Rock Band is a music rhythm game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and released in 2007 for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. Up to four players can participate simultaneously, each using a controller designed to resemble a real instrument — guitar, bass, drums, or a microphone for vocals — to simulate performing rock songs. Gameplay centers on hitting notes or singing in time with on-screen cues drawn from a catalog of popular rock music tracks. The instrument-peripheral format distinguishes it from single-controller rhythm games, emphasizing the ensemble experience of a band performing together. Rock Band became a significant title in the music game genre, broadening the instrument-based gameplay concept that Harmonix had explored in earlier titles into a full cooperative multiplayer format.
