Following yesterday's news that there will be keyboard for Rockband 3 new info has arrived from Ars Technia.
The game will not ship with a keyboard peripheral but instead a keytar-like instrument. A keytar is a sort of keyboard with a strap, held like a guitar.
This time around Mad Catz will be creating all the Rock Band 3 instruments, including the bundles with the software. EA will strictly be a distributor. There will be exclusive bundles for certain retailers, chosen by Mad Catz. This means the focus of the launch to be kept on the software.
The game will include an all new "pro" mode which will require proper playing technique from the player. This may result in actual skills being learnt for all the instruments, including guitars. How this will work isn't known, but it's possible Mad Catz may create a product that more closely mimics an actual guitar.
Will these things be enough to revitalise the genre? If the game can actually teach players to play real instruments its certainly got a chance of standing out in a saturated market. As for the Keytar at least it no one will force the consumer to buy it, however I am sure that the "pro" mode will be best suited to the black and white keys.
Rockband 3 is expected to release later this year.
