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Rock Band coming to the iPhone

by Mike Schramm Oct 9th 2009 at 9:00AM


It's true -- as leaked earlier this week and confirmed yesterday, EA is bringing Harmonix's Rock Band to the iPhone, and it's about what you'd expect: notes come down the screen set to popular music, you tap in certain places in time to the beat, and get a score based on how well you do. Truthfully, I'm a huge Rock Band (and Harmonix) fan in general, but this doesn't excite me much -- the big draw of Rock Band is actually playing with those instruments, and while yes they're plastic and tiny, when you get four people in the same room together playing them, it actually feels like you're jamming in a band.

Fortunately, the iPhone version will have both online and bluetooth multiplayer, so you will be able to jam with people, but the gameplay is simply reminiscent of Tap Tap Revenge, which you probably already know about and/or have. It looks like they've gotten most of their songs from the actual Rock Band game; twenty songs with the purchase (no price yet), and then there will be 99 cent packs of two songs each coming out soon. The app's been submitted and it should be out in the store next week.


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It's true -- as leaked earlier this week and confirmed yesterday, EA is bringing Harmonix's Rock Band to the iPhone, and it's about what...
 

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zerock

sweet!!

October 10 2009 at 9:17 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Handy zubehor

Oh surely its great news.
As something rock foodies come too my iphone am so excited.
Great one thanks for posting it.
Speicherkarten

October 10 2009 at 6:10 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
bxp

Good game!

October 09 2009 at 11:18 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to bxp's comment
Tom

I'll only get excited if I find that songs I have already dl'ed for PS3 are somehow accessible without paying extra on the iPhone. If I have Tom Sawyer on my PS3 and I get the iPhone version...and Tom Sawyer becomes available, why should I have to pay for it again?

October 09 2009 at 3:50 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Martin

You have to pay for it again because $2 doesn't entitle you to a second license.

October 11 2009 at 11:20 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Dale

I got cramp from Guitar Hero on the DS, Rock Band on the PSP didn't even garner a rental, and Tap Tap Revenge was deleted in hours... the ENTIRE point of these games is the use of the instruments, portable versions just don't work for me.

October 09 2009 at 10:44 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Dale's comment
HazyCloud

I played the PSP version at Best Buy and almost purchased a PSP just for it. I guess to each their own.

I'll be checking the App Store daily until this comes out.

October 09 2009 at 10:50 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
FantomRedux

I'll give you the GH/RB points, as it's a major selling point of the games. However, you're completely wrong about Tap Tap. Tap Tap was originally based on Dance Dance Revolution, hence the games original name of Tap Tap Revolution. Tap Tap has never been an instrument game, just a rythym game.

October 09 2009 at 7:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Cadence

Very cool, will be mucho fun.

maybe they can make it so your iphone can be an instrument when you play on a normal game system too?

October 09 2009 at 10:41 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ryan

From what I read on TouchArcade, the big advantage of this over Tap Tap Revenge is that the instrument actually cuts out of the song when you mess up, just like on the console versions, giving you (somewhat) more incentive to do well.

But yeah... without "real" vocals, I can't say this interests me any more than TTR does.

October 09 2009 at 10:24 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Ryan's comment
Martin

It's not only more incentive to do better, but it actually helps you know when you've missed a note. That's my huge beef with TTR ... unless I'm staring at my multiplier, I have no clue that I've missed a note. It makes a huge difference in these games.

October 11 2009 at 11:15 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
matt

I'm looking forward to the idea of an online virtual band on my iPhone, pretty sweet.

October 09 2009 at 9:19 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Batiger17

They should enable the accelerator so it will turn sideways and play with all four fingers and when you turn the phone up right it will rock out and give you the bonus points. That's one thing I'm waiting for in any tap-tap revenge, guitar rock hero, or now the rock band game. Atleast that way it doesn't feel so much like the competitions games and more real to the actual stand alone instruments video game systems have.

October 09 2009 at 9:10 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Beau

I'm also bummed about the part that the 'vocals' isn't vocals at all, you're just tapping! :( I was looking forward to singing into my iPhone!

October 09 2009 at 9:09 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Beau's comment
Maldimar

Your neighbours weren't. ;-)
But I do agree!

October 09 2009 at 11:43 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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