Which console to buy to play Rockband?

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kreidel

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 9, 2004
Messages
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My wife who does not play games tried Rockband and wants it. She played it on a Wii but which system is best? Do the different systems offer different options(downloads, better audio,etc)

I don't game but I might play a baseball game one, maybe not. This console will be only play Rockband and maybe Gutair Hero.
 
the PS3 version is completely wireless so i would say go with that, i have it for the the 360 which is wired but i got a smoking deal on it. but i wished i spent the extra money and got the PS3 version.

and

the PS3 will also give the best blu ray player on the market, the best media hub in my opinion,
 
kreidel said:
My wife who does not play games tried Rockband and wants it. She played it on a Wii but which system is best? Do the different systems offer different options(downloads, better audio,etc)

I don't game but I might play a baseball game one, maybe not. This console will be only play Rockband and maybe Gutair Hero.
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buy a ps2 for 50 bucks and get rock band and the guitar hero games on that. From your post, you clearly don't want or need a ps3 or 360, or even an overpriced wii.
 
360-
RB2 exclusive
GH3 controllers are compatible (and better than the RB ones). Cheaper for a new system.
 
The exclusive is RB2 or that it will work with GH3 stuff? I don't own the GH3.
 
Well so far Neversoft has announced that Rock Band peripherals will work on Guitar Hero: World Tour, but so far they only announced that for the 360, you may wanna wait a month or so because the new games are coming out sept/oct and I'm sure some important announcements will be made.
 
Wii is the cheapest. If it is only used for Rockband, PS3 would also be another good one. You could use it as a Blu-Ray player also.
 
Technoob said:
buy a ps2 for 50 bucks and get rock band and the guitar hero games on that. From your post, you clearly don't want or need a ps3 or 360, or even an overpriced wii.
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Best suggestion and the cheapest.:)
 
hdawg06 said:
Wii is the cheapest. If it is only used for Rockband
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$199 360 arcade says otherwise... plus of course the Wii Rockband is gimped, as is the PS2 one.

But the smart answer is still to wait for Rockband 2. Buying the original makes no sense when the new one is around the corner (September).
 
RockBand 2 isn't a 360 exclusive

there maybe some exclusive music but the game is multi platform

personally with the blu ray factor the PS3 is still your best bet if you the cheapest than the PS2
 
Rockband 2 is a time limited exclusive for the 360... I think that's what the poster was trying to say. I think you'd have to be batshit mental to buy a PS3 for rockband unless you really, really wanted blu-ray. In which case it's a good option.

PS2 is a bit silly when you consider how much more you get for your extra $100 (Netflix streaming, downloadable movies, access to all the new games, useable as a media center, primetime etc etc)
 
Psychotext said:
Rockband 2 is a time limited exclusive for the 360... I think that's what the poster was trying to say. I think you'd have to be batshit mental to buy a PS3 for rockband unless you really, really wanted blu-ray. In which case it's a good option.

PS2 is a bit silly when you consider how much more you get for your extra $100 (Netflix streaming, downloadable movies, access to all the new games, useable as a media center, primetime etc etc)
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He's a non gamer and his wife's not a gamer.

You can get a ps2 for 50 bucks on craigslist or ebay anytime. Advising non gamers to spend 200-400 bucks on a console they won't use for anything but rockband isn't very good advice.

If the op can afford it, that's a different matter.
 
Psychotext said:
Which is why the PS3 (if you want BR) or the 360 make more sense... because they do far more than traditional consoles like the Wii / PS2.
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well, now you're adding stuff. He didn't say "I want to play rockband and I also need a blu ray player" or "I want to play rock band and i also happen to want to stream netflix movies."

OP said he wants a rock band playing machine, nothing more. All of the options have different added value, but he didn't ask for added value.
 
plus in my local wal-mart Rockband has been knocked down to $99 for the PS2 version
 
Technoob said:
OP said he wants a rock band playing machine, nothing more. All of the options have different added value, but he didn't ask for added value.
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Whilst you're technically right... lol all the same.

Offering advice because he might not understand the difference between all these options is hardly a bad thing. Like who knows, he may want to download extra songs later which obviously the PS2 and Wii versions can't do. He didn't specify wanting to do it - but he did ask about extra features so the info is harmless. :p
 
Psychotext said:
Whilst you're technically right... lol all the same.

Offering advice because he might not understand the difference between all these options is hardly a bad thing. Like who knows, he may want to download extra songs later which obviously the PS2 and Wii versions can't do. He didn't specify wanting to do it - but he did ask about extra features so the info is harmless. :p
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I know, informed consumer = good consumer, not trying to shit on your information. I'm coming from the "here's the cheapest ass way to let your wife play rockband so she can polish your microphone"

:)
 
Psychotext said:
$199 360 arcade says otherwise... plus of course the Wii Rockband is gimped, as is the PS2 one.

But the smart answer is still to wait for Rockband 2. Buying the original makes no sense when the new one is around the corner (September).
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And it not being out is a problem now, is it not? Maybe in a month when the price cut comes you can voice that option.

Last time I checked 279>249
 
What difference does it not being out make? If he's willing to wait... he waits. If not, he doesn't.
 
Thanks for the replies. Downloading more songs would be great! I don't want to spend any money but if I do I want to get the best running and futureproof machine. Maybe one day BluRay would be something I would use but honestly it doesnt matter to me as far as movies go. I doubt I would use Netflix either. I use to own consoles and the last one I owned was an Xbox right when it came out but after 2 months I sold it. Just not my thing anymore. Does it cost extra money to use PS3 or 360 on the internet?
 
kreidel said:
Thanks for the replies. Downloading more songs would be great! I don't want to spend any money but if I do I want to get the best running and futureproof machine. Maybe one day BluRay would be something I would use but honestly it doesnt matter to me as far as movies go. I doubt I would use Netflix either. I use to own consoles and the last one I owned was an Xbox right when it came out but after 2 months I sold it. Just not my thing anymore. Does it cost extra money to use PS3 or 360 on the internet?
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Xbox Live costs 50 bucks a year. PS3's online is free.
 
Depends what you want to do. If you want to play online you have to pay for Live... but everything like messaging friends, downloading demos / games / DLC is free (which is why I guess so many people don't bother).
 
DuffMan72 said:
Xbox Live costs 50 bucks a year. PS3's online is free.
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That's not quite true. Live Silver is free and will let him download songs. Live Gold is not free, and will let him play against others online.
 
What I would do is wait until the first week of September when the price drops and pick up an Xbox 360 Arcade for $199. That way, you can still download songs but the whole thing will only cost you $199 + the price of Rockband to get rolling. You don't have to pay for an Xbox Live gold account unless you're playing games against other people online. An Xbox Live silver account is 100% free. The Arcade doesn't come with a hard drive, but it does come with a 256MB memory card. Honestly, if you're just going to be playing Rockband and Guitar Hero, a 256MB memory card would probably be just fine unless you're hellbent on downloading the entire library of new songs. But then you could just go and pick up a second memory card, or a hard drive if you really needed it. Also, if you ever decide that you do want to try other games besides Rockband, the 360 has the best game library at the moment.

The one downside is that the rock band controllers will be wired (instead of wireless on PS3), but considering you are saving about $200, I wouldn't want to spend an extra $200 just for wireless controllers. Don't pick up the Wii or PS2 version unless you want the gimped version of the game without the ability to download songs. Getting the PS2 version would overall only save you $60 anyway (you still have to buy the $120 console, and it doesn't come with the $20 memory card either). And the Wii would actually be more expensive.
 
I thought it was just the guitar that is wireless on the PS3 version? Isn't everything else wired on both?

/hasn't bought it yet, waiting for RB2
 
I would say WII hands down. I already broke 3 foot pedals, one of them not being mine :eek:. The wii has virtual drums, no need to worry about packing or setting up drums each time you want to play Rockband or destorying foot pedals. The only reason you should fo after the 360 or PS3 version is for the hard drive space for purchasing songs over marketplace or through the PSN store
 
Sixthsense said:
I would say WII hands down. I already broke 3 foot pedals, one of them not being mine :eek:. The wii has virtual drums, no need to worry about packing or setting up drums each time you want to play Rockband or destorying foot pedals
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Yes, but the virtual drums also make it much more hard to play. The copies of rock band coming out now have the foot pedals fixed anyway.
 
PWMK2 said:
Yes, but the virtual drums also make it much more hard to play. The copies of rock band coming out now have the foot pedals fixed anyway.
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By addresing what in particular? is it made out of steel? I already stated I've gone through two myself 1 not being mine.
 
I'd have to put my vote in for the PS3:

It has built-in Wifi (360 has it with an $89 CDN addon), and you can download new songs when they come out via PSN
The guitar controllers are wireless (wasn't aware the 360 one aren't), especially important for when/if alcohol gets involved
If using an 80gb PS3, it has 4 usb ports, so no separate hub required :)
 
Something I didn't see while scanning through this thread... Aren't the PS2 and Wii versions of Rockband stripped down compared to the PS3 and 360 versions? They don't have the world tour mode if I remember correctly. For me that would be enough to take those systems out of consideration.
 
I would say grab a cheap PS3 on ebay or something like that. They can be found. The Xbox for a lower price sounds cool, but thats not until september! If you are a true gamer, you want it NOW! (or maybe thats just the enthusiast inside of me talking)

I think everything has been stressed here though. The PS3 is the all in all "best" console, but it isnt the cheapest, the xbox360 being the runner up (please dont start a flame war) and the wii and ps2 not even close. If you want to have some security for your future HD endeavors, the blu-ray is a nice add on. If the 360 had an hd playback that wasnt scrapped because of the blu-ray's success, then I would say go for it. I know you arent a gamer, but todays consoles can be for more than just games.

Final Verdict
If you have the money: PS3
If you dont want to wait any longer than you already are: PS2 for real cheap
If you want to wait it out a month or two for prices to go down: Xbox 360
If you want more than just a console and more of a media center: PS3 (#1) Xbox360 (#2)
 
HakBilal said:
I would say grab a cheap PS3 on ebay or something like that. They can be found. The Xbox for a lower price sounds cool, but thats not until september! If you are a true gamer, you want it NOW! (or maybe thats just the enthusiast inside of me talking)
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but the OP already stated he wasn't much of a gamer.

HakBilal said:
I think everything has been stressed here though. The PS3 is the all in all "best" console, but it isnt the cheapest, the xbox360 being the runner up (please dont start a flame war) and the wii and ps2 not even close.
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*sigh* If you know what you post is going to start a flame war, don't post it in the first place. I don't know why you consider the PS3 the "best" console, but I will say that for a guy who is just looking to play Rockband, as the OP had clearly stated, getting a $300 Xbox 360 right now or waiting a month to get it for $200 is a lot better than getting a $400 PS3. Extra features that differentiate the PS3 and 360 (basically blu-ray support) have no real bearing on this decision in that case.

Sixthsense said:
By addresing what in particular? is it made out of steel? I already stated I've gone through two myself 1 not being mine.
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I don't know the specifics behind the engineering on the new pedals, but they have been fine for a few months now. They even have a website set up for people needing replacements (you kind of have to go through a menu, though): https://ea.riverstarsoftware.com/ea_inventory/rockband.php

meatycheesyboy said:
Something I didn't see while scanning through this thread... Aren't the PS2 and Wii versions of Rockband stripped down compared to the PS3 and 360 versions? They don't have the world tour mode if I remember correctly. For me that would be enough to take those systems out of consideration.
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Yes. In addition to the fact that you can't download new songs, a huge chunk of the actual game is missing. The PS2 and Wii versions are really only for people who already have a PS2 or a Wii and don't want to get a new console.
 
Here's what I would consider the two main options:

1. Wait for X360 price drop + Rock Band 2 (September). Rent/borrow Rock Band 1 and pay the $5-$15? Fee to transfer the songs to RB2. This option gets the best instrument pack (improved wireless drums, improved wireless guitar) and the most songs. DLC songs are also available as Live Silver is free.

2. Buy PS3 and buy RB1. Gets wireless guitar, wired drums. Rock Band 2 is yet to be announced with a solid date but will eventually come for PS3 most likely by the end of the year. You'll be forced with the decision to buy the whole RB2 set and sell your RB1 instruments or just get disc only version. Chances are the original songs from RB1 will keep you busy enough until RB2 hits for the PS3.

I wouldn't even consider getting RB1 for X360 at this point with RB2 a month and a bit away.
 
kreidel said:
My wife who does not play games tried Rockband and wants it. She played it on a Wii but which system is best? Do the different systems offer different options(downloads, better audio,etc)

I don't game but I might play a baseball game one, maybe not. This console will be only play Rockband and maybe Gutair Hero.
Click to expand...

usually you buy the version that it was first made for.

So was is made for PS3 or xbox first? That's the version you buy. If it was made for both versions at the same time then it does not matter.
 
Shit... I only just read the "she played it on a wii" bit.

The answer is clear. If she played it on a Wii, buy it on a Wii. Plus you can get Wii Fit / whatever too.
 
It may not be an issue for everyone, but I think not having the DLC would really make Rock Band less interesting to me.

It's a money sink and all but it really does add life to the game and all the songs are supposed to work with RB2 as I recall.

That plus better services for online MP make the 360 and PS3 versions more appealing I think...but, that's a huge waste of money to ONLY play Rock Band.

Heck, we bought a 360 last year partially so my girl could play GH2 and I've wound up being really glad I had one. Lots of cool games and I love the streaming media features of the top tier consoles.
 
Mavvy911 said:
I'd have to put my vote in for the PS3:

It has built-in Wifi (360 has it with an $89 CDN addon), and you can download new songs when they come out via PSN
The guitar controllers are wireless (wasn't aware the 360 one aren't), especially important for when/if alcohol gets involved
If using an 80gb PS3, it has 4 usb ports, so no separate hub required :)
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Xbox 360 doesnt have WiFi built in? How many USB hubs are on a 360 and a Wii?
 
kreidel said:
Xbox 360 doesnt have WiFi built in? How many USB hubs are on a 360 and a Wii?
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Correct, the Xbox 360 doesn't have built-in WiFi, requires a separate WiFi network adapter (Amazon.com Link)

The 360 has 3 USB ports, one of which the WiFi adapter will take up should you get one.
 
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