GamerNode: News - Disney planning Rock Band knock-off; Ultimate Band

Disney planning Rock Band knock-off; Ultimate Band

And you thought that me-too-copy-cat-games were only for WWII first person shooters, and pet ownership simulators. Well, apparently not, because Disney is planning a product to capitalize off the tremendously enormous fame generated by both Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

Titled, Ultimate Band, this new product doesn't seem like it will have all manner of expensive peripherals like its forebears. Word is, that this new game will use only the Wii-mote to imitate the motions of the instuments.

Playing with plastic guitars is one thing. Playing with what is essentially air-guitars, is quite another. I'm wondering what sort of features this game will have to make people buy it other than the presumably low price tag in comparison to its competition.

Other than this game, there's also the oft rumored return of Guitar Freaks. Should Konami's trailblazing music game make a return for the crown which Guitar Hero unjustly stole? If yes, the make-yourself-look-stupid-with-fake-instruments genre could quickly become a very crowded one.

Interestingly, Ultimate Band is said to be making its way to the DS as well. Disney is saying that the game will be "a rhythm-based music game with a built-in recording studio," letting players, "jam to current and classic songs using the drums, lead guitar, bass guitar, or rhythm guitar." The "built-in recording studio" will be a feature that lets players mess with distortion effects and synthesizers to mix their own tracks.

Strangely enough I think the handheld version of this game sounds a lot more interesting.

[via Gamasutra]

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