Rock Band 3 looks pretty awesome!

Me either. Nothing new on Squier's website since it was announced at E3, and I had to convince the local Gamestop flunky the other day that it even existed. Some of the other hardware is hitting store shelves, though. I got the plain vanilla Rockband 3 guitar controller to replace a dead one and it's quite nice, except that the buttons are stiff and need to be broken in in the worst way.

What a bummer, I guess this isn't getting under the Christmas tree this year.

I heard some rumors they were getting rid of the PS3 keyboard/game bundle.

I really hope it turns out to be false.

I have been considering picking up a 360 for rockband 3 though. I have a PS3 but its in a different location than where I want to play rock band.

Do I buy a second PS3 because I can use all the same games/peripherals or get a 360 to expand my repertoire of possible games?

I am torn.

Kier wrote:

I heard some rumors they were getting rid of the PS3 keyboard/game bundle.

I really hope it turns out to be false.

I have been considering picking up a 360 for rockband 3 though. I have a PS3 but its in a different location than where I want to play rock band.

Do I buy a second PS3 because I can use all the same games/peripherals or get a 360 to expand my repertoire of possible games?

I am torn.

The PS3 bundle isn't for sale on Amazon, which is really frustrating, since that's all I want until the Squier comes out.

LiquidMantis wrote:

It's pushed back until 2011. They say they hope "very early 2011" but yeah, 2011 nonetheless. :(

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo [pause]

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo [pause]

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Kier wrote:

I heard some rumors they were getting rid of the PS3 keyboard/game bundle.

It's true. There's some licensing crap. You can buy the keyboard separate from the game, but not together. Whatever.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo [pause]

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo [pause]

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Yeah, that's my reaction too. Considering Amazon isn't giving their usual preorder bonus on the RB3 bundle anyway I think I may just wait on it. I'm considering Kinect and the dance game for now; that's good for $30 in Amazon future-bucks.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:
LiquidMantis wrote:

It's pushed back until 2011. They say they hope "very early 2011" but yeah, 2011 nonetheless. :(

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo [pause]

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo [pause]

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

That looks like a Rock Band 3 three-part harmony "Noooooo".

I've just picked up a copy of Lips with 2 wireless mics for cheap to round out my hardware collection in advance of 3 part harmonies (not to mention cutting down the amount of cables hanging out the front of the console.

Keyboard will come with the game on release.

Fender guitar and cymbals for Pro modes will be purchased when the guitar is finally available. On the one hand, I'm miffed I have to wait, but on the other hand, I couldn't afford to drop several hundred bucks on the guitar right now, so it's moot.

garion333 wrote:
Kier wrote:

I heard some rumors they were getting rid of the PS3 keyboard/game bundle.

It's true. There's some licensing crap. You can buy the keyboard separate from the game, but not together. Whatever.

Which basically works out to an extra $10 PS3 tax. Grr.

LiquidMantis wrote:

It's pushed back until 2011. They say they hope "very early 2011" but yeah, 2011 nonetheless. :(

That works for me. I got rid of my real guitar when I moved to Chicago, since I never bothered (re)learning to play it as I had intended, anyway. At least a later release date on the Strat gives me time to save my pennies (and pick up some of the RB2 peripherals in the meantime).

I was kind of interested in the full guitar but now I am wondering if it is better to buy the button guitar and save the extra money for a separate "real" guitar (We have 2 acoustic guitars but nothing electric). I have a feeling you'd be sacrificing quality for that added technology.

The other question I have is how fragile those strings on the button guitar are, and what happens if they break. I have no idea what they are made of or how replaceable they are.

Joystiq's rather exhaustive review is up. The verdict? "OMG THIS IS THE BESTEST GAMEZ EVARZ !!!1!1"

Now how to convince the wife that we need more plastic junk...

imbiginjapan wrote:

I was kind of interested in the full guitar but now I am wondering if it is better to buy the button guitar and save the extra money for a separate "real" guitar (We have 2 acoustic guitars but nothing electric). I have a feeling you'd be sacrificing quality for that added technology.

I can't imagine those buttons feeling anything other than nasty, plus there's no on screen feedback of where your hand is like the Fender. The Fender is effectively going to be a standard Squier with added "stuff" (and cost too). Squiers are perfectly serviceable entry-level guitars. If you're actually wanting this to correlate to guitar at all stay way away from that button monster.

LiquidMantis wrote:
imbiginjapan wrote:

I was kind of interested in the full guitar but now I am wondering if it is better to buy the button guitar and save the extra money for a separate "real" guitar (We have 2 acoustic guitars but nothing electric). I have a feeling you'd be sacrificing quality for that added technology.

I can't imagine those buttons feeling anything other than nasty, plus there's no on screen feedback of where your hand is like the Fender. The Fender is effectively going to be a standard Squier with added "stuff" (and cost too). Squiers are perfectly serviceable entry-level guitars. If you're actually wanting this to correlate to guitar at all stay way away from that button monster.

Ok, you've convinced me.

Minarchist wrote:

Joystiq's rather exhaustive review is up. The verdict? "OMG THIS IS THE BESTEST GAMEZ EVARZ !!!1!1"

Now how to convince the wife that we need more plastic junk...

They gave it 5 of 5.

Computer & Video Games Mag (CVG) has their review up as well.

9.5 out of 10

"Rock Band 3 is as close to perfection as any game is ever likely to get. It's the definitive rhythm-action title of choice: a platform for music gaming so far ahead of the competition it's not even fair."
- CVG

The Harmonix line is that the mustang is the entry level pro guitar. You don't need to tune it, or develop calluses to use it. I was planning on buying the mustang so I can play pro guitar right away, and then saving up for the squier. The Harmonix guy at the Eurogamer Expo said it was "early 2011", but that could be May for all we know. Obviously this is not efficient use of money, but Rock Band has always sort of bypassed all of my brain centres for fiscal prudence.

I view it as a sound investment.

DudleySmith wrote:

Obviously this is not efficient use of money, but Rock Band has always sort of bypassed all of my brain centres for fiscal prudence.

That's how I feel. Then my wife hurts me until I come to my senses. Thus, no copy of any Rock Band game yet. I hope to change that with this edition, though...

WipEout wrote:
DudleySmith wrote:

Obviously this is not efficient use of money, but Rock Band has always sort of bypassed all of my brain centres for fiscal prudence.

That's how I feel. Then my wife hurts me until I come to my senses. Thus, no copy of any Rock Band game yet. I hope to change that with this edition, though...

That's pretty much how I feel too. Except that in my case, my wife is a worse RB-addict than me, and standing behind me, egging me on.

On that note, I think I might spring for the cymbals....

Yeah Rock Band is the one game my wife is the enabler for. It's great.

Stele wrote:

Yeah Rock Band is the one game my wife is the enabler for. It's great. :D

Same here. I was talking to her earlier about the game and said that I was on the fence about getting the keyboard. Her response: "We HAVE to get the keyboard. I might be awesome at it and I don't even know yet!"

Unfortunately, no bundle for the PS3 so I have the game preordered and she will pick up the keyboard on her way home on Tuesday. I'm way too excited for this game.

Thanks to the power of gift cards and a birthday gift from a friend, I should be getting RB3 + the keyboard for a net of $20

DanyBoy wrote:

I view it as a sound investment.

Bad pun, DanyBoy.

Are there new versions of the guitar/drums/mic or will they just be the Rock Band 2 versions repackaged? Also, has Harmonix said how much it will cost to import Rock Band 2?

I would love to get the Squier guitar as well, but the fact that it will cost more than 250 bucks (amount based on regular amount for same body type) and not be out until after the new year has me wondering what to do. Maybe I will just get the keyboard bundle for now and save up for the Squier when it's released. Hell I may just borrow my brothers midi keyboard and buy the midi adaptar.

Too many options!

I can't imagine those buttons feeling anything other than nasty, plus there's no on screen feedback of where your hand is like the Fender.

You get the same on screen feedback for finger position on the Mustang as you do the Squier.

Tanglebones wrote:

Thanks to the power of gift cards and a birthday gift from a friend, I should be getting RB3 + the keyboard for a net of $20 :)

$5.59 here

Pre-ordered mine a few weeks ago using my some Amazon credit and got release-day shipping for $.99. Too bad I start my new job the day before. I'm interested in seeing how all the song importing will go, I've got about 8 GBs of Rockband dlc to deal with. I'm so ready for pro drums and a better online experience, not that online was that bad.

Oh man I'm getting pumped about RB3. Drop-in/drop-out, live difficulty changing, Gamertag/instrument reassignment (thank god!), Pro drums and keys! I have excitement! And a little trepidation over whether or not RB2 characters can be imported. This is actually important to me: Dumbledork will not be a Buddy Holly, or Eddie Wilson, taken from us so young!

Being able to play guitar/bass parts with the keyboard is a decent sop while the catalogue is thin. I'm trying to think of what existing songs already chart significant piano parts for the guitar, and will obviously be better served with the keyboard, and I've come up with:

"Crocodile Rock" (LRB)
"Somebody to Love" (DLC)

Anybody think of any others?