take their word for it. I also got the full kit plus an extra guitar for about what the rock band instruments alone was meant to cost from the beginning.

I’m thinking I’ll buy the super drums. I’d like to be better at them.

So I ordered the $300 Rock Band drum set, cost me $280 after shipping thanks to an instant $30 rebate. Its one of the… less wise purchases I’ve made as its so narrow scope. Its the most expensive gaming related purchase I’ve made since buying my 360, not counting Rock Band, costs as much as my other games I own (two of which were used purchases).