14 DAY TRIAL // Among the many kiosks available within the halls of the CTIA convention in San Diego, one dedicated to Rock Band Mobile caught the eye of MobileCrunch staff, who report that Rock Band should soon see a release on the iPhone and iPod touch. Seeing how well the Tap Tap series has done for the folks at Tapulous, Rock Band should prove to be quite the competitor once it’s made available through the App Store.
As the story goes, MobileCrunch staff were “wandering the halls of CTIA convention in San Diego,” when they “spotted a small kiosk dedicated to Rock Band Mobile.” While there were no iPhones featured at the booth, an LCD screen was “endlessly looping through a demo reel of EA Mobile’s portfolio – and therein lied the gold. Right at the end of the reel, it pops up clear as day: Rock Band for iPhone and iPod Touch,” the report reveals. Picture proof is also available of the find (available above – click to enlarge).
Based on content featured in the ad, the iPhone port is said to boast pretty much the same gameplay (no surprise there) as the console versions, with notes flowing down the fretboard and guitar-pick-shaped buttons. However – something that may be well regarded among fans of the series and Apple handset owners –, the app will have premium content, as well as four-player multiplayer via Bluetooth.
Developed by Harmonix and MTV Games, and distributed by Electronic Arts for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, and PSP, Rock Band is (evidently) inspired by the Guitar Hero series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular, rock-music songs by playing with controllers shaped like actual musical instruments, with their being able to play the lead guitar, bass guitar, and drums parts to songs with “instrument controllers,” as well as sing through a USB microphone. Mainly scored on their ability to match scrolling musical “notes” while playing instruments, gamers can also achieve points by matching the singer's pitch on vocals.