Rock Band 3 Slowly but Surely Morphing into a Test of Actual Musical Competence

You know that old South Park gag about how people who are really good at Guitar Hero tend not to be any good at playing actual guitars, and vice versa? Well, the latest confirmed changes in Rock Band 3 indicate that the game is moving closer and closer to a test of the sort of competence that we associate with real-world musicians. While you’ll still be able to noodle away on your five-button guitar and hear Megadeth or Rush songs blasting from your screen in all their glory, the two new instrument additions are a good deal more complicated: A 22-button MIDI keyboard, and a 102-button fully functional guitar for “Rock Band Pro” mode.

Ars breaks it down:

But the game will also have an increased focus on upping the realism factor as well. The new pro mode will offer an experience much closer to playing an actual instrument, featuring more realistic music notations in place of the traditional Rock Band color coded scheme. Going along with the enhanced mode are two new guitars, one made by Fender—a fully functional, six-string Squier Stratocaster—while the other is made by peripheral maker MadCatz—the Fender Mustang Pro controller, which will feature small, non-colored buttons in each fret. Those playing drums on pro, meanwhile, will see the addition of three cymbals.

And here, via Joystiq, is a glimpse of one of Rock Band 3‘s grown-up guitars: But for the buttons on the side, this looks a whole lot like a real electric.

Lastly, USA Today and Gametrailers both got close-up looks at the Rock Band 3 goods. That MIDI keyboard gameplay looks pretty rad.

(via Ars Technica, Topless Robot)