Kotaku
Nintendo fans your wait is over, Harmonix and MTV today officially announced that Rock Band will be hitting the Wii on June. 22 for $170.
Wii Rock Band will be released as a Special Edition bundle that includes the game, drums, microphone and a wireless guitar. Stand alone instruments will also be available on June 22. The game will feature 63 songs including five bonus songs for Wii gamers to enjoy.
"The Wii's success among casual and core gamers of all ages makes it an ideal match for the cross-generational appeal of the music featured in Rock Band," says Bob Picunko, Vice President of Electronic Games and Interactive Products, MTV"The social interaction and addictive nature of the Rock Band experience is a perfect fit for the Wii and will undoubtedly be fun for the entire family," says Steve Singer, licensing VP from Nintendo.
Full release on the jump.
UPDATE: No DLC, says Harmonix.
Wii Will Rock You!
MTV Games, Harmonix and EA Announce Rock Band™ for Wii on June 22, 2008
The number one selling game in February 2008 is coming to Wii!
Cambridge, MA - March 24, 2007— Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, and MTV Games, a division of MTV Networks, which is a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), along with distribution partner Electronic Arts, Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced plans to release the award-winning music video game Rock Band on the Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo in the U.S. and Canada on June 22, 2008 for the suggested retail price of $169.99.
Rock Band for Wii will be released as a Special Edition bundle including the software, drums, microphone and a wireless guitar. Stand alone instruments will also be available on June 22nd for people who want to build their band one instrument at a time or want to play the drum versus drum game mode. The game will feature 63 songs including five bonus songs for Wii gamers to enjoy.
"The Wii's success among casual and core gamers of all ages makes it an ideal match for the cross-generational appeal of the music featured in Rock Band," says Bob Picunko, Vice President of Electronic Games and Interactive Products, MTV
"The social interaction and addictive nature of the Rock Band experience is a perfect fit for the Wii and will undoubtedly be fun for the entire family," says Steve Singer, licensing VP from Nintendo.
Rock Band is an all-new platform for music fans and gamers to interact with music like never before. The game challenges players to put together a band and tour for fame and fortune - all while learning to master lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals. Featuring the most master recordings of any music game ever by the world's biggest rock artists, Rock Band includes tracks that span every genre of rock ranging from alternative and classic rock to heavy metal and punk. Rock Band has garnered over 40 awards this year including Game Critics Award: Best of Show E3 2007 and three awards at The 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards including Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, Family Game of the Year, and Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack.
Rock Band is rated "T" for Teen (lyrics, mild suggestive themes) by the ESRB.
Rock Band is currently available on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and on the PLAYSTATION®2 computer entertainment system.
Comments
I notice they didn't mention downloadable songs. Thanks Nintendo.
But will it have DLC? Probably not.
Screw the Wii version, how about a release date for ANY version in Europe?
Will there be downloadable content?
Wow, how horrible for me to have bought the PS3 version and not waited for this one!
No DLC = fail. If I can't get my Paramore on the game, then no go.
So since it is the same price I assume these will be fully functional instruments and not just piggyback devices like the GH3 controller?
Wow. You have to wonder what took a business so long to realise that if it releases a game on a popular console, it'll make more money.
doubtful on the dlc as there just isn't the space for extra mp3's and charts on the wii's hd.
It will no doubt lack features of the other versions...but I'm sure it'll sell like hot cakes. Hopefully it'll go smoothely...no mono soundtracks, no broken instruments, etc. They've had long enough.
how about word on compatability between Wii guitar hero controllers and rock band? (bluetooth is bluetooth)
No DLC for the Wii? That's a bummer for the wii guys.
The new music store looks great though and I'm loving it.Just need some Journey and GNR.
Why oh why do they not use the internet abilities of the Wii. It can connect so use the damn thing!
Jesus, and I was honestly thinking it wouldn't be out till October or November.
Doesn't matter to me anyway, I've lost interest in the Guitar Hero / Rock Band "phenomenon." After a while, the novelty of it just wears off.
^ @PGGB: Wii doesn't have a HD...it has a memory card slot so memory isn't an issue, it would just be "memory card required for DLC"
The real reason it won't have DLC is because we're dealing with Nintendo Wii's online mess. Maybe it'll be one of those new "pay to play" titles.
Correct me if I am wrong but the PS2 version doesn't have dlc either does it? So I would say it would be a fair assumption that this one will be fairly similar just with the extra songs.
You must be having a f**king joke EA; no EU release and theres a bloody well Wii one - sorry if I'm coming on strong but this is taking the piss.
Well, It is nice to see that the Wii is getting Rock Band. Like everyone else on here I am curious to see if DLC will be implimented.
And yet, still not a whisper on Rock Band releasing in Europe. It's just getting ridiculous now.
I'm not buying the Wii version (already have the PS3 one), but what are the 5 extra songs?
@Incarnina:
I'm the opposite on Rockband..I bought it in November and basically couldn't do squat till a party and I got liquored up..I proceeded to rock the drums and I have been playing with the gf and her brother/his girlfriend every other weekend.
@jonathan: I don't see that an SD card would be required for DLC... it would just be required once you fill up the space the system comes with.
What is this "rock band" you speak of?
Funny how most of casual Wii gamers are going to be like what's this Rock Band game that's coming out.
Will it have online play? Guessing no.
@inphanta: They already released it on PS2 :P
Oh cool, not that i am interested in buying it, not into that music xD
1. There had better be DLC.
2. IT BETTER NOT BE A PORT OF THE PS2 VERSION.
Yeah, the lack of DLC made GH3 get old fast on the Wii. I guess they are making the same mistake here.
Just glad we're getting it all, really.
Awesome! So we can have things like the wii-tar! and wii-sticks for the drums! and wii-phone for mic! yessssssssssssssssssssssssssss
can't wait
What could the extra songs be? hmmm.
@Incarnina: same way the novelty of the "wii" has worn off?
oh buuuuuurrrn
had to be said, had to be said.
:p
Have to agree it's ridiculous that there's still no news on a European release. However this does mean importing becomes a much easier option as Wii region encoding can be bypassed (and yes PS3 owners have had this possibility from the beginning). So assuming a European release is far off I'll be pre-ordering. And we can only dream that the perhiperals will be USB and perhaps cross compatible with a 360.
And just when you thought that the Wii's casual games couldn't get any worse, along comes Rock Band. :(
$10 extra for 5 bonus songs. You know this is just the PS2 version of the game ported to Wii. I didn't think they'd stoop down again for another cash-in (Rock Band PS2 is not the same game as Rock Band PS3/360 at all). If Wii owners really needed this that desperately they should've just got it for PS2 or invested in a PS2 if they didn't already have one (great system with a great backlog of games).
I heard this was just a port of the PS2 version so there is going to be ZERO DLC
@aurahack: "Paramore" is the deciding factor?...really?
Will it be gimped like the PS2 version?
@Mini_Dragon: The Wii can't do DLC. Don't get your hopes up.
The only way Rock Band gets around DLC on the Wii is if it sells more expansion discs with a variety of bundled songs. That would be extremely annoying and counterproductive to the whole Rock Band feel of a la cart purchasing but it would make some cash. Youd think Nintendo would wise up seeing as the type of people who would buy a Wii would also buy Rick band and any and all DLC. Epic fail.
Plz can I has EU Rock Band already?
They didn't say that there is, nor did they say that there is not, downloadable content.
It could honestly go either way.
@JustJake: then again, why does rock band even HAVE an online mode?
i mean really. having to play rock band with friends you have online only solidifies how antisocial you are.
I hope it has DLC, if for no other reason than that means they've probably got a storage solution in the works. I would be perfectly fine with "SD card required for DLC". That would make sense. ANd yes, this does sound like the reason for the last minute mention of "pay to play". THey had probably just inked the deal at GDC.
@Mit: Yea it's just going to be a PS2 port.
@daizyujin:
It would make business-sense for some instruments to piggyback because then EA, MTV, and Harmonix will make some extra cash.
@slash000: How? What the hell are you going to store all those songs on? An SD card? No thank you. Considering Nintendo's classic line about how they dont need an HDD because "peoples refrigators get filled and they empty them out" how do you think theyll handle a third party games memory needs? Then you have to factor in how the songs would be purchased. A seperate Wii channel? A section in WiiWare or VC?
will the GH3 guitar be compatible??
I'd think EA would be smarter and realize the Install base on the Wii, and would realize that we'd bitch and moan till we get a proper port unlike the PS2's jipped version.
Thats it, im selling my 360, if crimson skies 360 doesnt give sigs of life by the half of the year, bye bye 360...
Probably no DLC, but casuals won't care. I bet the game sells pretty well.
I'm going to cry myself to sleep now. kthx. f!@#ing no DLC and port. Going to keep my hopes low for this one.
When the hell is the european release date for the 360 version?!
[www.rockband.com]
Impression I'm getting is that there will be no DLC, and it will be a lot closer to the PS2 version.
The Wii will get 5 extra songs though. It'll be interesting to see if those are exclusives or just DLC.
@Geetay: sadly I heard August/September last. Don't quote me on that.
Am I too late for the "it'll be in mono" jokes??
I'd put money on DLC and SD card functionality. When everyone was freaking out about the whole "Pay to Play" thing, I was pretty sure it was nothing more than an announcement for DLC.(LOL@ EVERYONE who was saying they'd have to pay for Smash online.) Now, I'm... slightly more sure.
I'm sure the game will sell, but the lack of downloadable content will probably turn people off when they can get the superior PS3 and 360 versions.
@JustJake: What makes you think it won't have online play? The fact that Guitar Hero III didn't? Oh wait...
@frank0127: You can play against other bands online. How is that anti-social if you are playing with your friends against another team?
@DigitalHero: I find it humorous that everybody just assumes there will never be DLC for Wii titles. Though I admit the various gaming sites just sorta slipped the "Pay & Play" annoucement under the radar (pausing only for a second to let people whine and moan as though they knew EXACTLY what it was from the mere annoucement of a name)
@KaneRobot: Actually, you're right on time. No one has made such a joke yet. The bridge is yours, Kane.
Ah rock band that american thing.
... Yeah, it hits the US Wiis. But I wonder, when will it hit my Wii - a European Wii, huh? And I'm seriously gonna think about if I'm even buying this if it doesn't have DLC and is just a port of the PS2 version. Is this some kind of PR technique? First you just port PS2-games to Wii and when you finally make a game with graphics that should've been the standard Wii graphics then everybody's amazed...? Grr.
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