My take on unlockable content * HARMONIX PLEASE READ *

[croman777]

I was at the local Gamestop the other day and I noticed a guy ( mid-thirties ) tearing up some tracks on RB in expert mode. This guy didn't miss a note...ever. It was at that point that I realized I would need to play this game constantly, during all my free time in order to be at that level of expertise. I'm certain this guy unlocked every song in the game.

This is where my issue comes into play...:cool:

I have read the threads on unlocking with the cheat codes and all the flaming that has gone on between the average player and the uber-player. I claim to be no expert at any game or the lamest player either; for there is always someone better and someone I could beat with my eyes closed.

I purchased RB for my girls and gave it to them on Christmas. We have been playing constantly ( I'm 35 in case you're wondering ). The first problem I encountered was that my 11 and 12 yr old kids didn't really know the majority of the songs. Sure they could hit the notes, anyone can train a monkey to memorize repetitive patterns.. =) , but they were generally disinterested in Sabbath's "Paranoid". I told them in order to unlock the songs they knew they had to complete the game as the creators intended.

To this they said it was lame and I was lame for knowing all those old songs.:D

So my take on this is that these games should have a " Everything Mode " that just lets you pick the songs you want to play from the entire library the game offers.

I do realize that this is a dead topic of discussion and that the comments to follow will be rude, but that's just my .02 on the issue.

P.S.

When a bunch of drunk 35 yr old guys get together to play this thing, the entire library of songs would be cool since collective mentality is around age 10. :)

[G_tarRoCK3R]

and this mode is called quickplay.........

[Forbiden]

If all you want to do is play any song without regards for progressing through a solo tour or BWT then just enter this cheat code at the title screen (Big Rock Band with the Press Start text):

Red, Yellow, Blue, Red, Red, Blue, Blue, Red, Yellow, Blue.

You can do it on controller, drums, or guitar. Make sure you do it fast. The game will let you know when you did it correctly.

[DeeeeeMoney]

I actually agree.

The decision should be up to the player.

There are purists out there who will disagree, but for that reason, they would have the choice to NOT use everything mode.

I consider myself a little of both. I am moving through the game with my band and unlocking as we go, but there are times when I want to play the Who (which we haven't unlocked) and there are also times when I want to practice a song in practice mode, but cannot because haven't beat it in the world tour mode.

I enjoy the challenge of having to unlock everything, but having an everything mode is no different than having a "cheat code" for unlocking everything, it just makes it so that to get "everything mode" you have to log on to the internet and track it down.

A minor complaint if any, otherwise, I'm loving this game :)

[HeXcoda]

RB is a lot less restrictive on the unlocks than most games -- including GH3, where you have to do a ridiculously luck based boss battle AND clear the entire coop mode in order to finally unlock everything. In RB all you have to do is clear any instrument on Medium. And in the end, all you get for your troubles are the HMX indie songs, no major numbers like Dragonforce locked away. So, big deal, say I. It's not that bad.

[the_spike]

There's an unlock all code and quickplay.

Seriously you guys, it's a game. It's meant to be a little challenging. If they unlocked everything from the start, removed the fan cap, disabled the kick pedal for drums and took off scoring for vocals, there would be nothing to play for. It would be ONLY a party game and the amount of people playing the game the way it was meant to be played would be low.

This isn't directed at the original poster, I just noticed the amount of "remove this and make this easier" threads and it's annoying.

[ThePaska]

I didn't officially unlock every song until maybe 3 weeks after the game came out. No one of my friends wanted to sit around and wait for all the songs to get unlocked.

Thus thanks to the unlock all songs code we had a blast in band quickplay for quite some time. I don't see much a problem, this is basically what you are up against, if you want to play songs you haven't unlocked and don't want to play through the game to unlock them, just use the code!

[Will-san]

I am totally loving the game and thing band world tour is cool. But I need a party mode for sure. people come over and just want to play song X and I am sick of telling them. I havn't unlocked that song yet.

[DeeeeeMoney]

I may be totally wrong, but my experience has been that if playing ONLY band world tour, you can't play any song in quickplay that hasn't already been played on the world tour.

I realize that there are solo tours and that the whole game can be done on medium if wanted, but look at the OP's situation, and the situation of anyone else with kids (this does not include me). The kids will always want to play together or at least play when one other kid is playing (the natural jealously observed in children). So to ask the OP to have him or one of his daughter's play the whole game through on medium on a certain instrument seems counter to how he wants to play the game with his kids.

As for me, the only time this has been an issue, was when I couldn't pass Cherub Rock on band world tour because it would only let me play on hard or expert for some reason. I wasn't good enough at that point to beat it, and could not practice the song because we could not beat it. The same goes for another song that we encountered during "Programmer's Favorites" setlist somewhere. THe last song has insane vocals on hard, and we had to abandon the four song gig on the last song because we couldnt beat the vocals part.

Again, this was a minor issue for me, but for the OP's situation, I suppose the unlock code is ideal. I just think that with the internet, a cheat code these days is simply a game option, as anyone can find out how to do it...might as well just make it a menu option for those who want it is all I'm saying.

[Fatal1ty_Reaper]

This has actually been brought up before and it always baffles me... I can understand not knowing the songs, but wanting to just get everything right off the bat is lame. It makes just as much sense as saying you want to play a first person shooter, but you don't want to HAVE to play to get the story, you just want it all downloaded into your brain right off the bat...

However in the interest of being a good rocker, here is the unlock all songs cheat (disables saving): Red, Yellow, Blue, Red, Red, Blue, Blue, Red, Yellow, Blue
Enter it at the title screen, where it says "press start" at the bottom of the screen.

[ZkDotNet]

Three things:

1) As someone mentioned, if you just want to play any of the songs, you can use the unlock code. Or, spend a couple hours and just play through medium and unlock the songs. Once they're unlocked, you can play anything you and your kids want in quickplay.

2) The unlocked vs. locked argument comes about from people looking at Rock Band in two different ways. Some view it as some sort of karaoke machine that should allow you to play whatever you want, whenever you want. The others view it as game. It's not an uber-player's elitist opinion... it's a realistic and expected view of how these types of *games* work.

3) I'd be surprised if your girls knew any of these songs, even Fallout Boy. I have girls around the same age, but thanks to GH and RB their musical interests have spread beyond Hannah Montana and the likes. They recognize rock songs on the radio now ("Turn it up dad... it's Killing in the Name") and I try to foster that interest in "older" rock music.

[espher]

I'm really not sure what else to say, except for, well...

Welcome to video games?

[sporkBrigade]

Again, this was a minor issue for me, but for the OP's situation, I suppose the unlock code is ideal. I just think that with the internet, a cheat code these days is simply a game option, as anyone can find out how to do it...might as well just make it a menu option for those who want it is all I'm saying.

The code is already in the game, the OP obviously just didn't know about it. I think any further nitpicking is going to be counter productive.

If you want to unlock all the songs, use the code. If you don't, don't. Is there really anything else to discuss?

[TribalDancer]

I have to say that overall, the RB way of unlocking songs has been counterintuitive. In GH, it was really clear--play the songs, unlock more songs. The list just grows before your eyes.

I love the option of a more "immersive" experience that RB offers, but some people just want to see their progress in a more linear fashion like GH offered. It would be nice if that kind of gameplay were more of an option, in my opinion. Outside of practice mode. Maybe a more "garage band" mode--you're not trying to go on tour, you're playing to learn new songs and just jam with buddies. Just a thought...

[AeroZeppelinSevenfold]

your kids have horrible taste in music if they hate paranoid. not trying to be rude but, did the girls want the game or did you? because i don't know any 12 year old girls that would want to own a game like this.

[meanie]

I'll say first off Sabbath's "Paranoid" is one of the songs in my house that everyone says is harder because of the repetative notes but it's still one of the most played cause it's a good song and a better cover than GH3...maybe your daughters are a couple of trained monkeys cause I can't play those repetative notes.

[gcrutch]

Three things:

3) I'd be surprised if your girls knew any of these songs, even Fallout Boy. I have girls around the same age, but thanks to GH and RB their musical interests have spread beyond Hannah Montana and the likes. They recognize rock songs on the radio now ("Turn it up dad... it's Killing in the Name") and I try to foster that interest in "older" rock music.

Maybe in the future RB will have a Hanna Montana song pack for kids. My kids (ages 9 and 13) and I have been playing Rock Band (a vocalist that the kids switch out characters with and 1 guitar character in our band "Hypercorn") for 2-3 days and we love it, but they are put off by some of the songs as mentioned above, however, I heard my 9 year old humming Dani California this morning - ha hah. I think learning about the eras of rock is good for them and exposes them to the different styles of music out there instead of the Disney Channel mundane that they usually come in contact with.

off topic - The kids really enjoyed the band logo design experience and they love the outfit and style choices for their RB characters.

[Aggressive_Perfector]

they were generally disinterested in Sabbath's "Paranoid". I told them in order to unlock the songs they knew they had to complete the game as the creators intended.

To this they said it was lame and I was lame for knowing all those old songs.:D

My 7 year old daughter only wants to sing Paranoid. She's done it so many times, she can sing it word for word. In the bath, around the house, in the grocery store.

By her request, that is the most played song in the game right now, that and "Pleasure." And man, am I getting tired of them, lol. I need variety.

[tbradshaw]

If you want to unlock all the songs, use the code. If you don't, don't. Is there really anything else to discuss?

Quoted for truth.