A Hypothesis

So, Guitar Hero III is going to be coming to "every significant new format", right? It's also been announced that GHIII will feature downloadable content, right?

So, let's think for a second. Each console is going to be looking to differentiate itself from the other, in order to let you know why you should get the next gen Guitar Hero experience from them. So, what's the best way to let the audience know you are different from the others? It won't be graphics, because it's Guitar Hero, for God's sake. The sound is comparable on each platform, so it won't be that. But, exclusive downloadable content...that's where the juice is.

Who has the leg up? It's not Sony, because, in spite of the fact that they've got the behemoth of Sony Music on their side, chances are they won't be able to organize enough to be able to take advantage of it. With Sony, it seems like the right hand rarely knows what the left is doing. Plus, Sony Music won't want to miss out on more money across the board, just to help their Computer Entertainment division. Microsoft doesn't really have a presence on the music scene. But, who has got a huge library of songs that gamers would like to play? A library that they own. A library that they could distribute at their leisure and, no matter what, would never appear on any other system. A library full of songs that could appear without license fees, thus making them cheaper to sell, benefiting both parties.

Mark my words...you'll be able to play the Super Mario Bros. theme song on GHIII for Wii out of the box. Fan service is powerful. Just look at The Minibosses or The Advantage. I know I'd be psyched about getting to play some of those songs. I'm all over Punch-Out, personally.