Rock Band 2 Announced

The stage is set for a mammoth clash of the rhythm game titans this fall.

As publisher EA announced this week, Rock Band 2 is on its way. Details on the new game's features are hard to come by at the moment, but it's supposed to include a new set of sturdier instruments (although those from the original Rock Band will still work), significant enhancements in the Band World Tour mode, and, according to an IGN interview, "new ways to transition from Expert [mode] to real instruments." And if you're worried about all the extra money you spent downloading new songs for the original Rock Band, don't, because the new game will support those older tracks as well.

Rock Band 2 will be opening on the Xbox 360 in September, eventually rocking other platforms (including the PS3, PS2 and Wii) "later in the year." But the competition is fiercer than ever: the next entry in the Guitar Hero series, Guitar Hero: World Tour, mimics Rock Band's instrumentation by introducing drums and vocal parts, and a new offering from Konami, Rock Revolution, offers yet another drumming alternative.

As for the Rock Band 2 set list, an unconfirmed leak indicated a few possibilities, including "Pinball Wizard" by The Who, "Any Way You Want It" by Journey, and "Give It Away" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (no word yet on whether the rumored addition of The Beatles is true.) All in all, not too bad, although it's clear our repeated requests to add seminal 70's disco classic "Rasputin" by Boney M. are still falling on deaf ears. What's the problem, guys? Hello?

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