The massively popular Rock Band game is set to become a series, with the second addition due for release in the US in September (no details, as yet, regarding a Europe or UK release). Happily, considering the cost of purchasing the Rock Band game and peripherals, all previously downloaded songs will be instantly and freely downloaded to your song list on Rock Band 2. That means no extra cost and no extra faffing around trying to re-download content that you’ve already purchased.

Developed by Harmonix and MTV Games, Rock Band 2 is already boasting that it will contain the single most expansive and diverse collection of tracks in a game of its genre. Producers are also claiming that it will further open up the online experience – quite a boast considering the popularity of the original game’s online community.

There are more than 200 Rock Band tracks currently available for download on Xbox Live, and Harmonix and MTV Games has also claimed more than 15 million paid downloads. Considering the service only launched in November 2007, that’s a lot of downloads in a very short space of time. You can see a full list of the downloadable content at the Rock Band download site.

Drum and guitar peripherals face an overhaul and improvement, although the second game in the series will be fully compatible with the peripherals from its predecessor.

In an industry that often seems to churn out sequels for no reason other than to make money, it’s pleasant to see that Rock Band 2 offers really good compatibility with the original Rock Band. I’m sure all parties concerned will still make a handsome profit, but they are at least offering something in exchange.

It’s also heartening to see Xbox Live being put to good use. A lot of the content could sometimes considered to be poor; new avatars and themes costing hundreds of Microsoft points. In contrast, the extensive Rock Band catalogue includes singles, albums, and packs – purchased like this, they represent excellent value for money and provide bucket loads of entertainment for the player.