Magical Heroes Band Together To Form Magical Band Of Heroes On Your Nearest Entertainment System

Guitar Heroes unite! Harmonix has announced the realease of Rock Band near years end, ushering in a new age in the magical world of pretend music. Rock Band, according to Harmonix co-founder Alex Rigopulos, "takes the core premise of Guitar Hero and expands it tenfold." Anyone who has played the previous two Harmonix titles, Guitar Hero and its 2007 sequel, is undoubtedly excited by this premise. However, there are still some major question marks regarding Rock Band's production.
The first is new publisher Electronic Arts. EA has a rich history of killing good ideas in the name of the almighty profit, and Rock Band may be no different. While Rock Band seems to have a lot of potential, creativity and innovation aren't exactly EA's best qualities. Here's hoping they don't simply put out a multiplayer Guitar Hero without improving on the game itself. This, however, doesn't seem to be a major concern as of yet, with Harmonix already announcing a number of major improvments, including online play, downloadable content, and, even better, the release of original content through the game. The biggest complication I see arising from EA is the time-frame. EA is known for rushing out games in time for the holiday season before they are complete, and thus I'm a little skeptical about exactly who decided on the end of the year release date, the ones making the game or the ones selling it.
The other big "what if" is the increasing creative input of MTV (The parent company of Harmonix). This is both a blessing and a curse. Sure, MTV support means original artist recordings (as opposed to covers), but then exactly what music is going to be used? According to Rigopulos "We'll be covering a great breadth, from metal to classic rock to Southern rock to everything in between". Metal, classic, and Southern rock and everything in between? That seems to leave out quite a bit of the rock family tree. No indie, no alternative, no folk? Yeah, nobody is gonna complain about rocking out to the classics again (including me), but it'd be nice to see a bit more variety in the selection, which isn't likely with MTV at the helm.
Despite these potential hang ups, Rock Band is sure to be a good time. Save up your nickles and pennies, and by the end of the year you and your friends can be saving the world from goblins, dragons, and the man through the unlimited power of rock.