Engadget writes:
"While we're still quite early in the game (literally), reports have started trickling in that there may be some substantial issues with some of the hardware included in Harmonix's latest and greatest, Rock Band. According to forum posts from disgruntled users, folks who've just gotten the game are having a litany of problems, from drums with no sensitivity, an always-on whammy, and sticky buttons -- but most of the stress seems to be related to the downstrum. Current descriptions paint the problem as an overly- or ineffectual strum, resulting in a pretty annoying game experience. Of course, it's early on right now, and it's too soon to know if this is a widespread problem or if it's relegated to a small production batch. We pose this question to our readers: are you having Rock Band issues?"
TheGamer Writes "Harmonix has proven plenty of times it can make Rock Band work without instruments."
I mean, yeah, but was anyone saying otherwise? The fact is people liked the plastic instruments rather than pressing buttons on a controller. They enjoyed the simulated experience.
"Work"? No, but to be good? It's absolutely necessary. Not having the accessories is like playing a lightgun shooter with an analog stick sure it works, but one experience is completely unique and fun as hell, and other is torture trying to make do playing in a way it was never meant to be played
"trying to make do in a way it was never meant to be played"
I disagree. The accessories were a fun gimmick (and very marketable) but they were added AFTER the genre had been well established with games like Frequency and Amplitude (both also made by Harmonix).
The gameplay formula is different on a controller - there's a focus on switching lanes and contributing to all of the instruments.
Never played Frequency, but Amplitude and Rock Band Blitz were really good. I would love to get more of that kind of game. It's basically a different part of the genre, and stands on its own.
The insurmountable difference in popularity between Amplitude and Rock Band proves my point
Popularity isn't proof of quality. If it was, then Harmonix wouldn't be making music for Fortnite now. lol. Our disagreement wasn't over which one is more popular. Amplitude and Blitz just aren't "torture" to play.
Rock Band 4 and Guitar Hero Live failed to revive their sub-genre, and Rock Band 4 caused Mad Catz to have to file for bankruptcy. Doesn't mean that instrument-based music games are bad.
It does mean that there's too much overhead and risk for anyone to take a gamble on a big budget game that needs instrument accessories now though.
For the genre to thrive, for now, it needs to do so without the instrument accessories. That's just a fact, unfortunately.
VR games like Beat Sabre (a new sub-genre) and traditional music games make more sense and are more viable right now.
*"If quality is always proved by popularity, then Harmonix wouldn't be making music for Fortnite now."
I think CHEAP plastic instruments is THE reason why the instrument-genre ‘died’.
People invested in buying the game AND the peripherals, so the guitar, the dj-set, the drum, whatever, and the experience was absolutely fantastic. Great fun, great music, etc.
But then the instruments would break. A button would stop working, or your hits wouldn’t register, and that kind of hardware failure would end in you not being able to play the game as intended, and thus you not getting the scores you deserve.
So, now you had a great game, but a broken instrument, and nobody is gonna buy a new plastic instrument every 3-6 months in order to keep playing the game.
A solution would have been to release better quality instruments (obviously), at a slightly higher price, so you could have kept the new games coming and the genre alive, but sadly, that didn’t happen.
The only issue I ever had with any of the hardware was the drum pedal on the original rock band set stared to crack in half. The reason I, and other friends I know who played, lost interest is they weren't putting out new tracks that we were interested in anymore. I think earlier this year I looked through the releases for the last 2 years or so, and there was maybe 3 songs I would have bought.
Yeah I had this happen too with my drum controller, I ended up attaching a metal strip to it which fixed it up nicely.
Bust a Groove, Gitaroo Man and Parrapa the Rappa were such good games. Neither needed any extra peripherals
Player 2's long-form feature about kids and video games continues with a look at introducing toddlers to games for the first time.
Music rhythm games dominated the video game market in the mid-2000s. Unfortunately, the genre would fall from grace shortly after finding success.
More like faded away than failed. Failed implies it was new and didnt take off... that is not the case. Rhythm games were hugely popular but the lights dimmed and the show is over.
You would think the current situation would cause a resurgence but im actually seeing more people picking up real instruments and learning to play. My son is one who started out on GH and now he plays real guitar.
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I also got into playing guitar through Guitar Hero and Rock Band. And I know at least three other people who did the same.
Still get Rock Band out a few times a year. I really don't think you can say it failed when they're still bring out DLC every week! They must be making enough money from it to keep the licensing going!
Basically the reason the artist Prince did not want his music on those types of games. As he believed it was better for kids to actually learn to play a real instrument than to play with toys that really did not teach how to read music and how to actually play an instrument correctly.
A lot of music now a days is just done on a sound board and the creator has no real clue if the music was put on a sheet in front of them to play. The term musician has taken on a new meaning in recent times.
I lost interest when they stopped allowing you to use the controller to play with, just couldn't get into playing with the guitar.
Rock band 4 allows controller. Though I just bought RB4 again so I can replay my favorite music rhythm game.
I didn't know that. I haven't played a lot of Rock Band, but have a lot of Guitar Hero, I'll definitely check it out.
Not the sole reason, but over saturation by Activision releasing 5 GH games in one year, charging full price for all of them while only Metallica and GH5 were worth it.
I dont think these games failed at all. People aren't going to keep buying games and peripherals over and over. All songs need to work on either rockband or guitar hero thru updates. Guitar hero live was actually good but rockband with all its songs and same equipment killed it.
I'm sure part of the reason they faded away, at least over the long term, was that you couldn't download them digitally.
for Christmas
so i would really like to hear from ppl with the game and if they have issues.
I can't get the overdrive on my guitar to activate, it's not registering 70% of the time when I tilt the guitar up.
Also I have noticed the red pad on my drums sometimes doesn't register when I know I hit it... though it's so rare i'm not worried about it.
Hopefully these things are glitches in the software and can be fixed with a patch, like the whammy bar issue was fixed in the xbox 360 GH2 guitar.
The strum is completely useless. Very stiff and non responsive. I'm forced to use the guitar hero 3 controller,and thats BS.I tried my best to like the rock band controller because it fills and looks so much better than guitar heros,but the strum is crap so i have no choice.Very disappointed.
Also the build quality of everything else in the package seems rushed.Many little details thta were clearly rushed when put together.
Ironically, maybe it's actually to Canadians' benefit of being subject to delayed receipt (read: "thick, hard, unlubed shafting") of this game till no sooner than December 17th.
Either they'll have the kinks worked out by then...or they'll decide to send all the defective hardware up here. ;)
Just hurry up already; how dare they deprive me of my Christmas present!
Here's the problem with the downstrum on the fender. it uses 2 metal tongs that when pressed together complete the circuit and make it strum. problem is after maybe 3 hours or so of hard playing one of them bends ever so slightly, making it so you have to press down hard as hell to make it strum. This makes hard and expert mode 100% impossible to play. I opened my guitar and the fix was pretty easy, just a pain. There are several fixes out there it seems so just go to the rockband.com forums to read up on what ppl are doing. Some have diagrams and pics up. After about 20 minutes my Fender now works as good as my Les Paul. Voiding your warranty is also a concern, but when I opened mine I didnt break any seal or anything so I dont know how theyd know you opened it.