Harmonix consider user-generated content

Also mulling new instruments

While Guitar Hero World Tour will include a new 'studio' mode, allowing players to record and share their own music tracks, the latest Rock Band (number two) won't offer such functionality, despite developers Harmonix being the pioneers of the genre. However, new titles might.

This being the case, we learn today that the game makers will consider adding similar functionality in the future, but are keen to ensure such a mode isn't just a bullet-point for the box.

Lead designer Dan Teasdale put it thusly: "The whole thing for us, our reason for making games, is to give people the experience of creating music. I think that expressing... player expressivity is definitely something that we're going to be focussing on in the future. But we want to do it properly, we don't want to go out half-assed.

"We want lyrics... we don't want just another bullet on the back of the box. We want it to add something meaningful, not just to pad the game, but add something to everything people do in the game."

He concluded, revealing: "We're going to be exploring stuff like that in the future, yes."

Teasdale will start work on a new, unnamed project post-Rock Band 2, and he also tells us that Harmonix are considering additional instruments.

"Well... everyone has there favourites... but I'm not sure I can really tell you mine because as the lead designer, I'm the most empowered to make it happen!" he replied, when asked what he would like to see created.

"I think it's one of those things where we've focussed on our core experience, which is guitar-based, and I think as things go on we'll be expanding and giving people more scope to express themselves in those roles. But... our focus right now, is that we don't want to add things for the sake of it, we want an authentic Rock Band feeling."

More on this, and a lot more, in our full interview.

By Luke Guttridge