Rock Band price drop and release in the rest of Europe = no RB2 for a while?

SiD the Turtle

SiD the Turtle

SiD the Turtle

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Kotaku said:
Rock Band's European pricing doesn't take the ****, it extracts it in industrial quantities, packages it with ruthless efficiency then ships it to consumers across the Old World. So it should please you to know that it's in line for a price cut, with the instrument bundles coming down from £130/€170 to £110/€140. Still outrageous, yes, just a little less outrageous! Oh, MTV would also like you to know that not only will Rock Band finally be appearing on Wii, PS2 and PS3 between September 22 and September 29, it'll be appearing in more countries than the United Kingdom, France and Germany (like Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria and, yes, Luxembourg!).
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With the game only coming out in other bits of the EU now, do you reckon that we won't get RB2 until some point next year? As a convert from Guitar Hero to Rock Band, Guitar Hero World Tour is looking more and more attractive.
 
Yes, I do think think that RB2 will be delayed in coming over here. I think it will take as long to come over here as RB1 did. It makes sense from a marketing perspective to let RB1 do it's own sales. One solution (if you bought the kit for the Playstation 3) is to import the game from the States as I believe the console utilises region free games.
 
Yeah, PS3 owners can just buy the official instrument pack over here which will no doubt be available for £100 without the game, just like on 360, then import the USA version of RB2 to save shipping/import costs on the large box. Unfortunately the 360 version of RB2 will more than likely be region locked as the first one was.

I paid $180 inc taxes, so £90, for my US 360 Rock Band set (instruments and game) and was lucky enough to be able to bring it back on the plane. If I didn't have that option I would've been fine waiting for the UK release though - it was possible to pick up 360 RB1 with instruments for £140. Ok, that's £50 more than the US version, but when you factor in shipping and the fact that customs can shaft you, it's probably not much more expensive.

I do however think it's stupid that RB1 is only just getting a PS3/Wii release now though. I'm pretty sure I read that RB2 is coming out on the 360 in Europe shortly after the USA release, so that means the 360 may be getting RB2 at almost the same time as the PS3/Wii get RB1 - ridiculous.
 
SiD the Turtle said:
With the game only coming out in other bits of the EU now, do you reckon that we won't get RB2 until some point next year? As a convert from Guitar Hero to Rock Band, Guitar Hero World Tour is looking more and more attractive.
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Huh? How is it looking more attractive just because GHWT may come first? GHWT cannot compete with the features on Rockband 2. As I keep saying NO GAME comes close to rockband for downloadable content.

I will get GHWT but I will be using rockband instruments with it. GHWT has 3 drums and two cymbals. Rockband 2 has 4 drums and atleast 2 cymbals with an option for a third. I really wouldn't spend money on kit that will be superceded in a matter of months.

That article is full of it, rockbands pricing takes the ****? WTF guitar hero WT is more or less the same price. So they are slashing £20 of the retail price. What do they want? RB for free? That would mean you can easily get the game and instruments for £110. Thats a decent price imho.
 
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dannyjo22 said:
I will get GHWT but I will be using rockband instruments with it. GHWT has 3 drums and two cymbals. Rockband 2 has 4 drums and atleast 2 cymbals with an option for a third. I really wouldn't spend money on kit that will be superceded in a matter of months.
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Actually, the two cymbals on the RB set are the same colour/input as two of the drums. The RB set only had 5 individual inputs, whilst the GHWT set has 6 inputs. It makes more sense to buy the GHWT set as it is far easier to map 5 inputs onto 6 that trying to map 6 inputs onto 5 which is what you would have to do to play GHWT on RB's kit.
 
You will also be able to buy seperate cymbals to attach to the Rock Band 2 drum kit. It may look virtually the same as the original but it has 3 ports for the addon cymbals to plug in to (and seemingly a 4th port that I'm not sure about).

So, stock RB2 drums just have 4 drum pads and that is all, but you can have 3 cymbals too - I believe the 3 cymbal addon pack will retail for $30 in the US.

The cymbals are a bit of a gimmick though, as they just mirror the standard pads. So in short, you can have a blue pad and a blue cymbal and you can hit either of them to hit the note in the game. They'll just have a different sound when you do fills and endings. No real effect on the gameplay at all.

Also, that crazy $300 Ion drum kit - as Tobes mentioned - can be turned into an actual electronic drum kit too, but the addon module to do this costs $360 so you have to fork out a total of $660 - ouch :eek:
 
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Plus Rock Band 2 doesn't have anything like the music studio that I've seen. So not sure how you think GHWT can't compete on features :confused:
 
Tobes said:
No it has 4 drums. That's it. You are thinking about the premium kit. Of which costs $300 and still only acts as 4 drums for the game. The reason it has so many pads is because it can be used as a electronic drum kit.

http://kotaku.com/5045854/a-close-look-at-the-rock-band-2-drums
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Yep thats the kit I will be buying.

The standard RB2 drumkit has cymbals available to buy for $30 for 3 or $15 each. It will also have a double bass port.

Music studio? I bet that doesn't get used by 99% of people. People want dlc from great bands not to play some near impossible pap timmy has knocked up in his bedroom.

I think its pointless arguing now over which one will be better but I know which game so far has delivered on its promises and has listened to what it's user base wanted. If you are only going to buy one game or cannot afford both I see no reason why if you already owned RB you would change over when RB is allowing you to port over your songs and keep your DLC. Something GH has never let you do and dripped out minimal DLC.

Besides the GHWT instruments could suck bottom, it's not like they have a better reputation for instruments than RB/EA.
 
dannyjo22 said:
Music studio? I bet that doesn't get used by 99% of people. People want dlc from great bands not to play some near impossible pap timmy has knocked up in his bedroom.
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Yep, I'd agree with that.

dannyjo22 said:
Besides the GHWT instruments could suck bottom, it's not like they have a better reputation for instruments than RB/EA.
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Well going by the GH guitar compared to the rubbish Rockband instruments then at this point in time I'd have to disagree, go read the Rockband forums on how many instruments have broken...

Personally I'd prefer Rockband but don't want to pay £100 for garbage instruments, so am holding out for GH:WT :)
 
Edz said:
Well going by the GH guitar compared to the rubbish Rockband instruments then at this point in time I'd have to disagree, go read the Rockband forums on how many instruments have broken...

Personally I'd prefer Rockband but don't want to pay £100 for garbage instruments, so am holding out for GH:WT :)
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Go look how many Les Pauls are ****. I've had one that needed to be pointed down all the time and another that the star power is so sensitive you have to make sure you hold it still. Also the detachable neck causing fret misses. Strum problems etc etc. One of mine currently looks like this due to it missing frets.....


The Les Paul is just as ropey as any RB equipment. I have no doubt the GHWT guitar will be just as hit and miss.

I'd say you have more chance with the RB2 stuff being better because it's 2nd generation. The QM drum kits are much better and the guitar was fine it just needed the frets quietening down.

Neither game has a history of making reliable equipment, much of that will be down to luck with the piece you get given.
 
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Creature said:
So far at every event, the hi-hats have to be changed constantly because they keep breaking.
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Exactly my point, it's not until the general public get their hands on it you see all the faults and weaknesses. Just wait til great big old wyrdo is whacking those cymbals to see how fast they break ;)

They dont look that strong to me anyway.
 
i didnt think we'd have a hope in hell of getting RB2 at the same time the yanks are, given that RB1 has been out for over 3 months now.

i wish they'd just do the solus at the same time as the US gets the game, so if you want it, you can play it on your RB1 kit, and then release the new fancy equipment later..

but that'll never happen :(
 
Hopefully this time around they make the game region free if they don't do a worldwide release. /fingers crossed

I'll be seriously annoyed if we suffer the same delays again.
 
I think it's safe to say it won't be region free. Also from http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=164239:

EA has told Eurogamer there has been a "misunderstanding" about the Rock Band 2 date in Europe.

Word had originally pointed to a simultaneous European release alongside the US this September.

"There was a misunderstanding and there is no confirmed date for Europe," a spokesperson from EA told Eurogamer.
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Looks like Europe gets the shaft again. However that article goes back to July. Regardless, I'm glad I have an NTSC 360 so I can just import a copy of the game.
 
I dont think we got shafted last time. The delay in launch here due to instrument problems is a delay I would welcome again. Then it really doesnt make sense to release it 3 months after RB1 when so many kits are kicking around the shops. I think it will probably end up being a december release.
 
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