Kotaku
With the Wii release of Rock Band hovering off in the distance without a release date, Disney Interactive Studios seeks to fulfill the dreams of Nintendo gamers' rock star fantasies next holiday season with Ultimate Band for the Wii and Nintendo DS. Ultimate band does away with the need for costly peripherals by using the Wii controllers or DS stylus in lieu of musical instruments. The Wii version allows you to play drums, bass, guitar, or even be the front man - which is interesting considering there is no microphone in the Wiimote. Other than the control differences the game sounds just like Rock Band. Your band starts off playing in your garage and works its way up to a huge international arena, unlocking a variety of songs from the "biggest names in rock, alternative, popular, emo and indie rock music" along the way.
The DS version lets you jam to classic tunes or create your own music, sharing via a secure online community that utilizes Disney's new DGamer functionality. As with any music game, the songs can make or break it, so I'll reserve my opinion until I can be sure they aren't slipping any Hannah Montana in there.
DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS INTRODUCES ULTIMATE BAND - THE ONLY ALL-INCLUSIVE MUSIC VIDEO GAME EXPERIENCE FOR ALL AGESNo Peripherals Required, Ultimate Band Makes the Power to Rock Truly Accessible
BURBANK, Calif. - (February 27, 2008) - Disney Interactive Studios announced today, Ultimate Band, an all new music experience for fans of the Wii™ home video game system and Nintendo DS™. Gamers and music lovers of all ages will realize their dream of becoming a rock legend when they build their own band or jam alone, all fueled only by the power of the Wii controllers and the DS stylus. Disney is working with some of the very biggest names in rock, alternative, popular, emo and indie rock music, allowing band mates to play sets from a broad selection of current hits and all-time rock favorites. Friends and families can rock out on guitar, bass, drums or as the front man.
"Ultimate Band invites kids, tweens and teens to join in the jam session," said Craig Relyea, senior vice president, global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. "And whether they choose guitar, drums, bass or front man, members don't need to buy costly, single-function peripherals to play their way through Ultimate Band's deep song list, dynamic venues, and customizable characters. The Wii Remote™ and DS stylus are the only tools they'll need to reach rock stardom in Ultimate Band."Working with leading London-based music consultants, Radial Music, Disney has chosen to combine familiar classics with today's hottest songs in creating Ultimate Band - a product with global appeal across all age groups. Instantly-recognizable songs from classic rock to current hit singles will bring players together for endless hours of entertainment.
"Radial worked closely with Disney to compile the perfect song list for Ultimate Band," said David Hill of Radial Music. "With iconic songs from every decade since the 60s, these games feature music for everyone."
Ultimate Band, being developed by Fall Line Studio in Salt Lake City, UT, is slated for release during the 2008 holiday season. When Disney formed Fall Line Studio in November, 2006, Ultimate Band was the first project the team began building. Fall Line Studio's focus is to develop Wii and Nintendo DS games based on new intellectual property, Disney brands (with Disney/Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian on the Nintendo DS being its first release), and innovative new technologies such as DGamer which will provide a fun, connected game community for Disney video game fans.
Ultimate Band for Wii allows players to live the life of a rock star, by advancing their music careers and popularity from playing in a neighborhood garage to performing in front of an international audience at a world famous venue. Ultimate Band utilizes the innovative Wii Remote and Nunchuk™ to give fans the ability to play the drums, bass guitar, lead guitar, or take on the role of the front man. Players can also create and customize characters that reflect their own unique personalities and attributes. Along the way, players will unlock new songs, venues, and accessories that can be used to customize their band members.
Ultimate Band for Nintendo DS is a rhythm-based music game with a built-in recording studio. Players can jam to current and classic songs using the drums, lead guitar, bass guitar, or rhythm guitar. Players can also create their own original songs using the DS touchscreen and stylus to lay down tracks for each instrument and apply creative mixing effects. Ultimate Band for Nintendo DS will also include DGamer functionality which will allow players to engage with others in a secure online community via their DS (Wi-Fi or ad hoc) or computer.
Ultimate Band will be rated E10+ (anticipated) and available this holiday season for Wii and Nintendo DS.
Comments
Weak.
Oh heavens... more crap.
Ughh, lets all jump on the bandwagon now!
I liked it better the first time I played it.....when it was called Rock Band.
sad day i may go and play the worst games made to forget about this announcement, thanks kotaku!
I don't like how they didn't announce a single licensed song for it...
Anyway, looks like Harmonix will need to pick up the pace on the Wii release.
No way, this'll never beat Rock Band.
Having the game, I can already tell a few of the differences, but for the most part, the peripherals make the game. Anything less then a guitar with 5 colored butons and a whammy bar will FAIL.
Disney's Ultimate Band? Remember when Nintendo used to have systems that didn't cater to 12-year-olds? I miss SNES.
GOTY hands down. Rock the WORLD!
Disney has made some quality games. Don't write them off. Point in case, Kingdom Hearts.
@Gray665: I liked it the first time I played it. When it was called GuitarFreaks/Drummania.
Ugh.
i cant wait to play "A Whole New World" from aladin!
the screens look really confusing to me @_@
@njhardcoreguy:
You must not remember that Mortal Kombat never had blood on the SNES. Back in those days it was Sega that was pushing forth the bloody games. Remember Splatterhouse?
@njhardcoreguy: How many mature rated games were on the SNES? Only one I can think of is Mortal Kombat and the blood was taken out of the SNES version.
Wii already has a bunch of M games, and it's only been out a little over a year.
@Setzer IIDX: Any good non-Squeenix ones? No? That's what I thought. And I love KH and Disney cartoons.
Ok, no, wait, Lion King on SNES was a-mazing.
Ha ha for some reason I find it hilarious that they specified the name "Emo" instead of just grouping that with Alternative. I can just picture a group of marketing people using Google and Myspace to find some hip genre names.
MIKE FAHEY: "which is interesting considering there is no microphone in the Wiimote"
Actually there is. The speaker is wired to a chip that is made for receiving analog audio and transmitting as a digital stream.
[img211.imageshack.us]
And Reggie was quoted in Forbes saying: "There are things that I think we are just now scratching the surface of, in terms of what the system can do. One piece is the microphone and how the microphone enhances the gameplay."
Disney: Gaming's Lidl.
@liquid_kore: lol. good eye. So...Fall Out Boy confirmed?
wii games lol
@liquid_kore: Rock Band also singles out Emo as a style separate from any other genre. And there's only one song in that category.
@Xot
I don't know if it's an actual microphone though. I think it's so you can plug a mic in and then the Wiimote turns it in to data or whatever.
Also, I think this game looks pretty fun, I don't see what peoples problem is with it. I mean, it's no Rock Band, but it's also not 170 bucks.
@CHU BOI: DDR Disney Mix =P
It counts.
Truth be told, some of the SNES Disney Platformers weren't half bad in my opinion. Aladdin was fun.
Original article: [money.cnn.com]
@xot: oh lol the wiimote costs about 12$ to make and they charge us 50$ for it.
SYSTEM SELLER!!!
Disney...Ultimate Band...you say?
Hell yeah! I'll waiting for a Supercalifragilistic Expialidocious rock version then! :D
Kusooooo!
@Setzer IIDX: I'll give you Aladdin. DDR, not so muc.
I'm totally getting this, since I don't see any Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, Ashley Tisdale, Lindsay Lohan, Hillary Duff, or Cheetah Girls DLC for Rock Band or Guitar Hero.
@dowingba: Games don't need to be rated "M" in order for them to appeal to the older crowd. I never said that SNES had gory games, I just said that it wasn't geard towards toddlers... which the Wii seems to be. Just look at the Wii shelf at any EB Games... you'll see what I mean.
@dead_red_eyes: Never said games had to be bloody, they just don't need Minnie fucking Mouse in them.
how is this going to be played? I don't get the screen shot at all. And it's probably going to be a bunch of disney songs.
@Setzer IIDX:
Square-Enix made Kingdom Hearts. Don't let Disney tell you any differently.
Follow the game trend. That's the way to go. I really wish developers don't look at what's selling as their way to market a new game. :\ This will lead to every other companies to cash in.
Harmonix should just declare bankruptcy now and get it over with.
Slip in some Hannah Montana? Man, they will CRAM as much of her into that game as they can. You think Disney is going to let you rock out as the Ramones or Black Sabbath? I don't think so!
"I'll reserve my opinion until I can be sure they aren't slipping any Hannah Montana in there."
I know, I would hate to buy this to find out there is no Hannah Montana!
...sorry, dog got a hold of my keyboard...
@njhardcoreguy: Er...then no, I still don't see what you mean. The Wii also has plenty of T and E rated games that aren't necessarily "geared towards toddlers".
I like the SNES as much as the next guy. But I don't see how Nintendo's strategy back then was any different than it is now, except that now they target old folks as well as everyone else.
I would actually wager to say that Nintendo targetted specifically kids way more back in the NES and SNES days than they do now. I don't think I ever saw a video game ad for a Nintendo game in the 80's or 90's that featured an adult. Or it would feature an adult who was a guy dressed up as a wizard leading some kid around.
Emo? Like Rites of Spring and Fugazi? Or, am I old?
If this means that I get to play some Powerline, I'm in.
you mean i can play all of Hannah Montana's song on my wii? oh my godz.
@njhardcoreguy: Remember when Nintendo used to have systems that didn't cater to 12-year-olds?
No.
emo!
@xot: Heh, somehow I missed This Image before, definitely among the funnier of the Wii injury things I've seen.
"The Wii Remote™ and DS stylus are the only tools they'll need to reach rock stardom in Ultimate Band."
Im really curious to see how you can play drums or guitar with a wiimote. Im guessing the controls will have less than 5 frets to hit.
@njhardcoreguy:
The irony being, that the people that say this tend to be 13-16 year olds and/or trolls. The 13-16 year olds desperately trying to sound older, and the trolls deliberately being so dense as to take a single Disney game and paint it as the entirety of the Wii/DS libraries.
Good god no! They've committed blasphemy against the minor deity that is rock band. Damn you Disney and your Nazi sympathies!
so it's a crappy version of Rock Band, with worse graphics, seemingly flawed controls, and a playlist geared towards tweens?
I like the HUD though lol
"I know! lets turn the guitar neck horozontally, make the rock gauge a thermometer, and make star power lightning power!"
Looks like Karaoke Revolution.
But I bet the game becomes a top selling Wii game.
"Ultimate Band will be rated E10+ (anticipated) and available this holiday season for Wii and Nintendo DS."
Possibly rated E10+ ... yup, Hanna Montana songs and such... so "Wii game".
I'm stick with Rock Band, thx.
@mind in rewind:
Fugazi is emo? I really don't see how that's possible...