30 June 2008

Rock Band 2 in September

My first reaction, when I saw the news outline, was to think that Harmonix was going to follow the Guitar Hero footsteps and disappoint all their fans by milking them for all they’ve got. Yet, when you read on, you realize that they’re actually going to fulfill their promise of a more respectful business model — and it’s actually more of a 1.5 version than a real Rock Band 2 (which is a good thing).

On the software side, version 2 fixes the game’s flaws, of course, but it remains 100% compatible with downloadable tracks, and that works both ways — songs you bought for version 1 will work in Rock Band 2, and tracks released for version 2 will also work for players who didn’t upgrade the game (can Activision imagine that?). And, as for hardware, the instruments are supposed to be more realistic, reliable and silent, but you’ll be able to buy version 2 while keeping those you already own; the only thing missing now is an offer to take your old instruments back for a rebate (because I don’t expect they’ll get great value on the second-hand marketplace, if the new ones are so much better).

It’s really hard to believe there’s an Electronic Arts logo on this package.