'The Beatles Rock Band' vs. 'DJ Hero': Let the games begin

Viacom and Activision Blizzard, the rival companies behind gaming phenomena "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero," have taken wildly different approaches to their new games in their attempts to outsell each other.

Viacom's long-awaited "The Beatles: Rock Band" is set to be released Wednesday. Activision Blizzard, the company behind "Guitar Hero," has switched tack somewhat, aiming to chew into the lucrative Hip-Hop/R&B market with their latest addition to the "Hero" franchise, "DJ Hero."

Activision has recruited rappers Jay-Z and Eminem to offer exclusive songs for the high-end version of the video game, to be launched on Oct 27. Kai Huang, who created "Guitar Hero" with his brother, Charles, aims to broaden the audience beyond the rock-oriented crowd that has made "Guitar Hero" the market leader.

"'The Beatles: Rock Band,' I think, will do well, but it's a niche audience," said Arvind Bhatia, an analyst with Sterne Agee & Leach in Dallas. He predicted, "I think it looks like 'Guitar Hero' should do better."

If he turns out to be correct, it certainly won't be because of a lack of quality in Viacom's latest offering, certainly not according to mlive.

"The game is one of the most intimate looks inside the biggest band rock and roll ever saw. Plus, it's a ton of fun to play," according to their reviewer.

It's sure to be a battle of interest for music fans, cultural theorists and economists alike for the months to come.