Sad day for Wii owners wanting Rock Band.
http://www.gaming-age.com/news/2008/3/24-33
It's been talked about since last year, but today, EA and Harmonix finally made it official. Rock Band is coming to the Wii, this summer.
The developer has already confirmed the game will not use the Wii-motes, and the instruments will be the same stand-alone types available on the PS3/Xbox 360/PS2. Also unfortunately confirmed is that there will be no downloadable content nor online play.
Read on for more details.
Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, and MTV Games, a division of MTV Networks, which is a division of Viacom, along with distribution partner Electronic Arts, Inc., today announced plans to release the award-winning music video game Rock Band on the Wii home video game system from Nintendo in the U.S. and Canada on June 22, 2008 for the suggested retail price of $169.99.Rock Band for Wii will be released as a Special Edition bundle including the software, drums, microphone and a wireless guitar. Stand alone instruments will also be available on June 22nd for people who want to build their band one instrument at a time or want to play the drum versus drum game mode. The game will feature 63 songs including five bonus songs for Wii gamers to enjoy.
"The Wii's success among casual and core gamers of all ages makes it an ideal match for the cross-generational appeal of the music featured in Rock Band," says Bob Picunko, Vice President of Electronic Games and Interactive Products, MTV
"The social interaction and addictive nature of the Rock Band experience is a perfect fit for the Wii and will undoubtedly be fun for the entire family," says Steve Singer, licensing VP from Nintendo.
Rock Band is an all-new platform for music fans and gamers to interact with music like never before. The game challenges players to put together a band and tour for fame and fortune – all while learning to master lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals. Featuring the most master recordings of any music game ever by the world's biggest rock artists, Rock Band includes tracks that span every genre of rock ranging from alternative and classic rock to heavy metal and punk. Rock Band has garnered over 40 awards this year including Game Critics Award: Best of Show E3 2007 and three awards at The 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards including Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, Family Game of the Year, and Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack.
Rock Band is rated "T" for Teen (lyrics, mild suggestive themes) by the ESRB.
To Recap:
- No Online Multiplayer
- No Downloadable Content
- No Wiimote Perpherials (ie, you use the same stuff RB owners use on X360/PS3/PS2)
- 5 Extra Wii-Exclusive Songs on the Disk (but no info if they exist as DLC on PSN/XBL)
This was what I feared that Wii's Rockband would be, thanks to the SD Card: No DLC, which is the lifeblood of Rock Band. I hope this is EA's sick week before April Fool's Day joke....As no one, not even Nintendo fans, deserve this.
Back from the dead, I'm afraid.