Harmonix has been coming to accept the new life of a true rock star as it has seen it’s latest game, Rock Band, get a whirlwind of success and stardom a little over two weeks after it’s release.
But like every true star, there are always questions and criticisms that people will have, so Senior Designer Dan Teasdale sat down with MTV Multiplayer to answer some of the more pressing questions about the game.
One of the bigger questions that Teasdale was asked was whether the original manufacturing flaws of the guitars that were part of the launch bundles were still an issue and whether these flawed guitar were still for sale. Teasdale responded:
"The flaws with some of the early guitars were limited to that initial day one batch…it’s a small-to-none chance that these guitars are still on shelves. Naturally, if you have any problems with your instruments, you should contact EA who will replace it free of charge in 60 days."
When asked why there was no Online Band World Tour mode even though the game allows you to have a quick play session with four friends online, Teasdale was quick to point out logistical reasons that have hindered this feature. The largest obstacles were those dealing with connectivity issues as well as being able to accurately track the progress of four different individuals in the band and the difficulty it would be to keep tabs on band members leaving or joining new bands and accounting for this through Rockband.com.
Even though Rock Band has a great set list and continually is releasing new songs, alot of noise has been made about how there aren’t any songs from classic bands such as Led Zeppelin or The Beatles. Teasdale acknowledged this issues and replied,
"We’d love to get these kinds of mega-famous bands into “Rock Band,” but securing licensing and such makes this something that takes a lot longer than other artists."
Teasdale also went on to say that most of the bands that have worked with the team at Harmonix have understood what Rock Band is trying to do for the average non-musician. Most have been very receptive to lending a hand with their music as such is the case with Metallica as they are set to debut an all-new single in the game as a downloadable track.
He explained that, "It’s always tricky working out licensing terms, but as soon as we’ve shown artists the game running, they instantly get the potential in what we’re trying to do. That hard part is no longer a problem [once] these real life legends pick up some sticks, a guitar or a microphone and start belting out songs.
Source: MTV