I don’t review a lot of non-game XBLIGs, but there are a few that stand out as insane value. “Drum Studio: Platinum Edition” is one of them. In a single 80 Microsoft Point purchase you get a music creation app that uses music game drum controllers, and has an insanely long list of features including:
– 320 different drum types to choose from (seriously a ridiculously long list)
– record/edit songs
– share songs online
– option to use regular controllers instead of drum controllers
– jamming with groups of up to 8 people over Xbox Live
– up to four people jamming on a single Xbox
– up to 8 simultaneous users over system link (XBLIG is the last bastion of system link on the 360, it seems, and good on them)
– Avatar support, which actually works well when jamming away online, and really adds to the experience more than you’d think
When I say editing, I mean editing. Save what you play, loop it, mix it, layer it, you name it. You can even re-load a previously saved song you created and add to it or re-edit it. If you have absolutely no interest in music creation then nothing in this app will change your mind, but I did enjoy bashing on the drums and seeing what I could come up with so I’d recommend downloading the trial and giving it a try. You certainly won’t find anything more fully featured.
Here’s what the developer (All Seeing Eye Games) has to say about the game:
“Record songs, share them online, and jam with your friends in real-time over Xbox LIVE in All Seeing Eye Games’ Drum Studio: Platinum Edition. This new iteration of the award-winning Drum Studio features all-new graphics, Avatar support, and online play to share your musical creations with the world. Create and share music like never before in Drum Studio: Platinum Edition.”
Writings of Mass Deduction 