Why can't Harmonix make up theirs minds?

[psufan1993]

3 questions for Harmonix

1) When is the Special Edition coming out?
2) Why won't you release any information about the game?
3)Why don't you even have it listed in the store, and its nowhere to be found on ea.com.
i'm very disappointed in the lack of info given out by you guys, and then i wont be able to buy one until after christmas!
i've had to read these forums to find out all off my facts.

i would like your opinion and a response from harmonix

[jq715861]

# questions for Harmonix

1) When is the Special Edition coming out?
2) Why won't you release any information about the game?
3)Why don't you even have it listed in the store, and its nowhere to be found on ea.com.
i'm very disappointed in the lack of info given out by you guys, and then i wont be able to buy one until after christmas!
i've had to read these forums to find out all off my facts.

i would like your opinion and a response from harmonix

Are you talking about the PS2 version? If you are it's not being developed by them.

It's being developed by Pi Studios. Bother them. lol.

[espher]

You've lost me, kid.

[psufan1993]

Are you talking about the PS2 version? If you are it's not being developed by them.

yes is it being developed by pi?
they still have their name on it

[admanimal]

The PS2 game is obviously not going to be featured anywhere on this web site because the next-gen version is the real, full experience that they are trying to sell. I'm sure the PS2 version will still be fun but it's not nearly as impressive as the next-gen version.

If you want some info about it, you're going to have to read some other gaming sites.

[erickOnasis412]

hey not sure if you checked this thread out:

http://community.rockband.com/vbforum/showthread.php?p=194046#post194046

some info on there about the PS2 version


Hey, I worked on Rock Band (Project Leader), and wanted to respond to this thread to give everyone a bit of insight about how we made the choices we did in developing the PS2 version.

The PS2 version of Rock Band was developed by Pi, but we were closely involved with development and feature selection at every step. They did an awesome job, and totally delivered on the spec that we developed. During development we had to make choices to ensure the best game possible for the system. When we were addressing challenges in getting Rock Band onto the PS2, we chose to prioritize core gameplay. You can play 4-player songs at Expert, and the framerate is a reliable 60 FPS, because this was the priority for us, as it has been with every rhythm action game we've ever made.

--From a development perspective, there are two main reasons we couldn?t support character creation on the PS2 version.
1. The characters designed by the character creator on the 360 and PS3 are very processor-expensive to render, because the system was designed assuming next-gen graphics power. Down-rezzing that system to fit on the PS2 would have been a huge undertaking, and the results would not have looked good. Remember, ALL 4 CHARACTERS have to look good in Rock Band.
2. The 4-player track graphics alone are a big rendering burden for the PS2, especially at the harder difficulties when there are lots of notes on screen. For it to play well, we have to guarantee 60 FPS at all times, which in practice means that it has to be optimized for the worst-case scenario (in case you are curious, it?s Run to the Hills, 4-player, expert). The vocal pitch analysis chews up still more processing time. So, once the core game was implemented, there was very little processing power left over for complex character and venue rendering. FWIW, on-disc space was not the primary concern.

Since we knew we couldn?t do everything we would have liked, our choice was to focus on the gameplay. We stand behind that choice, and we think that being able to play 4-player Rock Band on a $129.00 console is actually pretty cool. I hope this explains some of the reasoning that went into the development of the PS2. We didn?t just dump it off, we were totally focused on it, and we think we made reasonable calls, given the trade-offs we were faced with. While we would have loved to fit all of the next gen features into the PS2 version, we?ve still ended up with a great game that we?re proud of and that we think PS2 users will enjoy.

also, from Joystiq.com:

Rock Band for PS2 lacks any online support, meaning no online co-op or, unsurprisingly, downloadable content. Harmonix has also removed the multiplayer World Tour mode featured in the other versions, where your band travels to a number of different venues, collecting fans and cash whilst opening up new locations, gigs, and songs. Instead, available songs will be presented in a tiered list, much like the single player mode of Guitar Hero.

Also missing is the ability to create your own rocker and, therefore, your own band. Instead, you'll play as a pre-made band each time you load up a song (the band differs based on the genre of the song you chose). Personally, we'd spend the extra ten bucks just to play as The Collins Collection, our fictional supergroup composed of Bootsy Collins, Phil Collins, Sam Collins and ... another Bootsy Collins. However, if you've yet to make the leap to the seventh generation, you can pick up the game when it releases for the PS2 on Dec. 18.

[weisguy119]

My girlfriend is getting the PS2 bundle for me for Christmas. The only problem with that is, we have no idea when it's actually being released. Is the official release date still the 18th? I'm reading it's been pushed back to the 23rd now. Dates change with every website and forum post, it seems. Please give a release date and stick to it. I know not all retailers will have it in stock on the release date but, at the very least, give us a date to mark on the calendar and aim for. As of right now, it's all rumor and speculation.

[Xzyliac]

Are you talking about the PS2 version? If you are it's not being developed by them.

It's being developed by Pi Studios. Bother them. lol.

Oh that's who's developing it? Thank you. I couldn't find that information anywhere.

[raygunn]

Since the PS2 and PS3 both use the same hardware, my guess is that all the Playstation-compatible hardware is being put into the PS3 bundles. I was at Wal-Mart last night and they had at least 20 RB bundles for Xbox 360, but only 2 for PS3. I bought one of the PS3 bundles and the PS2 standalone. The guy there told me the release for the PS2 bundle is now pushed back the 12/21, but that's the 3rd date I've heard so I don't have much faith in it.

[psufan1993]

this is ridiculous why cant harmonix come up with a concrete date?

[devo193]

My Gamestop says they have them already and they go on sale Tuesday, the 18th.

And Harmonix IS NOT developing this game! They chose what stayed and what went out, but beyond that, nothing.