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Harmonix has finally revealed that Rock Band coming out for the Nintendo Wii. It will retail for $169.99 and will be out June 22. Rock Band Wii will come in a bundle package containing the drums, one wireless guitar, a microphone and the game and there will also be stand-alone instruments for sale the same day.

The game will come with 63 songs with five exclusive tracks just for the Wii version. I wouldn't be too surprised if these songs are based of certain Nintendo games. That's all the songs you're going to get though as Harmonix has confirmed that Rock Band for the Wii will not have any DLC at all. The game will not even support online multiplayer.

Honestly, we shouldn't be surprised that Rock Band has next to no online capabilities seeing as how this is Nintendo. Either way, who's excited that this is finally coming out? Press release after the jump.

 

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.

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77 comments | showing # 51 to 77

John B's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/24/2008 20:56
John B
And, honestly, I would have no problems swapping SD cards if I was told to do so in-game, especially if they had some kind of management function so that I can play the songs that I want knowing beforehand if I had to switch out or not. Honestly, it takes - what? - 10 seconds to swap out an SD card? I just don't see the big deal.

However, that being said, you'd think that this would be the kind of thing that finally gets it through Nintendo's collective heads that some kind of USB-based hard drive or even connectivity with a networked drive (yeah, like they'd implent that) would be a smart move.
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/24/2008 21:01
Necros
Urgh. Do not want. I'll still go spend my money on the 360 version this summer.
Sharpless's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/24/2008 21:02
Sharpless
Hi, Nintendo. You suck.
Nick Chester's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/24/2008 21:15
Nick Chester
How on Earth is it that anyone who considers themselves a "gamer" only owns a Wii? It's crazy talk, I say.

Anyhow, this is like buying an mp3 player that's pre-loaded with songs and not being able to put anymore music on it. Or buying a hot dog that's only a bun. Or rechargeable batteries that you can't recharge.

But really? Who is surprised by this? The GH III guitar won't even be compatible with this, either. Well, at least the Wii will have the best version of Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Bluefusion's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/24/2008 21:22
Bluefusion
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I was really looking forward to Rock Band for the Wii. No DLC, not even online Multiplayer? Just unacceptable.

Unacceptable on Nintendo's part. Unacceptable on EA's part. This is the biggest load of crap I have heard in a long time. If I hear a single person defending Nintendo on this one, I think I'll snap. There is no reason you couldn't use an SD card to hold songs. There is no reason we shouldn't have online, given that GH3 does.

This is just crap.

And seeing the ads for Rockband at the bottom of this page makes me want to cry :-(

John B's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/24/2008 21:28
John B
"How on Earth is it that anyone who considers themselves a 'gamer' only owns a Wii?"

I hope you're just being sarcastic, because that kind of elitist attitude really fucking pisses me off. Send me the $500 for a PS3 and I'll be glad to join the ranks of the all-mighty "non-Wii snobbery".

And no one would possibly own a gaming PC that can kick the shit out of XB360 and PS3, would they? Sheesh. Forgive me while I play some "Call of Duty 4". Oh, wait -- it's the PC version so I guess it's not "hardcore" enough because it's not on a console.

Jeez, it's like Summa is back. :PpPp
Bluefusion's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/24/2008 21:39
Bluefusion
I know this will sound reaaallly bad...

But the reason why the Wii is the only console I own is that I am very busy and I wanted to choose a console I wouldn't be tempted to spend too much time on.

Seriously. If I had a 360 I would be failing college right now.
quivx's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/24/2008 21:53
quivx
No DLC and no online multiplayer? HAHA! Nintendo sucks
imbeta's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/24/2008 22:14
imbeta
well... when you put it like that. I guess it sounds like no fun at all.

I played with my PS2 version and had great times, no worries - this title will be LOTS of fun. But I have to say... unless they include a few extra tracks. (Maybe the UK exclusives?!)

this might be fun for like... 10 parties... 10 REALLY fun parties.
Kyousuke Nanbu's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/24/2008 22:34
Kyousuke Nanbu
Wait, you guys thought the Wii version wouldn't be gimped?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Oh man, I wish I was a die-hard Nintendo fan, must be awesome to be so deluded all the time.
trunxkam45's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/24/2008 22:41
trunxkam45
I think character creation and world tour mode are still up in the air
eelel kielat's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/24/2008 22:51
eelel kielat
why would i throw away well over $100 when i could get the same game for the 360 and have more music to download and online play jees harmonix great way to screw you selves over
Nick Chester's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/24/2008 22:58
Nick Chester
@ John B:

I was half kidding, but there's a significant cost difference between a good gaming PC and an Xbox 360 or even a PS3. I also just noticed on your blog that you said you just bought a third Wii. Those things are $250 a piece. Had you only bought one Wii, you could have also bought a PS3. :D
brainderailment's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/24/2008 23:59
brainderailment
It goes to show that the wii has more limitations then simple graphics/physics capabilities. Consoles now require a service to go along with their product. It makes all the difference these days.
Kyle's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/25/2008 00:12
Kyle
Hmm, people should definately get this game on Xbox 360 or PS3 then. Not is the loss of online content a blow, but I can't imagine this game looking too hot on the Wii visually. Sure, thy gameplay will be the same, but when you're paying a couple of hundred for the bundle, you don't want the gimped version now do you? Although, I am interested to see what those extra 5 tracks are.
kielejocain's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/25/2008 01:02
kielejocain
I don't care about the visuals at all. It's friggin Rock Band. Who cares what your avatar looks like?

That said, I just bought a 360 TODAY, mostly for the purpose of getting RB. How ironical is that?
A New Challenger's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/25/2008 01:41
A New Challenger
I don't have a group of friends to play with regularly so the eventual Wii release was always an iffy proposition, but this pretty much guarantees I won't be picking it up.

I'm with whoever it was above who expressed even greater concern that the World Tour mode will be totally stripped since this is a PS2 port.
BenHaskett's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/25/2008 01:50
BenHaskett
Kyousuke Nanbu @

I think everyone expected the Wii version to be gimped. I mean, heck, it's the Wii. But being that it took them four months after the release of all the other versions to even announce a Wii version, I doubt I'm the only one who's surprised it was this gimped. I didn't expect any DLC; I've been deleting VC games to replace them with others since mid '07. But considering that Guitar Hero III on the Wii pulls off online pretty well, and thet EA has included online in many other Wii games, I'm a little shocked that there's no online at all. To add insult to injury, there's no character customization, no Wii functionality, and no Guitar Hero cintroller support.

But be realistic...is it because the Wii can't handle it? No, it's because they spray-painted the PS2 version white and called it a day. It's true that a lot of Nintendo's policies are archaic, but that's not a valid excuse for lazy developers taking advantage of what is -- unfortunately -- largely an ignorant crowd non-gamers who picked up a Wii specifically for this type of game. It's easy for me to imagine a few executives in a conference room deciding that the purchases of the uninformed masses would greatly out-weigh the internet backlash. This is just a shitty deal, no matter how you cut it. And at $169?!

Nick Chester, what standard are you holding a "gamer" to? The Wii is the only console I own, and I get a lot of playtime out of it. And I play games. If I'm not a gamer, what am I.

I know the easy answer is that I'm a fanboy, but it's not like I only own 1st party games. The Wii was a cheap alternative, and I just happen to enhoy it a lot.
BenHaskett's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/25/2008 01:52
BenHaskett
Yeesh, sorry for such a messy post.
Ali D's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/25/2008 02:35
Ali D
Still no Australia date. Brilliant.
Garbz's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/25/2008 07:07
Garbz
waste of time.

for the amount of effort Harmonix have put into releasing a Wii version of the game that won't have half the features it's meant to, Europe and all the other regions could have gotten this game by now.

i'm not impressed.
JtheYellow's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/25/2008 11:49
JtheYellow
Yeah, this really should surprise no one.

The Wii was made for retro releases of old games that have small memory footprints. People start downloading song levels that take up as much space as Contra for the NES, it'll be a CS nightmare for Nintendo.

But think about how many "party" games are out for the Wii. People are just as likely to want to play the songs that come with *any* release of Rock Band, in their living rooms. Not every Rock Band fan is a shut-in hardcore downloader. In fact, I'm pretty sure at least half of them aren't.
MissHinasaki's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/25/2008 12:00
MissHinasaki
Why does the Wii even try to jump on the good game bandwagon? They should try working on exclusives that don't suck instead of taking other games and making them suck.
Knives's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/25/2008 13:09
Knives
Could they release like expansions, maybe as discs or as in SD cards with songs maybe?

Poor Wii only owners.
highlar_of_bb's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/25/2008 13:25
highlar_of_bb
I have to agree with those that are placing the blame on EA/Harmonix for this one. ESPECIALLY with EA involved. As has been stated before, it HAS been proven that you DON'T have to use Nintendo's service for online. With Medal of Honor Heroes 2, EA blew that idea out of the water. All that game does is utilize the wi-fi connection, and connects you directly to EA's only service (EA Nation). It doesn't use Nintendo. It has leader boards, matchmaking, etc. DLC may still be a problem for Nintendo blame with the limit on storage, but NOT the online play itself. There are several games out now that DO have online play, and run pretty damn smoothly: SSBB (runs fine on 'net matches for me), Heroes 2 (silky smooth online FPS gaming over a THIRD PARTY connection), MADDEN (over EA Nation as well, although I don't have it myself, and hear it may gimped), GHIII (runs perfectly fine online matches, both co-op and battle for me). So I can't blame Nintendo on this one for the missing online game play. THAT is strictly on EA/Harmonix. EA could EASILY have set up EA Nation for Rock Band matches, etc, but CHOSE not to include it BECAUSE the just wanted to do a lazy, cheap, PS2 port over. Which suprised me, because I've actually been pretty impressed with EA recently as far as the Wii goes (and I can't wait for Boom Blox). SSBB does show that DLC is rather possible on the Wii, as well, but on a limited scale. I agree with above comments that they could set up something on the Rock Band website to make transactions and download songs via computer to an SD card, then load them from the card into the game. Its entirely possible, as there are a couple of games (Excite Truck for one) that show that MP3's CAN be read loaded from the card to a game and now with SSBB (and Boom Blox coming up) it shows that levels can be saved on the SD card and loaded to the game when needed/wanted. It may be a bit cumbersome for now (its still in the early learning stages, I feel) but it IS possible. EA/Harmonix COULD have done something like this if they wanted, and NOT slashed the Wii version to bits, but they CHOSE not to put the effort into it. I'm very sad to see this, as I love GHIII on my Wii, and was planning on getting Rock Band when it came out (I only have a Wii, can't afford the more expensive systems, although I love my Wii), but now, I don't know if I'll bother. Not because of no online, and not because of no DLC...but because EA chose to butcher the game when porting it to the Wii. That is something that is pretty inexcusable when GHIII on the Wii is a pretty complete package (minus the DLC, which SUPPOSEDLY has a fix in the works).
highlar_of_bb's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/25/2008 13:29
highlar_of_bb
Quote:
MissHinasaki says:
03/25/2008 12:00
Why does the Wii even try to jump on the good game bandwagon? They should try working on exclusives that don't suck instead of taking other games and making them suck.

Ummm...maybe its because this isn't Nintendo putting a game on their system, but EA/Harmonix? Why is it that people assume that just because a game is on the Wii/360/PS3 that it s the systems parent company that is putting the game on it, and not the actual third party DEVELOPER and PUBLISHER of the game instead? For a comment like yours, place the blame where it is due, and NOT on the parent company of the console.
Eques-Ardor's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/26/2008 15:54
Eques-Ardor
That drum kit = the shiznit.

I'll probably buy it and mod my 360 parts into it. :P
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