Regardless of some analyst thinking, music games aren’t a “fad,” as there are still plenty of gamers willing to purchase new titles or new music via downloadable content for their existing titles. But according to Harmonix’s Creative Director Josh Randall, how the experience is delivered could change in the future.
“I think you could foresee a future where maybe you don’t even have a console,” Randall told VideoGamer.com. “Your instrument can have all these songs and you plug it into your TV.”
The genre, he says, could move in “weird ways that no-one’s even thought of yet.” While I happen to agree with him, the idea of standalone instrument peripherals with built-in software isn’t a new idea. For example, Jakk’s Pacific released its own “Hannah Montana Plug N Play Guitar” a few years back. The product featured a poorly constructed (and purple!) peripheral with three fret buttons, loaded with Guitar Hero knock-off software that made Konami’s Rock Revolution look like a good idea for a Saturday night.
Harmonix, we’d imagine, would probably be a bit more careful in its design from both a hardware and peripheral perspective.
But thinking even more broad, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see a professional-grade standalone set up for a game like Rock Band, something designed specifically for those “music game nights” at your local bar.
Slowly these nights are replacing traditional karaoke sing-a-long evenings, as “non-gamers” get more comfortable with the idea and the hardware, and the things like Rock Band library grow. A standalone piece of equipment with built-in software that features a streamlined interface, including back-end organizational software for a host, that would help to make a more seamless experience. Anyone who’s been to a Rock Band or Guitar Hero night can attest to the mind-numbing song/instrument selection process between “bands.” Drunk people and patience doesn’t mix, guys.
Hey, I just came up with that idea! Just imagine what smart, creative, and capable people are doing right now.
