Keep On A Rockin' Me, Baby

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the Guitar Hero games. If I didn't already own a PS2, I'd buy one just so I could play them. They're unlike any other rhythm game I've ever played, mainly because they're filled with rock classics instead of new pop bullshit. Plus, playing guitar is hot shit, even if it is made of plastic.

But what if you're not a guitar enthusiast? What if you've always dreamed of being a drummer (god help you) or a flamboyant front-man? Sure, you can get Beatmania, or SingStar, or some other new pop bullshit game, but there's no love for the rock. Until now.

Thanks to the tremendous success of the Guitar Hero games, developer Harmonix was bought by MTV Networks, which will work on Rock Band, to be published by EA. Instead of just lead and bass guitars, Rock Band will use drum kit and microphone peripherals. No word on songs or artists, but Alex Rigopulos, co-founder of Harmonix, says, "We'll be covering a great breadth, from metal to classic rock to Southern rock to everything in between."

Here's the awesome part: you don't have to get four people in the same room to rock out. "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. Not to mention that in addition to the songs on the disc, downloadable tracks will be available.

There's a lot of things that aren't talked about in the press release, like whether all four peripherals will be included with the game or available separately, how much it'll all cost, how much additional songs will cost, how many tracks will be on the disc, and how many will be covers or how many will be original recordings. As long as it doesn't cost 200 bucks, though, I know what I'm getting myself for Christmas. Look for Rock Band this holiday season on 360 and PS3.