EA, Harmonix and MTV rolls out the red carpet for Rock Band

Now there’s gonna be more reason for you music lovers out there to bond with your Xbox 360s and PS3s. From USA Today comes a report that pop channel Harmonix is collaborating with MTV and Electronic Arts to bring you Rock Band, the innovative music game which would allow players to actually jam together, like what a real band does.

Yes, it’s about time you graduate from being just a groupie and be the real star in your own band! Cool, huh?

The plan is that both versions for Microsoft‘s Xbox 360 and Sony‘s PlayStation 3 will have four instrument-based controllers composed of the lead guitar, bass guitar, drum kit, and microphone. The idea was to expand the concept of Guitar Hero, where players follow the on-screen notes with a guitar-shaped controller with color-coded fret keys strapped on to them.

Says Harmonix co-founder Alex Rigopulos, Rock Band “takes the core premise of Guitar Hero and expands it tenfold… It lets you create a complete collaborative band.”

As for MTV’s role in this whole endeavor, the music channel will be helping out with sealing deals with music publishers, as well as providing financial and input for creative support. What’s even more exciting is that Rock Band will be hosting performances by the original artists themselves, and not mere cover bands. Jeff Yapp of MTV says, “This game offers a meaningful way for labels to participate in a segment of entertainment they, for the most part, have not been able to.”

And there’s a little something for everybody, as Rock Band will be catering to all kinds of genre, “from metal to classic rock, Southern rock to everything in between.” For now, the game’s playlist includes the Allman Brothers, Joan Jett, Kansas, Nirvana and Wolfmother.

Given the objective of collaboration in the game, online connectivity is then obviously primordial in Rock Band. Right now, the developers are looking at adding in more songs specifically for the online community. David DeMartini of EA explains, “You could have one guitarist in Germany and another one in Texas, a drummer in New York and a singer from somewhere else, and they can play together online.” Now how about that for some real musical fusion?

There’s still no word as to the price of Rock Band, but news has it that it will be all set to get the tour rolling by the year-end holidays. Until then, keep it posted here for more Rock Band news.

Via USA Today

Now there’s gonna be more reason for you music lovers out there to bond with your Xbox 360s and PS3s. From USA Today comes a report that pop channel Harmonix is collaborating with MTV and Electronic Arts to bring you Rock Band, the innovative music game which would allow players to actually jam together, like what a real band does.

Yes, it’s about time you graduate from being just a groupie and be the real star in your own band! Cool, huh?

The plan is that both versions for Microsoft‘s Xbox 360 and Sony‘s PlayStation 3 will have four instrument-based controllers composed of the lead guitar, bass guitar, drum kit, and microphone. The idea was to expand the concept of Guitar Hero, where players follow the on-screen notes with a guitar-shaped controller with color-coded fret keys strapped on to them.

Says Harmonix co-founder Alex Rigopulos, Rock Band “takes the core premise of Guitar Hero and expands it tenfold… It lets you create a complete collaborative band.”

As for MTV’s role in this whole endeavor, the music channel will be helping out with sealing deals with music publishers, as well as providing financial and input for creative support. What’s even more exciting is that Rock Band will be hosting performances by the original artists themselves, and not mere cover bands. Jeff Yapp of MTV says, “This game offers a meaningful way for labels to participate in a segment of entertainment they, for the most part, have not been able to.”

And there’s a little something for everybody, as Rock Band will be catering to all kinds of genre, “from metal to classic rock, Southern rock to everything in between.” For now, the game’s playlist includes the Allman Brothers, Joan Jett, Kansas, Nirvana and Wolfmother.

Given the objective of collaboration in the game, online connectivity is then obviously primordial in Rock Band. Right now, the developers are looking at adding in more songs specifically for the online community. David DeMartini of EA explains, “You could have one guitarist in Germany and another one in Texas, a drummer in New York and a singer from somewhere else, and they can play together online.” Now how about that for some real musical fusion?

There’s still no word as to the price of Rock Band, but news has it that it will be all set to get the tour rolling by the year-end holidays. Until then, keep it posted here for more Rock Band news.

Via USA Today