Activision
Electronic Arts
Rock Band will feature guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. In addition, players will be able to download whole albums. First up will be a classic from The Who -- any of you out there remember Who's Next? I bet a lot of you do. It features the legendary tune "Baba O'Riley", which is the accurate name for the song that everyone insists on calling "Teenage Wasteland."
So, should Activision shareholders worry while EA investors celebrate?
First, let me say that EA is doing the right thing. Not only is it proper strategy to establish a bit of real estate in this hands-on, musical genre, but dealing with MTV brings a lot of benefits. You just know that the music channel will leverage its broadcast assets to maximize the promotional value for Rock Band.
Second, I'd say that Activision shareholders maybe should worry -- but only in a small, healthy way. Having a little competition around might not be such a bad thing. The publisher knows it's going to have to pull out all the stops to ensure that its next Guitar Hero game, which is being developed by Neversoft, will still appeal to its hardcore base as well as a whole host of new groupies. Still, when the creator of Guitar Hero takes the playing field to the next level, you know a lot of mindshare will be focused on the competing product.
The real wild card might be the price. There's been some speculation as to how high Rock Band will set you back, including one report that said a $200 price point is possible. EA, however, was quick to deny that such a profligate cost existed, stating that the eventual price tag will be reasonable. A high cost could inhibit success.
Whatever the price turns out to be, there's no doubt that EA is stepping up to the mic and belting out its best imitation of Roger Daltrey's power-scream in Won't Get Fooled Again. Come this fall, when Rock Band is available on Sony's
More Foolish fun with EA and Activision:
- EA Wants to Be a Rock Star
- Activision's Not Playing Around
- Fool on the Street: EA's 5 Keys to Growth
- Activision Rocking Wireless
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Fool contributor Steven Mallas owns shares of Activision. As of this writing, he was ranked 9,803 out of more than 60,000 participants in the Motley Fool CAPS system. Don't know what CAPS is? Check it out. The Fool has a disclosure policy.