Developer: Harmonix Music Systems
Publisher: MTV Networks
Genre: Music
Rating:  T (Teen)
Number of Players: 1-4
Expected Release: November 20, 2006

Official Website

Harmonix is back at it again, not with Guitar Hero III, but with Rock Band. That's right, this time with EA and MTV Games, due to MTV buying Harmonix and Activision buying their buddy RedOctane, things had to go a bit differently. Don't let this get your hopes down though as this is technically the true predecessor of Guitar Hero I and II, so if you were a fan of those games (which undoubtedly you are), read on.

Now what would a game called Rock Band be without band playing elements? Not much, I would say, as it would be just another Guitar Hero with better graphics. That's why Harmonix has incorporated the bass, drums, and the microphone into gameplay to get this "synchronicity" feeling among the group that just feels incredible, as said by Alex Rigopulos, CEO of Harmonix. The game itself lets you fully customize your characters to a certain extent, letting you choose things like height and weight, and even your character's attitude, which shapes your character's movements on stage. Harmonix has also sought after various musicians to create those movements to improve the reality of the game. The most enjoyable part of the game is the realness of it all, starting out with local gigs and moving your way up, and as you move your way up, you're able to buy new gear and clothes, giving it that authentic band feel.

A lot of people are currently debating whether the game is worth it, with the "hefty" prices of the instruments, even though there are no solid prices on them. Other people are saying that a bundle that costs $200 USD will include a copy of Rock Band, one Guitar that also can act as bass, one drum set, and one microphone, which in my opinion is a good price. I'm not that big a fan of music games, with my only experience being a bit of Guitar Hero I and II, but I think if you wish to play the game at it's full potential, you should buy the bundle to get at least all the instruments at your disposal. This doesn't say much for people who are already into only one instrument, and wish to only use that. But you're not at a disadvantage, remember, no matter how close this game gets, it'll never be the real thing, so experiment and have fun! Remember, this is just a game.

The bandplay looks very promising, it may be a bit clogged up due to having all four players on the screen, but since when were games about looks?

With the current song list, I would say that they're doing a good job, not only by adding more songs, but choosing them as well, thanks to MTV. Harmonix has been working tightly and efficiently by going around and contacting major artists and bands to use their music and I can tell that this is the right move, I'm waiting for Harmonix to add more songs, and I feel I won't be disappointed. Rigopulos states that they're trying to cover a timespan of music, referring the game to a 'museum of rock', from having classic hits from the 70's to new titles that recently just came out. They also wanted to try and set the limit as far as possible by adding a lot of genres like southern rock, metal, punk, alternative, and etc etc.

Harmonix has not been speaking much about online play and features, but they have said they are focusing on online a lot, stating that new songs should be coming out every week, and even opening up a forum on their official website, where people can actually tell Harmonix what songs they want to play; however, holding up to this statement is something we'll have to wait for.