Rock Band Stealth Head Drum Kit - "Whisper Quiet, Deadly Accurate"

After the release of Rock Band, many gamers started rocking to more than 900 of their favorite tunes provided via the Rock Band Music Store. However, there was always one problem. The drumset would slowly begin to break after each song. Not only that, but the set was as noisy as can be. After having my Rock Band drumset for a year, I was unable to complete a song without having problems such as the drums not recognizing my hits.

This is where the Goodwood Mods' Rock Band Stealth Drum Kit comes in! The Goodwood Mods are simply the best alternative to the quality that Harmonix provides you with. The mod is a set of replacement pads that you can install to make your drumming experience more realistic. The installation took me about 1 hour to complete and had about an easy to moderate level of difficulty in putting the set together. The mod requires you to pry open your Drum Set stock pads and replace a wire that is connected to the unit, which will void your warranty on the Drum Set. Doing this could damage the set, so I recommend you get someone with experience to do it if you are not sure you can do it yourself (see installation instructions here).

After switching from my Rock Band 2 drum pads (that have worn out), I immediately noticed that the Goodwood Mods were much quieter, sexier, and bouncier than the stock pads. The velocity sensitive feature was also included in this set, although it really does not make a huge difference as far as gameplay goes. The first thing I did after installing the kit is boot up Rock Band 2, and start playing "Run to the Hills" by Iron Maiden. For those who do not know, this song strictly rolls on the red pad which, on the Goodwood Mods, was easier to do and took less effort than the previous Rock Band 2 drum kit setup. On the Rock Band 2 drum pads, I was able to hit an average of 92% of the notes on this track, but using the Goodwood Mods I achieved an average of 97% percent. The bounce on the Goodwood Mods was the contributing factor.

I want to point out the quietness of the set because I think that is a very important part in deciding if you should purchase the Goodwood Mods or not. On the previous Rock Band drum set from Harmonix, I noticed that the sets made such a noisy disturbance that it was hard to listen to the music you are playing unless it was cranked up really loud. The Goodwood Mods uses a wire mesh that sounds virtually silent. I was especially happy when I could hear the drum noises while playing "The Trees" by Rush.

Now, don't base your purchase of the Goodwood Mods if you're thinking that this will make you a better drummer on Rock Band. This will only improve your score based on your current abilities; meaning, you will be able to hit rolls better and do some faster beats with less effort. You won't be able to jump from Medium difficulty to Expert just like that. However, in saying that, the Goodwood Mods will help you improve your gameplay and your scores (especially with some of the tough rolls that some tracks dish out).

Is it worth it? I must admit, I had my doubts on the product when I first heard about it, but their slogan "Whisper Quiet, Deadly Accurate" really puts out what I want to say. For $99, I think any hardcore Rock Band drummer will enjoy this mod as much as I did. If you are looking to upgrade your kit without paying the cost of the ION Drum Rocker, this is definitely the upgrade for you!

The Goodwood Mods will work on the Rock Band drum kit along with the Rock Band 2 drum kit on any platform (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii models). If you would like to purchase the Goodwood Mods set, please visit www.goodwoodmods.com.

In early 2010, North American DS/DSi owners will be able to purchase the new version of the Korg DS-10. The Korg DS-10 Plus is being developed by Cavia, Inc. and Procyon Studios, with the assistance of musical instrument company Korg. Coming from game publisher XSEED Games, this music creation tool is a remake of the heralded Korg MS-10 specifically catered to the DS and with additional features for the DSi.

New features for Korg DS-10 Plus for the DS/DSi versions include per-track Mute/Solo built into the Song mode, and Edit/Play enabled for all modes within the Song mode for further improved real-time performance.

Nintendo DSi owners can enjoy additional exclusive improvements including 12-voice polyphony, 4 tracks for the analog synthesizer, 2 drum machines and more. Also available exclusively when played on the DSi are 2 effects layers, essentially giving users the functionality of two original Korg DS-10’s in one for the ultimate in music creation.

“We are extremely pleased to build on the success of the original Korg DS-10 with the Korg DS-10 Plus,” stated Jun Iwasaki, President of XSEED Games.

Lookout for Korg DS-10 Plus to hit North American shores in Early 2010. Keep a lookout for more from XSEED Games.

GameFly is offering some great deals on their previously played games starting today, through October 26th. You can get a couple of really good games at a low price. Members save an additional 10%, so that could mean a couple of bucks extra savings on some of the games. For $10 each (before 10% off), you can get games like Mirror's Edge, Lord of the Rings: Conquest, Deadly Creatures and more. For $12 each, you can get H.A.W.X. and Tom Clancy's EndWar. At $15 each, there are games like Halo Wars, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

What is great about GameFly's pre-played games is that all game boxes and instructions are included, in like-new condition, since they are never shipped out for game rentals. The discs are in pretty good shape themselves and GameFly offers a 100% guarantee that they work.

Here are a few details from GameFly on their $20 Blowout sale:
- Paying members receive free shipping on all pre-played titles.
- Pricing is valid on orders placed from October 20 through October 26, 2009.
- You must be logged in to the GameFly website to see your Rewards discounts.

Visit the GameFly store soon (here) to take advantage of the game sale. Members will need to sign in to see the discounted price.

EA Sports has announced the traveling EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer 10 Tour, taking place now through November. Keep a lookout for the tour van above, because not only will you get a chance to play some FIFA Soccer 10, but you'll also get a chance at some prizes, including a PSPgo system. Packed inside are new PlayStation 3 120GB systems hooked up to TVs, for FIFA Soccer 10 competitions.

Here are the details on the tour, taking place simultaneously on the East Coast and West Coast:

EAST COAST:
10/17 - 10/18 Chicago, IL
10/24 - 10/25 Boston, MA
10/31 - 11/1 New York City, NY
11/7 - 11/8 Baltimore, MD/Roanoke, VA
11/14 - 11/15 Raleigh, NC
11/21 Atlanta, GA
11/22 Columbus, OH

WEST COAST:
10/24 - 10/25 Denver, CO
10/31 - 11/1 Seattle, WA
11/7 - 11/8 San Francisco, CA
11/14 - 11/15 Los Angeles, CA
11/21 San Diego, CA
11/22 Las Vegas, NV

Follow @EAFIFA10Tour on Twitter or the Facebook Fan Page for updates on the EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer 10 Tour.

FIFA Soccer 10 is available in North America starting today, October 20th. It has already enjoyed a successful launch in Europe, selling 1.7 million copies during the first seven days.

See more details on FIFA Soccer 10 at www.FIFA.EASports.com and watch for the FIFA Soccer 10 Tour Van in your area!

Think you're among the top ODSTs? The World Cyber Games (WCG) and Samsung Electronics America will be kicking off a Halo 3 ODST tournament this weekend, on October 24th and 25th. At stake is over $5,000 in cash, along with some Samsung monitors and cameras. You may even win something for just attending the event.

Details of the Halo 3 ODST tournament:

Saturday October 24th & Sunday October 25th

The Samsung Experience, located at the Time Warner Center
10 Columbus Circle, Third Floor
New York, NY 10019
212-823-9520 x202

See the full details of the Halo 3 ODST tournament at www.WCG.com/usa. Good luck!

Another legendary band is going at it LEGO-style for LEGO Rock Band. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and MTV Games have confirmed that Queen will be appearing as LEGOs in the upcoming LEGO Rock Band game. “This is IT! I wanna play! When do I get my toy LEGO man?” said Queen guitarist Brian May.

See a gameplay trailer below of LEGO Queen playing their LEGO Rock Band track “We Are The Champions.”

Queen joins Iggy Pop, David Bowie and Blur in eternal LEGO-style. Any guesses who will be announced next? Elton John? The Police? Bon Jovi? See the full tracks included in LEGO Rock Band here and take a guess!

LEGO Rock Band will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Nintendo DS in November 2009. Visit the official website for LEGO Rock Band here.

Rocket Knight is making a comeback from the SEGA Genesis era with an all new 2.5D game. Konami today announced Rocket Knight will be arriving for the Xbox LIVE Arcade (Xbox 360), PlayStation Network (PS3) and Steam (PC). Rocket Knight won't be here until 2010, but at least you know Konami is bringing it back. Pricing has not been announced and "Rocket Knight" is the working title of the game.

"Konami's classic 2D action platform titles have a legacy of being well received and enjoyed by gamers worldwide," said David Daniels, Director of Marketing at Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. "So it was only natural that we bring Sparkster, our favorite opossum hero, to next generation consoles with a combination of elevated graphics, all new environments and of course, the signature rocket action gameplay."

About Rocket Knight, from Konami:
"In Rocket Knight, players take on the role of a fiery opossum named Sparkster who returns home to the Kingdom of Zephyrus after 15 years to find it in shambles. Using wits and a trusty rocket pack, players must steer clear and overcome a hostile wolf army looming to take the lives of the Zephyrus people. A 2.5D action adventure title, Rocket Knight brings expansive new worlds, each with massive platform levels and a rocket flying level. As players navigate through the challenges, their rocket pack can be used to ricochet off walls, launch Sparkster through obstacles and enemies in his way, and rocket drill through weak walls to create new passageways. Along with burst projectiles that shoot from Sparkster's sword to attack distant foes, a burst vortex can also be created from players' rocket pack to repel enemy bombs back at them. If all else fails, players can use Sparkster's prehensile tail to hang from and slide down rails in order to avoid danger. With timed levels and leaderboards, dedicated players will also be able to show off their high scores and fastest times online."

Follow updates on Rocket Knight via the official Twitter account, @konami_rocket. Konami recently gave 1up.com some exclusive sneak peeks at the game. You can see a gameplay preview trailer of Rocket Knight, in comparison to the 16-bit game, here on 1up.com.

Nintendo UK has announced a Limited Edition Black Wii Sports Resort bundle. If you're in the UK or Republic of Ireland, you'll be able to get it on November 6th. Other regions in Europe will get the Wii bundle on November 20th. It's listed for £179.99 (about $295 USD) from retailers such as gamestation.co.uk.

Here's what's included in the Limited Edition Black Wii bundle (all in black):
- Wii console
- Wii Remote
- Wii Nunchuk
- Wii MotionPlus
- Wii Sports Resort game
- Wii Sports game

Other controllers will be available separately in Europe beginning November 20th, in black as well, including the Classic Pro, Wii Remote controller, Wii Motion Plus and Nunchuck controllers. The black colored Wii system is also offered in Japan, but has not been announced for North America. Nintendo America is releasing a Black Wii Remote, MotionPlus and Nunchuk on November 16th. See more details on the US release of the black Wii controllers here.

From Nintendo UK

Fieldrunners is enjoying some continued success. Originally available from the App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch (here), the PSP and PSPgo release of Fieldrunners is on the top 10 best seller list of PlayStation Network games. Fieldrunners comes from game developer Subatomic Studios. It is one of the debut PSP minis games, which is available for $6.99 from the PlayStation Network. Fieldrunners won't take much room of your media storage, weighing in at 29MB. Fieldrunners is a great looking tower defense game where you fight off waves of invaders by placing towers strategically on the playing field. Even if you have Fieldrunners on your iPhone or iPod touch, you'll want to check it out on the PSP for some of its unique features on the platform.

Here are some of the unique features of the PSP and PSPgo release:
- New maps, towers and fieldrunners
- Enhanced graphics, visual effects and music
- Fine-tuned precision controls

To get Fieldrunners from the PlayStation Store, just go to the PlayStation Network on your PSP (or via your PS3) and go to the minis menu from the PSP Games option. You can also purchase it from your PC using the PSP's Sony Media Go software.

See more on Fieldrunners here at the official website.

How is the video game industry holding out during these economic times? The NPD Group has provided the September 2009 industry game sales based on its measurement of retail sales. The September 2009 videogame sales were $472.28 million in hardware system sales and $649.32 million in software (game) sales.

In gaming hardware, it was a dramatic change for the PlayStation 3. The PS3 hit the #2 spot and broke the Wii's long running streak at the top of the charts, as well as passing the Xbox 360's lead. This is thanks to the new $299.99 PS3 120GB system and new form factor. The Nintendo DS still sits atop the bunch, remaining as the #1 selling game hardware.

For game sales, it's no surprise that the Halo series once again claims the month of September, with Halo 3 ODST being the number one selling game for the month. Wii Sports Resort maintains the #2 spot. The Beatles: Rock Band beat out Guitar Hero 5 sales. Batman: Arkham Asylum for the PS3 remained on the charts from last month.

Here's the breakdown of September 2009 video game industry sales, based on units, from the NPD Group (via IndustryGamers.com):

Game hardware sales (in units) for September 2009:
1. DS and DSi - 524.2K units
2. PlayStation 3 - 491.8K units
3. Wii - 462.8K units
4. Xbox 360 - 352.6K units
5. PlayStation Portable - 190.4K units
6. PlayStation 2 - 146K units

Game software sales (in units) for September 2009:
1. Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360) from Microsoft - 1.52M units
2. Wii Sports Resort (Wii) from Nintendo - 442.9K units
3. Madden NFL 10 (Xbox 360) from Electronic Arts - 289.6K units
4. Mario & Luigi : Bowser's Inside Story (DS) from Nintendo - 258.1K units
5. The Beatles: Rock Band (Xbox 360) from MTV Games and EA - 254.0K units
6. Madden NFL 10 (PlayStation 3) from Electronic Arts - 246.5K units
7. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (Xbox 360) from Activision Blizzard - 236.0K units
8. Batman: Arkham Asylum (PlayStation 3) from Eidos Interactive - 212.5K units
9. Guitar Hero 5 (Xbox 360) from Activision Blizzard - 210.8K units
10. The Beatles: Rock Band (Wii) from MTV Games and EA - 208.6K units

See how the hardware and game sales looked for August 2009 here. For October 2009, you can expect the Wii to rise to the top of the hardware charts again, since Nintendo dropped the price of the system for the first time. The Wii is down to $199.99, from $249.99. October is going to be a busy month for game sales as well. Expect Uncharted 2: Among Thieves to be up on the charts, along with Wii Fit Plus, FIFA Soccer 10 and it won't be a surprise to see Wii Sports Resort still there.