Topic: Rock Band 3 Impressions

[NWR_Neal]

We've got the final game and a keyboard. How does it fare?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressions/24343

The keyboard in Rock Band 3 feels like a brand new instrument, and that's the highest compliment I can give it. After spending several hours with Harmonix's latest instrument addition to the series, I'm very impressed with how it feels and what it adds to the game.

The regular keys are extremely similar to the guitar and bass charts, with five colored highways populating the screen. They are so similar, in fact, that you can use the keyboard for the guitar and bass parts, and the keyboard even comes with a strap that can make it a keytar. The Rock Band keyboard also has a slide pad that acts as a whammy bar and an overdrive activator on the handle. While the normal keys don't bring anything truly innovative to the table, the experience is solid and differentiates itself enough from the other instruments.

However, switch that bad boy over to Pro mode and you have yourself a revelation. Thanks to smartly implemented training tools and a gentle learning curve, you can legitimately learn how to play keyboard using this game. Albeit you're only using a two-octave keyboard (unless you wait until November for the MIDI Pro Adapter so you can use your own keyboard, but even that will only use two octaves as far as I know), but it teaches you how to play keyboard. I haven't experienced the other Pro instruments, but if they're half as good as Pro keyboard, then they're probably awesome.

When you hop into any song, you'll be presented with a set range of 10 keys at the outset. It varies from song to song, and as you up the difficulty, the range will jump around, effectively making the whole instrument available. It's hard to get into at first, but I was able to nail Easy songs in no time, and I've only ever played "Chopsticks" on a piano before. I'm currently working on the Medium difficulty level, and I'm having a blast.

Much like how my ultimate drum-playing goal in the original Rock Band was to beat Rush's "Tom Sawyer" on Expert, my goal for Rock Band 3 is to beat "Bohemian Rhapsody" on Expert Pro Keys. I would bet against me, but with the tools at hand, I might be able to pull it out in time. That is the magic of the keyboard in Rock Band 3. The rest of the game is great, too. We'll have a full review up in a few days.

[Morari]

It'd be nice if Harmonix went back and updated their previous songs to include the keyboard... The DLC should be updated if nothing else. There are a good handful of songs that would really benefit, like Mr. Crowley and most of the NIN tunes.

[NWR_Neal]

They're supposedly doing it for some of them. I think the issue with updating old songs is that updating them for keyboards isn't cheap, and they're not quite sure how to monetize the update so that way people who already had the songs can pay less.

Hopefully they already figured that out and it's a moot point. I would like to Queen and Boston updated for keys.

[NWR_Lindy]

Yeah, updating the older songs for keyboards is a tricky proposition.  Harmonix should just poll the RB community to see what's most wanted.

[Spak-Spang]

Why is it that tricky?


If you downloaded the song and want the update for Keyboard support it is what?  1.50 per song...and let people decide.


Then if you already have the song, but don't want Keyboard support no problem.  Then if you haven't downloaded the song the new version of it with keyboard support is X amount...whatever the downloaded songs cost.


Then I would slowly, but surely update the backlog.  Adding Keyboards, first to the songs that REALLY need them.  Many songs just don't need that support, or it wouldn't be that compelling.

[NWR_Neal]

Well, it depends on how many people would pay more money for the keyboard additions. That's the trickiest part. I imagine they wouldn't want to waste manpower on adding in something that few people will buy.

As of now, they're supposedly adding it in for a "major band," which most people theorize is Queen or Boston.

[that Baby guy]

Well, it depends on how many people would pay more money for the keyboard additions. That's the trickiest part. I imagine they wouldn't want to waste manpower on adding in something that few people will buy.

As of now, they're supposedly adding it in for a "major band," which most people theorize is Queen or Boston.

This is essentially what a rep said to me at E3.  They'll be picking various songs to add it to out of their back catalog, but it'll be a slow process and likely involve fan input at some point.

[vudu]

There are a good handful of songs that would really benefit, like Mr. Crowley and most of the NIN tunes.

March of the Pigs without true keyboard support was always a bit funny to me.