Rumored for a few weeks now, it seems that confirmation has come out that the next real installment of the Guitar Hero franchise (skipping over certain spin-off products) will feature a drum set to augment your Guitar and Bass rocking. Sound a bit familiar? Activizzard says that their drum set will be totally bitching, and nothing like the one for That Other Game (and presumably, meaning that the game will be incompatible.)

…the company claims [the drum kit is] built more sturdily than the competition’s… [it] adds two raised, wedge-shaped cymbal pads (used to activate star power), and each pad on the kit is pressure-sensitive…

But wait, somehow, they’re messing with improving the Guitar too!

…the next Guitar Hero axe will feature a “totally new input mechanic” in addition to the standard buttons.

An extra set of frets, closer to the neck maybe? Or a switch that controls distortion effects? (Or more seriously, a stomp box?)

Yes, it sounds like rip-off, and I don’t know how many people are going to be clamoring to buy a different set of drums for a game that will fundamentally be similar to the game that already exists. However…

The new Studio Mode will let users not only freely jam over songs in the game but also create and upload their own original tracks. Using a vertically-scrolling grid, you’ll be able to record rhythm, lead, melody, bass and drums (sorry, no vocals) and create loops and effects.

Hello! That’s something we want. The page also talks about a robust create-a-rocker system, which should have been a no-brainer for GH3, but instead, was more of a quick cash-in.

Can GH4 use the name brand to crush Rock Band? We’ll just have to see how much they deliver, and if MTV/Harmonix is just going to sit back and let it happen…