Inside sources in the video game industry revealed today that Rock Band 2, which is rumoured to be production though there is no confirmation from developer Harmonix, would be making a radical evolution with their new title. Instead of offering the “whole band experience” most fans have come to associate with Rock Band, Rock Band 2 will focus specifically on the guitar and leveraging celebrity recognition in order to generate sales.

According to this video game expert, the loss of drums, bass and vocals will seem insignificant when the players see the increased difficulty of the guitar charts. In an attempt to amend the criticisms that Rock Band was too easy, Harmonix will have more “jewels” (the coloured circles that tell you when to hit a note) than actual notes in the song, so even the slowest song will seem frantic and intense.

Another gameplay feature that is rumoured to be in production is a versus or “battle” mode, where players focus on ending the song as quickly as possible by making their opponents lose. Bonus points may be awarded for making your opponent fail before you get to the really good part of the song.


Put this in the rumour bin, it’s a big stretch from what we know as Rock Band today, but stranger things have happened.