Rock Band - HUGE MP DISAPPOINTMENT!! (For me anyway...)

[SHIBUMI]

Just to be clear - this is a huge disappointment to ME - others may not care...

I just read the Ars Technica Review, and while they gave it a great review - even for mp, the ONLINE MP is - imo - a huge disappointment:

There are other multiplayer modes like the expected score battle and a "Tug of War" mode where each player is on the same instrument and has to win over the crowd as they trade off on sections of the song, and these can be played online. The Band World Tour mode is not available online—and that's a shame—but the real draw here is getting a bunch of friends together to play.

I do 99.9999% of my MP gaming online over Live! My friends and I have work and families (like most PGL'ers) - and have moved across the country over the years - so - we can only play online... There are one or two still in the area (w/i 25 miles of each other) but still - we game over Live, not by driving over to each other's homes at 10pm at night.

The Band World Tour mode was the BIG thing we were looking forward too!! Starting our "band" - and moving from bars, to clubs, to stadiums - the random set lists etc - ya know - PLAYING THE GAME!!

And now it looks like that will be out... Sure, it looks like we can get online and pick songs from the list to play (i hope!!) - but taking the World Tour gameplay out of the Live mix is just sh*tty!!!

Man - I was SOLD on this game - all set to hunt and search for it this week... But NOW?? NOW - do I really wanna drop $170 just so I can play drums?? Maaaaaaan.. I dunno... Huge disappointment...

[Serren]

I think I heard that this is something that will, or might be added later on. Not sure since I have read so much about this game, but there was something in regards to online co-op that was not going to be ready or available until after release. If you find anything out, let us all know.

[Serren]

Quick search-

Rock Band's World Tour Mode Confirmed Offline-only; No Online Co-op Campaign Rockage
by Nick Breckon Oct 20, 2007 4:39pm CST
To the disappointment of fans, developer Harmonix has confirmed that the Band World Tour campaign mode in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions of the company's upcoming music game Rock Band will not be enabled for online play.

"Band World Tour, and consequently the endless setlist, doesn't have an online mode," wrote Harmonix community manager Sean Baptiste on the official Rock Band forums.

One of the most exciting features of Harmonix's upcoming Guitar Hero follow-up, the Band World Tour mode allows up to four players to form a band, play gigs in over 40 different venues across the world, and complete challenges to earn in-game cash.

"It was something we really wanted in there but the time to do it, and do it right taking into account all sorts of mostly unforeseen but very important things, was seriously prohibitive," continued Baptiste.

Online play via the game's competitive and quickplay modes will still be included. Despite the news, Baptiste assured fans that Harmonix is still very interested in realizing the online campaign in the future.

"It is something we are totally working for in the future as not only do you want to play it but so do we (more than you know)," added Baptiste.

Whether World Tour online play might be implemented via a patch, or is simply a feature that has been pushed back to a potential Rock Band sequel, Baptiste did not know.

The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Rock Band hit retailers November 23, selling in a $169.99 bundle that includes a guitar, microphone, and drum kit. The PlayStation 2 iteration and its respective bundle are slated to hit December 10 at $159.99. Rumors indicate that separately available instruments and a non-bundled edition of the game may not arrive until 2008.

[SHIBUMI]

Wow... Thanks for the update Serren!

I'm smelling "Rock Band 2"!! I hate when these companies do this!!*

So now I'm wondering - can you play ANY songs "as a band" online??

Online play via the game's competitive and quickplay modes will still be included.

I wonder what 'quickplay' is - co-op where one can play guitar, another plays drums etc - but you don't get points / cash / etc??

[Serren]

I'll let you know tomorrow!!!

[D_Litch]

Yup, this does suck, but Harmonix said that they would love to add in WT mode later.

[SHIBUMI]

I've been scouring the Harmonix Rock Band site / forums and found this latest interview that was posted today:

GamerFront » Blog Archive » Exclusive interview answers your burning Rock Band questions

Exclusive interview reveals the state of online BWT - Rock Band - Forums

In a nutshell:

Yes folks, you heard it here first. There is currently no plan to take Band World Tour online in the current iteration of Rock Band. The possibility is there for “a future game,” but don’t look for a patch for the current game.

No patch... NO online WBT...

Like I say, to me it's the same old EA crap!! How can they possibly have the ability to do Online Co-op Quickplay - but not the cool career mode???? They just want to be able to sell RB2! This really sucks!!

[Rockstar]

It is more fun to have the band all in one room anyway.

Thanks very much for the link, I can hardly wait.

[SHIBUMI]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

It is more fun to have the band all in one room anyway.

I'm sure it is... but when you and your friends are married w/ kids - it's not like you can just drive on over anytime for a gaming session - hence Live.

I dunno - to me it's just more of the same from EA. "Let's take this part out of the release so that we have something to sell in RB2".

I mean - if you can do a full band co-op on Quickplay over Live - then there is no reason not to have WBT. All WBT adds is the ability to keep a running score and generate random setlists - something they already have coded for when people are in the same room with ya...

Anyway - it ended up being a deal-breaker for me.

I was all psyched to grab it at midnight last night, but as the events unfolded yesterday it just left me w/ a bad taste.

$180 and you're not going to give me the full game?? No thanks EA.

[Serren]

Your still going to need the instruments from rock band for the potential sequel. I play GH2/3 alone all the time, so this is not a deal breaker for me.

It is a dumb ommision, and I hope that it's not just for RB2! I dont think that feature by itself would be enough justification to not add it now. Or I hope...

[SHIBUMI]

Yeah - agreed... I guess what I mean is that it was a deal breaker for me - for now.

I was all set to rush out and pick it up, but instead I'll now wait to see if enough of my buddies pick it up - and then weigh the potential of Quickplay.

(I still think drums in Battle Mode could be fun)

I think I also spent too much time in the forums yesterday - and all the stuff I read about supposed recalls / peripheral problems - plus the "limited supplies" let me kinda... ehhhhhh...

[Rockstar]

This game is a no brainer buy, but if you do not have your deposit in you cant just walk up and buy one, they stopped taking reservations 3 weeks ago.

This game was designed to have friends or family there in the room with you.
I pick up mine in a couple hours, and have never been more excited about a game in my life.
You will have a long time to think about it, they will not be available for purchase for a while I think.

I will post a complete review tommorrow on this epic event.

[D_Litch]

I'm probably gonna hold off on this one until they start selling the instruments separately. I just want the drums and mic.

Oh, and Bumi, I'll bet $3.50 that Rock Band 2 will be out November of next year. I guess we'll have to wait until then to tour online. I have no problem playing by myself, but I was really looking forward to touring with PGL fools.

[SHIBUMI]

Originally Posted by D_Litch

I have no problem playing by myself

That's what she said...

[SHIBUMI]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

You will have a long time to think about it, they will not be available for purchase for a while I think.

That's another thing... what's going on there?? Product quality issues?? Seems many stores pulled the game before it even launched yesterday (to hear tales on Xbox forums)... and others that have gotten it and are now having issues.

Either way, there's also plenty of posts talking about how there is still plenty of stock everywhere today - CC, BB, Target, Walmart etc... So for those that were fretting, (no pun intended), you might still be in luck.

Hmmm - maybe more people bailed over the BWT thing than they anticipated.

[Leftie247]

Originally Posted by SHIBUMI

That's another thing... what's going on there?? Product quality issues?? Seems many stores pulled the game before it even launched yesterday (to hear tales on Xbox forums)... and others that have gotten it and are now having issues.

Either way, there's also plenty of posts talking about how there is still plenty of stock everywhere today - CC, BB, Target, Walmart etc... So for those that were fretting, (no pun intended), you might still be in luck.

Hmmm - maybe more people bailed over the BWT thing than they anticipated.

That's the thing I hate about 360 games lately. It seems like every time I go into a GameStop and ask about a recent release the employees want to act like they are doing me a favor by selling me the game. They act like I am lucky to score a copy since I didn't preorder the game. Screw that! If I wanted to preorder it, I would have told you. If by chance there aren't enough games left for me to pick up at your store, I will just go to another one. It's not my problem if you cannot keep a title in stock. This whole preorder phenomina is just stores and companies trying to hype the latest product by creating a sense of artificial demand for a something that isn't even out yet.

Leftie

[Serren]

Yep, I totally agree with you Leftie! I almost never preorder. The only reason I did with Rock Band was that I got a $100 bucks for my birthday back in Sept, and I wanted to use it for this game, so I gave it to Gamestop for safe keeping.

Otherwise, F them. Where I live, the Gamestop is in the same parking lot as a Target and across the street from a Walmart. When I want a game, I now first go to Target, then Walmart and then GS. I do this since they have pulled the "I didnt pre-order it BS and if Im lucky I can come BACK the next day and buy it." Screw them. All you do is sell video games. Thats is. Order more tards!

So they are the last business to get my money on 90% of the time. Plus I dont have to deal with all the little shits running around the store causing problems or the dont give a crap workers.

[Rockstar]

I only preorder monster titles, which are very few and far between for me.
Most are not nessesary to preorder, but i knew this title justfied the 25 buck deposit.

I sure hope that the quality issues are false, I need this game to WORK.

[lovekeiiy]

The only games I preorder are Zelda games, and that's only if it's some limited edition gold version or comes with a past Zelda.

I use to preorder Dreamcast games because they shipped out of SF, and would end up getting the game a couples days before release, except MLB 2K (what a stinker); I preordered but got it two weeks after release. I got letter of apology and a free Sonic stuff animal doll. I still have it in it's plastic bag, LOL.

[SHIBUMI]

So - Serren... I noticed you online jamming w/ RB last night!

Any first impressions?? How's your ummmmmmmm... "hardware" holding up?? Any guitar / drum issues?