Rock Band 2 Rocks You Later This Year

A recent news story at IGN has revealed that the two companies are hard at work on Rock Band 2, which is slated to ship for Xbox 360 in September and "other platforms" (the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii, at least) later in the year.

Early details are sketchy at this point, but a few things were revealed with the game's announcement. First off, all downloadable content with the original Rock Band will be compatible with Rock Band 2, and EA has assured that any future content downloads should work fine with both versions. No word yet if Rock Band 2 for the Wii will have downloadable content.

The song selection will also feature all master recordings, a move set to counter a similar announcement made with Activision's Guitar Hero: World Tour a few weeks ago. No word yet as to which bands will be involved with the sequel, but EA and Harmonix have both promised something everyone will love.

Finally, new peripherals with improvements will be released alongside the game, although original Rock Band instruments should still work with the sequel. No word yet on what these "improvements" are set to bring to the table.

More information on Rock Band 2 should be available shortly with the Electronic Entertainment Expo forthcoming. Be sure to check back soon for more information and a full preview.