I absolutely loved this game back in the day, but having ditched playing games on the PC years ago I haven't been able to get in to any of its sequels.
In my opinion, this series just belongs on the PC.
@Kyonko: I was thinking it'd be a good game for the DS. There are enough buttons to approximate hotkeys, navigation would be easy enough, and the touchpad could be used as either as a second screen or just to select orders.
@Kyonko: starcraft controls are hardly 'complex' even relative to red alert. red alert had plenty of alternate commands based on the ctrl and alt buttons that starcraft used right click for. just about the only real difference is unit specific spell casting, which would easily integrate with a touch interface.
@ThisDudeRufus: I'm not sure about the DS. The touchscreen does not seem large enough to handle build orders and movement/attack orders. You'd probably have to change it to the Dune II type system where you had to select the building you wanted to build from, bringing up a new menu. I'm afraid it would end up being like the N64 port of C&C.
Still, I might have to snag the wife's iPhone to try this out when it comes out.
This might be just a bit too ambitious for me. I like these games on my console but in a portable environment, regardless of how well it's implemented, it just doesn't have the same appeal. Doesn't seem nearly as rewarding if I can't have the music booming along with me on a nice stereo...
man.. at first i was excited about this because i thought "cool, karaoke on the go!" but then i saw a vid and realized that even the vocal portion is touching on a screen.. which really takes the fun out of these games to me.. i mean.. the drums/bass/guitar is already a rhythm game.. so its not much diff.. but the singing? come on now.
I don't understand the motivation for consumers.. With Singstar you get a mic, GH and RB let's you mangle mandolins but these games on the DS and Iphone are just rythym games to a song... which might as well be a flash games.. which kind of not gives you the illusion of being a rock star whereas the brightly colored small-person guitar does just that..
I might be missing something.. (i've never once played or seen a GH, RB game being played)
@D-K, has mastered the dim-mak candlepunch: most people i know that play the guitar on the games dont get a feeling of being a "rock star" but just enjoy playing a rhythm game to songs they like. thats really all they are is rhythm games, and theyd play gh/rb over dance dance because a) they dont have to dance around (or use a controller), and b) the song selection better suits their tastes.
@D-K, has mastered the dim-mak candlepunch: I don't want to sound like ass or anything, but you should try something before you judge it. I'm not necessarily saying you'll like the game, but at least try any of them if you ever get the chance.
Let's see how good it is, since TTR 3 has both paid and free DLC, as well as online play and leaderboards... and it seems like they also have a great relationship with artists...
What's my point? DON'T fuck this up, Harmonix... develop something worthy, and put some effort in it, since you are not entering a completly inmature market here. The iPhone may lack many quality games in some genres, but rythm games have already tons of competition.
Edit: Though i'm not sure if there's a game that let's you play vocals yet... still it sounds like Band Hero for DS and seems a bit odd...
With the popularity of Tap Tap Revenge (1, 2 and soon to be 3), the rhythm-game market on the iPhone is pretty much dominated. Plus, I don't think Rockband can beat FREE.
@Dayvie: While I agree that TTR is awesome and it's basicly the dominant rythm game on the app store, as the other guys said, RockBand is an established brand, so I don't think they'll have much trouble if they develop a great product.
And TTR still has lots of ways ahead. The third version is pretty great, but still lacks modes.
@ mclifford82: Still, TTR3 is a 1 dollar game with more than 100 free songs AND 1 extra free song a week besides the paid DLC. It is still a great deal... if not, there's still TTR2 with like 180 free songs.
@denki: You expected Harmonix to be some kinda saints? If they like making Rock Band games, they get money from it and it's relatively easy (with the engines etc ready), why would they stop it?
It's not like Rock Band is nowadays an thoroughly original concept (even though Harmonix basically invented the modern Western rhythm games) or an "artistic vision" such as something as what, for example, Patapon (now that we have rhythm games as a topic) was. And even it got a sequel since it worked.
I understand your opinion on them being sellouts but the games _work_ and you don't have to buy them.
Surely Harmonix is becoming more and more sellout but hey, at least the games have been good for the time being - RB: Beatles and Unplugged have both been touted as good games and RB1 and 2 are very good, I can confirm that based on my own experience. GH4 on the other hand sucked.
Just my two cents but if you make the same game on many platforms you are immediately insulted as a sellout and it begins to get on my nerves a bit. : /
@Tzibo: Whoa man! I was just making a joke. Besides, I hate both GH and RB, and am one of those people that just "don't get it" and think people that play those games should learn to "play a real guitar."
Course, I don't play any instrument, but then I don't play games where I play fake instruments either.
I was really just hoping that maybe, a few years down the road, Harmonix or whoever makes GH will just come out with some controllers that actually do teach you how to play the guitar at the same time you play the game.
@denki: So why play games in general? I'm assuming do everything you do in videogames, so teach us to be as elite as you. I have friends that need to learn how to load guns for the oncoming zombie outbreak and others that need to know when and where to shift gears racing games.
If it plays like Unplugged I'm all for it. Especially if you can use your MP3s (unlikely).
Also, I hate so sound like a Harmonix fanboy but notice that it's EA Mobile making the announcement not Harmonix. As great as EA has been to Harmonix in getting Rock Band developed, this, unfortunately is the cost of business.
@ShiftBreaker: Personally I don't think this even comes close to what Activision has done. This to me is just them bringing it to another platform (which I would love to see come to my iPod).
If anything Lego Rock Band is a better example of such practices, but allowing us to import all of the Lego Rock Band songs into Rock Band 1/2 makes it feel much more legit instead of a cash grab.
@thesircuddles: But Activision ARE learning. Hell, with 2 games exporting to Guitar Hero 5 (Both of which are exporting more with the licences), along with Neversoft noting that Metallica and Van Halen aren't out of the question AS WELL as reports of Band Hero being exportable (albeit not at launch), it seems that there finally is a platform for the Guitar Hero series as well. For when it comes to consoles, both Activision and EA are whoring the series' out. Activision with full fledged games, and EA with a constant stream of track packs with songs with an exclusivity period to said track packs in order to create more revenue. And when it comes to portable consoles, both seem to be within range of each other nowadays.
Of course, I'm ignoring all the GH branded rubbish you see everywhere, just the games, just the games. And all these ones are a step in that direction of EA realising how much of a Cash Cow RB can be. Harmonix jumping ship after being bought was just delaying the inevitable.
But hey, not that it matters to me. I'm one of the few people in the world who both greatly enjoy Rock Band and Guitar Hero. I'm just sick of pointless elitist bashing from either side against the other.
@ShiftBreaker: How are they about the same when it comes to portable consoles? Rock Band has one portable game (if we're counting unreleased, it would be three with this one &; Lego: Rock Band on DS).
Guitar Hero has a new DS game every six months &; three or four different Mobile games.
At least each of the portable Rock Band games are all on different platforms (One on PSP, One on DS & One on Mobile).
And in terms of Console releases, Rock Band has two (I don't count the track packs since all of those songs are or will be available as DLC), compared to Activision's five (six if you're one of the people that counts DJ Hero).
You can argue as to if EA/MTV/Harmonix are whoring out their game or not (personally I don't think they've reached that point yet) but they're nowhere near as bad as Activision.
@ShiftBreaker: You keep telling yourself that fanboy. This isn't even close to what has become of GH.
The console franchise, a Frequency/Amplitude type game with the Rock Band name, and now a mobile title that's basically Phase with the RB label.
If you add up all of the games in the RB franchise to date I still don't even think you get to half of what's come out for the Hero franchise this year.
@thesircuddles: The difference between LEGO and what GH is doing is that LEGO is doing different things with Rock Band in the direction of gameplay modes and features.
Whereas Band Hero (which appears to be GH's answer to LEGO) is just GH5 with a different setlist.
I really don't understand why all of these console-oriented music games are going mobile. Wasn't the appeal of them playing the plastic instruments, imitating the experience?
I have no qualms about rhythm games on the go, but I just can't wrap my head around this.
10/09/09
In my opinion, this series just belongs on the PC.
10/09/09
Starcraft, on the other hand, is a different beast. I pray that it NEVER gets ported to any kind of touch-based devices, EVER.
10/09/09
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Still, I might have to snag the wife's iPhone to try this out when it comes out.
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When you have competing games giving songs for free or a dollar per song... In the case of TTR a dollar buys you 2 songs.
I think that touch arcade said the demo had a pack of 2 songs for a dollar for download.
10/09/09
I might be missing something.. (i've never once played or seen a GH, RB game being played)
10/09/09
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I need to see the price to judge, though. I presume 10 bucks the game, 1 buck for each DLC.
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10/09/09
90% of the time, I'm right.
10/08/09
What's my point? DON'T fuck this up, Harmonix... develop something worthy, and put some effort in it, since you are not entering a completly inmature market here. The iPhone may lack many quality games in some genres, but rythm games have already tons of competition.
Edit: Though i'm not sure if there's a game that let's you play vocals yet... still it sounds like Band Hero for DS and seems a bit odd...
10/08/09
10/08/09
And TTR still has lots of ways ahead. The third version is pretty great, but still lacks modes.
@ mclifford82: Still, TTR3 is a 1 dollar game with more than 100 free songs AND 1 extra free song a week besides the paid DLC. It is still a great deal... if not, there's still TTR2 with like 180 free songs.
10/08/09
10/08/09
It's not like Rock Band is nowadays an thoroughly original concept (even though Harmonix basically invented the modern Western rhythm games) or an "artistic vision" such as something as what, for example, Patapon (now that we have rhythm games as a topic) was. And even it got a sequel since it worked.
I understand your opinion on them being sellouts but the games _work_ and you don't have to buy them.
Surely Harmonix is becoming more and more sellout but hey, at least the games have been good for the time being - RB: Beatles and Unplugged have both been touted as good games and RB1 and 2 are very good, I can confirm that based on my own experience. GH4 on the other hand sucked.
Just my two cents but if you make the same game on many platforms you are immediately insulted as a sellout and it begins to get on my nerves a bit. : /
10/08/09
Course, I don't play any instrument, but then I don't play games where I play fake instruments either.
I was really just hoping that maybe, a few years down the road, Harmonix or whoever makes GH will just come out with some controllers that actually do teach you how to play the guitar at the same time you play the game.
10/08/09
10/08/09
Also, I hate so sound like a Harmonix fanboy but notice that it's EA Mobile making the announcement not Harmonix. As great as EA has been to Harmonix in getting Rock Band developed, this, unfortunately is the cost of business.
10/08/09
09/01/09
09/01/09
If anything Lego Rock Band is a better example of such practices, but allowing us to import all of the Lego Rock Band songs into Rock Band 1/2 makes it feel much more legit instead of a cash grab.
09/01/09
Of course, I'm ignoring all the GH branded rubbish you see everywhere, just the games, just the games. And all these ones are a step in that direction of EA realising how much of a Cash Cow RB can be. Harmonix jumping ship after being bought was just delaying the inevitable.
But hey, not that it matters to me. I'm one of the few people in the world who both greatly enjoy Rock Band and Guitar Hero. I'm just sick of pointless elitist bashing from either side against the other.
09/01/09
Guitar Hero has a new DS game every six months &; three or four different Mobile games.
At least each of the portable Rock Band games are all on different platforms (One on PSP, One on DS & One on Mobile).
And in terms of Console releases, Rock Band has two (I don't count the track packs since all of those songs are or will be available as DLC), compared to Activision's five (six if you're one of the people that counts DJ Hero).
You can argue as to if EA/MTV/Harmonix are whoring out their game or not (personally I don't think they've reached that point yet) but they're nowhere near as bad as Activision.
09/01/09
The console franchise, a Frequency/Amplitude type game with the Rock Band name, and now a mobile title that's basically Phase with the RB label.
If you add up all of the games in the RB franchise to date I still don't even think you get to half of what's come out for the Hero franchise this year.
09/01/09
Whereas Band Hero (which appears to be GH's answer to LEGO) is just GH5 with a different setlist.
09/01/09
09/01/09
I have no qualms about rhythm games on the go, but I just can't wrap my head around this.
09/01/09