Thursday, December 16, 2010

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree...

Rock Band 3 is out, I've completed my review and... I'm still playing. That actually says a lot for a video game reviewer in the Christmas season; I typically don't get much of a chance to go back and play games after they've been reviewed... especially at a busy time like Christmas.

I don't have a lot of time to play, but I've been squeezing in a song before work, one when I get home, one before I go to bed... that sort of thing. What's mainly got me coming back for more, at this point, is the leaderboards. They provide a way to be relevant to other players without being overtly social. I'm not the type of person who like to chat a lot when I'm playing videogames. I also am not fond of waiting for other players to be ready, having other players drop out of a game I'm playing or feeling reluctant to simply restart a song because other unseen players would be inconvenienced. So, for me, the leaderboards are awesome.

You don't "opt in" to the leaderboards. You're simply there. You rank wherever you rank, if you have an Internet connection. If you feel intimidated by the rest of the world's rankings, you can choose to view your ranking among just your friends. Personally, I am viewing the world rankings as a challenge.

As of this writing (well, as of last night, on my last attempt at these songs), I had rankings on two songs which- added together - were just under 100:
Pro Keys Expert:
  • Everybody Wants to Rule The World (Tears for Fears): 62

  • Blue Monday (New Order): 36


...and Queen's got Rock Band 3 versions of their songs available, which include Pro Keys parts. That and the Billy Joel pack make for lots more Pro Keys goodness to challenge yourself with...

...see you on the leaderboards...