Harmonix Talks Custom Rock Band Tracks, Future “Crazy Stuff”

Guest editor Geoff Keighley recently chatted with Harmonix’s Kasson Crooker, producer of iPod game Phase. That software allows for iPod owners to import and play custom tracks, so Keighley asked if that technology could apply to Rock Band, who responded with an asterisked “Totally!” , adding “I think you’ll see this kind of technology used in other Harmonix products down the road.” Backing up Kasson is VP of Product Development Greg LoPiccolo, who said in a recent Monster.com-sponsored chat session that the idea was “conceivable.”

“We continue to talk about this possibility. I can’t commit to such a thing at this point, but would love to tackle it if we could find a way,” LoPiccolo said. Phase implementation is obviously much simpler, but interpreting MP3 data into Rock Band note charts is something we’d definitely be interested in. If publisher EA and MTV Games would be interested in biting into downloadable content sales is an entirely different question.

LoPiccolo also teased future Rock Band and post-Rock Band developments in the Q&A, writing that “we’re working on improvements that are obviously missing from the current version of Rock Band, as well as some crazy stuff that no one will expect, but promises to kick arse”. Good, good. We like stuff that kicks arse.

That jazz plan, however. No thanks!

Greg LoPiccolo chat transcript [Boston.com via GameDaily]