Posted by: tfabris
Rock Band - 21/11/2007 17:31
Mine's slated for arrival today.
Anyone got theirs?
Anyone got theirs?
Rock Band
Posted by: Roger
Re: Rock Band - 21/11/2007 20:09
Quote:
Mine's slated for arrival today.
Anyone got theirs?
Not available in the UK yet, according to play.com
Posted by: tfabris
Re: Rock Band - 22/11/2007 17:07
Posted by: frog51
Re: Rock Band - 23/11/2007 08:06
Over here we have had to wait for Guitar Hero 3...so I pick mine up tomorrow:-)
Not sure when Rock Band gets here - GAME couldn't tell me - but I can't wait
[edit] Just read Vixy's page....Cowbell!! Hahahahahahahahaha
Not sure when Rock Band gets here - GAME couldn't tell me - but I can't wait
[edit] Just read Vixy's page....Cowbell!! Hahahahahahahahaha
Posted by: BAKup
Re: Rock Band - 24/11/2007 03:33
Quote:
It arrived after I had to leave for the weekend.
Vixy got a chance to play it, though...
Ow, ow ow ow ow!
I can't stop laughing.
Ok, I now must convince my SO to get me this game for Xmas
I think the Vixy's description might convince her to get it.
Posted by: tfabris
Re: Rock Band - 24/11/2007 17:06
I got a chance to play it last night. Love it.
Things I learned:
You have to turn on one of the joysticks before the mic will work.
Singing the falsetto bits on "gimme shelter", while not necessary (you can sing at any octave), is incredibly fun. And tiring.
You can use the headset that came with the xbox instead of the mic if you want. Works well. Pressing A on the joystick will work as the cowbell.
Sometimes it's handclaps instead of cowbell.
The singing part is really easy on the "Medium" skill level. The game is very lenient about getting the pitch right.
The drums are incredibly difficult, even on the "Easy" skill level. It's not lenient at all about timing. You have to get the hits exactly on time, even the slightest amount of slop is not tolerated. I would often hear the thwap of my stick on the drum and see the bounce of the correct pad indicate on the screen, and it sounded and looked right, but it counted me wrong. Only when I concentrated very hard and tried as hard as possible to get the timing right would it count it as correct.
Things I learned:
You have to turn on one of the joysticks before the mic will work.
Singing the falsetto bits on "gimme shelter", while not necessary (you can sing at any octave), is incredibly fun. And tiring.
You can use the headset that came with the xbox instead of the mic if you want. Works well. Pressing A on the joystick will work as the cowbell.
Sometimes it's handclaps instead of cowbell.
The singing part is really easy on the "Medium" skill level. The game is very lenient about getting the pitch right.
The drums are incredibly difficult, even on the "Easy" skill level. It's not lenient at all about timing. You have to get the hits exactly on time, even the slightest amount of slop is not tolerated. I would often hear the thwap of my stick on the drum and see the bounce of the correct pad indicate on the screen, and it sounded and looked right, but it counted me wrong. Only when I concentrated very hard and tried as hard as possible to get the timing right would it count it as correct.
Posted by: tfabris
Re: Rock Band - 25/11/2007 20:28
Heh. I'm a true rock and roller now. I modded the drum set with duct tape. (Made the kick pedal stay put.)
Posted by: tman
Re: Rock Band - 25/11/2007 20:31
Quote:
I modded the drum set with duct tape.
Shouldn't that have been gaffer tape?
Posted by: tfabris
Re: Rock Band - 25/11/2007 23:09
We were low on gaffer tape.
Besides, when I was roadieing for local bands many years ago, gaffer tape was hard to come by. We used duct tape all the time and called it "rock and roll tape".
Besides, when I was roadieing for local bands many years ago, gaffer tape was hard to come by. We used duct tape all the time and called it "rock and roll tape".
Posted by: Tim
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 12:40
Mine is on backorder and they have no projections when it will come in. Our local GameStop got three for the PS3 and a whopping five for the 360. My roommate was giving me crap about not having it last night, so I checked and GameStop still can't tell me when mine will come in. Amazon is claiming a two to four week backorder, so I can't even cancel the preorder and go there.
I know two people that do have it. One has it in her living room, still in the box, until she has time to play it beginning in December. I think she did that to me on purpose.
I know two people that do have it. One has it in her living room, still in the box, until she has time to play it beginning in December. I think she did that to me on purpose.
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 14:31
I was at Best Buy over the weekend and they seemed to have a hundred lying around.
Posted by: tfabris
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 17:57
Quote:
I was at Best Buy over the weekend and they seemed to have a hundred lying around.
This is exactly what the Penny Arcade guys were saying last week: Their local GameStops were acting like it was some kind of rare unobtanium, yet they merely had to walk up the street to Best Buy where there was a giant mound of 'em.
Hm, wonder who's got more pulling power with the distributors?
Or maybe PA's conspiracy theories about GameStops deliberately trying to morph into used-game turn-n-burn stores is true? Make all their regular customers think that new games are a hassle, thus always getting them to buy used games...
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 18:01
I'm sure they're not sold on commission, so it's a huge outlay to stock every store with dozens. Best Buy can probably afford that, and afford the shipping between stores if needed, not to mention that they have a lot more storage space per store. Gamestop probably can't afford it. That doesn't mean that it's not a lousy store, though. Hell, they both are, but it's not like Gamestop is some mom-and-pop store (or even mom-and-pop franchise) that you ought to support. It's a corporation just like Best Buy.
Posted by: andym
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 19:12
Quote:
This is exactly what the Penny Arcade guys were saying last week: Their local GameStops were acting like it was some kind of rare unobtanium, yet they merely had to walk up the street to Best Buy where there was a giant mound of 'em.
Hm, wonder who's got more pulling power with the distributors?
Which brings me to a mildly related question, are Wii's as rare as hen's teeth in the US like they are in the UK? We were going to get one for christmas, but I'm probably just going to get a PS3 simply because they're available in the shops.
Posted by: Cris
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 19:18
Quote:
Which brings me to a mildly related question, are Wii's as rare as hen's teeth in the US like they are in the UK? We were going to get one for christmas, but I'm probably just going to get a PS3 simply because they're available in the shops.
I want to sell my Wii and buy a PS3 60Gb, but I can't find the 60Gb in stock without being on a silly bundle.
Why do they always play such stupid games with this stuff, it was just like this when I used to work at Future Zone "back in the day"
Anyone want to swap a PS3 60Gb for a Wii
Cheers
Cris.
Posted by: andym
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 19:28
I can't find any 60Gb PS3's at all, apparently they've been phased out and there's only going to the be the 40Gb available from now on. To be honest, the only difference I can find between the two (other than the size of the drive) is a card reader and PS2 compatibility. The former can be solved by plugging an ordinary USB card reader and the latter isn't a problem to me as I don't have a PS2.
Posted by: msaeger
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 19:31
Even if you didn't have a PS2 there were a lot of good PS2 games for cheap so I wouldn't overlook the backwards compatibility.
Posted by: andym
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 19:41
Quote:
Even if you didn't have a PS2 there were a lot of good PS2 games for cheap so I wouldn't overlook the backwards compatibility.
To be honest, my scope for games is rather restricted. So many of the games I'd like to play on the PS2 exist on the PS3, okay they'll be cheaper in PS2 form but if that was all I cared about I'd just buy a PS2.
They can both play blu-ray movies and run linux (albeit crippled)
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 19:44
Quote:
are Wii's as rare as hen's teeth in the US like they are in the UK?
Yes.
Posted by: Cris
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 19:51
Quote:
To be honest, the only difference I can find between the two (other than the size of the drive) is a card reader and PS2 compatibility.
And SACD playback. My PS3 will spend more of it's time being a HD source for my system than being a games console. I think I will hold out for a 60Gb even if it's second hand.
Cheers
Cris.
Posted by: andym
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 20:12
Quote:Quote:
To be honest, the only difference I can find between the two (other than the size of the drive) is a card reader and PS2 compatibility.
And SACD playback. My PS3 will spend more of it's time being a HD source for my system than being a games console. I think I will hold out for a 60Gb even if it's second hand.
Cheers
Cris.
I may end up watching more films than playing games on it. But I currently own 0 SACDs and I have a feeling that's unlikely to change since over half the SACD releases are Classical ones, followed closely by Jazz ones.
I read Depeche Mode are rereleasing some stuff, but since I'm a fan of their earlier stuff done on 8 and 12 bit samplers and likely to have been recorded on early digital multitrack I refuse to believe it could sound any better on SACD than on CD.
Anyway, you won't be able to hear an improvement if you're still using your valve powered headphone amp....
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 20:21
FWIW, the PS3's hard drive is apparently user-replaceable. There's a section in the "Safety and Support" manual (starting on page 16) that talks about removing it from the system. It even claims that you can use generic hard drives, though it does say "Proper operation is not guaranteed for all models."
Posted by: Cris
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 20:40
Quote:
Anyway, you won't be able to hear an improvement if you're still using your valve powered headphone amp....
That lives in the bedroom for Squeezebox listening only, amazingly good sound from it, I know you're not a believer but you really should try it. It gets better and better the more I use it, I have no EQ settings at all and the bass is deep and rich etc....
SACD would be nice to have, if only for the 5.1 mixes. My system is good, but not good enough to hear the difference between normal CD's, but what you can really hear is a good 5.1 mix. Joe Bonamassa Live at the Rockplatz is truly amazing if you are into that sort of thing, the 2.0 mix is really bland in comparison.
Ok, enough thread hijacking
Cheers
Cris.
Posted by: tman
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 22:19
Quote:
FWIW, the PS3's hard drive is apparently user-replaceable. There's a section in the "Safety and Support" manual (starting on page 16) that talks about removing it from the system. It even claims that you can use generic hard drives, though it does say "Proper operation is not guaranteed for all models."
Yeah you can. Nothing special at all about the drive.
Posted by: drakino
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 22:21
Quote:
It even claims that you can use generic hard drives, though it does say "Proper operation is not guaranteed for all models."
It's a 2.5 inch SATA drive, and yes it is user replaceable and upgradable. If you add a new one, the system firmware allows you to format it properly for PS3 use, or split PS3 and Linux use. If you do upgrade it, everything functions the same, and you aren't banned from the online network, like you are if you replace your 360 hard drive with a larger one.
Posted by: tman
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 22:21
Quote:
That lives in the bedroom for Squeezebox listening only, amazingly good sound from it, I know you're not a believer but you really should try it. It gets better and better the more I use it, I have no EQ settings at all and the bass is deep and rich etc....
Valve amps will give you distortion but in an ear pleasing way. I guess it depends on whether you like the "warm" sound you get from a valve amp. Myself I'm happy with semiconductor amps
Posted by: tman
Re: Rock Band - 26/11/2007 22:23
Quote:
I want to sell my Wii and buy a PS3 60Gb, but I can't find the 60Gb in stock without being on a silly bundle.
*Trevor looks at the PS3 and Wii quietly collecting dust in the corner*
Annoying this is... I had a PS3 on preorder. I work in London really close to Oxford street. I was off that Friday anyway. Why didn't I go preorder and pick it up on the night at Virgin
Posted by: frog51
Re: Rock Band - 27/11/2007 10:08
Think mine is a 60Gb PS3, but the only PS2 games I want to play on it are Guitar Hero 1 and 2 and they are never going to work. Looks like I need to keep my PS2 alongside the PS3. On a side note it looks like there are a fair few Wiis around in the shops in Edinburgh and Livingston. Dunno why there would be a difference between England and Scotland?
Posted by: Tim
Re: Rock Band - 27/11/2007 12:06
I checked when GameStop didn't have them. In this area, this is the list of stores that we checked (these were all checked yesterday evening):
Best Buy
CostCo
WalMart
Circuit City
GameStop/EBGames
Fry's Electronics
Toys R Us
I'm not sure if my area just got hosed on the distribution, but nobody in the valley is hoarding them.
Best Buy
CostCo
WalMart
Circuit City
GameStop/EBGames
Fry's Electronics
Toys R Us
I'm not sure if my area just got hosed on the distribution, but nobody in the valley is hoarding them.
Posted by: andym
Re: Rock Band - 27/11/2007 12:12
Quote:
On a side note it looks like there are a fair few Wiis around in the shops in Edinburgh and Livingston. Dunno why there would be a difference between England and Scotland?
Interesting, Manchester it seems, is still dry.
Posted by: Cris
Re: Rock Band - 27/11/2007 14:57
Quote:
Dunno why there would be a difference between England and Scotland?
Ah! That's simple! We can afford them
Ok I'm running off now before they set of in their kilts to come and get me
Cheers
Cris.
Posted by: tfabris
Re: Rock Band - 27/11/2007 16:23
Quote:
I checked when GameStop didn't have them. In this area, this is the list of stores that we checked (these were all checked yesterday evening):
Best Buy
CostCo
WalMart
Circuit City
GameStop/EBGames
Fry's Electronics
Toys R Us
I'm not sure if my area just got hosed on the distribution, but nobody in the valley is hoarding them.
Well, you certainly covered all the bases there. Sorry to hear you're out of luck.
Fortunately I'd heard that the initial distribution of the game wasn't going to meet Xmas demand, so I pre-ordered mine from Amazon a few weeks ahead of time.
Does Amazon have any in stock?
Posted by: tfabris
Re: Rock Band - 27/11/2007 16:26
Quote:
This is exactly what the Penny Arcade guys were saying last week...
And another thing the PA guys were saying just bit me last night: Strum bar stops working on the controller.
Really crappy leaf-spring switches, exposed to the elements right next to the strum bar opening, get gunked or corroded easily. Fortunately, easy to repair/clean/mod them to work better. Just hope I don't have to keep doing it over and over again.
Posted by: Tim
Re: Rock Band - 27/11/2007 16:34
Quote:
Fortunately I'd heard that the initial distribution of the game wasn't going to meet Xmas demand, so I pre-ordered mine from Amazon a few weeks ahead of time.
Does Amazon have any in stock?
Not as of last night. I have an order up with them, so I can get one shipped when my number is up in the queue. I figure if I find one locally, I can always cancel the Amazon order before it ships.
Posted by: frog51
Re: Rock Band - 27/11/2007 17:17
Quote:
Ah! That's simple! We can afford them
Hahahahahahahaha
Posted by: drakino
Re: Rock Band - 27/11/2007 22:16
Quote:Quote:
are Wii's as rare as hen's teeth in the US like they are in the UK?
Yes.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071127/ap_on_hi_te/us_holiday_sales_wii_2
Interesting numbers out of that, production was at 1.2 million a month, and they bumped it to 1.8 million per month. Though Nintendo still believes this won't improve availability for the holidays.
Posted by: tonyc
Re: Rock Band - 11/02/2008 17:25
I finally got to play Rock Band at a friend's place over the weekend. It's very fun. I had never played Guitar Hero before, so my skills on the guitar were pretty crappy for the first few songs. By about the fifth song I could get through some of the simpler numbers on easy and sometimes medium difficulties.
The drums were a cinch for me on most of the songs, which I half expected since I've played "real" drums for a few years. Some of the faster tempo songs (Maiden, Ramones) pushed me to my speed limit, but I was able to get through most of the songs we played on medium or hard difficulty.
I concur with those who've said that the drums are the instrument that most closely map to real-life drumming ability. It definitely forces you to develop limb independence once the level gets medium or higher. I'd love to see them add a left foot pedal for hi-hat and double bass in the future.
What surprised me a bit was how easy the vocals are. I was able to get 70%-80% on the hard level of many of the songs, and I have no vocal talent whatsoever. What I can do, however, is see the little triangle thing pointing and telling me I'm flat or sharp, and change my voice accordingly. Does it take the little hint thingies away on expert level? Seems to me a vocal "expert" should know whether they're singing on key or not.
Anyway, fun game. Looking forward to its Wii release.
The drums were a cinch for me on most of the songs, which I half expected since I've played "real" drums for a few years. Some of the faster tempo songs (Maiden, Ramones) pushed me to my speed limit, but I was able to get through most of the songs we played on medium or hard difficulty.
I concur with those who've said that the drums are the instrument that most closely map to real-life drumming ability. It definitely forces you to develop limb independence once the level gets medium or higher. I'd love to see them add a left foot pedal for hi-hat and double bass in the future.
What surprised me a bit was how easy the vocals are. I was able to get 70%-80% on the hard level of many of the songs, and I have no vocal talent whatsoever. What I can do, however, is see the little triangle thing pointing and telling me I'm flat or sharp, and change my voice accordingly. Does it take the little hint thingies away on expert level? Seems to me a vocal "expert" should know whether they're singing on key or not.
Anyway, fun game. Looking forward to its Wii release.
Posted by: tfabris
Re: Rock Band - 11/02/2008 17:57
No, singing on the expert skill level simply grades the pitch and phrasing even harder. Other than that, it's the same user interface.
Still love the game. Have less time to play it lately, but will get back into it more in April after I finish the album.
Still love the game. Have less time to play it lately, but will get back into it more in April after I finish the album.
Posted by: tonyc
Re: Rock Band - 15/12/2008 20:05
I'm raising this thread from the dead to point out that Rock Band 2 for PS3/360 is only $109.99 this week at Toys R' Us, and you get a $25 gift card as well.
Posted by: mlord
Re: Rock Band - 15/12/2008 20:07
Wait another two weeks and it should be even cheaper then! 
Posted by: tfabris
Re: Rock Band - 15/12/2008 23:31
That's with the wireless guitar and drums? I already have the game, but that's a decent price to get a wireless guitar and wireless drums. Still want to get a wireless mic, supposedly compatibility with the "Lipps" microphones is coming soon.
Posted by: Taym
Re: Rock Band - 15/12/2008 23:49
We got Guitar Hero III: World Tour (full pack with new guitar, drums, mic) as a Christmas present, and we are loving it! I don't know Rock Band, but I guess it's the same sort of fun
I don't know Rock Band, but I guess it's the same sort of fun
Posted by: tonyc
Re: Rock Band - 16/12/2008 00:46
Yeah, wireless guitar and drums. I got up early on Sunday to make sure I got mine, and it was the last PS3 version in stock.
I don't even have my PS3 yet, but it's supposed to arrive tomorrow. I was looking forward to the Wii release of RB2, but Sony has a credit card that gives you $150 off a PS3, and then with a Dell 20% off coupon, I end up paying less than $200. Not bad for a Blu-Ray player and, oh yeah, a game system. And I hear it runs Linux, too!
I don't even have my PS3 yet, but it's supposed to arrive tomorrow. I was looking forward to the Wii release of RB2, but Sony has a credit card that gives you $150 off a PS3, and then with a Dell 20% off coupon, I end up paying less than $200. Not bad for a Blu-Ray player and, oh yeah, a game system. And I hear it runs Linux, too!
Posted by: frog51
Re: Rock Band - 16/12/2008 16:42
Comparing the Wii RB2 with the PS3 RB2 andf I have to say the PS3 version guitars are more solid. I have had the PS3 for a while so have up until now gone for GH1, 2 and 3 and RB, but my in-laws have bought a Wii for Christmas so I was tempted to get RB2 for it.
Don't think I will - but I will get Super Mario Galaxy :-)
Don't think I will - but I will get Super Mario Galaxy :-)
Posted by: tfabris
Re: Rock Band - 16/12/2008 17:06
The biggest problem with the Wii isn't the controllers, it's the lack of a hard disk; i.e., no huge downloadable song library.
Posted by: tonyc
Re: Rock Band - 16/12/2008 17:39
Quote:
Comparing the Wii RB2 with the PS3 RB2
I thought RB2 for Wii wasn't being released until Thursday.
Quote:
The biggest problem with the Wii isn't the controllers, it's the lack of a hard disk; i.e., no huge downloadable song library.
Definitely, being limited to what fits on an SD card was a factor in my decision as well. I'm surprised Nintendo haven't come up with a storage add-on yet, but then again, I was also surprised to see a third Holiday season where it's near impossible to find Wii systems in stores, not to mention the insane supply problems with Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii.
Posted by: msaeger
Re: Rock Band - 17/12/2008 01:15
If I read/heard correctly you can download songs and play them from a SD card on the wii version and those are pretty cheap. Not saying I would choose that version but if you only had a wii it sounds ok.
So do you have Lipps ? I have been thinking of getting a karaoke game. Sing star has better reviews but those aren't always right.
So do you have Lipps ? I have been thinking of getting a karaoke game. Sing star has better reviews but those aren't always right.
Posted by: frog51
Re: Rock Band - 17/12/2008 15:34
Originally Posted By: tonyc
I thought RB2 for Wii wasn't being released until Thursday.
Depends entirely on where you buy things from. Had a good play on RB2 for Wii on Saturday :-)
Posted by: tonyc
Re: Rock Band - 17/12/2008 16:04
I got my PS3 yesterday and had some fun playing RB2 with my fiancee. The one thing I didn't realize is that you need to have a copy of Rock Band 1 to get the tracks from that game; they're apparently not available via the Playstation store, which is a bummer.
I guess I need to buy a used RB1 copy just so I can import the tracks. Or maybe I could rent it, but my guess is everyone else on the planet is trying to rent it right now for the exact same reason... I wonder why they're not offering them as DLC?
I guess I need to buy a used RB1 copy just so I can import the tracks. Or maybe I could rent it, but my guess is everyone else on the planet is trying to rent it right now for the exact same reason... I wonder why they're not offering them as DLC?
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: Rock Band - 17/12/2008 16:21
I would guess licensing issues.
Posted by: tfabris
Re: Rock Band - 17/12/2008 17:02
Originally Posted By: tonyc
I wonder why they're not offering them as DLC?
Possibly licensing issues, as Bitt said, however, I could swear they said that the extra money you pay to Xbox to import the RB1 tracks (there was some small nominal fee) was supposed to cover the re-licensing. Plus, if they did re-offer the songs as DLC, they would stand to make *more* licensing money. So that doesn't make a huge amount of sense.
I'm guessing it's more to prevent confusion, to keep people from accidentally buying a song as DLC that they already own on a disc. (That double-jeapordy thing is already a problem with album packs versus single songs anyway.) And also, possibly, to drive up sales of the leftover RB1 discs.
Maybe it's a code compatibility thing: Offering the RB1 songs as DLC might break the RB1 software somehow?
Posted by: tonyc
Re: Rock Band - 17/12/2008 17:06
Bah. Whatever it is, it's annoying. I love some of the RB1 tracks, but I wasn't looking forward to buying the game just to get them.
Anyone think any of the game rental services (GameFly, etc.) are worth a damn?
Anyone think any of the game rental services (GameFly, etc.) are worth a damn?
Posted by: tonyc
Re: Rock Band - 17/12/2008 20:32
For those Wii owners not dissuaded by the lack of storage, Rock Band 2 for Wii gets a darn good review at IGN.