Rock Band confirmed for Wii

By Robert Purchese Published 25 March, 2008

No multiplayer or downloadable tracks.

Harmonix, MTV Games and Electronic Arts have confirmed a Wii version of Rock Band is on the way - as promised by silver-haired fox John Riccitiello at the beginning of February.

It will be available in the US in June, with the bundle - game, drums, microphone, wireless guitar - suggested to retail for USD 169.99.

However, the Wii version will not support online multiplayer nor allow you to download additional songs. The PS3 and 360 have enjoyed fresh tracks every week since the American launch last November.

"The Wii version still contains the robust four-player band experience and all the fun at the core of other versions of Rock Band," said a spokesperson for EA US.

"However, because the Wii's online capabilities and potential have yet to be fully realised, we wanted to wait before we explored online functionality for Rock Band to ensure that players get the high-quality of online performance they've come to expect."

Rock Band Wii will contain 63 songs, with stand-alone instruments available from launch.

EA Europe has been contacted for comment.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (20) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • mattigan #1 4 years ago

    Crippled

  • Killerbee #2 4 years ago

    because the Wii's online capabilities and potential have yet to be fully realised

    Blaming the Wii, or is that "because we couldn't get it to work properly..."? Guitar Hero III seems to manage okay - this surely can't be that different? Just a bit of extra bandwith et voila, n'est ce pas?.

    (Fair cop on the downloadable tracks thing though... the sooner Nintendo let people run VC games and extra content off a SD Card, the better.
    Edited by 1 at 25/03/08 @ 08:55

  • Toothball #3 4 years ago

    Europe...

  • Baronen #4 4 years ago

    Feel free to focus on bringing the game on the original platforms to the second largest market in the world, EA. Whenever you feel like it. Come on.

  • TuftyMcTavish #5 4 years ago

    And a stack of Boston tracks for Rock Band 360/PS3 too. I'm crying inside here waiting on it.

  • gingerlink #6 4 years ago

    no downloadable tracks = no still alive?

    no sale...
    Edited by 1 at 25/03/08 @ 10:27

  • kangarootoo #7 4 years ago

    "Blaming the Wii, or is that "because we couldn't get it to work properly..."?"

    I think blaming the Wii is a fine excuse. Online support for the Wii is bobbins.

    Not a major surprise, this news. But a shame none the less.

  • Fitzmogwai #8 4 years ago

    My wish is for all interested parties to pull their fucking fingers out and get these issues fixed, right now. And also for World Peace.

  • Machetazo #9 4 years ago

    Not regarding Wii version, particularly, but when Rock Band finally finishes its arduous (front) crawl across the Atlantic, will it be available in separate SKUs?

    I've never played a guitar rhythm game before but am eager to, and GH3 doesn't impress me (track list/genre focus/style), so I would want to get Rock Band, and only a guitar to use with it. (with a view to getting the drums later - not the whole "set" with multiple instruments in one box)

    Will that option be available? Because otherwise, I'll have little choice but to go with something else, which would be disappointing. :(
    Edited by 1 at 25/03/08 @ 10:56

  • Ikari2001 #10 4 years ago

    I'm seriously considering not buying this game out of protest. If this gets released on the Wii in the US before it gets a release over here, then I think Europe should not buy this game until they discount it to fuck, cos they don't deserve our money! :p

    Seriously, when are they releasing it here? and no doubt, the "new song every week" will turn into "a couple every blue moon" for us.

  • Santino #11 4 years ago

    lazy as hell

  • russraine #12 4 years ago

    Nothing stopping them setting up their own superfast servers, Nintendo doesn't force anyone to use theirs. This is twaddle, the couldn't be bothered to do it, plain and simple.

  • optimusprym8 #13 4 years ago

    EG needs to take a stand and join the protest, no more Rock Band coverage until it's released, or at the very least dated, in EU. Dammit

  • Lebowski #14 4 years ago

    Agree with you optimusprym8. Wii Rock Band gets dated for the good ol' U S of A and still not a bloody word for 360 and PS3 over here. How long will we get Rock Band for until Rock Band 2 and all its inevitable better bells and whistles is announced for Xmas 08?

  • rudedudejude #15 4 years ago

    GH3 Compatability? It's just a remote insert so shouldn't be a problem?

  • kangarootoo #16 4 years ago

    @russraine

    "Nothing stopping them setting up their own superfast servers"

    Is that a joke?

    Servers (even slow ones, let alone "superfast";) cost money you know. You remember money don't you?

  • kangarootoo #17 4 years ago

    "EG needs to take a stand and join the protest"

    They certainly should not. EG should report the news in an unbias fashion like any decent news source, and leave the protests and vitriol to its readership.

  • Balfa #18 4 years ago

    That's pretty pathetic...
    "because the Wii's online capabilities and potential have yet to be fully realised" by developers like us.
    "we wanted to wait", thus preventing the Wii's online capabilities and potential from being fully realised.

    I'm not sure what your point about the SD card is, killerbee. Brawl runs straight off it.

    kangarootoo, "Online support for the Wii is bobbins"... Again, they're the developers. They're the ones who create the online support for the Wii.

  • smelly #19 4 years ago

    No online = no purchase.

    They'll learn

  • kangarootoo #20 4 years ago

    @Balfa

    "Again, they're the developers. They're the ones who create the online support for the Wii."

    No no no no no.

    Both PSN and XBLive have a shed load of APIs that allow developers to get their games online much more easily. Nintendo don't.