Rock Band

Post by **Lunkhead** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:07 pm

One of my co-workers sprung for the full "Rock Band" pack for XBOX 360, so we now have a USB mic, the drum kit, and a Fender Strat controller. We got in one song before people needed to use the "game room" for its actual purpose (having meetings) and its pretty fun. The guy who was trying to sing had never heard the song before, so he was butchering it and kept failing. For co-op play, I think RB beats GH3.

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:27 pm

So multi player, as in everyone plays one instrument? Cool!
I don't really like video games, but that sounds fun.

Post by **Lunkhead** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:29 pm

Yes, you can have 1-4 people playing at once. You get to choose from guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. Guiter Hero 2 and 3 controllers work with the game, too. If you had a headset or mic stand you could sing and play guitar or bass or drums at the same time, too, it looks like. I think the game actually would help you learn how to sing better to a degree and might even be a good aid for learning to play drums. It's at least a more fun way to work on your timing playing drums than doing paradiddles or whatever. We just played a few more songs. The guy who plays drums "in real life" found the drum part confusing because it was a lot simpler than he expected it to be, even on expert. I found the drums difficult on medium. The guitar so far is pretty easy but we've only played the first few songs.

Lord of Oats · Post by **Lord of Oats** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:16 pm

Yeah, so, I want to try this, but it seems a little pricey. Hopefully, one of my friends who lacks basic financial skills will buy this soon, and I'll begin Operation Mooch.

jimtyrrell · Post by **jimtyrrell** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:46 pm

When my car broke down a few weeks ago I was stranded at Best Buy for a few hours. They had the demo set up, so I grabbed the drumsticks, chose EXPERT and had it dish out a random song. I got Tom Sawyer. I made it about halfway through before failing out. I tried a few on HARD and was able to get through 'em on the first try.

It's on sale at our local Wal-Mart for about $170 (XBox360 version). Since I don't have that system (or a PS3), I'm not likely to get the game anytime soon. But it was fun.

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 3:51 pm

Lord of Oats wrote:Yeah, so, I want to try this, but it seems a little pricey. Hopefully, one of my friends who lacks basic financial skills will buy this soon, and I'll begin Operation Mooch.

Go Kyle and Stan on this and have your friends pool for the game.

Adam! · Post by **Adam!** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 10:08 pm

Do want. But I have no xbox. Lame.

Hey Harmonix, where's that Wii version you promised? And by promised, I mean hinted vaguely at.

Post by **Lunkhead** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 12:18 am

I now have a love/hate relationship with this game. The college dudes who live in the apartment downstairs from ours have it and they're playing it loudly and having a blast, till late into the night. On the one hand, that's awesome, but on the other hand it royally sucks.

Caravan Ray · Post by **Caravan Ray** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 4:11 am

Lunkhead wrote:I now have a love/hate relationship with this game. The college dudes who live in the apartment downstairs from ours have it and they're playing it loudly and having a blast, till late into the night. On the one hand, that's awesome, but on the other hand it royally sucks.

Welcome to getting old!

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 9:17 am

Don't you have a PS3, Adam!? That's the version we have at work, and unlike XBox360, the PS3's guitar is wireless (although a bit gimpy in that it uses its own transceiver instead of the console's built-in wireless).

It's fun, though I definitely prefer vocals. The guitars make my wrist hurt, and the drums seem like a very curious abstraction of drums where it adjusts the mix based on how close you are to hitting the pads rather than just playing the dang notes directly (like in Beatmania/DrumMania) and so it's way too easy to get off-beat without having an audio cue of how to adjust. (Very frustrating.) Also there's something to be said for the one skill in the game which is actually the skill you're trying to do, even if it only actually judges you on pitch and rhythm.

It also helps that I'm apparently the best singer in the office (I know, right?), but it's fun to see other people get into it (even when they totally butcher "Creep").

Adam! · Post by **Adam!** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:25 pm

fluffy wrote:Don't you have a PS3, Adam!?

No such "luck". I borrowed one for a while.

I guess I could get a PS2; those must be, what, a dollar by now? Plus that way I could finally play God of War, too.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:30 pm

The PS2 version doesn't have downloadable content.

Adam! · Post by **Adam!** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 2:01 am

Posting from a Rock Band drum set!

OK, I'm not really posting using a Rock Band drum set, as it would be very tedious to do so (it's hard enough entering a band name). Clocked a few hours behind the kit on a friend's copy. Drumming is actually pretty damn challenging, and not just because I can't put the kick pedal as far forward as I like. Guitar feels stupid-easy in comparison. Neither of us were brave enough to take up the mic, but that will probably happen once we unlock some more songs.

Oh, also, it FINALLY came to Canada. We're two months behind, for some reason. The delay better not have been for French packaging.

Post by **Lunkhead** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 2:41 am

My co-worker took his copy home early last month, so I haven't played this in a while. I just ordered another copy, though, for which several other people have chipped in money, so I hope to be drumming away again in a couple weeks. Yay!

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 3:47 am

The band at work is at the point where we have to play on expert if we want to get more fans. I'm not sure we're ready for that.