-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Rock Band 4 announced for PS4 and Xbox One
- Thread starter GameE
- Start date
OnionPowder
Member
How are these wireless controllers going to work on the new systems?
That's the 'original article' I'm on about. Daniel Sussman says they're 'planning to support everyting they can'. No confirmation whatsoever.
Ugh, now that you mention that, I recently threw away the entire box of GH instruments other than the guitar, and I don't think I saved the wireless adapter for the Guitar.
I'm probably screwed now, eh.
Oh well I like the games enough to buy another. I hope they start revealing that soundtrack soon.
GuitarAtomik
Member
Probably a wireless dongle.
Oppo
Member
i think it really is being held up by last gen MS wireless stuff
I spoke to an Xbox guy at PAX about the new RB and instrument support casually, and even he was like "i have NO idea how they are gonna deal with that shit" (paraphrasing)... it sounds technically fraught
maybe need a conversion box (at extra cost?) for 360 controllers. PS stuff seems to be no issue because it was all open spec USB/BT last gen for them.
I spoke to an Xbox guy at PAX about the new RB and instrument support casually, and even he was like "i have NO idea how they are gonna deal with that shit" (paraphrasing)... it sounds technically fraught
maybe need a conversion box (at extra cost?) for 360 controllers. PS stuff seems to be no issue because it was all open spec USB/BT last gen for them.
On Playstation they're either bluetooth wireless or used a dongle. It would use the existing bluetooth radio or they could write a USB driver to support the old dongles. Maybe Harmonix could license Lab Zero's PS4 driver and repurpose that for GH/RB gear
On Xbox One, they can support the Xplorer and the wired RB1 instruments via a USB driver.
Both the PS4 and One could support MIDI drums via the MIDI Pro adapters from the PS3/360 like RB3 did with a USB driver.
However, the One lacks the radio hardware to talk to Xbox 360 wireless controllers, so the solution there will likely have to be some sort of USB dongle that lets you sync 360 controllers to it. This technically already exists as the USB Windows 360 Controller Wireless Adapter, so Harmonix would have to write a driver for that for the One, but they wouldn't have to invent the hardware from scratch.
In theory, if there was a Wii U version of RB4, it'd be the only platform that could work straight across with no extra work on Harmonix's part. whomp whomp
edit: and of course barring technical possibilities, CORPORATE POLITICS
Yeah, PS4 shouldn't be an issue since the instruments required use of a USB slot in the first place, even if they were wireless. The game would simply need to be programmed to recognize the adapters, and you'll be good to go.
OnionPowder
Member
Fuck that I'd rather get a new set than go through a dongle. The PS3 dongle for GH3 was so bad.
Delusibeta
Banned
I can see Harmonix hitting up Lab Zero and modifying their PS3 driver to support the guitar controllers, but I suspect Xbone owners are going to be SOL.
In the case of GH, you'll probably have to add another one to your collection, from what I understood?
Yeah, bad news on the cost front but the instrument looks like a new way to play (6 stacked buttons) so that will be pretty cool.
postcyberpunk
Banned
We will get news at E3, right? RIGHT?!
Harmonix teased that we would hear more before E3.
Super Rookie
Member
This seems like a pretty crappy reveal, if you ask me. The first video is a bunch of stupid marketing fluff about "blah blah indie culture blah blah improve blah peripheral" and you think, "okay, that tells us nothing about the game but I guess they improved it." And then you watch the second video and it's almost indistinguishable from Rock Band 3.
Then the Q&A is practically nothing, except that I find out my old instruments and DLC will work (I'm losing my DLC and instruments anyway, thanks to switching from 360 to PS4), but it's actually losing features that I liked from Rock Band 3, such as Pro Keyboard and Guitar. And for the one thing I REALLY needed to know, the NEW features, they wouldn't say anything yet. It's clear this is all about stealing Guitar Hero's thunder, because they have practically nothing to say.
And I hate to say it, too. I was always on the Rock Band side of the fence. But if Rock Band 4 is just RB3 plus a few features and minus the Pro Guitar and Pro Keyboard, I don't think I'll get it. Of course I'm still willing to watch for what the new features are, but I'm worried it's "online connectivity" or something I don't care about.
Then the Q&A is practically nothing, except that I find out my old instruments and DLC will work (I'm losing my DLC and instruments anyway, thanks to switching from 360 to PS4), but it's actually losing features that I liked from Rock Band 3, such as Pro Keyboard and Guitar. And for the one thing I REALLY needed to know, the NEW features, they wouldn't say anything yet. It's clear this is all about stealing Guitar Hero's thunder, because they have practically nothing to say.
And I hate to say it, too. I was always on the Rock Band side of the fence. But if Rock Band 4 is just RB3 plus a few features and minus the Pro Guitar and Pro Keyboard, I don't think I'll get it. Of course I'm still willing to watch for what the new features are, but I'm worried it's "online connectivity" or something I don't care about.
It's not just minus pro keyboard, it will be without keys in general.
even then I am personally ok with it just being rock band 3 optimized. RB3 was pretty much all I ever wanted in a music game like this, only thing I would have liked was a much deeper character customization. I'd love for them to go crazy with it and allow me to create most anyone or anything I wanted. If I want to go on stage and have a singer that looks like barny the purple dino I should be able to @_@.
more seriously though, it would be nice to have proper weight sliders. I kind of want to make a bassist that is like 7' 400 pounds shaved head sunglasses and a giant beard.
TheFurizzlyBear
Member
.... It is RB3, there is no RB4 footage yet
Yeah, it's probably good for catching all those people who were happy with the formula and didn't need a new gimmick.
Woah, seriously?! I checked the Q&A and you're right! What a shame. I absolutely loved the keyboard. Heck, my videogame-hating, piano-playing mom loved the keyboard and was always bugging me to set up Rock Band when she visited, so she could play it. I wonder why in the world they would phase it out.
You're right! Well, to me that's good news. It means there could be some real actual improvements. My excitement for the game has still been killed, but they have the chance of winning me back.
keys didn't sell great and keys involved a lot of extra work per song. plus it would be another instrument to remake for RB4 thus they are staying focused on just the core experience.
you also have to keep in mind that Harmonex is a lot smaller now. They are being backed by madcatz not MTV or EA like they had in the past.
Wired All Wrong
Member
Please Harmonix, whatever you do, make it so you only see the songs that are available to play when you are playing online multiplayer. As someone who has a ton of songs I'd like to just quickly pick the on disc, Avenged Sevenfold or Breaking Benjamin songs that people have. Scrolling through my song list is more of a pain than any song the game has. This is my number 1 request for RB4.
postcyberpunk
Banned
Nice. I burned myself out so badly on RB1/2/3/Beatles/GD, but my hype levels for this are through the roof...weird.
aGuyInaBearSuit
Member
So, regarding importing RB1 tracks... How does that work, exactly? Do you need to have imported them into a previous game? Do you still need to have the game disc?
THIS RIGHT HERE
The strange part is the game would actually do this.. for Pro Guitar. It would hide the songs that not everyone had the Pro upgrade for.
But a lot of the time online, it's just scrolling through a sea of grey. Or almost all your songs are available. It's like there's no inbetween, I've noticed.
You'll need to have bought the RB1 export key at some point (it's still available right now). The assumption is they'll turn the RB1 export key into an actual download on next-gen.
chrominance
Member
If ever there was a game that cried out for second-screen tech, this is it. Why can't I just select songs off a tablet or something? The UI has got to be way better than what we have in Rock Band right now. And imagine other people being able to queue up songs, while other people are playing, for when it's their turn.
postcyberpunk
Banned
How does one buy the RB1 export key? Physical release or off HMX website. Also, can I do the same for RB2?
guitarhero
Member
A.D. Skinner
Member
For the Xbox, it's a menu option in the Extras section, the export key is bought through there and the disc is ripped. No DLC, except for the token.
postcyberpunk
Banned
Do I have to purchase on the PS3? All I have is the 4. Thanks!
postcyberpunk
Banned
Ah, right. Okay, thanks.
Does one key grant you access to export from BOTH RB1 and RB2 on PS3?
Also, could you export several times from one and the same disc?
(I remember you could with RB1 export on 360, not sure about RB2)
EDIT: For clarification, my second question concerns whether the same disc could be used by different users to export.
I had my RB stuff on 360 last gen but a PS4 this gen, so I'm thinking of trying to pick up used RB1/RB2/RB3 discs to guarantee access to the old songs when RB4 comes around.
RB1 only needed the key to export. Any disc could be used, so multiple people could just pay for the 5$ key and pass a disc around to rip the songs off the disc.
RB2 was an actual download, so only one export per manual code was available. RB2 disc wasn't involved at all. HOWEVER, if you contacted EA they would give you a free RB2 manual key anyway, and at that point you only had to pay the usual 10$ fee. Official support for the RB2 export is over now, though. There's a slim chance EA can give you a working key. You had to put the key into RB3 itself.
In theory, all they're going to do is turn the RB1 key into an actual download in your PS4/One download history, and RB2 will just be a download again if your already exported. I don't think MS or Sony are interested in allowing their consoles to read previous gen discs, and they can track you via the RB1 export key anyway.
If your'e attempting to switch to PS4, all you can do now is buy the RB1 export key for PS3 via the web and try to find new PS3 Track Pack discs and redeem the code inside them for their songs.
postcyberpunk
Banned
I am really hoping that HMX will just put all the previous songs and exports up on the store for when RB4 launches. I no longer have the original account with all my purchases and no way to retrieve it, so I don't mind buying the exports or certain songs over again.
Assumption at this point is they'll put previous songs up on the next gen stores as they get converted. They've already said disc songs/exports are licensed differently and can't just be re-released as DLC.
The only disc export re-released as normal DLC was Green Day. They had the advantage of that being one band to negotiate with :v I also think if you buy the store songs, they only work in RB3, even though exporting Green Day lets you play it in 1/2/3/Lego.
Thanks for the info. That's a shame about RB2 export. One great thing about the RB revival is the supposed backwards compatibility, if I lose almost a third of my library and some of my favorite songs that's a shame. Not exactly psyched about the other alternative either, which would be to buy an Xbox One.
Any idea what would be the best hook to get EA to hand me a RB2 manual key?
Thanks for the info. That's a shame about RB2 export. One great thing about the RB revival is the supposed backwards compatibility, if I lose almost a third of my library and some of my favorite songs that's a shame. Not exactly psyched about the other alternative either, which would be to buy an Xbox One.
Any idea what would be the best hook to get EA to hand me a RB2 manual key?
Just call their customer service and try.
When I did it for RB2 while the export was officially supported it was literally "i need a key" "here's your key". Nowadays people still try, but a lot of the times the rep will end up giving you codes that redeem the Metal Track Pack or other unrelated Rock Band content, lol
postcyberpunk
Banned
Fine by me if this occurs... though I would want them to concentrate on new songs first.
given the smaller team and what not I am personally expecting them to go back to the weekly DLC releases, but 3 weeks in a month they will be legacy tracks that people can get for free if they owned them previously and then the 4th week each month is new tracks.
PROh1bited
Banned
Hmmm, I wonder what song they'll use? Aeroplane? Around the World?
Kor of Memory
Member
I'm honestly surprised it wasn't a band with Dave Grohl in it somewhere.
Jawmuncher
Member
So it said compatibility with all the old guitars, but I really hope they go into specifics. Since I would guess the Wireless ones will need a dongle on X1 if it's a 360 controller.
PROh1bited
Banned
They haven't gone into specifics, but their plan is to have all RB and GH instruments. But my guess is that it'll need some sort of dongle for them to work. But Microsoft might work some magic, and maybe it'll connect like normal.
Baron von Loathsome
Member
Around the World would be cool.