Guitar Hero color coded the fret of the controller having the player press the fret keys according to the scrolling on-screen notes, Rock Band will take "takes the core premise of Guitar Hero and expands it tenfold," says Harmonix's Alex Rigopulos, "It lets you create a complete collaborative band."

In the two previous Guitar Hero installments the songs were not licensed but rather played by cover bands, which will be one of the big changes with rock Band. Since Harmonix was acquired by MTV, the msuic channel is supplying creative and financial support to Rock Band's development, as well as helping make deals with various music publishers. "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 says.

A tracklist has not been revealed yet although current games include the Allman Brothers, Joan Jett, Kansas, Nirvana and Wolfmother. "We'll be covering a great breadth, from metal to classic rock to Southern rock to everything in between," says Rigopulos.

While details are still rare, online gameplay will be a major factor in Rock Band, not only in terms of downloadable content after the game launches but also the ability for players to jam together 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," EA's David DeMartini says.

While a price is not set yet, the game is scheduled for end of 2007 and will be released on PS3 and Xbox 360.