Nintendo Wii Fanboy

The latest Game Informer has a feature about Rock Band, with mockups of the controllers. Or, rather, pictures of a microphone and a Fender Stratocaster, and a mockup of the drum kit. The image may or may not resemble the final drum kit, depending on whether or not Harmonix changes the prototype and on whether or not the Game Informer team has learned the secrets of Mega Memory.

According to the caption, "This isn't an exact representation of the drum kit -- Harmonix should reveal the final design soon. We crafted this picture from memory based on the time we played with the prototype." It's got everything we need: stuff to hit and stuff to kick.

[Via Digg]

A Gamespot reader participated in a focus group about Harmonix's Rock Band, and then, being a civic-minded individual, did the Right Thing and blabbed about it to the Internet. Apparently, he was told by the test administrators that the rhythm game would be coming to the Wii. Don't hyperventilate-- we know the idea of an EA game going multiplatform shatters your worldview, but we will get through this together.

Harmonix (developer of the wonderful Frequency and Amplitude, as well as Genuine Cultural Phenomenon Guitar Hero) is considering selling the game, a wireless controller, a microphone, and a drum kit (with a kick pedal) as a bundle. They tested price points of $150, $175, and $200 on the focus group, looking for reactions. Guess which one they preferred?

We don't want to know if you aren't planning on buying this (Harmonix music game = insta-buy for us), but we would like to know which configuration interests you the most. Are you interested in any one instrument in particular? Plan to go in with some friends and form a band? Or are you just going to buy the whole thing yourself?

[Via NeoGAF]

Sure, we could make jokes about how being in a marching band is lame and one's only choice should they be horrible at sports, but we aren't that kind of judgmental blog. Instead, we're the type of blog to pay homage and respect those who manage to convince their superiors that a videogame-inspired medley of tunes should be the focus of the half-time show. That's what this wonderful MSU marching band did, playing tunes from awesome Nintendo games such as Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda.

They also played something from a Microsoft game, we believe. Something having to do with angels?