Harmonix, the developer of Guitar Hero I + II, recently announced their newest project, Rock Band. This game takes the coolness of Guitar Hero and multiplies it by 4, adding the ability to play as a drummer, front man (or woman), as well as guitarist. Special peripherals will be produced for drums and microphone, as well as new models for guitar (although GH guitars are said to still be compatible). Online support will be a huge part of the game... the developers want you to be able to hook up with people from the world over and form your own virtual band.

Sounds awesome, right? No doubt. The GH series really does make you feel like a guitarist. It's awesome fun - easy to pick up but difficult to master. For those who prefer the drums or singing, Rock Band sounds like the perfect extension. Add the fact that the developers are shooting for almost any song to be playable and it sounds like it can't miss.

But I wonder about a few things. First, won't guitarists far outnumber drummers and singers? There is a huge base of GH players out there who already have guitars. I have a feeling drummers and singers might be in high demand and low supply... at least at the beginning. However, since virtual bands will need 2 guitarists (lead and bass), this might not be a huge issue, we'll see.

Second, how big is the drum set going to be? Are you going to need a garage to play this game as a drummer? If it's small, is it really going to feel like you're playing the drums?

Third, is the game really going to be able to tell if your singer is hitting the notes correctly? Hmm... I'm not seeing how singing will work with the "Simon Says" gameplay style of GH. It will be interesting to see what Harmonix has come up with.

Oh, and there are a ton of other questions too. Will you be able to create your own music, or just do pre-defined covers? Will there be a dedicated bass guitar peripheral? What SKUs will ship (RB: Drummer, RB: Frontman, etc)? Will the peripherals all be wireless?

Rock Band has instantly flown to the top of my Tracked Games list. I really can't wait to see what the answers are for this game.