Rockband May Make a Return for This Generation of Consoles

[Esmeralda Portillo]

Rockband May Make a Return for This Generation of Consoles

Harmonix is thinking about bringing their peripheral-focused games like Rockband to the new generation of consoles.

Harmonix is promoting their upcoming motion-controlled games Fantasia: Music Evolved and Dance Central Spotlight, which are set to release later this year, but there are some of us wondering if we'll ever see the return of the peripheral-styled games Harmonix became known for.

In a recent interview Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos gave fans hope of the return of the Rockband series for this generation of consoles (Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Wii U).

He began explaining how Harmonix continues to experiment with the idea of what is a music game, and what it means to mix emotions and interactivity with the power of music. "In the past we have done instrument performance simulation, and we will in the future bring this kind of play experience back, and then another version of that was dance, and now a new version of that with Fantasia is this kind of rhythmic, gestural, spell-casting and then a manipulation of music."

When pushed to address when we might be seeing video games with plastic instruments again, "We think about it all the time because we love Rock Band, and we're waiting for just the right moment in the new generation of consoles to bring it back." He stresses, "Someday, when the time is right, we will want to bring it back."

Source: GameSpot [http://www.gamespot.com/articles/rock-band-and-plastic-instruments-will-return-on-x/1100-6421027/]

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[Something Amyss]

Dear Harmonix: make it for PC. I love Rock Band to pieces, even though I both play real instruments and have taken up Rocksmith as well, but I don't want to buy another set of plastic instruments for a console I don't even want.

Also, the pro guitar sucked. Fix that.

 

[The Hungry Samurai]

Oh dear sweet god, yes please! I have years of fake plastic instrument skills going to waste. My wife will kill me if I have to make room for a new set of RB gear, but it will be worth it!

 

[Nurb]

So the same songs resold?

 

[tehroc]

So the same songs resold?

Absolutely. I'd even bet the recording industry is starting to lean on them. It's like their last ditch effort to stay relevant.

 

[Hdawger]

Screw Rockband- I really really want a new Guitar Hero. And just completely reboot it and call it "Guitar Hero". None of this fancy World Tour, or band specific stuff. Just good ole guitars. Let that be it.

 

[omega 616]

NO! Fuck off, they are, by far, the worst games. They are just awful in every way!

Horrible plastic instruments that clunk and donk, bad visuals and songs that are played so often that even if you did like them, you don't any more 'cos they have been played so much.

People consider themselves gamers 'cos all they play is this and some facebook game.

Shops filled with gimmicky instruments 'cos people bought them when they were popular and when everybody got sick of them, they traded them in.

Glad that trend died out so quickly, don't try to resurrect it ... though, we all know how much gamers love the same stagnant crap so it probably will be back soon.

 

[tacotrainwreck]

Good friends, beer, and Rock Band made for some great nights. Grandfather my old library from Rock Band 2, and you just sold this guy a game, a full band kit, AND a next-gen console.

 

[Vivi22]

"In the past we have done instrument performance simulation

No they haven't. They did instrument performance approximation on the most basic level. But a sim? Not even close aside from the drums in Rockband (which are still terribly innacurate).

Honestly, I don't see the point. It was one thing when it was Guitar Hero, you bought one peripheral and had some fun passing the guitar around with friends, but packing in several peripherals was too much. I wouldn't buy another Rockband game that went that route. And after playing Rocksmith, I'm much more interested in the idea of music games which actually teach you something. They might have some room to maneuver in that market, but it's a small one and I'm not sure it could support two companies in direct competition.

 

[Andy Shandy]

Hey, if I could re-download my DLC library and/or use my old RB instruments, I'd be all over this.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I liked Guitar Hero more and I'm also still bitter that Rock Band Japan never happened. That being said, I'd be all for it if the older peripherals work on the newer consoles (they mostly connected via USBs, right?). A big concern though is that a remade Rock Band would play out like Guitar Hero Smash Hits (ie: tons of the same stuff we've played before)

 

[Tradjus]

These guys drove the whole music game thing into the ground so fast and hard that I'm surprised they didn't go bankrupt, and now they want another crack at it? Well here's a good first suggestion, stop adding tiny changes too hardware functionality game to game and demanding that the consumer buy a brand new set of controllers!
But no, of course they will, because a businessman only has two settings, extreme greed and extreme caution.

 

[FloodOne]

These guys drove the whole music game thing into the ground so fast and hard that I'm surprised they didn't go bankrupt, and now they want another crack at it? Well here's a good first suggestion, stop adding tiny changes too hardware functionality game to game and demanding that the consumer buy a brand new set of controllers!
But no, of course they will, because a businessman only has two settings, extreme greed and extreme caution.

They did? Funny, I remember five Guitar Hero games in two years, all sold at full price.

 

[BX3]

That's neat and all, but what I wanna know is: are we getting anymore news about the new Amplitude? I haven't heard much about it since they started the Kickstarter last year.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

I'm so surprised those games just fucking disappeared. Rock Band was a huge staple party game for a long time. They just stopped making them. It's bizarre.

 

[FPLOON]

Cool, I guess... I mean, unless you're planning on going beyond what Rocksmith was trying to do, only on a more grander scale, in this so-call "return" of Rockband, then the only people who would probably pick this up are those that still play it on their 360s and/or, to a "lesser" extend, PS3s...

Other than that... uh... Good luck with that? Also, don't forget about Amplitude... Might want to focus on that first before returning back to Rockband, of course...

 

[sXeth]

I'm so surprised those games just fucking disappeared. Rock Band was a huge staple party game for a long time. They just stopped making them. It's bizarre.

Guitar Hero got ran into the ground by Activision. Harmonix just stopped at Rock Band 3 and released weekly DLC for 3 or 4 years after that. They prettymuch said they weren't going to do a new game unless they had something new to add (3 added the pro guitars (midi guitars basically, with actual fretting and strings) and the keyboards (also more or less just a midi instrument).

 

[Revolutionary]

Let me port over my DLC and let me use my 360 controller and you've got a deal. Otherwise forget about it. I'll just play the real guitar instead.

 

[Something Amyss]

Rocksmith Ok?

Dear Harmonix: make it for PC. I love Rock Band to pieces, even though I both play real instruments and have taken up Rocksmith as well, but I don't want to buy another set of plastic instruments for a console I don't even want.

Its practically the same thing except on PC it ain't really bundled very well.

And it's aimed more at gamifying learning. While the pro guitar stuff was a nice addition, it wasn't really the core of the game.

Also, it lacks drums (which I can't do anymore, but still) and keyboards. I'd kill for keyboards in Rocksmith, but I don't see it happening.

It really isn't bundled well, though. I got my realtone cable from an Xbox 360 version. That and the PC version on a steam sale ended up costing me less than the cable, but I had to take the long route.

But more to the point, they both have their strong suits. I actually wish Rock Band 3 had the technology to let me plug in my own guitar. No, to anyone who mentions it, their limited edition pro controller of poor quality does not count.

But hey, its rockband for PC.

At best, it's guitar hero for PC. I do appreciate that it covers bass and often has multiple guitar arrangements, but that's not the be-all of the band.

Horrible plastic instruments that clunk and donk, bad visuals and songs that are played so often that even if you did like them, you don't any more 'cos they have been played so much.

Considering the typical experience tends more towards Rock Band pushing sales of songs, your experience may just be your own.

Also, considering that the standard for gaming these days is that four multiplayer maps is a sufficient way to add "replay value," I'd hardly say Rock Band was the worst offender.

No they haven't. They did instrument performance approximation on the most basic level. But a sim? Not even close aside from the drums in Rockband (which are still terribly innacurate).

Well, there were the "pro" instruments.

Let me port over my DLC and let me use my 360 controller and you've got a deal. Otherwise forget about it. I'll just play the real guitar instead.

I think this is the biggest stumbling block. I have way too much money invested in Rock Band DLC. I don't regret it, but at the same time, I'm not sure I'm going to want to buy a new title and new DLC to play it. Combined with a huge number of fake instruments. If they did it for the PC, maybe, because at least them it'd be relatively future proof.

I'm so surprised those games just fucking disappeared. Rock Band was a huge staple party game for a long time. They just stopped making them. It's bizarre.

Well, no. Rock Band 3 failed to sell. Then they lost their publisher. Then they bought themselves out and continued to make weekly music downloads until April, 2013. That was pretty much the opposite of just stopping. That's borderline unprecedented support in gaming.