HMX Fat Fact Sheet Made Public:

[burningfalcon]

Check this out: (kotanu.com)

In less than a week Electronic Arts will be showing off Rock Band 2 to the world's gaming press at this year's E3. To get your motor running a bit early, Harmonix dropped this fat fact sheet and these images on us.

First things first: If you already own Rock Band and you buy Rock Band 2 all of your songs will transfer over automatically and free o' charge.

Rock Band 2, which hits the Xbox 360 this September and the PS2, PS3 and Wii later this year, includes a number of new tweaks both to the software and hardware. Some highlights:

The new and improved drums and guitar peripherals will be compatible with the original Rock Band and original instruments will work with Rock Band 2. The new guitar will have a sturdier strum bar, quieter buttons and be wireless. The new drum kit will include a metal reinforced pedal, quieter pads, velocity sensors and... be wireless.

New Mini-Campaigns
Custom Set Lists
Online World Tour
Drum Trainer

That's right, Rock Band 2 will literally teach you how to play drums.

We weren't allowed to play with the new instruments when the game was showed off to press last month, but I did manage to grope the drum kit for a few seconds when no one was looking. The pedal looked like it would stand up to more abuse and the drums themselves had a thicker rubber like feel to them. I'm certain they would be much quieter. The guitar, well the guitar looks just kick ass.


full details at:http://kotaku.com/5022939/rock-band-2-features-drum-trainer-wireless-instruments-full-backwards-compatibility

[Daytman]

That's cool, but nothing new there I believe. Can't believe there's custom setlists though!

[TheBuddhistPalm]

im still disappointed that the drums wont have cymbals. oh well.

[Daytman]

They'll just break anyways ;)

[burningfalcon]

i didn't know if it was new.
im glad there wil be battle of the ands, but not sure what the scheduling will mean...

[burningfalcon]

you are right, im sure the cymbals would not be as steardy as the drums

[Abaddon]

Why does the article claim that RB1 tracks will import into RB2 when the fact sheet they are quoting doesn't? This is getting ridiculous...

[EDIT] After re-reading, clearly "all your songs will transfer over" is an (incorrect) distillation of "all downloadable content purchased for Rock Band". It's getting pretty apparent that RB1 songs will not import into RB2, which (if so) would be a shame.

[Grey_Street]

It may confirm RB1 disc songs as it really hasn't been official yet...maybe they'll rescind :)

[Mushroom]

This actually is new, because it has confirmation, from Harmonix, in a press release, that songs from RB1 will transfer over to RB2 for free.

[Abaddon]

This actually is new, because it has confirmation, from Harmonix, in a press release, that songs from RB1 will transfer over to RB2 for free.Yeah, that's what I thought too, except the PR doesn't actually say that...

[brobot]

This actually is new, because it has confirmation, from Harmonix, in a press release, that songs from RB1 will transfer over to RB2 for free.

Where does it say that?

[Nextonex]

This actually is new, because it has confirmation, from Harmonix, in a press release, that songs from RB1 will transfer over to RB2 for free.

I believe they are talking about DLC when they say that.

[Mushroom]

Yeah, I just reread the actual press release. Kotaku was the one confusing me when they said that all Rock Band 1 songs will transfer over. They misread too.

[NathanRandom]

"If you already own Rock Band and you buy Rock Band 2 all of your songs will transfer over automatically and free o' charge."


I may be wrong, but I definetly read that as the on-disc songs. Why would they charge you again for DLC anyway?

[saerbarnet]

"If you already own Rock Band and you buy Rock Band 2 all of your songs will transfer over automatically and free o' charge."


I may be wrong, but I definetly read that as the on-disc songs. Why would they charge you again for DLC anyway?

The other article says it's unconfirmed about the disc songs as of yet

[NathanRandom]

Yeah after reading the press release itself i'm a little less optimistic.

"Rock Band 2 offers backwards compatibility with Rock Band downloadable content- all previously purchased tracks will immediately load into your Rock Band 2 play list!"


Surely they'd mention it there if RB on disc songs would transfer over.

EDIT: Thinking about content transferral, what would be fantastic is if EVERYTHIN could be transferred, meaning not only would we have a huge library of songs to pick, but all clothing and tattoo/hair content from RB1 as well. Imagine getting to RB4 and having 4 games of content to choose from.

[orange_black]

velocity sensing drums.... for the drumfills... awesome... finally... the drumfills can have some soul to them.

yay :)

[Goshdarnit]

Why does the article claim that RB1 tracks will import into RB2 when the fact sheet they are quoting doesn't? This is getting ridiculous...

[EDIT] After re-reading, clearly "all your songs will transfer over" is an (incorrect) distillation of "all downloadable content purchased for Rock Band". It's getting pretty apparent that RB1 songs will not import into RB2, which (if so) would be a shame.

It's because the fact sheet you are reading has been edited. The original version specifically said that DLC AND on-disc songs would be transferred across for free. The on-disc part was deleted from the fact sheet, so the people who are quoting that saw it before it was changed.

[Followell4]

They'll just break anyways ;)

You're probably right. Maybe were better off without them.

[tidu]

They'll just break anyways ;)

Exactly. Remember how many people broke their (pretty sturdy) drum set? And how much of those people broke it by banging on their drums way too hard? Guitar Hero's gonna have that problem times 10.

[AdamBomb629]

It's because the fact sheet you are reading has been edited. The original version specifically said that DLC AND on-disc songs would be transferred across for free. The on-disc part was deleted from the fact sheet, so the people who are quoting that saw it before it was changed.

So was it deleted because of an NDA or was it deleted because they were "mistaken" like Gamespot and IGN?

[nicko68]

The new drum kit will include a metal reinforced pedal, quieter pads, velocity sensors and... be wireless.

There goes the lucrative third party replacement pedal business. :)

And people scoffed at Activision for making wireless drums for GH:WT???

[dorian-blue]

I'm new to gaming (it took Rock Band to have me even consider putting a game console in my entertainment center), so this may be a self evident answer to experienced gamers.... but I wonder if the avatars (characters) I've crated in RB1 will automatically transfer over to RB2?