Rock Band 2 for Wii won't skimp on features

by Randy Nelson { Aug 6th 2008 at 5:00PM }

The original Rock Band on Wii was, well, not really Rock Band. It looked and played the part, but lacked a certain something. Or, rather, somethings. You know, like downloadable songs, online play, create-a-rocker, and a proper World Tour mode a la the 360 and PS3 versions. Thankfully that won't be the case with Rock Band 2.

Wired reports that the Wii version of Rock Band 2 will, according to Harmonix, be "fully-featured." In fact, this includes DLC (no word on how that's going to work storage-wise) and online play. If it's going to be a "much more competitive product" as its developers say, then we should also expect to be making music with band members of our own design and touring the world as we see fit when the game hits the stage in November.

[Via NWF]

Tags: dlc, harmonix, rock-band, rock-band-2

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jacksons @ Aug 6th 2008 5:05PM

It's good to see some people still care about having a quality product.

mr mobius @ Aug 6th 2008 5:06PM

Is Rock Band even out in the UK yet?

Anticrawl @ Aug 6th 2008 6:31PM

Yeah but it costs as much if not more than a 360.

Raikage (GOLDEN Gun Of The Patriots) @ Aug 6th 2008 5:07PM

I won't believe it until I see it. And then, there is probably some other catch.

Why does the Wii have to be so gimped?

:(

Tez (PSN: Tezasaurus) @ Aug 6th 2008 5:17PM

They needed room for the money-printer.

Mr Khan @ Aug 6th 2008 5:09PM

If it weren't for the existence of Guitar Hero, this wouldn't have happened. After the sadly spartan effort of Rock Band 1, i doubted they really cared, especially after the bs excuses they came up with to explain the lack of the other features, apart from DLC

They didn't want to be shown up on Wii by World Tour, and they probably want to do what Guitar Hero 3 did on the platform, and hit that long-tail

Monkeys Suck @ Aug 6th 2008 5:13PM

Wow. Now who do we have faith in? They are comin out about a month apart, GHWT being first, but now what's gonna be better?

Please, PLEASE say compatible instruments so we can buy one set.

Monkeys Suck @ Aug 6th 2008 5:20PM

Actually, I should correct myself...none of that has been officially confirmed, only assumed, according to the Wired.

Faith is still in confirmed GHWT material.

SoulBlade @ Aug 6th 2008 5:17PM

Hopefully they know something we don't in regards to storage space.

Tez (PSN: Tezasaurus) @ Aug 6th 2008 5:18PM

Certainly good to hear. I wonder if that means we're actually going to see some kind of decent storage solution.

Mr Khan @ Aug 6th 2008 5:36PM

That's doubtful. It's probably something that Nintendo will just announce out of the blue, a la waking up one day to see the blue glow, and suddenly having it

Most likely they will either go the Excite Truck route with direct SD reading, or just go the Samba De Amigo route and just let it be the end-user's problem

The_Punisher @ Aug 6th 2008 5:22PM

DLC is not a feature, and i highly doubt it will be there. All i need is GHWT to be compatible with RB

SoulBlade @ Aug 6th 2008 5:37PM

My definition of feature differs from yours. I think DLC is a huge bullet point to have on the back of the box for a game like RB.

VaultICEE @ Aug 6th 2008 7:35PM

Exactly. The main reason I love Rock Band (for the 360, of course) over Guitar Hero is the DLC. I might have stopped playing the game altogether a few months ago if it weren't for the onslaught of new songs every week.

I know GHWT is going to be jumping on the DLC train but I doubt they will ever catch up to Rock Band's, what with being a year behind and all.

Leobebes @ Aug 6th 2008 5:26PM

So if it won't skimp of features, then its safe to say they are claiming it will look the same graphically as the 360/PS3 counterpart?

Awesome job Harmonix, finally they have solved how to make the Wii output at 720p.

See if some developers out there work hard and hire the right people anything is possible.

Moorio - XBL: peacebyanymeans @ Aug 6th 2008 6:10PM

What the hell are you rambling about?

tc @ Aug 6th 2008 6:21PM

"So if it won't skimp of features, then its safe to say they are claiming it will look the same graphically as the 360/PS3 counterpart?"

Nope

Leobebes @ Aug 6th 2008 6:49PM

Your sarcasm detectors must be at level .05 today.

Samuel D. Lockhart @ Aug 6th 2008 5:37PM

So by not skimp on features, you mean, HAS features?

Moorio - XBL: peacebyanymeans @ Aug 6th 2008 6:11PM

Yes.

Samuel D. Lockhart @ Aug 6th 2008 5:38PM

So, by not skimp on features, you mean it HAS features?

Moorio - XBL: peacebyanymeans @ Aug 6th 2008 6:11PM

No.

dark_inchworm @ Aug 6th 2008 9:56PM

THIS AIN'T NO PLANET OF NO APES

(will anyone "get it", I wonder)

J.D @ Aug 6th 2008 5:44PM

The real question is. Why get the wii version?

elmer @ Aug 6th 2008 6:03PM

May I suggest, perhaps because you own a Wii? Like 30 million other people?

Shadow El @ Aug 6th 2008 9:08PM

And only a Wii, because the other versions will still be better, I can almost guarantee it.

john @ Aug 6th 2008 10:48PM

Shadow El, u are pretty wrong because of they will put the DLC on the SD card and u can use your wii points and all that and online play and all that stuff. it will be lower in graphics but not to badly behind. maybe people don't have the mnuch money and can't afford other systems so thats why u buy the wii version and why they are trying really hard to make the wii version almost the same, i will have to say gh wt will be the winner with wii owners anyways and this is why... http://wii.ign.com/articles/883/883120p1.html ... u can plug your wii controllers in the intruments, that will save a lot of cash to those who recharge there wii remote batteries like me!!lol and gh has red octane and they make way better guitars and rock band 2 has fricken mad catz making there premium instruments, like wtf. yeh gh wt haha.

Jestersage @ Aug 6th 2008 6:05PM

I think I forsee following:
360/PS3 owner: gets RB2
Wii only owner: get GHWT
WII60 or PSWii owner: debating between the two, figure out that Wii is easier to caryr around, get Wii GHWT, then get the RB2 game depend on the taste

Mr Khan @ Aug 6th 2008 7:41PM

Rock Band is still failing on Wii due to the lack of cross-compatibility

They wouldn't need Activision's permission, since the Wii GH controllers are just extensions of the Wiimote, as opposed to proper separate controllers

Yawn @ Aug 6th 2008 11:24PM

I bet it will have horrible online options.
Nintendo doesnt like internet,or fun.

Shaq-Fu @ Aug 6th 2008 9:33PM

Whoa, I thought you needed a hard drive to have DLC. Some one from SquareEnix better go talk some sense into this kid and explain how the lack of a hard drive makes DLC on the Wii is nothing more than a pipe dream

But seriously. You fail, Harmonix, you fail big time. Guitar Hero is coming out before you, and there's no chance in hell that anybody (much less a casual gamer) who owns a Wii is going to drop an extra $180 or so to buy your cheap ass wired instruments. Maybe if they'd just give up and let me use my World Tour instruments for Rock Band (and don't give us this bullshit about how its Activisions fault and you wanted it to happen but they said no) and I might pick up the game only, just to get the extra songs.

metroidprimegmr @ Aug 6th 2008 10:02PM

What I want to know is what's stopping third parties from making their own Wii hard drives.

john @ Aug 21st 2008 2:42PM

lol, rock band 2 will be good,there intruments will be wayy better but still not as advanced as guitar hero world tours. but rock band 2 will have 500 songs by the end of the year guarenteed(xbox 360 and PS3, wii in the gutter). for the wii, guitar hero world tour seals the deal with promised DLC and online play and various visions put in the wii motes to the intruments except not the mic but it will save some green if u have rechargable batteries(which u should have). gh wt@!lol

doug @ Sep 4th 2008 1:41AM

wii in the gutter, i dont know depends how they do the downloadable content the track packs coud have been better but there not bad if they do it right they will put them on the wii shop channel to help with disc space but either way im just going to cram it on to my sd card so it depends

Zidjiann @ Sep 16th 2008 11:04PM

well, a question, somebody here know's if the RB2 contains ALL the songs of RB? bcause i like the rb2 only for the new instruments and that it have online and all of that, but i like the songs of the first one more
Answer please

ajc @ Oct 29th 2008 8:04AM

Hey Experts -

I am a novice at this....please help....so if I buy Rock Band 1 for Wii this holiday season and then want to add Rock Band 2...can I just buy a disc and upload it without having to buy the whole package (drums etc) again?

I really want to get something for the kids for the holiday but dont want to wait until january to get Rock Band 2 .

Help!!!

AJC