In an interview with Reuters, Jeff Yapp, executive vice president of program enterprises at MTV Networks Music Group expressed his vision that Rock Band is more than just a game.
"Our belief is that 'Rock Band' is not just a game" said Jeff Yapp. "It's a new platform for which to engage with music, and that's what we're most excited about."
Guitar Hero III, Rock Band's main competitor, has already racked up $100 million but MTV are not concerned with the impact of this success on their game's launch. Quoting Banc of America, Yapp estimated selling "at least" 80,000 units by the end of the year.
Yapp doesn't consider Guitar Hero III a competitor, noting that "Rock Band is a much bigger game with a completely different social dynamic and full network capability -- it just takes it to another level."
Moving on to the game itself, Yapp noted that "a lot of artists are now seeing Rock Band as a legitimate venue for people to experience their music in a more impactful way."
"For most of our history, it's been hard to get the music industry to pay attention to games, but at this point in time we've really broken down a lot of those barriers", said Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos. "With 'Rock Band,' we have almost 90 per cent original masters in the game and a lot of artist participation."
Rock Band's price can go as high as $169 for the game discs along with all music peripherals, but Rigopulos believe that it is not that expensive. "We don't see this as just a game title -- it's a platform in the same (way) that you spend money to buy a stereo system or a game console" he explained. "With downloads and new content that we'll be making available on a weekly basis, you can continue to expand and tailor your play experience."
