With The Beatles: Rock Band out in the retail wild, it seems that it’s full steam ahead on Rock Band 3. During a chat with the Chicago Tribune, Dhani Harrison, son of legendary musician George Harrison, confirmed that the game is in development, telling music critic Greg Kot that he’s aiming to make “the controllers more real so people can actually learn how to play music while playing the game.”

Rock Band 3 was inevitable, so no shock there. I believe that’s called a no-brainer. The promise of – as Dave would say – “realer” peripherals, however, is far more intriguing.

Consumers yearn for tangible products that improve upon established ideas, and business tends to stagnate – or worse, decline – in the absence of innovation. The rhythm genre, for instance, seems to be  a victim of its success, thanks primarily to Activision Blizzard and its shameless abuse of the Hero tag. Music game revenues are down compared to last year, but The Beatles: Rock Band and Guitar Hero 5 sold 595,000 499,000 units during the NPD’s September reporting period, respectively, proving that consumer demand is still there. Though, admittedly, much of the appeal of The Beatles: Rock Band is owed to the associated artists.

The year-over-year decline in revenues is partially attributable to lower peripheral sales, as market saturation has slowed the demand for plastic instruments. Harmonix might be able to boost sales by introducing some hot, new accessories, though it will certainly depend upon numerous factors, including pricing, quality and functionality.

It’s hard not to root for Harmonix, as the company continues to push the envelope. Having said that, I don’t see myself jumping back into the market for rhythm controllers. I still prefer my Guitar Hero III Les Paul, and find it ideal for my needs. I don’t care about learning to play a real guitar. I just want to jam to my favorite tunes from the comfort of my own living room.

I support Rock Band because it’s a platform, through which I can supplement a single release with downloadable content. Thanks to Harmonix, I get to build my own library, instead of being fed a new mix every fall. Neversoft Entertainment is beginning to offer cross-title song compatibility, but it’s a little too late, considering that Harmonix achieved it long ago.

Of course, with a constant stream of DLC, there’s very little need – for me – to buy another disc-based release. I already own many of my favorite tunes, and imagine more will pour onto the PlayStation Network in the future. There’s really no impetus for me to buy Rock Band 3, save for some earthshaking new feature. Though, it would need to be something truly special. Like the ability to generate holographic Mark-Paul Gosselaars to play at my side. Otherwise, I’ll probably stick with DLC.

Sources: Chicago Tribune via Destructoid, Gamasutra