Battle of the bands takes on new meaning as the upcoming Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band II games go head to head.
Each game is amping up their gameplay, but they're also making the instruments more butch. Officially licensed Mad Catz Rock Band instruments are about to release, and the instruments listed are:
The Xbox 360 Rock Band Wired Bass Guitar will include a dual-strummer, which is essentially a split strum bar that will allow you to use two fingers to strum up and down simultaneously like pickless bass players.
Features include:
Licensed Fender Precision bass styling
Comfortable thumb rest
Custom finishes for enhanced realism
Whammy effect via volume knob
Split strum bar for fast finger action
Oversized tuning keys
Durable plastic construction
Wired USB connectivity
Comfortable thumb rest
Custom finishes for enhanced realism
Whammy effect via volume knob
Split strum bar for fast finger action
Oversized tuning keys
Durable plastic construction
Wired USB connectivity
A wireless version for the Xbox 360 is expected to be released in Spetember and feature all of the same functionality of the wired version but will have a “Blond Maple finish” compared to the white finish of the wired version. A wireless version for the PS3 and Wii has not been revealed.
The new Wired Microphone controllers integrate the d-pad and buttons of a standard Xbox 360/PS3 controller into the handle of the mic making it so your lead singer doesn’t need to fumble around after every song looking for the controller to signify that they are ready to “Rock Out”.
Mic features are:
Built-in controller - easy navigation through all in game menus
High quality soft-touch finish
High profile pop / wind screen
Convenient lock/unlock button
Wired USB connection
Finally, they've revealed a couple of drum sets that will also be releasing in the near future. The first being a Portable Drum Kit, set to be released in July for the Xbox 360 and August for the PS3 and Wii. The portable drum kit will feature a small form factor with quiet pads that will make taking the band on the road a much easier feat. The portable kit will also feature foamed tipped drum sticks to help with noise dampening.
Three pads, two raised cymbals, and one bass pedal make up the action elements of this new drum peripheral. That equates to the basic setup of a snare, two toms, two cymbals and a bass drum. The two cymbals are raised above the three primary pads and, on the prototype set we got a look at, had hinges and swivels on them so that you could position them how you wanted. To activate star power with the kit you simply hit both cymbals at the same time.The first thing you'll notice when you see the kit in action is that it's quieter than the Rock Band drums, which is great news for neighbors everywhere. Each drum head is eight inches in diameter, slightly larger than Rock Band's kit, so you'll be less likely to miss when things get heated. Like the guitar, this puppy is wireless. That won't really aid you in your posturing, but it will keep your room less cluttered.
The near final drum kit. This rig looks like it can take a beating and keep on ticking.The big news with the pads, though, is that they're now sensitive to the speed you hit them. Slam it and you get a louder note. Tap it and, well, you get the picture. Like the touch pad on the guitar, this feature really comes into its own in the music creator.
High quality soft-touch finish
High profile pop / wind screen
Convenient lock/unlock button
Wired USB connection
The Xbox 360 version is supposedly already released, but taking a while to ship, while the Playstation 3 version is scheduled to ship mid-July. A mic controller for the Wii has not been revealed at this time.
If you’re looking for a unique guitar controller to add to your collection, then the Rock Band Telecaster Wired Guitar might be just what your are looking for - it's officially licensed by Fender.
The Telecaster controller will feature the following:
Licensed Fender Telecaster styling
Perfectly scaled with high detail
Built for speed - new, improved strum bar and quick response fret buttons
Programmable strum
Telecaster Bridge Plate used for Whammy
Smooth Hot-Rod Red finish
Perfectly scaled with high detail
Built for speed - new, improved strum bar and quick response fret buttons
Programmable strum
Telecaster Bridge Plate used for Whammy
Smooth Hot-Rod Red finish
The Telecaster controller so far has only been revealed for the Xbox 360, and a wired version at that.
Finally, they've revealed a couple of drum sets that will also be releasing in the near future. The first being a Portable Drum Kit, set to be released in July for the Xbox 360 and August for the PS3 and Wii. The portable drum kit will feature a small form factor with quiet pads that will make taking the band on the road a much easier feat. The portable kit will also feature foamed tipped drum sticks to help with noise dampening.Their Premium Wired Drums, the first officially licensed third party drum set for Rock Band has lots of interesting features:
Based on authentic electronic drum kits
Added high hat (with foot pedal)
Crash cymbal
Fully adjustable drum heads (includes two axis motion and can be repositioned)
Added high hat (with foot pedal)
Crash cymbal
Fully adjustable drum heads (includes two axis motion and can be repositioned)
The Guitar Hero World Tour introduces a new guitar controller that is even more feature-laden than past designs. All previous controllers will work with the new game, but just won't have access to all of the new stuff the added features bring to the table.
The biggest addition to the new guitar is the touch pad located on the neck. While playing a song, this touch sensitive strip allows you to alter notes during sustains by sliding up and down the strip (giving more freedom and options than what you had before with just a whammy bar). It can also be used for tapping to play notes, particularly awesome if you want to mimic a slap bass. The real power of the 
touch pad comes in the music creator. Other changes have been made to the design as well. The back/select button has been made to look like the bridge of the guitar. It's easier to hit for activating star power and gives a more realistic look to the body. The entire body is bigger, as well, approaching something closer to a real guitar. The d-pad has been given a bit of style as well by reshaping it to look more like a knob. All of the previous great features are still there on this guitar, too. It's wireless and sleek, has an accelerometer for activating star power (and more) and will make use of new custom faceplates.
touch pad comes in the music creator. Other changes have been made to the design as well. The back/select button has been made to look like the bridge of the guitar. It's easier to hit for activating star power and gives a more realistic look to the body. The entire body is bigger, as well, approaching something closer to a real guitar. The d-pad has been given a bit of style as well by reshaping it to look more like a knob. All of the previous great features are still there on this guitar, too. It's wireless and sleek, has an accelerometer for activating star power (and more) and will make use of new custom faceplates. The microphone peripheral is fairly standard. It's wired and comes without buttons. For menus and the like you'll need to use a controller. To activate star power in the game, you won't have to wait for a special section like you do in Rock Band. Tapping it or making a making a quick similar sound at any time does the trick.
Three pads, two raised cymbals, and one bass pedal make up the action elements of this new drum peripheral. That equates to the basic setup of a snare, two toms, two cymbals and a bass drum. The two cymbals are raised above the three primary pads and, on the prototype set we got a look at, had hinges and swivels on them so that you could position them how you wanted. To activate star power with the kit you simply hit both cymbals at the same time.The first thing you'll notice when you see the kit in action is that it's quieter than the Rock Band drums, which is great news for neighbors everywhere. Each drum head is eight inches in diameter, slightly larger than Rock Band's kit, so you'll be less likely to miss when things get heated. Like the guitar, this puppy is wireless. That won't really aid you in your posturing, but it will keep your room less cluttered.The near final drum kit. This rig looks like it can take a beating and keep on ticking.The big news with the pads, though, is that they're now sensitive to the speed you hit them. Slam it and you get a louder note. Tap it and, well, you get the picture. Like the touch pad on the guitar, this feature really comes into its own in the music creator.
No comments:
Post a Comment