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 After much anticipation and speculations, Rock Band (Xbox 360, PS3) is finally ready to (rock and) roll this November, and the instruments are tagged with what they're worth. Harmonix producer Daniel Sussman sat down with GameSpot to discuss what's in store for aspiring rock stars.
It'll take around US$ 200 to purchase all of Rock Band's peripherals and set up the ultimate gig with your pals, which is why compatibility of previously owned third-party controllers with the game is quite welcome.
Fortunately, as Sussman said, guitar models that follow open-controller standards of the Xbox 360 and PS3 should work. The official Stratocaster made for Rock Band hosts a plethora of bonus features, but Harmonix made sure that those who prefer other guitar controllers can enjoy too.
Xbox 360 peripherals are wired, but the console only has three USB ports. To make up for it, "the Xbox 360 Rock Band Special Edition bundle will include a USB hub," Sussman commented. Other than that limitation, no problems surfaced when devs had to come up with wireless instruments. Sussman told GameSpot:
The most challenging thing with the drums was satisfying different
people's playing styles. We had to plan for people who hit lightly and
people who wail on our drum set. Personally, I'm very satisfied with
where we ended up.
Now that we're shaking our rockin' boots in excitement, what's next after Rock Band reaches households? Looks like we can keep our fingers crossed for premium-quality instruments and PC-compatible drum sets, because Sussman didn't deny the possibility of these hitting the market.
At the moment, online sessions don't allow bandmates to hear their vocalist; there's no word if this will change soon. Recording performances doesn't seem to be a feature that will appear in the near future neither, as Sussman believes that "the magic of the performance really happens outside of the game, in the living room with the people playing the game." His suggestion: buy a video camera.
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