I'm finally the proud owner of a new Xbox 360. (And it looks like it's a Jasper build, too. ;-P) This is important, not because of project Natal, but because I will no longer have to borrow consoles to play Rock Band like I have for the past three years.
I love music, and always have. When I was younger, I would incessently hum tunes to myself. Eventually I realized that to an outsider that might seem a bit odd, but I still catch myself doing it unconsciously. I play the clarinet and the piano, but my tastes are a bit fleeting (for example, I'm going through a R.E.M. kick right now), and I'm not quite good enough to pick songs up on the fly. Rock Band gives one the illusion of being an awesome musician through it's simple but intuitive interface.
The plastic guitar is essential to the experience because it puts the player in the correct basic posture, which is what counts, not the actual operation. Compared to a real guitar, it really only emulates one string, but when playing "chords" on it, even that similarity is lost. On the software side, Harmonix combines quality samples, well thought out note charts that scroll in a way that allows one to prepare for the next key combination, and real-time virtual crowd response. Even when played alone, Rock Band is a rewarding experience do to it's nearly flawless execution, and it only gets better when you add a good set of friends.
Below is one trailer from the upcoming Beatles game. If you've never played Rock Band and some of the tracks intrigue you, give it a shot.
-Tom
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