E3 2008: Rock Band 2 Rock-On

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E3 2008: Rock Band 2 Rock-On

Fri, Jul 18, 2008

I think it's fair to say that the most impressive thing Harmonix and MTV Games did at E3 this year had nothing to do with their game. Still, I was invited to come and take a look at Rock Band 2 at a quick presentation, and I got to spend a little time with the new guitar, as well. Oh, and I also learned at least a dozen other things about Rock Band 2 that just reinforce my convictions that I want this game. Read on.

John Drake, PR coordinator for Harmonix, was on hand to explain the process that went into designing Rock Band 2, which primarily involved listening to the overwhelming requests, suggestions, and demands from fans of the last game. Drake told us that the philosophy of Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos is to "innovate, then perfect." It's safe to say, given the presence of Guitar Hero: World Tour, that Rock Band was an important innovation in music gaming, and Harmonix is attempting to tweak and refine the formula this time around.

In-Game 2 The big news, of course, has been out for a while: Every piece of DLC that players have bought for Rock Band will be usable in the sequel. As Harmonix phrases it, they aren't selling songs for one game or the other -- the DLC is for the overall "Rock Band platform." Mind you, while this is an excellent inclusion, it's also kind of a no-brainer; with 15 million songs downloaded so far, a huge number of Rock Band fans have made a significant investment into the original game. Making this content unusable in the sequel would be a dealbreaker for a vast number of people.

Of course, with enough songs already in their library, and all forthcoming DLC remaining compatible with Rock Band 1, fans will need adequate reasons to pick up the sequel, and Harmonix is bringing plenty to the table -- not the least of which is the game's songlist, comprising 84 tracks, all masters, from bands like Guns & Roses, Motorhead, Pearl Jam, Bob Dylan, and AC/DC. Performing "Any Way You Want It" by Journey with three other players is far more fun than it ought to be. Between the 162 existing DLC tracks and more to come, the 84 new ones on-disc, and the ability to import "most of" your Rock Band 1 songs into your RB2 library, Harmonix is promising that 500 songs will be available for the game by the end of the year. At some point, you know someone's going to call up Guinness and perform the entire library, front to back, over the course of 26 hours or so.

In-Game 1 Helping them to accomplish that task will be Rock Band 2's new party-friendly quickplay options. Now included in the game's non-campaign mode are a number of features which will keep the game running smoothly for all players: A no-fail mode for first-time rockers and upbeat gatherings (or folks who don't want to have to tell their vocalist that they suck), and on-the-fly setlist creation for players who are tired of debating over the selection screen during every single song. Harmonix assured us that there is probably an upper limit to the number of songs in a set, but they haven't found it yet.

Dedicated players will also find a wealth of refinements have been made to the game's "World Tour" mode, including -- finally -- the ability to form a band online, and go through the campaign with your geographically inconvenient pals. What's more, the challenges and setlists have all been re-tooled, including more in the way of themed sets, and game objectives based around your specific DLC, which ought to provide the type of music game you can get personally interested and engaged in.

Beyond being able to collaborate online, Rock Band 2 will also begin a new series of competitions in its new "Battle of the Bands" mode. While this will not involve the 8-player simultaneous play of Guitar Hero: World Tour's mode of the same name, it will allow bands to compete against every other registered band on local, friends-only, and overall leaderboards in themed challenges, provided daily and automatically by Harmonix. Bands may find themselves gunning for top scores through a specific album or setlist, or working for the longest guitar streak, or perhaps even attempting a top-difficulty set without the benefit of teammate-saving overdrive. These challenges, too, will gear themselves around the players' DLC, making sure the online content stays fresh.

Perform More than anything, though, the major improvements in Rock Band 2 are in the instruments. The guitar buttons are quieter, and the strum bar is "less mushy." The start button has a protective ring which prevents accidental pausing of the game. The guitar even contains a much-needed auto-calibration system for today's baffling modern televisions: A tiny lens and microphone in the instrument will pick up the visuals and sound from your monitor during a calibration sequence, and calculate the precise delay of your system for you.

Plenty has been done to the drums. Bouncier pads allow for more natural press roll. Velocity sensors will play louder beats based on the strength of the strike. A durable, metal-reinforced pedal will prevent snapping. Expansion ports now allow the addition of a second bass pedal and raised cymbals, which will allow you to customize the feel and sound of your percussion. The drums are quieter -- Drake told us that "Everyone loves Rock Band. Neighbors hate it." You know who else hates it? Bands whose drummers can't hold a beat. I can't tell you how many times I've started failing because all I could hear were the drums, which weren't being played at the proper rhythm. Incidentally, Rock Band 2 will also include a "drum trainer" mode to teach aspiring artists the fundamentals, as well as a "fill trainer" for proper freestyle tips. You hear that, guys?! You do not get more points if you flail around on the drums during the fills and totally deafen everyone with your arrhythmic, streak-breaking, terrible-sounding crap!

It's entirely possible that I play this game too much and take it too seriously. Thankfully, for sad, lonely psychotic freaks like me, Rock Band is allowing you to utterly immerse yourself in over-the-top, excessive, this-isn't-devotion-this-is-obsession features. Behold:

Ion Drums This drum kit is called the Ion Drum Rocker. It costs $300 and is actually a fully-functional synth drum kit, but it's been designed to work specifically with Rock Band 2. This is a peripheral that costs as much as your console.

T Shirt This is a T-shirt that contains your in-game band. The game is going to contain a photo mode that allows you to pose your rocker avatars, set them up against different backgrounds, and print real-life, physical merchandise of your Rock Band.