Rock Band Network: Don't wait for the third one

One of the major features people talk about when comparing the lasting value of Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Band 2 is the music creator (GHTunes) of the former. While it makes for a little bit of amusement, the amusement doesn't really last long what with the decidedly un-user-friendly creation interface. Now, the arguments can be put to rest, because Harmonix has announced something even better: the new Rock Band Network.

Aimed as both a promotional tool for independent labels/artists and a DIY DLC creator for established labels, the Rock Band Network is the place where the artists themselves can create both the song and the Rock Band chart, then upload them to the community for evaluation. They can set their price (.50c-$2) and they'll get a share of that profit.

Nobody said creating the crap was easy though, and that's because one will need an account before they gain access to the same tools Harmonix uses. So no, it's not the same consumer-oriented composer tools Guitar Hero offers, but the real deal. Now it won't have to sound like a ringtone (unless your song sounded like a ringtone intentionally).

Perhaps one deal-breaker to this new tool comes with the current incompatibility with other consoles-- namely the PS3 and the Wii-- but Harmonix says that they're "working on those versions" as well.

I envision Rock Band Network as one of the biggest promotional tools the music industry can exploit. I mean, since a creator can simply release the song/s on a date he chooses, labels could say, simultaneously put out Rock Band DLC and a new album.

For the interested musicians out there, you better have a 360 if you want to participate in the beta. You'll also have to get your e-mail address and type it in the site though.

More Details on LEGO Rock Band

You know about the LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Indiana Jones and LEGO Batman, right?

Right?

Well, if you do know and love them, LEGO Rock Band might just be the thing for you. Taking a break from extremely famous movie franchises to extremely famous gaming franchises, Traveller's Tales' flagship (?) kiddie franchise does the unthinkable and goes on to blend both worlds.

You could always wait, but I got me some new juicy details, after the jump.

Staying true to the brand name, the two developers have decided upon a new gaming mechanic that would revolutionize all Rock Band and LEGO games forever.

Yes, you're gonna make your own instruments from LEGO blocks! Amazing!

True to the other games, the literally LEGO made instruments will also resonate on screen. If the Fender Stratocaster is the default guitar you first use in the real Rock Band games, then that LEGOcaster will be the default guitar in LEGO Rock Band. Just... wow. Not as cool as that literal axe, but still, awesome.

Just be careful with those fret buttons... perhaps LEGO Rock Band won't even have a Hard difficulty because of this thing.

Rock Band 2 Review (WII)

Rock Band 2: Special Edition (Wii version reviewed)

EA Games, MTV Games, Harmonix, Pi Studios

It's not always when Harmonix screws something up. True, the LEGO mashup may be one case, but Rock Band (1) for the Wii is another.

You see, the first iteration of the franchise for the white dude had a lot of features stripped from its beefier 360 and PS3 counterparts: character creation, online play and most importantly for me, the online music store.

Fortunately, Harmonix has made up for the disappointment of the multitudes of Wii owners by offering a bigger, better, badder Rock Band 2. It's simply nearly identical to its big brothers from the art direction to the myriads of clothes on offer in Character Creation mode.

It's a rather massive game now in comparison to that of the first iteration, so I'll just sift through some of the major ones.

Graphics and Presentation

The departure of pre-rendered videos is very welcome, as it's very cute to see your own character miss notes when you do, as the "concert" that happens while you play is now rendered in real-time. Some frame rate issues do occur, but it's only noticeable when you are the singer in the band. Other than that, the characters and animation have very impressive art direction and fluidity. You'll even love how, at times, the avatar of the guitarist would sing along and share the mic with the singer.

The flexible character creation even lets you create some of the most outrageous avatars you'll find in a rock game, and they are all rendered flawlessly. Subtle uses of your characters in loading screens (as well as your band's name) also look extremely cool to boot. Hell, the only issue I'd have with the presentation of Rock Band would have to be the fact that it isn't in HD!

Instruments

The quality of the instruments is pretty solid. I personally would've liked the guitar to have better fret buttons, as well as some more responsiveness, but overall, I think the included instruments (1 set of drums, 1 guitar, 1 USB mic) will last very long. 

You'll need 3 AA batteries (included in the box) for drums and guitar for they are wireless, but you'll only probably exchange them every 2 months or so. We bought Rock Band 2 during the last week of February, and yet the guitar still lives on without a single battery change. The drums on the other hand, has just received its first battery change 2 weeks ago. Take note though, that battery life will still depend on how long you play in one sitting.

Drum sticks get black quick though, as they are made of actual wood and not plastic.

Gameplay Mechanics

Gameplay is relatively easy to pick up with drums as the color coded rings of the real instrument reflect the colors of the notes that will appear on screen. Guitar on the other hand, handles like a real one. You can hold the fret buttons, but you'll have to strum using the strum bar first before the game accepts it. (For training and more information about contorls, one could be able to go to a very detailed tutorial or just train on any part of any song)

Singing is radically different beast, obviously, but it's not just karaoke- it also detects correct pitch. No, actually, it's more pitch than words, so if you don't know a part of the song but you know the tune of it, you can just hum your way to victory. Some parts of a certain song where the instrumentalists go solo are supplemented with "clapping sessions". Basically, the vocalist will also have to clap to the beat- as indicated by scrolling black circles overlapping a stationary white circle.

When someone is doing miserably, a team member can use stored energy (which can be received through playing grey notes or singing yellow phrases correctly) to go into "overdrive". Overdrive is basically Rock Band's answer to Guitar Hero's "Star Power": it can "save" the troubled band member from failing, or even ressurect a band member who has already failed. One would know if failure is imminent by checking out a green/yellow/red meter on the left corner of the screen. When someone is going down that meter, it means he/she is doing badly or missing notes. When he/she reaches the bottommost part of that meter, he/she fails and must be "saved" through the Overdrive of the other bandmates- and fast because the meter turns yellow and later, red when someone fails. Basically, a failed bandmate will take the rest of you down with him, and if the others don't rush to save him (or are too late) they'll all fail the song; this mechanic definitely encourages teamwork and some frantic moments.

But of course, failing just sucks, doesn't it? This is why you can choose to activate a "No Fail" mode which effectively removes all chances of failure- as well as the ability to save your progress in Tour (aka, Career) Mode.

High Score OCD

Much of the replay value present in these types of games lies in the basic "I want to beat that high score" psychology- if you could call it that. This is why Harmonix also put "Solo" and "Rock Ending" mechanics. The former basically adds bonus points depending on how well you play a guitar/drum solo while the latter gives the players bonus points when an ending is successfully executed. 

Let me delve more into these "endings". The notes suddenly look like spreaded jam, meaning that you could just do anything with your instrument- and yes, that means strumming any fret, banging any part of the drum, and screaming/speaking gibberish into the mic- and after that part, the points will be given to you depending on just one condition: will the instrumentalists be able to play the last few notes? When they are able to not miss the last note(s), the points are given to you. Otherwise- when the player screws up on that last note- no bonus points for you!

Online

The actual experience of Rock Band lies in the number of people you have at your disposal. If you play it with a full band, a certain feeling surfaces- and that abstract, indescribable feeling is pretty much the thing that makes Rock Band so good and dare I say it, magical. Still, your friends or family aren't always around- they have lives too- so online is here to cure your loneliness.

There are two major online modes: Online Tour and Battle of the Bands. Online Tour enables you to find other people who are lonely too, and they could serve as one (or all) of the missing members of your band.

While I have yet to be able to find a full band online, I was able to find several guitarists, and the song I picked was Joan Jett's Bad Reputation. It doesn't replace real people who are there with you, but it's close.

Searches would take long depending on the time you go online and the number of people who are actually on and/or already playing, of course..

Personally, I haven't actually tried the latter- Battle of the Bands. Basically, its premise is that you can connect your entire band online and fight with other bands who are online.

Music Store

For the first time in the Wii edition, Rock Band gets its own Music Store where you can now download 20 free songs out of the box as well as purchase more famous songs. Each song costs 200 Nintendo Points or $2.00, and while the 630 song-catalogue is not yet complete in the Wii, it's getting there. New songs added in the 360 and PS3 are currently being added alongside the songs that play catch-up. So while there's no My Sharona yet, you could now get the newly added Spongebob songs.

Now Go Party!!!

Wii owners (or PS3 and 360 owners for that matter) who are fans of the rhythm genre (or just like to conduct parties in general) will consider Rock Band 2 a no-brainer. Personally, it's even better than Guitar Hero: World Tour even if its drums have those (unintuitive) cymbals and just 2 more songs than Rock Band 2. When you pop this in and you start playing with several friends, you're just gonna be so elated. It's just a gratifying experience with others- and Rock Band's ability to make people feel this way is unsurpassed, thus making Rock Band 2 (or the franchise in general) one of the best rhythm game(s) of all time.

Rating: 9.3/10

Harmonix confirms "imaginative" DLC

There's nothing better in a plastic axe gamer's week than new songs to download. While we oversaw the release of Journey, Pat Benatar and Spongebob songs a couple days ago, a Harmonix insider has also confirmed a few more songs coming next week aside from Toby Keith.

I sat down with a friend of mine who worked at Harmonix, and he told me something more than I can swallow.

"We got such a warm reception over the Spongebob DLC, that we've decided to expand our horizons yet again," says the insider who wishes to remain anonymous. He showed (shoved?) a flyer "accidentally" on my face.

The Conficker worm got this for me.

Indeed, Harmonix wasn't kidding when it announced the kids' show Barney as part of the new downloadable content available for Rock Band and Rock Band 2. It features exclusive tracks made just for the game, meaning that the ever-famous "I Love You" song has been added in and reproduced for the game.

It doesn't stop there, all-new tracks for your toddlers have been added as well in this planned three-pack release. Aside from "I Love You", it also has "Let's Go BJ" and "Imagination in the House".

"These three songs will not only ease toddlers into the game, it will also let them learn about the facts of life," commented the insider. "In fact, 'Imagination' was so catchy, I'll sing a few lines for ya."

We can do it in the bedroom,

perhaps the bathroom,

maybe in the living room too.

Just remember that

your Uncle Barney loves you...

And that was when he got a call and said he had to leave. I had one last question for him, though: surely there was more than Barney coming?

"Well, we also had our share of hate when we revealed the Spongebob pack, so we had Journey to shut them up. Next week we release Toby Keith to shut them up as well."

Guitar Hero World Tour vs. Rock Band 2

I'm a big fan of rhythm games- they help me discover some great music- but currently, when you say music game, either Guitar Hero or Rock Band comes to mind. OK, maybe Dance Dance Revolution or BeatMania or Guitar Freaks too, but that's another story.

Thus there will exist an internal argument (with yourself) when you consider choosing one of them. This post is here to help. Both of them have their pros and cons, but I personally decided to invest upon Rock Band 2 for the Wii. Find out after the jump.

Guitar Hero: World Tour

WHY BUY?

1) In all consoles, the features are pretty much similar across the board except for the Wii which has the useless, Wii Music-esque Freestyle mode. (Obviously though, the PS2 version is obviously not eligible for additional downloadable content.)

2) The addition of drums and microphone is a given. If you already have an existing guitar from past Guitar Hero games, it's compatible too. This way, you can have a complete band.

3) If you already have Rock Band 1 or 2, you can go ahead and splurge on just the disc. The PS3 version is an uncertainty though, and the Wii and PS2 iterations? Dream on. Still, you can get the best of both worlds because Rock Band 2 in all platforms support all Guitar Hero World Tour peripherals with PS3 once again, an uncertainty.

4) More songs than Rock Band 2- specifically 2 more, although some songs are the same with the ones on Rock Band 2. Still, they're all master recordings, meaning that the songs are the genuine article- the ones released originally. Popular songs are abound there ("Beat It" comes to mind). Not only that, you can compose your own (or download the compositions of others)!

5) Touch sensitive fret bars are available as a response to Rock Band's introduction of a second fret bar located at the bottom of the guitar for solos. These touch sensitive fret bars put some variation gameplay-wise in the form of a "purply-roped" fret.

6) More celebs in motion-capture glory! If Guitar Hero 3 delivered Slash (and a few other guests), this one delivers even more.

WHY NOT BUY?

1) This one compelling reason made me not want to buy Guitar Hero World Tour in the first place, and that is the technical issues that plague the hardware. GameSpot reports that fret buttons get sticky after a day, the touch-sensitive bar doesn't register hits accurately and the general public agree that the all-important strum button doesn't register only after a few hours of play. Additionally, the cymbals of the drums do not work very well, many people say.

2) The Music Studio may let you create your own music, but it's definitely not user-friendly- not at all. You'll have to have a never-ending patience just for the sake of ringtone-esque products.

3) Less artist variation is a bit of a minor problem. The setlist has some artists that have 2 or more songs! So the case may either be, you'll hate those set of songs, or you'll love them. The unprecedented succession of these songs may annoy those who hate the set.

4) Unstable downloadable content release dates have been plaguing the series since Guitar Hero 3. While the Rock Band series has a steady weekly stream of downloadable content available for craving fans, Guitar Hero owners will be left wanting.

5) Aren't motion-captured celebrities too uncanny and disturbing? It's like watching Polar Express -shudder-

6) All those instruments need their separate Wii remotes in the Wii version. What the hell?

Rock Band 2

WHY BUY?

1) While the release dates aren't simultaneous for all platforms, you can't really blame Harmonix since development duties weren't really delegated to several developers like in Guitar Hero. Now that all platforms finally have Rock Band 2, one could say that they also are pretty much feature-identical unlike its disappointing predecessor. Of course, PS2 owners don't have downloadble content.

2) Addictive Band Tour mode is extremely varied and non-linear, and progression is much more rewarding.

3) Rock Band 2 can transfer Rock Band songs for 5 dollars. This is because of song re-licensing. Unfortunately 3 songs aren't permitted for transfer, and this includes "Enter Sandman".

4) There is a lot more variety song-wise in Rock Band 2. One artist, one song ratio (unless you download from the Music Store). Notably, the inclusion of an exclusive Guns N' Roses track from Chinese Democracy (which at the time wasn't released), I guess, is a plus.

5) Online matches seem much more addictive than in Guitar Hero. Song scores are automatically uploaded online and there is also an option to access the Tour mode online.

6) The Downloadable Content available in the Rock Band Music Store is amazing. In total, counting the songs included in the Rock Band 1 and 2 discs, there are 572 songs in the Rock Band universe. Additionally, downloadable content downloaded in Rock Band 1 are compatible with Rock Band 2 so there is no re-purchasing. Wii owners finally get this as well.

7) Two words: No Fail. While the concept sounds oh-so lame, it's actually useful especially during parties- which is where this game usually shines. If you are having difficulty with the game and keep failing on one part (and get annoyed with that), or if you just want to ram on the buttons, you can use this mode. Moreover, bandmates won't have to worry about wasting valuable "Energy" just to save the failed fool.

8) Reliable instruments. The drum pedal is notably reinforced with metal. Plus, it doesn't need Wii remotes for operation, just AA batteries (included in the box!).

WHY NOT BUY?

1) For the Wii, Guitar Hero: World Tour instruments are compatible with Rock Band 2, but Rock Band 2 instruments aren't compatible with Guitar Hero: World Tour. But this is due more to the fact that Guitar Hero: World Tour was released significantly earlier.

2) Wii and PS2 owners don't get the song transfer feature. This is due more to the lack of a hard drive in both consoles.

3) Wii owners have to wait very long to get the back catalog of songs available for the PS3 and 360 for a long time. At least the schedule is weekly and not uncertain like in Guitar Hero.

4) In paper, Guitar Hero seems like the more sensible purchase.

5) I'm not sure if Guitar Hero's setup is the same, but unpacking Rock Band 2 is a big chore.

There, I've got my points numerically listed for your convenience. If you've been considering which to buy, here are the reasons why you should or should not buy either one of them. For me, Rock Band 2 is the winner, but not all share my opinion obviously.

E3: Final Fantasy shockers!

Day 1: The Microsoft Keynote
Before I go to the really, really, really big shocker/s, let me clear these out first:
>Gears of War 2 gets a new trailer.
>Rock Band 2 gets AC/DC, thus causing rhythm fans to go baloney.
>The casual audience gets more games on the 360 Live Arcade platform, one of the most prominent being "I'm In The Movies!" which looks more like an Eye-Toy game for the PS2 by Codebreakers.
> Microsoft rips of Sony's SingStar karaoke series with their own "Lips".
> There's a new Halo game coming out called Halo Wars- and it may not have Master Chief!
> Resident Evil 5 gets co-op on our asses (although IMO, co-op will feel like SSBB's Subspace Emissary: it doesn't look like it's given much thought because the camera only focuses on the first player).
> Fallout 3 goes to 360 and not only PC.
> Mirror's Edge looks really sweet!
> Take a look at Spore: Will Wright's new simulation thingy.

BIG NEWS:
When you see Final Fantasy, what comes in your mind?

Cloud Strife, Tidus, Yuna, Squall, and oh, the PlayStation.


Now, it's all gonna change because the newest installment of the Final Fantasy series goes to the XBox 360.

Oooh, that's gotta hurt, Sony!

And then, come more rip-offs, courtesy of MS.

OK, they've revamped their famous dashboard, and it looks pretty nice. But look more into the first picture and what do you see?
A F**KING MII.

Thinking about it just sickens me, especially since the 360 was built almost primarily for the hardcore. And now they're going the way of the Wii? This is of course gonna be inducing some competition, but personally, when I mix the two terms XBox and avatars together, I get lost.

I mean, yeah, there seems to be a lot more Home-like options than that of the Wii, but still, this is just too derivative.

Tomorrow: NINTENDO!!!!
(Picture credit goes to my friend Hallway_Giant from the GameSpot community.)

FREE GAME: Build up a Rock Band

Ahh, the word free is like music to my ears, and it's probably gonna be in yours too, because not only is Guitar Hero the only popular rhythm game to receive the free software treatment, Rock Band is too.

Initially a Guitar Hero clone as well, the project was first released as a Rock Band clone on February 2008 with the tentative name "Garage Band". But since Apple had the rights to the brand GarageBand in its iLife suite, the developers changed its name to Unsigned and thus started to slowly gain popularity in just 3 months.

And although I myself haven't tried my hand at doing a drum part for the 5 downloadable songs only currently available (songs can be ripped directly from the Rock Band game) with a keyboard, the game has been presented in Microsoft's Maker Faire (because the big M itself invited the developer) just recently. Probably because of Microsoft's new XNA Framework made for PC, XBox 360 and eventually, Linux and Mac. According to Wikipedia, the game has also been received quite warmly and had people trying it out almost every minute of the exhibition. And that was the 360 version.
CAPTION: Unlike Frets on Fire, Unsigned also provides 3D people,
and a Rock Power meter.

But from what I tried, the program is still buggy, and it usually quits by itself in the song selection screen. Judging from the quality of the first few screens though, the developers are trying hard to actually make a solid game with actual 3D graphics unlike that of Frets on Fire which had boring 2D backgrounds. On the flipside, song installation is not really as organized as that of Frets, but it's still easy. But like Frets on Fire, the game also supports the supplied controllers that come with the real games they try to emulate and unlike Frets, Unsigned has a few mechanics that actually stick more to the game because of the ability to "resurrect" a fallen band-mate during its own version of Star Power called Rock Power, etc..

Maybe you can download it for free in the following months and only in the following months because it's a bit hard to determine when the bugs will be fixed... But if you want this game to be running smoothly all the time, you can wait for the XBox 360 version- yes, an XBox 360 version- that will probably be available for download at the end of the year.

"Weird Al"'s our assignment...

My addiction's not pointless anymore. But I don't even know what the heck "You Don't Love Me Anymore" is! How Ironic.

(Speaking of Weird Al) Listen to This:
A mellow, steady beat combined with lyrics no one can beat, Usher's confessions has just reached another level.



GAMING (Not much of a) Jaw-dropper: Rock Band - now on the PS2

Obviously, EA and Harmonix know that the PS3 is a total flop.

If you shunned Harmonix for the decision to release such an ambitious project in next-gen consoles, shun no more. PS3 content is definitely also going to the PS2... considering the large fanbase it has.

It's still speculated that the pricing may well be at the hundreds. Pre-orders have reached to a hundred and ninety-nine point ninety-nine dollars, making people believe that this pricing scheme is in finality. Unfortunately, Harmonix isn't ready to reveal a real price yet so... a pirated version is a sure sell.

This venture by EA Games, Harmonix and MTV has made recording companies offer more master tracks, therefore increasing its big fanbase that Harmonix built with the Guitar Hero series... into potential garage bands and lots more. A Wii version might be on the works.

It's your chance to rock!

...in your living room.

E3's over and one of the most hyped games is one that only Filipinos, being "natural rackistas", can drool and dream of. It's Guitar Hero amp-ed up to become a whole band. It's Rock Band.

Rock on with a guitar, jam using the drums, ramp up the bass or simply bring down the house with your errr.... "great?" voice.

Featuring "lagless" online multiplayer, character customization, downloadable tracks (variety IS the spice of life) and a no-nonsense approach to musical controllers, this is probably what you need for your "musical education". What makes it dull though, is a fact that interested people are going to have to face- the price. Though undecided, it's bound to be a groan and a moan for your pocket judging by its production costs, features, and not to mention included instruments (which makes me wonder how you'll be able to take home such a game)! At kung pirated man ang bilhin, the fun's gonna be gone anyway (because the instruments won't be included and will have to be bought separately... which by the way may even cost more than the orig, or rather, official bundle itself!)