It's Rock Band 2's wireless drums and guitar peripherals all boxed up
by Dustin Burg 
{ Jul 7th 2008 at 3:45PM }
Yes sir, Harmonix will be releasing a standalone drum set and wireless guitar that, according to folks at Amazon.com, are set to release alongside the special edition Rock Band 2 bundle and software in September. That means, unlike the original Rock Band, you won't have to wait months after the game's release to buy standalone peripherals. Both the drums and guitar (again, all boxed up) are $10 more expensive then their Rock Band brothers, with the drums retailing for $89.99 and the guitar retailing for $69.99. Ouch ... we know. While you ponder whether or not a wireless drum set is worth $90, we advise just sitting back and admiring their retail boxes. They're so boxy, so blue, so Rock Band inspired and so damn expensive.
[Thanks, Willenholly]
Source - Rock Band 2 wireless drums
Source - Rock Band 2 wireless guitar
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
sparki @ Jul 7th 2008 3:55PM
So is "September 14" part of it news, I knew Sept but this is the first time I've heard of a day? Or is that just a filler date that Amazon added? Whatever, I'm psyched for this game.
baby sea tuna @ Jul 7th 2008 3:56PM
So...do they just keep raising the prices of these things because they know that people will pay? How much is too much? I'm going to say $70 and $90 respectively.
Viridium @ Jul 7th 2008 4:02PM
I think we've heard that the RB1 instruments are forwards compatible with RB2, but is the converse true?
Viridium @ Jul 7th 2008 4:04PM
I think we've heard that the RB1 instruments are forwards compatible with RB2, but is the converse true?
[sorry if double post - first attempt hasn't shown up after a couple minutes, trying again]
Viridium @ Jul 7th 2008 4:04PM
DAMMIT!
UNSCleric @ Jul 7th 2008 4:09PM
Why would you even want wireless drums...it's bad enough to keep the guitar charged.
Viridium @ Jul 7th 2008 4:29PM
Does the RB wireless only use standard AAs? I've got the GH3 Les Paul which only uses AA; it would be nice if they could use the standard MS packs (that the controllers use).
jkdoug @ Jul 7th 2008 4:38PM
I agree. I would love to see the wireless peripherals support the standard controller battery packs, so I could just snap in my rechargeables and be done with it. It might be a bit unwieldy for the guitar, I realize, but I see no reason why the drums couldn't do it.
Mark @ Jul 8th 2008 12:55PM
agreed. wireless drums is dumb. But someone is complaining that they have wired drums, so we get wireless drums.
The probably don't support the xbox battery pack so that they can easily manufacture these guitars for PS3 and Xbox.
SadisticHam @ Jul 7th 2008 4:10PM
I'm going to laugh at the European prices when they arrive, it's that or cry.
KampfVerein @ Jul 7th 2008 4:18PM
Take it away, Benjamin Orr!
"It tricks me into thinking. / I can't believe my eyes. / I wait for it forever, / but it never does arrive. / It's all boxed up! / It's all boxed up! / IT'S ALL BOXED UP!"
rob paek @ Jul 7th 2008 4:42PM
"Rock Band Brothers"... do they mean Guitar Hero World Tour or RB1?
webster1990 @ Jul 7th 2008 4:50PM
Oh God, this means when it finally comes out in the UK we will be paying about £200 ($400) for the entire thing??
jdkay20 @ Jul 7th 2008 5:49PM
thats great and all but why can't I buy 1 set of instrument for both rock band and guitar hero so I don't have to have a closet full of fake instruments that only work on one game.
ccc @ Jul 7th 2008 6:37PM
RB has not even been out for a year.
People bash on GH world tour because they don't wanna buy another set of plastic instruments.
And here is EA trying to get you to forget about your previous purchase of 169.99 less than a year later with a game that is inferrior with cheep instruments not to mention all the DLC you may have bought that will be totally worthless in this rushed sequal.
Not saying Activision hasn't done some weak shit too like full price for an expansion on a game that only has 41 songs but this is out there even more.
There is no excitement about this from me at all.
The time of music games is almost all used up.
pds319 @ Jul 7th 2008 10:44PM
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/885/885167p1.html
No need to call the DLC worthless. Check out the second paragraph.
HazyCloud @ Jul 8th 2008 12:02AM
@ pds319 +1. @ CCC -1. Fail.
cpsethgt @ Jul 8th 2008 12:34AM
ccc, it would help if you knew what you were talking about. Rock Band 2 is completely compatible with all of the original Rock Band equipment - the guitar, drums, and microphone. You can get the updated versions if you like but they are not at all necessary.
Also, all of the original Rock Band DLC will be compatible with Rock Band 2 as well, so you keep everything you've paid for.
Just think of this as an expansion pack, really. Where the first Rock Band probably sold more special edition box sets (with all the instruments) than the standalone game, I am guessing that Rock Band 2 will mostly sell as a standalone game.
MDJ2010 @ Jul 7th 2008 7:15PM
Will people who have RB1 really be buying the peripherals for RB2? I know I won't bother, I mean wireless is nice but surely not essential, especially woth drums.
Mark @ Jul 8th 2008 12:59PM
I might buy a guitar. The tilt sensor in mine doesn't work for crap, so I'll take a chance to get a wireless one that might work better plus get a new look.
ccc @ Jul 8th 2008 12:37AM
@pds319
After reading that information despite my hatred of IGN, I feel that news actually makes the situation worse and not better.
For that content to work, would have to mean one of two things.
A) A massive update would need to be made to ALL of RB's DLC.
Or
B) There is absolutley no change in the game play from RB1 to RB2.
B is the exact kind of bull shit EA haters bitch about from that companies games esp. Madden, yet the RB fanboys seem all to eager to overlook this when it involves this overly priced, imaginary plastic playland.
Its not really that either, as an expert GH3 player I really dislike RB and think the only thing in that game that merrits my least intrest is the drums.
I had at least some hope that RB1 was dumbed down in the guitar department because it was a new franchise despite previous efforts with GH, this was an indroduction game.
It didn't pick up where GH2 left us, it went a step backwards in difficulty and introduced the full band concept.
With that in mind, I was hoping RB2 would be a little more tweaked.
To make RB1's dlc work with RB2 tells me it is most likley the exact same engine as the first ones. With no other features, not an improved hammer on and pull off system....nothing.
Which makes me ask, why the hell are they making a sequal?
For the sake of compeating with GHWT even though they actually have nothing new to bring to the table to compeate with?
If thats the reason and they are just releasing this game in hopes that consumers will again shell out almost the price of a next gen console for a second time in less than a year.....Well, I'd say that sounds just like good o'l EA to me.
I know I'll get to enjoy drums alot with GHWT but no matter what, I will always be a shredder in that game over all.
Boff @ Jul 8th 2008 7:52AM
I'll wholeheartedly second that. Well apart from the bit about being an expert GH3 player! ;o) (Just about manage 'Before I Forget' on Hard!) I'll be the first to admit I've only tried RB a couple of times in my local HMV but that's just because of the fucking ridiculous price.
For all the bashing GH gets, it seems as if no-one wants to mention that EA seem to be up to their old tricks again, this time with RB. If the game is essentially the same, then just release the new instruments and the songs separately. Not to mention it wasn't THAT long ago that the first one was released. And then there's the pricing. And the EU fiasco.
Just seems like people are liking RB (and are choosing to completely ignore/overlook any negatives) and dissing GH - cos that's what all the cool kids are doing.
Mark @ Jul 8th 2008 1:04PM
"For that content to work, would have to mean one of two things.
A) A massive update would need to be made to ALL of RB's DLC.
Or
B) There is absolutley no change in the game play from RB1 to RB2."
Right... because my BluRay player plays DVD, so there must be no change inside. There's no way it's possible that Harmonix would put a version number in the file and they could check this. I'm guessing that the track data is the largest chunk and that all the "note" data we play is very small. I don't see it as a limitation on any new format, but it just means that old DLC will play like the old game.
ccc @ Jul 8th 2008 5:03PM
Mark,
As what you say makes sense.
It is just not the way the console biz works.
They wont do that man, they could, but they won't.
If that was even in the minds of these money hungry companies explain to me why they didn't do this with the songs that became dlc from gh1 on gh2?
They just re-did they songs to play to the new engine in gh2. It was a process Activision felt was worth charging money for.
Now your trying to sell to me that RB, owned by the most greedy and uninovated company in the world would just put the code in or maybe an update that would let you carry all your DLC from RB1 to 2 for free?
Like I said what your thinking is the sensable thing but I doubt it'll go that way.
As far as a blue ray player goes, the stupid thing cost so much, it better be able to play ANY disc shaped object I throw in it.
Here is a quote from me.....
"I believe Blue Ray will never know the success DVD and VHS once had."
Funny shit to say the least.
MDJ2010 @ Jul 8th 2008 8:27AM
I still don't see the problem. Yes it's expensive (in the UK) but you don't HAVE to buy it. It is your choice. I knew it was expensive but decided I wanted it enough. I think the major problem people have had with GH is that we were continuously promised great amounts of DLC and let down for ages, this dlc then isn't compatible with the following games, unlike RB. I love both games, for different reasons, but I can totally understand why people have a better attitude towards RB over GH.
Jeff @ Sep 1st 2008 9:55PM
First I'll start with the drums aspect of the games. RB2 drum add-ons are way too expensive but the drum pads are better quality then GHWT. RB2 drums are more silent, and they won't break, neither will the peddle. GH2 drum quality will be the same as the original RB drum quality. So quality goes to RB2 but GH2 will have symbols which will be ridiculously fun. Next I'll talk about the songs. RB2 with 84 songs including a load of dlc (20 free). GHWT will only have 30 songs but thy are so much better. I'm excited to play hotel california and stairway to heaven and RHCP. RB2 has the big bands but the songs I've never heard of. Finally I'll talk about making your own music. GHWT has a feature when you can make your own music. That will be fun to make your own music but you can't have vocals. That ruins half the fun. Overall both have their ups and downs but I thinks I'm going to get RB2 and my friend is going to get GH2