Music games won't be solo gigs anymore

[voivod]

"Guitar Hero" was just the opening act. MTV and the developers of that video game have a headliner in the works called "Rock Band," which lets four music lovers gig together in person or online.

Expected in stores for the year-end holidays, the Electronic Arts game (no price set) for the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 will be played with four instrument-based video game controllers: two guitars (lead and bass), a drum kit and a microphone.

In the popular game "Guitar Hero," players tap color-coded fret keys and strum a guitar-shaped controller in time with scrolling on-screen notes. "Rock Band" "takes the core premise of 'Guitar Hero' and expands it tenfold," says Alex Rigopulos, co-founder of Harmonix, which developed the game and the "Karaoke Revolution" games. "It lets you create a complete collaborative band."

MTV is supplying creative and financial support to the development of "Rock Band," as well as helping make deals with various music publishers.

That means "Rock Band" will have performances by the original artists. In most previous music games, almost every song is done by a cover band. For "Rock Band," some labels plan to supply original recordings. "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," MTV's Jeff Yapp says.

The songs on the new game haven't been revealed yet. Current games include the Allman Brothers, Joan Jett, Kansas, Nirvana and Wolfmother. "We'll be covering a great breadth, from metal to classic rock to Southern rock to everything in between," Rigopulos says.

Online connectivity is a key to the game. The developers envision additional songs for online purchase beyond those in the retail version. And players need not be together to jam. "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," EA's David DeMartini says.The music game phenomenon continues its crescendo. 2005's "Guitar Hero" and this year's "Guitar Hero II" (both for the PlayStation 2) are top sellers, having sold about 3 million copies total, according to The NPD Group. Research firm Interpret says about 6.8 million people have played "Guitar Hero II."

A version of the game for the Xbox 360 is in stores now ($90), and Hands-On Mobile is expected to introduce a cell phone version.

Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter expects music gaming to grow. "Socially interactive musical games will work well, especially if they have a 'party game' aspect to them," he says. "Rock Band" "could definitely expand the game demographics."

[Thai Boxer 9901]

hmmm sounds kinda cool i guess. I have both Guitar Hero games and they are fun enough as it is but having the 3 other people play online like that is gunna be intresting to see. Whats funny though is that my girlfriend was saying a few days ago how they should come out with a drum version of guitar hero where your only playing the drums. I didnt think it was that great of an idea but according to my girlfriend and MTV, I was wrong haha.

[ZeoBandit]

Sounds cool!

[vhrocker]

Pretty cool.

[billy007]

hmmm sounds kinda cool i guess. I have both Guitar Hero games and they are fun enough as it is but having the 3 other people play online like that is gunna be intresting to see. Whats funny though is that my girlfriend was saying a few days ago how they should come out with a drum version of guitar hero where your only playing the drums. I didnt think it was that great of an idea but according to my girlfriend and MTV, I was wrong haha.

Are you kidding? "Drum Lord" would rock the house big time!

[billy007]

Anybody have a line on which is the best reasonably priced (under $30.) drum pedal for "Rock Band"?