In an effort to compete with Activision Blizzard, Inc's (NASDAQ: ATVI) Guitar Hero, and Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA) division Harmonix's Rock Band, Nintendo Co., Ltd. (OTC: NTDOY) has released its own music game, Wii Music. Wii Music does not require the user to press buttons at certain times but to move the Wii Remote and Nunchuk like they were playing the instruments.

The game features 60 playable instruments, including the guitar and the piano, as well as more obscure instruments, such as the cowbell. The game also features a mix of songs, from the themes to Nintendo classics Super Mario Brothers and The Legend of Zelda, to the classical songs Beethoven's Ode to Joy and Wagner's The Bridal Chorus, to popular hits by Madonna, The Police and John Lennon. However, with only 15 licensed songs, Wii Music lacks the current chart-toppers and great selection of hits that both Guitar Hero and Rock Band feature. In comparison, the latest Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero World Tour, features over 85 tracks, while the Rock Band features 84 songs on the disc plus 20 free downloadable songs.

The reception to the game, which was released on October 20, 2008, was mixed. 1UP.com rated the game an A-, with reviewer Jennifer Tsao (a classically trained musician) saying it "shows surprising depth and flexibility, and those who have actually learned the controls unique to their instrument will be rewarded." However, Game Informer gave the game a 3 out of 10, saying it is a "poor solution to an imaginary problem."

The critical consensus, as with most Wii games, is that the game's target audience is children, and that the game is too simplistic and shallow for adults, even those only considered to be casual gamers. Hence, it is unlikely that this game would affect the sales of the other rhythm giants, Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Evidence of this can be found in the sales numbers, as the game has sold less than 100,000 copies since its Japanese release, which Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto admitted was not as strong as originally hoped. In contrast, the original Guitar Hero has sold over 1.5M copies, and the latest Rock Band, Rock Band 2, sold 360,000 copies in the month of September 2008, when it was released.

Activision Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) doesn't want to let Rock Band have all the fun. According to Reuters, Activision wants to turn its Guitar Hero platform into a truly direct competitor to its colleague. Come the fall, the publisher will release Guitar Hero World Tour, a package that will include a guitar, a microphone, and a drum set. There will be online capability; players will also be able to create their own tunes via a suite of digital-music tools. And all the major platforms from Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE: SNE), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), and Nintendo Co., Ltd. (OTC: NTDOY) will be getting this game.

Rock Band, which is developed by Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA)'s Harmonix and sold by Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), is no longer unique now that Activision has expanded the depth of its famous brand. Indeed, Guitar Hero still thrived even in the face of Viacom's music game, but it looks like Activision is taking no chances; the publisher obviously realizes that, as time goes on and upgrades to Rock Band come along, the Guitar Hero franchise might see eventual erosion of its fan base as the fad matures. Evolution would certainly be justified at this point.

Yet, I am of two minds about this move. On the one side, I can understand why this had to be done. And I can see why it should work out; after all, Activision's brand equity when it comes to this Guitar Hero game is incredible. Seriously, if you don't know, a lot of players out there, both hardcore and casual, love this platform. However, there's another side to me that wonders if traditionalists won't necessarily enjoy the aspect of the additional instruments. Do they add value, or do they now make the brand seem clunky and complicated? On a gut level, I always theorized that those who chose Guitar Hero over Rock Band relished the fact that it was just one guitar. Then again, going back to the brand-equity thing, maybe current players will now want to try out a more complex musical-gaming experience since the Guitar Hero name is attached.