The Wii version of Rock Band will lack online play and download content capabilities because, Harmonix explains, "Wii's online capabilities and potential have yet to be fully realized."
After revealing the US release date and price - June 22, $169.99 (for the game and instruments in a bundle) - a spokesperson said that they "wanted to wait before we explored online functionality for Rock Band to ensure that players get the high-quality of online performance they've come to expect."
The spokesperson explains: "Rock Band for the Wii will have functionality similar to the PS2 version. There will be no DLC available, but the Wii version will have the five additional songs on the game disc," said the spokesperson.
They added: "When developing Rock Band for the Wii platform, we focused on making the core gameplay experience as solid and enjoyable as possible while tailoring it specifically to the strengths of the platform."
And those strengths, they seem to say, are not doing online play. "The Wii version still contains the robust four-player band experience and all the fun at the core of other versions of Rock Band," they told MTV.
"However, because the Wii's online capabilities and potential have yet to be fully realized, we wanted to wait before we explored online functionality for Rock Band to ensure that players get the high-quality of online performance they've come to expect."
Rock Band is yet to be dated for UK on any platform.
That lack of online options is really gonna screw over the Wii version. They could've gotten away with no DLC, although it'd get boring quickly playing the same songs. But not being able to get online means either one person will have to get all of the kit, or each player will need to take their gear to one friend's house.
With the ammount of wiis sold you'd think ninty would pull there fat gold ringed finger out of there bottom and sort the bloody online out! I do love playing my wii with the kids but otherwise i wouldnt bother i feel the online modes are just to shallow with few games allowing online play
With the ammount of wiis sold you'd think ninty would pull there fat gold ringed finger out of there bottom and sort the bloody online out! I do love playing my wii with the kids but otherwise i wouldnt bother i feel the online modes are just to shallow with few games allowing online play
There's nothing limiting online play with the console. I see no reason for this choice. The fools!
I do wonder how much of this is Nintendo's fault and how much is down to the developers. Guitar Hero 3 on Wii offers online so I see no reason why Rock Band can't.
..and surely if they put the effort in they could probably put up a Rock Band channel and let you fill your flash memory with a few songs, delete and change when required, then re-download again for free.. it's not that difficult surely.
I don't get EA, the first FIFA title on Wii had online but Tiger Woods 08 still strangely lacks an online mode there is no excuse for it's absence, the same with the new Worms, it comes down to cutting costs or lazy development!
Capcom's "We love Golf" title has online, as does Nitro Bike, FIFA 08, PES 2008, Battalion Wars 2, Endless Ocean, Guitar Hero III, Mario Strikers, Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart and some others too...
The Wii version of Rock Band will lack online play and download content capabilities because, Harmonix explains, "Wii's online capabilities and potential have yet to be fully realized."
Sounds like a frustrating dig at Nintendo's lacklustre Wi-fi service. Nintendo needs to remove those friend codes and get more online games.
With the ammount of wiis sold you'd think ninty would pull there fat gold ringed finger out of there bottom and sort the bloody online out! I do love playing my wii with the kids but otherwise i wouldnt bother i feel the online modes are just to shallow with few games allowing online play
Wii's online isn't spectacular, but it's there. This has much more to do with Harmonix than Nintendo... Other games manage to utilize online just fine. Harmonix should get their fat gold ringed finger out of their bottom and actually make a proper Wii version with features found in the Xbox 360 and PS3 version, rather than porting the PS2 one and calling it a day (yes, it's easier to port from a PS2 to a Wii than from a Xbox 360 to a Wii, but at least we'd get all the features like character customising).
And Attention to everyone blaming Nintendo for the no online: Many other games manage to utilize online capabilities, including Guitar Hero III. Since Harmonix are already simply porting over the PS2 version (thus no character creation like the PS2 version), it stands to reason they really aren't even trying. Why would you look at a developer who's being lazy and then blame Nintendo for it? Activision managed to get online working fine for Guitar Hero III. What about no character customisation? That's got nothing to do with online or Nintendo: they are just porting the PS2 version over.
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