As Harmonix's rhythm game sequel hits stores this week, the Boston-based company has also confirmed that it will have downloadable content and compatibility with all Wii instruments.
With nary a peep from Harmonix, MTV Games, or EA over the past few months about the Wii release of Rock Band 2, the silence has been broken as the Wii iteration of the game is scheduled to ship to stores on December 18. After criticism from Chris Kohler at Wired Game|Life, Harmonix responded, confirming that the Wii version will feature downloadable content through the SD card, continuous online support, robust character creation, and full compatibility with all Wii instruments.
After the disappointing stripped-down port of the first Rock Band for Wii, Harmonix will respond with a full-featured version of the sequel which will have everything the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions have. Although not all of the downloadable content will be available on launch day, Harmonix pledges to eventually release all of the same content that has been released on the other systems. At launch, Rock Band 2 for Wii will have over 100 songs to choose from, including 84 on-disc songs and the 20 free downloadable songs from smaller artists. The Wii version is being developed by Houston-based Pi Studios, who "literally worked through a hurricane to bring this game in before the holidays."
In the future, Harmonix pledges to get every future Wii version of Rock Band to launch alongside the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. Time will tell if Harmonix sticks to their word.