I just played RockBand. Heres my review ...

[EvilHerb]

So I just played ROCKBAND @ UNLV here in Las Vegas and I would like to share my thoughts about the game with you . I got to play ALL of the instruments and spent about 20 mins with the game .

I took my girlfriend and her two 13 year old twin boys with me . Thats right ! THe Effen Partridge Family ! LOL .

So get to UNLV and the trailer is on campus with a small crowd of kids . The trailer is set up with 3 or 4 different " Stations " that each have a big flat panel TV and 2 Guitars a Mic and the Drums . There was one station that is like a stage in that it faces the crowd of people in line and the game is pumped through the loud speakers , so EVERYONE could watch and hear you . The 4 of us were escorted to our own private station . We each grabbed an instrument ( I was on the Mic 1st ) and got settled in .

I noticed that this was a DEMO version of the Game and did not have the full set list .

We decided on The Nirvana song " In Bloom " since it seemed like an easy pick.
The song began and we all started to play . I was singing on EASY and it seemed to be pretty much the exact same thing as karaoke Rev . The same feel and response too . They pretty much nailed the game play for the vocals . Some times the vocals would have effects on them to accent a build up in a song or a long note . It was cool . It really added alot of fun to the vox cause it made the song more exciting . Very cool feature . I did ok with the vocals cause I kept it at a low level . The guys next to us singing Suffragate City were SO LOUD I doubt the mic could handle it . They were funny cause they were REALLY into it and having a lot of fun and were into it . In Bloom was a fun track and we all enjoyed it . I diddnt get to use the mic as a cowbell or anything cause I really diddnt know what I was doing so I just sang . I did have a blast and wouldnt mind singing again . I got 97% .


Next I got to play the GUITAR . A wired version of the Fender Strat . I'll get into that more later . We decided to try the Bon Jovi song Dead or Alive . I decided to try it on EXPERT. The song started and I had a little trouble getting used to the buttons on the Strat . I finally caught on and started doing well . The notes are different than GH and tough to time perfect at 1st but as the song went on I got better . I do like the fact that the notes that can be hammered on are much smaller then the notes that have to be picked . I also liked the guitar effects in the game . Their is a toggle switch on the guitar that when switched gives you a list of effects to choose from . When you choose one it alters the sound to the according effect . Very cool . I really wasnt too impressed with the note pattern though . It was a little on the easy side for expert . I know they want everyone to be able to play but I hope they get a little harder then this . OK now to the guitar itself . I'm torn . I need more time with it . I diddnt fall in love right away . 1st off , I thought it was a little on the flimsy side of things . It doesnt seem as durable as EITHER GH guitar . The neck was a little weak feeling . With a good twist it seems like you could break it so be careful when rocking out with it . I thought it was lighter then the GH guitars but that could be because I played a wired version . The strum bar was heaven . Its quiet with a nice snap and a great grip to it . That was my favorite part of the guitar was the strum bar . No more slipping . The buttons were a little hard to get used to . This is where I would have sacrificed realism for playability . Yes the guitar looks better , BUT those button are tough to get used to . Their is a very faint notch on the yellow button that you can barley feel . If you are a player who is used to that , your gonna have a tough time . Then again you cant really compare the two guitars cause they really do have a totally different feel . I'm not sure I like the Strat yet . I need more time with it . Over all I like it all except the buttons . I diddnt use the solo buttons but they seemed to have the same feel as the lower ones only closer together . I played Dani California by The Chili Peppers on the guitar as well as JET , are you gonna be my girl . ALL of these songs were VERY FUN .

I got to play the drums on Rush's Tom Sawyer . I put the setting to Hard ( Big Mistake ) cause I figured that since I can play the song on a real drum set , this would be a breeze . WRONG ! The fact that I could play this on a real set was my BIGGEST problem . I struggled till I failed too many times . It was fun though . The drums are awesome . They are a litter smaller then i expected but they feel nice and strong .

Over all this game is going to be pretty sweet . I only hope the guitar patterns are a little harder . I will be buying this game in the bundle so I'm sure I will get used to the guitar . The hardest part now is waiting for this thing to come out .....

[peachpunker63]

thats sounds awesome man! I hope they start putting videos up on the website to show us how the people do. It sounds like you had alot of fun also. I wish i could go to the tour out in pittsburgh but so far i dont think it is ganna work out. But i already preordered the bundle so i cant wait!

[foolosophy]

Hmmm. The Les Paul has only gotten positive reviews, I may have to pick one up for playability reasons. Thanks for the review!

[Weezy24]

thank you for taking your time to put all that detailed info on here. that was really cool of you. and also i agree that the hardest part is waiting, it sucks and i can't stand not being able to play it now

[PsycoCheerio]

I don't think you used the guitar enough...my first time i was skeptical...but after an hour or so it felt 100x better than the GH guitars...but now you get the pain of not being able to play till release which has been killing me since PAX...

thankfully end of the month i get a quick fix...although I will be staying all day hanging out with the HMX folk in Seattle...even if i don't get to play however long it's going on for...my goal is to play every song at least once...

[Desensitized]

Nice review, dude!

A little odd how you can play Tom Sawyer on real drums, but got owned on hard in the game. Can you be specific about what the problem was?

[onlyrob]

Very nice review. Very detailed and thorough.

Questions I have:

- How long have you played Guitar Hero (I & II) and how does that affect newcomers?

- Does the drum set feel weak at all with it being smaller, or is it something you feel that you could bash in enough times and not be concerned? Certainly you feel that the neck on the Strato isn't going to last long, but what I'm really worried about is the drum set itself and not having to purchase more sets in the future.

- Were you allowed to go through the navigational menus or options? Certainly it was a demo and most demonstrations don't have these luxuries, but it might be interesting to note the images.

- How were the background flashing/strobe lights? Were they Guitar Hero I level (fairly slow) or Guitar Hero III (insanely rapid)?

- Did you leave with an overall satisfaction in Rock Band, or do you feel that you may need Guitar Hero III to supplement your experience enough?

- Did anyone play solo? How was it?

- Any luck on finding out those unannounced songs in that list of available music?

[Keebler]

Is there a specific amount of songs they allow you to play when at the demo stations or audition stage?

[sa_nick]

The strum bar was heaven . Its quiet with a nice snap and a great grip to it . That was my favorite part of the guitar was the strum bar . No more slipping .

I'm not liking the sounds of that. I'm not into the whole thing of just holding the strum bar with 2 fingers (unless its trem picking) or lightly pressing it with your thumb, ya gotta put some attitude into it! which will be hard if its too grippy.

[JimNasium]

Nice review. It's nice to hear an honest review, and not someone gushing about everything

[Magnet]

I'm not surprised that the guitar seemed a little on the easy side for Expert. I think this has to do with so many people excelling at Guitar Hero over the past two years instead of something like them actively trying to make it easier. I'm assuming you were still playing every note in the song on Expert, right?

I'm betting that most of the songs on Guitar Hero III will be rather easy on Expert too, which I what I'm mainly worried about for that game (since the replay value there might not be as high). At least in Rock Band we'll still be able to take the time to try to master the drums.

[EvilHerb]

Nice review, dude!

A little odd how you can play Tom Sawyer on real drums, but got owned on hard in the game. Can you be specific about what the problem was?


My main problem was that I was over playing it . Muck like when you pick when there is no notes , if you strike when there is no beat the same results occur . I am a "real" guitar player and it took me a while to get used to playing the notes on the screen as opposed to picking the song as you would on a real guitar . Its not the same . I still find myself extra picking some solos in GH cause I pick them like I would a real guitar but there is not enough notes . Its just gonna take a sec to get used to .

[Electric_Zen]

Some times the vocals would have effects on them to accent a build up in a song or a long note.

Sorry, could you explain that? I wasn't sure exactly what you were saying here.

[Keebler]

Could you also explain how you "choose" the guitar effects? It looks to me like the guitar switch only has an On/Off position, so I'm assuming it's done on-screen. And from what you said, it also sounds like you do it in the middle of a song.... could you just clarify?

[ZkDotNet]

Could you also explain how you "choose" the guitar effects? It looks to me like the guitar switch only has an On/Off position, so I'm assuming it's done on-screen. And from what you said, it also sounds like you do it in the middle of a song.... could you just clarify?
It's a five way switch.. (basically, five 'notches' that the switch will lock into from top to bottom... pretty common with guitars)

[tf5_bassist]

It's a five way switch.. (basically, five 'notches' that the switch will lock into from top to bottom... pretty common with guitars)

To expand on this, the standard stock five-way selector on a Strat has, obviously, five positions, which correspond to the three single-coil pickups on a strat (bridge, middle, and neck pickups). When you throw the switch all the way forward towards the neck of the guitar, it activates the neck pickup. Next over activates the neck and middle pickup, middle position activates the middle pickup, fourth over activates middle and bridge, and the fifth position activates the bridge pickup. Makes perfect sense once you play a strat, you'll find that as you start at the neck pickup position and work your way over, you'll go from a softer, more full and louder tone and gradually shift to a brittle, sharp, and midtone-y metallic tone with each click of the switch.

So they just use this to assign five effects to the switch, well, a "clean tone" being the original tone and then four effects, I'm guessing.

You'll only find this kind of pickup selector on a guitar with three pickups, as my Fender Bullet (which is basically a baby strat with two mini-humbuckers with coil tap buttons instead of three single-coil pickups) only has three positions, one for neck, both, and bridge.

[Bakkster]

Could you also explain how you "choose" the guitar effects? It looks to me like the guitar switch only has an On/Off position, so I'm assuming it's done on-screen. And from what you said, it also sounds like you do it in the middle of a song.... could you just clarify?

Another question: did the effects last the entire song, or just on solos? Also, did you see if bass had any effects? Did you catch a list of available effects?

[TheTogfather]

thanks for the info...if you could expand on the mic, i'd appreciate it. how does it connect? any buttons on it? volume control on it?

thx again...

[M3dlinguy]

OK now to the guitar itself. The buttons were a little hard to get used to . This is where I would have sacrificed realism for playability . Yes the guitar looks better , BUT those button are tough to get used to.

I don't understand how developers can make something worse than the last generation of the product. Making the Strat look better than it plays...not necessary. I don't think the hundreds of thousands of people who bought Guitar Hero 1 and 2 minded very much. If anything, make the guitar play at least the same as the last guitars. Taking a step back is...disappointing.

[Maherj]

Red Octane made the GH series Guitars. They aren't making these ones. This is the first time Harmonix has made them.

[masterx1918]

yeah the guitars aren't manufactured by the same company. Also who's to say the guitars are worse than the last generation? I'm pretty sure these are not quite the final retail builds either

[Huskie]

...
I also liked the guitar effects in the game . Their is a toggle switch on the guitar that when switched gives you a list of effects to choose from . When you choose one it alters the sound to the according effect . Very cool.
...

Can you clarify something. You mentioned 'list of effects'.
Does that mean when you set the 5way, you are presented with a list on screen?
If so, what happens during a song? Can you change the effect during the song without this screen showing up? If it shows up and pauses the game, you know the other players will not take this too kindly.

Also, great review.

[Apples]

Can you clarify something. You mentioned 'list of effects'.
Does that mean when you set the 5way, you are presented with a list on screen?
If so, what happens during a song? Can you change the effect during the song without this screen showing up? If it shows up and pauses the game, you know the other players will not take this too kindly.

Also, great review.

The 40 minute E3 demo video (viewable on gamespot and IGN) has some clips of it. Basically what happens is you hit the switch and a list pops up on the HUD just above the note chart.

It quickly fades in and out once you make a selection, so it doesnt look like it will be distracting... we shall see.

[TheTogfather]

The 40 minute E3 demo video (viewable on gamespot and IGN) has some clips of it. Basically what happens is you hit the switch and a list pops up on the HUD just above the note chart.

It quickly fades in and out once you make a selection, so it doesnt look like it will be distracting... we shall see.

Hmm, wonder if there will be an option to disable this. I can see how it'll be necessary at the beginning, but once you have a substantial amount of time playing the guitar, no one is going to need that list anymore. Whether it's distracting or not, I'd think I'd rather just do away with it once it's practically muscle memory as to what position does what effect...

...unless the effects can be different based on what song/part of song you're playing I guess? Then it would be ok...but if the same position always produces the same effect...then there's no need for it after an hour or two of play time.

/opinion

[Huskie]

I'd rather not have a list on the screen. It should be no different than the mapped buttons on any game. Once you read the manual (doesn't anyone?) you should know what each position does. But to have a list to pick which effect you want from a multiswitch is just odd.

Why would you need a multiswitch if you have to choose on the screen?
A simple button would do the same thing but not have the appearance of a Fender.

Now if you selecting which effect you want via the multiswitch just displays which one you set it to and then fades, now that makes more sense.



Thanks Apples. I'll have to watch that video again.

[sporkBrigade]

I don't understand how developers can make something worse than the last generation of the product. Making the Strat look better than it plays...not necessary. I don't think the hundreds of thousands of people who bought Guitar Hero 1 and 2 minded very much. If anything, make the guitar play at least the same as the last guitars. Taking a step back is...disappointing.

It's more complicated then that. It's not like they sat down and said "Okay guys, let's make the buttons worse. I vote we make them flush with the neck, that way it's harder for people to find them. That'll be sweet. Super sweet."

It's not a matter of making them worse, it's a matter of making them different. They chose realism over easy toy looking buttons. Now, I'm not saying we HAVE to prefer it, but it's still a valid design choice. Personally I feel like the issue here is more that we're all GH players, so we have an expectation on how the buttons should feel. If this was the first fake guitar we'd ever played, I'm not sure how much of a problem this all would be. I remember the frustration of finding the buttons when I first played GH, and I think this is just going to be the same thing.

However, I've yet to touch the thing, so I could be wrong. I'm willing to give it a shot though, and if nothing else, I understand the decision.

As for the weight of the guitar and the feel of the neck, that's what has me more worried. I don't understand why toy makers don't just throw in some random iron into their products to make things feel heavier. Perception is everything, especially when you're dealing with pretending to play the guitar.

[EvilHerb]

Very nice review. Very detailed and thorough.

Questions I have:

- How long have you played Guitar Hero (I & II) and how does that affect newcomers?

- Does the drum set feel weak at all with it being smaller, or is it something you feel that you could bash in enough times and not be concerned? Certainly you feel that the neck on the Strato isn't going to last long, but what I'm really worried about is the drum set itself and not having to purchase more sets in the future.

- Were you allowed to go through the navigational menus or options? Certainly it was a demo and most demonstrations don't have these luxuries, but it might be interesting to note the images.

- How were the background flashing/strobe lights? Were they Guitar Hero I level (fairly slow) or Guitar Hero III (insanely rapid)?

- Did you leave with an overall satisfaction in Rock Band, or do you feel that you may need Guitar Hero III to supplement your experience enough?

- Did anyone play solo? How was it?

- Any luck on finding out those unannounced songs in that list of available music?


Hey guys I will try and answer these questions the best I can .


Drums ::

The Drums are VERY DURABLE . The " head " portion of the drum is made of a thick , dense rubber pad so it can take a major beating . BUT if your a "real" drummer dont expect to get the same bounce you would off a real drum skin. It fells similar to beating on a tire OFF the rim . The frame seemed pretty sturdy and never slid or moved while playing . The Kick pedal was just OK in my opinion . It had a little too much resistance for my taste and felt a little fake but it was solid and did not feel cheaply made. Their is a controller on the drums , right below the middle 2 drums . Actually , each one of us managed to hit the X-box dashboard button on this at least once . Kinda a bad spot for it , but oh well . I guess my aim needs work ..lol. There was some sort of hub that the wires that came off the drums all connected to .It was about the size of a Wii . one of the down sides to this was a wire nightmare . A word of advice to everyone , get the zip ties ready when you get the bundle . The wires were out of control and a mess from many people playing and moving around .

[Sons_of_Kyuss]

Nice review, thanks for the info!

[defmonkey]

You know, I'm really concered about the toughness of the songs. Because, I've seen many people saying its pretty simple or a bit easy on expert when playing guitar.

Sure, the argument was brought up about we're all GH players and we've been playing on expert so it seems a bit easy, but Hangar 18 can still kick my ass if I'm not careful and I've still not managed to beat Play With Me yet, I blame my crapty guitars.

I'm hoping the guitar will be as challenging as it should be and not simplified a bit on expert.

[Sons_of_Kyuss]

I think it has more to do with what you just said...being a GH veteran than anything else. As he mentioned, the drums were really hard on him and he is a real drummer.

[EvilHerb]

Very nice review. Very detailed and thorough.

Questions I have:

- How long have you played Guitar Hero (I & II) and how does that affect newcomers?

- Does the drum set feel weak at all with it being smaller, or is it something you feel that you could bash in enough times and not be concerned? Certainly you feel that the neck on the Strato isn't going to last long, but what I'm really worried about is the drum set itself and not having to purchase more sets in the future.

- Were you allowed to go through the navigational menus or options? Certainly it was a demo and most demonstrations don't have these luxuries, but it might be interesting to note the images.

- How were the background flashing/strobe lights? Were they Guitar Hero I level (fairly slow) or Guitar Hero III (insanely rapid)?

- Did you leave with an overall satisfaction in Rock Band, or do you feel that you may need Guitar Hero III to supplement your experience enough?

- Did anyone play solo? How was it?

- Any luck on finding out those unannounced songs in that list of available music?


The Nav screens were limited to a few options . Pretty much just enough to pick your instrument , about 8 songs and that was it . They had pre made band already so I diddnt get to create anything .

Not too crazy on the flashing or strobing in the back ground . But the graphics looked nice and smooth . It was WAY MORE INSANE then the backgrounds on GH . Not so much Flashing lights but more movement from the band and crowd .


I did play a solo and a very cool feature was as I played the solo it showed my percentage as I played it . This was AWESOME . There were all kinds of Icons on the screen but I had no clue what they were . Sorry , but there were NO people from harmonix or EA their . Just a bunch of kids they hired for 10 an hour to set people up so NO SEAN . Sorry .lol


Another REALLY COOL feature was while we were playing the Jet song " are you gonna be my girl ", We must have been doing good cause we went into a "starpower " like state where the crowd went nuts and actually sings the words of the chorus with you . This rocked so hard cause it really gave you a sense of being at a real concert .It sounds amazing . That was a unique twist . Way to go Harmonix .



Yes I left VERY satisfied . And they gave us all free RockBand T-shirts .

[EvilHerb]

You know, I'm really concered about the toughness of the songs. Because, I've seen many people saying its pretty simple or a bit easy on expert when playing guitar.

Sure, the argument was brought up about we're all GH players and we've been playing on expert so it seems a bit easy, but Hangar 18 can still kick my ass if I'm not careful and I've still not managed to beat Play With Me yet, I blame my crapty guitars.

I'm hoping the guitar will be as challenging as it should be and not simplified a bit on expert.


I'll be honest with you . The songs we had to choose from really diddnt have too many shredding parts . I mean Tom Sawyer does but the kids had the guitars on Easy so I diddnt see the notes . I wouldnt worry . Remember , this is made by the same guys who made Guitar Hero . They wont leave us hangin .

[TheTogfather]

Another REALLY COOL feature was while we were playing the Jet song " are you gonna be my girl ", We must have been doing good cause we went into a "starpower " like state where the crowd went nuts and actually sings the words of the chorus with you . This rocked so hard cause it really gave you a sense of being at a real concert .It sounds amazing . That was a unique twist . Way to go Harmonix .


Wow...that sounds wicked awesome. Can't wait to see that in action...

[EvilHerb]

I think it has more to do with what you just said...being a GH veteran than anything else. As he mentioned, the drums were really hard on him and he is a real drummer.

Yea , Since we have been playing GH on expert for so long , we expect a higher level of difficulty , BUT I think GH2 was a freak of nature in being sooo difficult on Expert . From what we are hearing , GH 3 will even have a little more mercy on timing . I understand though . They want more people to be able to play there game on expert . Plus you gotta admit . Some of the patterns on GH2 are just nonsense .I mean " JORDAN " ! Come on now . BTW I'm guitar player but I do play the drums .>>> http://www.myspace.com/themeadowsburn<<<<

Shamlessplug ...lol

[sporkBrigade]

I'm hoping the guitar will be as challenging as it should be and not simplified a bit on expert.

I think this is a very key point. I don't think HMX is simplifying anything. I've never heard anyone claim there are less notes on the screen than are being played. I think the trick here is what kind of songs are HMX choosing for the game. Songs that are good group experiences don't always have great shredding guitar parts.

All the hardest songs on GH2, Hanger/FreeBird/Jordan/Six/etc, would make terrible songs for Rock Band. The fact is you can't just have the vocalist sitting around with nothing to do but stick his thumb up his bum. It's just not an option when you're trying to create a true co-op experience.

Now of course we can see some of those songs that are more guitar heavy available for DLC, so that those people who don't really care if the vocalist has nothing to do can have their day in the sun. But for the disc, I think you're going to continue to see every song announced be those that equally involve all 4 players in one way or another, and that means Guitar is going to be easier. Just nature of the biz.

I honestly believe that it's this issue that's going to create a co-existance for both Rock Band and Guitar Hero 3, and is the reason both are pre-ordered at my Gamestop. I'm in the mood to just shred a guitar with no care in the world for a vocalist? In goes GH3. I'm in the mood for the full ensemble experience? In goes RB. Best of both worlds.

[FeverDog]

haha, i think i was the loud guy singing suffragette city next to you. Did he have long hair and a beard? Also, i would just like to add that i found this game incredibly fun!

[EvilHerb]

haha, i think i was the loud guy singing suffragette city next to you. Did he have long hair and a beard? Also, i would just like to add that i found this game incredibly fun!



Hey
I was the guy with the Sleeve Tats and the Kids . LOL You guys rocked . The kids loved you guys . You got down like everyone wanted to but were too afraid too . Awesome .

[AVC808]

two...more...months. thanks for the detailed review. those are always a great read...next best thing is video :)

[FeverDog]

Yeah, i remember you guys. yeah im planning on checking it out today and tomorrow some more. its easy because i work at UNLV and also attend school there. I got in with another group earlier and we performed Bon Jovi's Wanted Dead or Alive for the internet contest and i think we rocked it. Everyone should vote for us, our band name was Who Cares? Now im planning on getting a 360 just for this game.

[EvilHerb]

Yeah, i remember you guys. yeah im planning on checking it out today and tomorrow some more. its easy because i work at UNLV and also attend school there. I got in with another group earlier and we performed Bon Jovi's Wanted Dead or Alive for the internet contest and i think we rocked it. Everyone should vote for us, our band name was Who Cares? Now im planning on getting a 360 just for this game.

Dude you got my vote .

[Bleemanguy]

I'm sorry but EvilHerb keeps spelling didn't wrong. I just got home from a brain-mashing lecture by my English teacher. It hurt a little bit.

[Redebo]

Sick review. Honesty rocks.

You got me all fired up again just KNOWING how much fun this game is going to be. I sincerely hope that other people get as stoked out on this game. It really could be a cultural phenomenon.

[EvilHerb]

I'm sorry but EvilHerb keeps spelling didn't wrong. I just got home from a brain-mashing lecture by my English teacher. It hurt a little bit.


Haha
Sorry man , I either didn't notice or I just diddnt give a **** . Doh .;)

[EvilHerb]

Sick review. Honesty rocks.

You got me all fired up again just KNOWING how much fun this game is going to be. I sincerely hope that other people get as stoked out on this game. It really could be a cultural phenomenon.


They did a really nice job with this game and it has pretty much lived up to the hype . I cant say that their was anything about it that I couldn't get used to and have as much fun ( if not more ) as I do with GH . I will still be buying GH3 too . Their is plenty of room for both of these games on todays market . I personally will always love the GH series and am excited to play their new game too . I have a feeling that I will be playing more guitar on GH3 and RockBand is going to be all about the drums . Of course I'll try and finish all the tours but it seems like the drums are going to be the main attraction for me in RockBand.

[Elnino]

I got a question, if all the instruments are gone, and you gotta sing, are you FORCED to sing or can you go back in line and wait? I don't wanna look like a dumbass trying to sing songs I don't know.

[EvilHerb]

I got a question, if all the instruments are gone, and you gotta sing, are you FORCED to sing or can you go back in line and wait? I don't wanna look like a dumbass trying to sing songs I don't know.

To tell you the truth there was no structure or line at all . We played till it closed down and they asked us to leave . This game sure is popular to us cause we are freaks lol . But Im not sure the rest of the world gives that big of a S Hit yet . If you go to the tour bus , I'm sure you will get to play as much as you want .

[FreQstar]

Another REALLY COOL feature was while we were playing the Jet song " are you gonna be my girl ", We must have been doing good cause we went into a "starpower " like state where the crowd went nuts and actually sings the words of the chorus with you . This rocked so hard cause it really gave you a sense of being at a real concert .It sounds amazing . That was a unique twist . Way to go Harmonix .

Reading that honestly made me smile. Thank you good sir.
... but reading threads like this just makes it hurt more since the tour isn't coming to Canada.
Come on HMX. Throw us some love! We didn't get GH 1 around my area until about a month after it's release and I live the burbs outside of Toronto. Haven't we been punished Enough already for unleashing Celine Dion?!?!?!

p.s. - I wonder how long the crowd sing along has been in there? Maybe it was added after that E3 hotel room "Dead or Alive" performance. :D

[fried_blowney]

One thing I did notice in the first few posts is that it's all but been confirmed that Dani California is also in this game. Sweet.

[tf5_bassist]

Yes I left VERY satisfied . And they gave us all free RockBand T-shirts .

... did i read this right? Is this true? Or is my SarcasmDetector just not working today?

[EvilHerb]

... did i read this right? Is this true? Or is my SarcasmDetector just not working today?


No sarcasm . I did love the game AND yes , they are giving away SWEET , RockBand shirts . They gave me 4 .( one for each of us ) . They have hats too , but I didn't get one .

[EvilHerb]

One thing I did notice in the first few posts is that it's all but been confirmed that Dani California is also in this game. Sweet.


Yep . We played Dani California and BOTH the guitar and bass seemed to be pretty fun . Also , I must say that playing the original song compared to a cover is way more satisfying .

[EvilHerb]

I almost forgot to tell you one of the things that I really did NOT care for in this game , and I hope the final version is not like this . When we were playing 4 player multi and someone would fail ( me on drums ) the WHOLE DRUM TRACK would stop completely leaving the Vocals , Guitar , and Bass all alone . This was kind of tricky cause the other players should still have the beat to keep time but it drops out till your brought back into the game . It kills the mood . I think the backing track should continue after you fail .

[Phrank-E]

I almost forgot to tell you one of the things that I really did NOT care for in this game , and I hope the final version is not like this . When we were playing 4 player multi and someone would fail ( me on drums ) the WHOLE DRUM TRACK would stop completely leaving the Vocals , Guitar , and Bass all alone . This was kind of tricky cause the other players should still have the beat to keep time but it drops out till your brought back into the game . It kills the mood . I think the backing track should continue after you fail .


Not hearing the drums after the drummer stops drumming sounds about right to me :)

Just need to practice more.

[foolosophy]

Yeah since it's a group effort, if one goes down naturally it will make staying alive all the more harder in the game. Because technically they give you 4 strikes before you're out in Band Mode so instead of giving you the same amount of difficulty for those 4 lives they make it harder to follow the song as more and more drop out.

[Electric_Zen]

When we were playing 4 player multi and someone would fail ( me on drums ) the WHOLE DRUM TRACK would stop completely leaving the Vocals , Guitar , and Bass all alone . This was kind of tricky cause the other players should still have the beat to keep time but it drops out till your brought back into the game . It kills the mood . I think the backing track should continue after you fail .

I hear what you're saying, but I imagine that also adds a sense of urgency to actually rescue your band member.

If it worked the way you described, I can easily see thinking, "Aw, my buddy dropped out. Wow, the computer drums a lot better than he did. Screw him." ;)

[Magnet]

I almost forgot to tell you one of the things that I really did NOT care for in this game , and I hope the final version is not like this . When we were playing 4 player multi and someone would fail ( me on drums ) the WHOLE DRUM TRACK would stop completely leaving the Vocals , Guitar , and Bass all alone . This was kind of tricky cause the other players should still have the beat to keep time but it drops out till your brought back into the game . It kills the mood . I think the backing track should continue after you fail .

That's actually one of my favorite parts about the game. If you're not playing the track, then the track is not going to be heard. It brings you closer into the game and gives you incentive to play well when you know that if you don't, the song's quality will suffer and the performance will be pretty terrible. If the computer starts playing, why bother rescuing your teammate? So he can play and make the song sound worse than when the computer was playing? At least by muting the failed track, it goes from emptyness to mediocre/good playing when the player is eventually rescued. If the track was played by a computer when a player failed, then it'd go from perfection to just mediocre/good playing when the player is rescued. The first transition is a lot more fulfilling.

[blue_dragonzero]

To expand on this, the standard stock five-way selector on a Strat has, obviously, five positions, which correspond to the three single-coil pickups on a strat (bridge, middle, and neck pickups). When you throw the switch all the way forward towards the neck of the guitar, it activates the neck pickup. Next over activates the neck and middle pickup, middle position activates the middle pickup, fourth over activates middle and bridge, and the fifth position activates the bridge pickup. Makes perfect sense once you play a strat, you'll find that as you start at the neck pickup position and work your way over, you'll go from a softer, more full and louder tone and gradually shift to a brittle, sharp, and midtone-y metallic tone with each click of the switch.

So they just use this to assign five effects to the switch, well, a "clean tone" being the original tone and then four effects, I'm guessing.

You'll only find this kind of pickup selector on a guitar with three pickups, as my Fender Bullet (which is basically a baby strat with two mini-humbuckers with coil tap buttons instead of three single-coil pickups) only has three positions, one for neck, both, and bridge.

Sweet! I play a bullet too. But mine has single coils, not humbuckers...

[tf5_bassist]

Sweet! I play a bullet too. But mine has single coils, not humbuckers...

Haha, sweetness! Post a pic of it, I'll shoot one of mine after I clean it off a bit lol...

At least I'm sure mine are HBs, I haven't taken the pickup covers off in YEARS...

[bumbousdude25]

Reading that honestly made me smile. Thank you good sir.
... but reading threads like this just makes it hurt more since the tour isn't coming to Canada.
Come on HMX. Throw us some love!

This kind of applies to me, too. I live in Tampa, Florida and the RB tour won't get to Orlando until DECEMBER 13!!! Obviously, by then the game will already be out. I'll still go to the tour anyway though to get a shirt and hat lol. :rolleyes:

[Elnino]

To tell you the truth there was no structure or line at all . We played till it closed down and they asked us to leave . This game sure is popular to us cause we are freaks lol . But Im not sure the rest of the world gives that big of a S Hit yet . If you go to the tour bus , I'm sure you will get to play as much as you want .

Oh, thank God. I don't think anybody I know, knows about the game. I hope i'll be able to play alot. I wanna go through every song in the game. What was the hardest song you played?

[Nazriel]

No sarcasm . I did love the game AND yes , they are giving away SWEET , RockBand shirts . They gave me 4 .( one for each of us ) . They have hats too , but I didn't get one .

I hope this isn't considered too late to go back to this, but I just have to add that in addition to shirts and hats at the Rock Band tour, some pairs of drum sticks were handed out as well from the Magic Box of Swag. Labeled with the Rock Band name of course. :)

[EvilHerb]

I hope this isn't considered too late to go back to this, but I just have to add that in addition to shirts and hats at the Rock Band tour, some pairs of drum sticks were handed out as well from the Magic Box of Swag. Labeled with the Rock Band name of course. :)


Sweet . I did not see those . I would have snagged up a pair .

[EvilHerb]

Oh, thank God. I don't think anybody I know, knows about the game. I hope i'll be able to play alot. I wanna go through every song in the game. What was the hardest song you played?

Well it wasn't so much the Guitar patterns that were hard as it was hard to get used to the neck buttons . But over all I would say that " Wanted dead or alive " was the most technical.

Drum wise , Tom Sawyer hands down kicked my a$$ .

[byob_soad2]

I don't know if this has been asked yet, but where is the wire on the Strat?
Is it like on a real one, or in the side like the GH guitars?

[municipalblack]

It's nice to hear some honest reviews of this game, but now I want it even more.
It's funny because I look at all the games that are coming out this holiday season (Picking up 7) and I keep thinking that all my time is going to Rock Band.

[Murderous_Urges]

Over all this game is going to be pretty sweet . I only hope the guitar patterns are a little harder . I will be buying this game in the bundle so I'm sure I will get used to the guitar . The hardest part now is waiting for this thing to come out .....

Wow Nov. 23. I have to wait till Christmas and thats not even a definite that i'll get it :( . Unless..... I go to my evil plotting and get my parents to pre order the bundle ;)

[blue_dragonzero]

Wow Nov. 23. I have to wait till Christmas and thats not even a definite that i'll get it :( . Unless..... I go to my evil plotting and get my parents to pre order the bundle ;)

Twas what I did. It was a ****ing success!