Rock Band Gets Official Release Date & Pricing
By Steve on Saturday, September 29th, 2007 at 2:21 AM PST In Electronic Arts, Game Companies, Game Consoles, Microsoft, Sony
Despite retailers preemptively pricing the Rock Band bundle and individual instruments on their product page, Harmonix and MTV have never really settled on an official price per se. As of today, that cloud of uncertainty has been dispelled. GameSpot confirmed via a Harmonix representative that the recent changes of Rock Band product pages at retail stores indeed reflect the official pricing and release date. The Harmonix representative also confirmed a pricing and release date for the recently announced PS2 bundle. For convenience, I’m going to use EB Games and Amazon as reference:
Rock Band Special Edition “bundle” (mic, drums, guitar, game) – PS3 & 360: $169.99, PS2: $159.99
Rock Band Game (no instruments) – PS3 & 360: $59.99
Rock Band Mic – PS3 & 360: $29.99
Rock Band Drums – PS3 & 360: $79.99
Rock Band Wireless Guitar – PS3: $59.99, 360: $79.99
It’s even more obvious now that the bundle is the better buy. With the previously rumor of a $200 bundle, I was seriously considering buying just the game and guitar. Now with the 360 guitar at $80 and the game itself at $60, it would be silly to not fork over the extra $30 for the whole kit. Then again, I plan on getting the Guitar Hero III bundle for $99 come October 27th. If it turns out the GH3 guitar is compatible with Rock Band, I may still hold off getting the Rock Band bundle. Yeah, the Rock Band guitar seems nicer, but I’m cheap like that.
The official release date of Rock Band for PS3 and 360 is November 23rd, 2007. The official release date for Rock Band for PS2 is December 10th, 2007. And yes, the PS2 version will have its instruments available for individual purchase. No word on pricing for the PS2 instruments, but for now we’ll assume they will match the PS3’s individual instrument pricing. We’ll also assume the Rock Band PS2 guitar will be wireless like the PS3. If you are wondering why the PS3 wireless guitar is significantly cheaper than the 360, bring yourself up to par by reading here. Despite the similar price, the bundles for each platform are not the same.
Since Rock Band’s release date now falls on North America’s ubiquitous Black Friday, I can see a lot of anxiety building up among those pre-ordering. Who in there right mind wants to go and pick that big box up at 8am, let alone try to push it through the droves of soccer moms? Let’s just hope the stores keep an adequate stock for all. I’d hate to see some Tickle-Me-Elmo throwback fights for “the last box” of the Rock Band bundle. You hear me EB Games? Don’t sell my pre-order to some sobbing soccer-mom because I waited to show up late in the day. I loves me some beauty sleep.
Via GameSpot
I ain’t buying it ’till they got a wireless cowbell.
“Despite retailers preemptively pricing the Rock Band bundle and individual instruments on their product page, Harmonix and MTV have never really settled on an official price per say.”
Per se.
I am hoping to god that the GH3 Wireless guitar for PS3 is compatible with this game, it’ll make things so much easier… but knowing that Harmonix no longer works on the GH franchise, you can bet your ass I will have to buy a second guitar for this game…
haha, yeah right. gh3 compatible with rockband? kiss your ass goodbye.
Actually, weclock, the CEO of Harmonix has already stated they will support all previous GH controllers with Rock Band and will happily support the GH3 controllers if Activision allows it.
To say Activision is putting some security feature on the GH3 controller to prevent it from working with any other software is giving them almost too much credit. That’s a waste of resources, imo.
Hey Norbit, I got some good news for ya, the microphone can be used as a cowbell or tambourine when you’re not using it for vocals….key song = Don’t Fear The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult, now, finally, we can give that song the more cowbell it rightfully deserves!..lol
any song can use more cowbell
the mic also plays as a cowbell
Ok, this game is the bomb, me and my brother went to best buy down in buffalo the day they had the demo and played for 5 hours striat then the owner said to leave……i dont understand the fact of the drums cowbell with the mic…..but this will be a great game for a christmas present…..
“i dont understand the fact of the drums cowbell with the mic”
Because I got a fever! A fever that can only be cured by…………
MORE COWBELL!!
Electronic Arts has confirmed that the guitar from the 360 version of Guitar Hero 2 will work with Rock Band, and you can also use your Xbox Live headset as your microphone. So the only new peripheral 360 owners will definitely have to buy will be the drum set.
so all us xbox livers need to buy are the drums and everything else is compatable bitches
that was copied and pasted from http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/807/807393p1.html
Are you completly sure that is the date and price?
At eb games it says the game is already out, and the bundle should be out nov 30th, I don’t know just check the site.
thanks
i really hope the guitars are compatable for ps2. i already have 2 wireless ones. i dont kno where i would store 2 more plus a drumset.
Lori the only way it will be compatible is
by getting the special editon rock band
that comes out on Dec 11 I went thou that
some people tryed to tell me it was compat
ible with ps2 then I found out i had to
wait till then I did a pre order from
amazon. I have read the guitar will be
compatible but that would be it. Best to
wait or return it. Why did they have to
wait to realease the ps2 version? I drove\
all over the place till finally i went onl
line. From what i understand and have
read gh3 is not compatible either. only gh
2 is. The guitar that looks like a gibson.
Well I hope this thing gets here by xmas.
Does anyone know were to go to get MTV’s
offical Release date? I am only going off
amazon. I have read it may not be out til
Dec 18.
OH ya can you get more songs for the ps2?
I know for ps3 and x box your going to be
able to download more but what about for
the PS2? I will I have to buy additional ga
games? dont really care just as long as i can
can
As it stands right now the only controller compatible with Rock Band on PS3 is the Rock Band controller. Confirmed. That’s it.
As you can imagine, there has been quite a stink about this on the Rock Band forums from angry PS3 owners considering the 360 version of RB works with all of its controllers (USB and wireless). Apparantly all that promise of older controllers working was talk of the 360 version only.
That means not only does the PS3 GH3 not work, but the whole lot of PS2 controllers (even with the assistance of the Red Octane USB adapter) do not work with the PS3 version of Rock Band. That pretty much makes getting the standalone version of Rock Band for PS3 pretty moot.
And if you get the RB bundle, nobody can fill that 4th spot unless you buy the RB bundle twice for that second RB guitar controller (unless your buddy already bought it).
Also keep in mind that the 360 RB controllers (drums & guitar) have been confirmed by Harmonix to not work with the PS3 version as well.
The thing that burns me is that Harmonix were advertising Rock Band as being a 4 player game when in reality (as far as the PS3 is concerned) it’s essentially a 3 player game right out the box. The question is whether this was good business practice or not.
It’s Thanksgiving weekend and everyone is probably on vacation over there at Harmonix and EA, so I suppose cutting them slack is in order. But I hope they will make a public statement later this week concerning this issue. It would be nice to know if they are going to be attempting to work around this issue via patch or something, or if they are going to stand there and continue to say “It’s not our fault, we didn’t make those controllers.”
Because that’s pretty much what they are saying on the forums.
If you haven’t bought Rock Band yet, and you own a PS3, you might want to take note here as it may seriously affect your purchase decision.
when will the ps2 rockband bundle be released? didn’t make the dec. 11th or dec. 18th? what are they waiting for?
so whats the deal with the ps2 version?? stores websites have it listed, but only to be continued by “sold out” or “not available online”.. then i go to stores, and they dont have anything.. the weirdest part is, if you go to rock band’s official site, you can’t even order it there! so, can anyone help me out?
i will be buying it all but i dont know when it is out in the uk anyone know
I AM WAITING!!! Actually, my son is waiting for this to become available. We have searched high and low and can’t find it anywhere…and we live in Houston!! This is his Christmas present and he is PATIENTLY waiting for it to come out. This is the only thing he wanted. He has his money and is waiting!! Should we forget it, or what?
Its very cheap
Oh it’s really cheap!!!
whns rockband released in the uk??
Who knows?????
Hey, just wondering but is this game coming out for Wii or Ps2??? if so PLEASE reply quick!!! my brother has the 360 but he’s a selfish little freak. He dont let me play and he uses like once every… Never!!! when i move out im gon steal it
