Request a Feature, Bug Report and Suggestion Thread, Blitz Edition!

[Cipher_Peon]

Having Facebook isn't a requirement, it's a recommendation. You can still be competitive without Facebook.

And trust me, it's not anything like a cheap iPhone app. It adds tons of value. I'm really happy about the FB app since it actually got me to be better friends with the people I was already acquainted with in these forums.

[spark32]

Here's a bug. You can't download the soundtrack unless you load up Rock Band Blitz on the account you purchased it on.

[agentnnc]

Having Facebook isn't a requirement, it's a recommendation. You can still be competitive without Facebook.

And trust me, it's not anything like a cheap iPhone app. It adds tons of value. I'm really happy about the FB app since it actually got me to be better friends with the people I was already acquainted with in these forums.

I'll still do it when the xbox version comes out tomorrow. However, there is nothing I've seen on the RBWorld app that can't be converted into a console interface that doesn't require facebook or social media. Grand Theft Auto has been tracking many many stats since the PS2, Bungie had their stats on their own website, RB3 already had battles you could send to friends by console or by this website. Facebook was unnecessary and a deliberate free advertising move.

[Cipher_Peon]

Even assuming you know the inner workings of the code for this game and completely ignoring this game's budget (you know, because 15 dollar arcade games totally receive the same amount of money that full blown multi million dollar titles like GTA does), I would ask if there's anything wrong with the Facebook integration.

Are there things that seem redundant or strange? Of course. There's no denying that. Sending Score Wars is possible through the game, but it's not really fluid, and you can't send Score Wars from people in the leaderboards. That totally does suck. But having Facebook as a social tool in order to promote the game is a fantastic approach to the game's ambitions and target audience. I'm glad that they went with this approach and the game is incredible with it. Is it still amazing without it? Yes. Harmonix can be generally trusted with solid titles. But I'm happy that it's in the game, because if it wasn't, I wouldn't be a part of a fantastic FB group dedicated to this game.

[hmxhenry]

I'll still do it when the xbox version comes out tomorrow. However, there is nothing I've seen on the RBWorld app that can't be converted into a console interface that doesn't require facebook or social media. Grand Theft Auto has been tracking many many stats since the PS2, Bungie had their stats on their own website, RB3 already had battles you could send to friends by console or by this website. Facebook was unnecessary and a deliberate free advertising move.

GTA, Bungie titles and RB3 were all multimillion dollar disc releases, not XBLA downloadable titles. There are a great many things achievable on disc titles that simply aren't an option with the more limited size and scope of an arcade title. Much of what RB World accomplishes could not have been shoehorned into the game and likely would not have been part of Blitz if we didn't build a companion app to support it.

As for why we chose Facebook for RB World over doing something similar on this site... we already did that and it was called Rock Band 3 and it was heavily under used. People were put off by linking with the site, Battle creation and difficulty matchmaking. So we turned to Facebook as a platform that eliminated those complaints. Linking is easier on Facebook, Score War creation is even quicker and instead of tapping into a community of ~500K on this site we're able to reach a community of ~3 million on our FB page.

Also, as far as an advertising move, the Blitz ads currently running on our Facebook page are the only advertising we've ever done there. So unless our plan was to get you to buy Blitz so you would go to Facebook where we tell you to buy Blitz, no this isn't just about advertising.

[agentnnc]

GTA, Bungie titles and RB3 were all multimillion dollar disc releases, not XBLA downloadable titles. There are a great many things achievable on disc titles that simply aren't an option with the more limited size and scope of an arcade title. Much of what RB World accomplishes could not have been shoehorned into the game and likely would not have been part of Blitz if we didn't build a companion app to support it.

As for why we chose Facebook for RB World over doing something similar on this site... we already did that and it was called Rock Band 3 and it was heavily under used. People were put off by linking with the site, Battle creation and difficulty matchmaking. So we turned to Facebook as a platform that eliminated those complaints. Linking is easier on Facebook, Score War creation is even quicker and instead of tapping into a community of ~500K on this site we're able to reach a community of ~3 million on our FB page.

Also, as far as an advertising move, the Blitz ads currently running on our Facebook page are the only advertising we've ever done there. So unless our plan was to get you to buy Blitz so you would go to Facebook where we tell you to buy Blitz, no this isn't just about advertising.

Fair enough. I didn't think that was the status of the online interface. I thought it was very intuitive and well made. What I had meant by advertising was the potential for the many wall posts saying "You have received/sent a new rock band blitz challenge" or "You have new rock band blitz challenges/goals" which could be plastered all over the walls of those who play often. This would lead to all visitors seeing the post and knowing about the game, causing them to check it out. While it may not be the case for the Rock Band World app, facebook apps in general have bad reputations of doing this, especially those relating to gaming. You guys were with EA and didn't bend your customers over for money and publicity, why start now? I'm sure the right choices were made. I'm just expressing my concern over my general dislike for feeding as much information to facebook as humanly possible.

As for the Rock Band Facebook page, I would be surprised if you didn't change it to get blitz maximum exposure. Rock Band Blitz is indeed a part of the Rock Band franchise so it deserves the spotlight for a while. I don't check pages on facebook often but I always thought it was the norm to make a page the sole focus of a new product for a few weeks before reverting to a page that shows more or less everything (although I really like the artwork on the page right now).

Also, thanks for replying. I think it's great that Harmonix takes the time to address community concerns. There are very few developers (if any) that consistently release great games that keep ties with the community.

[Hogan2000]

I have a big ass bug bruther. I bought the game and downloaded it but it's not showing up on my playstation bruther???

[hmxhenry]

What I had meant by advertising was the potential for the many wall posts saying "You have received/sent a new rock band blitz challenge" or "You have new rock band blitz challenges/goals" which could be plastered all over the walls of those who play often. This would lead to all visitors seeing the post and knowing about the game, causing them to check it out. While it may not be the case for the Rock Band World app, facebook apps in general have bad reputations of doing this, especially those relating to gaming.

That's totally fair. We actually went out of our way to make sure that RB World never posts anything unless you tell it to. If you complete a Goal and want to post it you can, if you want to brag that you beat your friend in a Score War you can click the handy Brag button we built next to it or you can continue to snipe away at the leaderboards without ever saying a word.

Some people will want to stay off the radar and others, as we've already seen just in the closed Beta, will want to post trash talk and brag and join friends in finishing Goals and Facebook has all the social hooks you could ever want to make that easy, easier than any site plug in we could create. It's as much or as little as you want it to be.

I'm sure the right choices were made. I'm just expressing my concern over my general dislike for feeding as much information to facebook as humanly possible.

I completely understand. I have avoided Facebook like the plague and only just created an account this weekend... and I did it for RB World. I have my own privacy and posting concerns, so hopefully if I felt comfortable enough to jump into the pool then that speaks to my level of faith in RB World.

Also, thanks for replying. I think it's great that Harmonix takes the time to address community concerns. There are very few developers (if any) that consistently release great games that keep ties with the community.

You're more than welcome! We try to respond to as much as we possibly can. We are always welcome to constructive criticism and none of the concerns you've voiced are any different than the concerns we've shared during the course of development. If we can help shed some light on the development process and help folks understand why X does Y then that will only make the community more informed and stronger.

[SheSaidSheSaid]

As for why we chose Facebook for RB World over doing something similar on this site... we already did that and it was called Rock Band 3 and it was heavily under used. People were put off by linking with the site, Battle creation and difficulty matchmaking.

Sadface Because I loved all of that.

So we turned to Facebook as a platform that eliminated those complaints. Linking is easier on Facebook, Score War creation is even quicker and instead of tapping into a community of ~500K on this site we're able to reach a community of ~3 million on our FB page.

Grr......the more we're linked together, the more isolated we really are. That's why I disdain social networks. And I know it firsthand. I was sucked into that vortex myself for a few years.

I mean, I guess I understand it from a business point of view, but it still sucks.

Facebook is basically the Wal-Mart you can never get away from. Everything starts and ends there, whether anyone likes it or not. Le sigh....fact of life.

[SheSaidSheSaid]

Also, thanks for replying. I think it's great that Harmonix takes the time to address community concerns.

Seconded! It keeps me coming back when there might not be anything else that does.

There are very few developers (if any) that consistently release great games that keep ties with the community.

Valve maybe?