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USA Today: Harmonix announces Rock Band for Xbox 360, PS3
Bidding farewell to the solo gig and the lone Guitar Hero, Harmonix has revealed its next game to be a monstrous multiplayer musical mash-up. USA Today reports that Rock Band will simultaneously support four peripherals -- two guitars (one bass, one lead), a drum kit and a microphone. You'd expect things to get cramped with all those blaring devices and gyrating gamers, but we assure you, the world's wide stage is more than accommodating. Arriving on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 just in time for the holidays, Rock Band will allow you to jam with friends both in person and online. "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," says EA's unshaken David DeMartini. The article notes that while EA is publishing the game, creative and financial support is provided by new Harmonix owner, MTV. As a result, the game's licensed tunes are expected to come from the original artists. "We'll be covering a great breadth, from metal to classic rock to Southern rock to everything in between," assures Harmonix co-founder, Alex Rigopulos. Once the game arrives, it is likely that more songs will be made available for purchase and download online. With Guitar Hero II arriving on the Xbox 360 tomorrow (6 April in Europe) and Rock Band slated for the end of the year, how long until exhausted gamer bodies hit the flo?[Update: The official press release reveals the list of music labels contributing master recordings: EMI Music, Hollywood Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group's Universal Music Enterprises and Warner Music Group's Rhino Entertainment.]See also: Guitar Hero Effects Pedal confirmed in 360 instructions[Thanks, FranX]
Rhythm rumor: Activision trademarks 'Guitar Villain', 'Drum Villain'
According to CVG, two trademarks filed by Guitar Hero publisher, Activision, have recently popped up on the US Patent and Trademark office website. The two names, Guitar Villain and Drum Villain, are linked to "computer game software" and "games sold with electronic guitars," both apt descriptors of everyone's favorite couch-jumping rock sim franchise.Though these trademarks could simply represent a move by Activision to protect their brand from similarly titled knock-offs (eg. Instrument Protagonist), a diversification of the brand seems more likely, especially with Neversoft getting involved with the main series. There's still that mysterious port on the Xbox 360's X-plorer guitar to consider, not to mention the possibilities (and dire need) of a drumming game on the Wii. Keep your eyes and ears open.
