100 master tracks and more drums and a sliding touchpad? I can't believe Rock Band just got this owned so hard so fast. I didn't think it was possible. Well, props to Rock Band for giving these clowns some competition so they had to step their game up. This competition is getting awesome.

Until GH proves that it can own where it counts (the gameplay and song selection), I'm sticking with Rock Band.

I really don't like how Activision is approaching DLC. Harmonix is delivering a lot more bang for the buck with more choices being added every week.

Agreed. Especially since I'm sure they won't allow cross compatibility between GH4 and RB with the instruments. I just dropped $180 last year on a setup that works perfectly fine, and has thrown me affordable, solid tracks on a regular basis. I'm not dropping $180 again just to get FIVE drums in the kit instead of four and yet another guitar.

I do like the competition though. I still think Harmonix are the true innovators (taking the concepts Harmonix used in Rock Band, adding a few more features, and slapping the GH name on it isn't all that innovative in my book when it's a year later) but I'm glad to see Neversoft doing something to further the competition. I just really have no doubt that Harmonix, who have been making music games forever, will counterpunch with even more authority when they eventually unveil Rock Band 2. Harmonix have been on the cutting edge of music games for ages now, and I think they'll show that again with their next foray into the genre.

GH3 is adding new DLC packs every week in June, and World Tour with GHTunes should have fresh content coming left and right, whether officially or not.

Plus, Everlong!

Edit- It appears that at least the drums will be compatible with Rock Band, and on the 360 all the guitars are cross-compatible as well. In addition, the microphone should be easy to make compatible.

And innovation means jack when the end product sucks. The guitars and drums for Rock Band are horrible, and they didn't even try with the Wii release of the game. From the sounds of it, there's nothing RB2 can take, so when their innovativeness runs out what we're going to be left with is a mediocre product.

I know Harmonix are the true innovators, and I really wanted to support them over Neversoft... but they decided to make their game for everything but the fast selling console of all time, and then half a year later release a gimped version. And they decided to team up with EA and MTV, which is vomit-inducing. If Rock Band was on the Wii when GH3 came out, I would've bought it. But since the Wii version took so long, I'm holding out for GH4. Comparing GH4 and RB on the Wii only, GH4 wins hands down. And user-generated songs is gonna kick ass. I might not be able to afford either of them anyway, and maybe by the time I have any money RB2 will own GH4 on the Wii and I'll get that instead.

first let me say im a guitar hero fanatic. im obsessed. its sad.  at first i was furious to see GH 4 pretty much being rockband.  but its grown on me.  the drum set looks fantastic and ill be glad to get those drums over the rockband set, those are cheap and crappy.  i do think they are starting to make a lil too much but ill still buy it.  i just dont want them to run it into the ground.  the metallica idea is nice.  hopefully they can pick up the DLC or let teh gamers vote on their website as to what to do for DLC.

if anyone here plays on 360 please message me/add me and lets play.  gamertag in sig line

The audio team here at Vicarious Visions had to face their toughest task yet on a game: How do we make one of the most successful and recognizable games of all time work on a handheld console? From the hi-fi stereo audio to the top-notch playability, we had a mission: deliver the Guitar Hero experience on the Nintendo DS… without compromise. While the design team was busy prototyping different iterations of the peripheral, we stayed busy with making this mission a reality.