Harmonix, developer of the blockbuster Guitar Hero franchise, MTV and Electronic Arts today announced Rock Band, an all-new game and platform for music fans and gamers to interact with music. Rock Band will allow gamers to perform the music of famous rock artists with their friends as a virtual band using drum, bass/lead guitar and microphone peripherals, in addition to offering "deep" online connectivity.

Reportedly built on unprecedented deals with the world’s biggest record labels and music publishers -- including EMI Music Publishing and Warner/Chappell Music plus record labels EMI Music, Hollywood Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group's Universal Music Enterprises and Warner Music Group's Rhino Entertainment --, the music featured in Rock Band will span all genres of rock and include many of the master recordings from the biggest songs and artists of all time. Exactly which songs that includes was not announced.

Rock Band is slated for release on PlayStation3 and Xbox 360 during the holiday shopping frenzy of 2007.