mossman25
03-26-2008, 01:51 PM
I've been reading a lot of posts regarding this announcement of Rock Band for the Wii. The word disaster is pretty strong, but the only positive comments from people seem to be coming from those who don't know that the Wii will be based on the PS2 version of the game. It doesn't have to be this way.
I think a lot of the shock is around the last-gen treatment the Wii seems to be getting here. As a Wii owner myself, I recognize that there are certain games that cannot be on the Wii with all their glory. These are things like first-person shooters with high-end graphics or highly detailed sports games. The thing is, it never crossed my mind that anything about Rock Band is too high end for the Wii. I think a lot of other people feel the same way, and that's why they can't understand this announcement.
I don't know where the truth lies, but it is incumbent upon EA/Harmonix to explain their reasoning in a very direct manner. It should be noted that the wording of the press release itself, ambiguous and full of fluff, has created much of the negative reaction. Maybe there are compelling reasons why Rock Band High End can't work on the Wii. For example, it seems to me unlikely that they would exclude DLC unless they had to since that is a revenue opportunity. Of course, as some have suggested, it may be simply because they are seeking a quick buck that they have excluded some of these features. An announcement by EA/Harmonix would help clarify the situation and cut off the speculation.
If you take the PS2 version of the game on its own merits, this Rock Band version is actually a good game and a good value. It's very comparable with the pricing of GH3 given the instruments involved. In a sense, it's like Super GH3. So from that point of view, this is a nice add to the Wii. The problem is that everyone is judging it through the lens of what the higher-end version can do. If that's not appropriate, then the publisher better let us know.
And this does matter to them. This reaction will affect sales if it is not addressed properly. While the posting community is but a sample of the overall market for this game, it is a sizable and influential sample. What a shame it would be that a good game be ignored simply because of a lack of communication from the publisher.
I think a lot of the shock is around the last-gen treatment the Wii seems to be getting here. As a Wii owner myself, I recognize that there are certain games that cannot be on the Wii with all their glory. These are things like first-person shooters with high-end graphics or highly detailed sports games. The thing is, it never crossed my mind that anything about Rock Band is too high end for the Wii. I think a lot of other people feel the same way, and that's why they can't understand this announcement.
I don't know where the truth lies, but it is incumbent upon EA/Harmonix to explain their reasoning in a very direct manner. It should be noted that the wording of the press release itself, ambiguous and full of fluff, has created much of the negative reaction. Maybe there are compelling reasons why Rock Band High End can't work on the Wii. For example, it seems to me unlikely that they would exclude DLC unless they had to since that is a revenue opportunity. Of course, as some have suggested, it may be simply because they are seeking a quick buck that they have excluded some of these features. An announcement by EA/Harmonix would help clarify the situation and cut off the speculation.
If you take the PS2 version of the game on its own merits, this Rock Band version is actually a good game and a good value. It's very comparable with the pricing of GH3 given the instruments involved. In a sense, it's like Super GH3. So from that point of view, this is a nice add to the Wii. The problem is that everyone is judging it through the lens of what the higher-end version can do. If that's not appropriate, then the publisher better let us know.
And this does matter to them. This reaction will affect sales if it is not addressed properly. While the posting community is but a sample of the overall market for this game, it is a sizable and influential sample. What a shame it would be that a good game be ignored simply because of a lack of communication from the publisher.
