Harmonix debuts new Rock Band game, sans peripheral support

Rhythm game developer Harmonix on Tuesday debuted Rock Band Blitz, a new downloadable entry in its popular music game franchise, reports G4. In a major departure from the proper Rock Band titles, Rock Band Blitz [video trailer] will not use the series' iconic instrument peripherals, and will instead use a standard gamepad, much like classic Harmonix games like Frequency or Amplitude. The game's content, however, still has some close ties to Rock Band's legacy. In addition to the 25 songs that come with the game, Rock Band Blitz will support nearly all of the 3,700+ downloadable songs already available for the franchise. While the previous Rock Band titles have emphasized multiplayer and cooperative play, Harmonix said Rock Band Blitz will only support one player, much like the PSP title Rock Band Unplugged from Backbone Entertainment. Rock Band Blitz is currently in development for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, and is scheduled to launch this summer.