Harmonix plans to bring something that is ten times what Guitar Hero offered players, with original performances from artists you like.
In a report on USA Today Harmonix co-founder Alex Rigopolus said Rock Band,
which is distributed by EA, “takes the core premise of Guitar
Hero and expands it tenfold… It lets you create a complete
collaborative band.”
Players collaborate online, making music
together with the help of four musical based controllers in the form of
two guitars (lead and bass), a drum kit and a microphone. There will be
online support will include the ability to form bands with people in
other countries.
“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,” said David DeMartini, vice president
and general manager of EA Partners.
Online transactions will be added to the game
as well. MTV, which owns Harmonix, is supporting the game’s production
and negotiating deals with record labels. The plan is to have Rock Band
feature original performances from artists, taking the veridicality of
the game one step further.
Harmonix has previously created Guitar Hero, which used a guitar-shaped
peripheral, plus Frequency, Amplitude and EyeToy: AntiGrav.
The new video game is set to appear on PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360 this Christmas. Rigopulos also promised: “We’ll be
covering a great breadth, from metal to classic rock to Southern rock
to everything in between.”
“Rock band is Harmonix’s most ambitious project to date, and it
will take music gameplay to an entirely new level,” Rigopolous
said.
MTV will establish partnerships with music publishers so that Rock Band
can feature original recordings instead of cover band music that
players are now familiar with in the Guitar Hero franchise. “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 told USA Today.
Guitar Hero II (Harmonix Music Systems / RedOctane) was one of the winners at the 7th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, in the Audio category.
From “Guitar Hero” To “Rock Band” – Music News – Playfuls.com – Fun & Entertainment
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