Peavey Rockmaster

At CES today, Peavey was showing their next generation cross-console compatible Rockmaster controllers.

The Rockmaster is a full size, “real” guitar. For those who prefer the feel, heft, and balance of a wooden instrument, this is leagues beyond other rhythm game guitar controllers. Previously only available for the PS2, they are releasing their updated version in Spring of 2009, which is compatible with PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii.

The new Rockmaster features support for all of the extended features of both Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour, including the touch-sensitive bar, the “shredding” buttons, and wireless connectivity.

I got a chance to play Guitar Hero III with a Rockmaster , and was very impressed with the feel. I found it to be much more comfortable and natural than the tiny plastic instruments that come as pack-ins with the games. If you own Guitar Hero III, Rock Band, Rock Band 2, and Guitar Hero World Tour, there is a decent chance that you have a plethora of instruments and wires. The idea that one could replace it all with two nice wooden guitars is a compelling one.

The MSRP is $199 for the solid color editions, but they will be producing limited edition custom guitars for $399. We saw the Jimmy Buffet “Landshark” guitar on the show floor, and the Peavey representative told us there would be a large selection of custom instruments announced in the near future.

  

 

 

I want the pink one!

Since we upgraded to a PS3 here at ICHQ, the sturdy old PS2 has been relegated to a box in the basement. We spent many happy hours with our PS2 though – games like Final Fantasy X, Shadow of the Colossus, God of War, and Grandia 3 gave us a lot of great gaming memories.

I think back – those games are still totally viable. They still look great, they still play great, and there are tons more. The Playstation 2 library is gigantic – over 2400 games by some estimates. New games are being released today. Now, Sony is pushing the PS2 as a “budget” gaming platform for the 2008 holiday season.

This is great move on Sony’s part – here they have a platform with zero R&D cost, that can be built very cheaply, and publishers are still releasing new games for it. Gamasutra quotes SCEA sales and marketing VP Ian Jackson as saying “In a tight economy, (it) is a great value proposition for the consumer.”

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