Whilst Activision’s Guitar Hero has ruled the musical roost in the games industry for years, EA’s Rock Band has emerged as a serious contender to its crown – and now it seems that the ongoing series may be taking a leaf out of its competitor’s book.

Speaking of the upcoming Guitar Hero IV, IGN quotes Activision CEO Bobby Kotick as stating: "It's not just about guitars. We'll include a lot of other instruments, vocals. It will help us expand internationally. It's the first game we've had in which we can use local content and local bands."

Whereas Guitar Hero has top date used solely Red Octane’s superb guitar peripheral, Rock Band adds drums, a second guitar and a microphone to the mix.

Rock Band will be released in the UK on May 23rd – and will, for a certain time at least, be exclusive to Xbox 360. It will also cost what some might call a ‘pretty penny’.

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