“Guitar Hero” became one of this decade’s most surprising smashes by giving just about anyone the chance to rediscover their inner Hendrix. Fans have been wondering what “GH” developer Harmonix Music Systems would do next, and now we know: “Rock Band,” which promises to revive the faded dreams of millions of erstwhile garage bands.

“Rock Band” takes the simple premise of “Guitar Hero” -pick up an instrument and jam along with classic tunes- and multiplies it by four, adding a bass guitar, drums and a microphone. That could cost a lot of money if you buy all the peripherals, but Harmonix says the “GH” controller will be usable in the new game. The developers are also promising “deep online connectivity,” so if you just want to play drums you can hook up with two guitarists and a singer online.

Thanks to its new owner, MTV, Harmonix has been able to line up music rights from some of the industry’ biggest labels and publishers. Electronic Arts will start distributing the game, for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, during this year’s holiday season.