Home again, well at least for the weekend. Really wanted to cover a few remaining topics before heading out on the road next week.
Rock Band 2 – WOW, upgraded drums only start the list. They look like the old ones, but are better built, quieter and the kick pedal is reinforced. Full capability exists for us to use all of our previous Rock Band songs AND downloadable content (DLC)! That is still just the tip of the iceburg.
Check out these high end drums. These are made for Rock Band and sell separately. Would you pay $300 for these drums? Pretty cool item.
Back to DLC, by the end of the year, Rock Band will have over 500 songs in the hopper. Rock Band 2 comes with 84 songs. With all of that content, they upgraded their interface so we can quickly select tunes. Set lists also become easier and longer if we choose. All masters, no covers! Harmonix is very serious about music. Looks like they are covering a WIDE spectrum of titles as well. Here is John from Harmonix giving us the low down.
A new Guns ‘n’ Roses song will debut on Rock Band as well. The new guitars and drums are wireless. Also, like the drums, the new guitar not only looks better, it is better. It autocalibrates via a microphone and a lens. Harmonix appears to be listening to users and making real changes to make the experience better for everyone.
Not enough Rock Band? Well, here is another acronym for you, UGC. That stands for User Generated Content. With Rock Band 2, folks can customize to an even greater degree. Take your band to the next level and make posters, shirts and even miniature figurines of them! Anyone have a great band name? Harmonix will also have DAILY challenges for us to enjoy. Want to know how good you and your mates are? Now you can find out.
Sony showed us their MMO game: The Agency. No word on if it will require a monthly fee or be priced from an in game store. Basically, two teams exist. One is suave, like James Bond while the other is more like Rambo. Each team tries to complete the missions. There are unique character classes and modes. Looks like a fun game for both the PS3 and a peecee. The formats will not allow for cross platform play though.
Resistance 2 is a great follow-up to a super launch title. Insomniac really does a great job. This is their 3rd PS3 title (Resistance 1 and Ratchet and Clank were previous titles). We got to play online and had a great time. Fans are in for a thrill ride. Hint to my wife, this would make a great Festivus present!
Quick Hits:
Lego Batman, looking good. We can play as good guys or baddies here. Batman detects and disarms traps whilst the baddies get to set them to foil the caped crusader.
Madden 09, an evolution, not a revolution. It will be a big seller this year with Brett Favre on the cover and it being the 20th anniversary edition.
Here is a screen shot of Wii Music. Nintendo is big on it. Some hardcore gamers may not be as excited.
Sega’s Samba De Amigo was a lot of fun to play at their booth as well. This one looks like a hit for all of the previous fans. On the Wii, it will be a strong title.
Little Big Planet, Killzone 2, SOCOM Confrontation also all looked like more solid hits for the PS3 console. Little Big will also feature some UGC in the way of maps that we can share over the PSN.
Also, met some folks from Destructoid (Hey Dale, Nick and Colette), Kotaku (Hey Mike) and Joystiq (Hey Alexander). (Dale asked that I mention Destructiod 1st, but you all do a great job keeping us informed with the happenings of our industry). If you are not going to ALL THREE of these sites, you are really missing out on the latest scoops. These full time journalists cover our industry like no one. They are real stars in our business and you should see what is happening at their sites. It is daily, required reading for me.
Hope the weekend finds you all safe and happy. Enjoy some time with those around you that really matter.