But first out of the gate is Rock Band 4, produced by genre pioneers Harmonix and peripheral specialist Mad Catz. Guitar Hero Live seems to have veered in a new direction, pre-marketed as a hard reboot that ditches the classic logo, introduces a rejigged controller with double-decker buttons and deploys live-action video to mimic the experience of being sandwiched between Senseless Things and Ned's Atomic Dustbin on a drizzly music festival bill.

This month, they reignite their old rivalry with two carefully stage-managed comebacks. Since 2010, both titles have been lying low - presumably in great mothballs of fire, plotting their returns. In the gladiatorial history of rhythm-action games, it has been Guitar Hero versus Rock Band, two franchises that enjoyed such accelerated success there seemed to be no time at all between them minting a new genre and completely saturating the market. A bit of bad blood can be monetised, whether it's Katy Perry versus Taylor Swift, Blur versus Oasis or the Beatles versus the Stones.

Pop stardom isn't a zero sum game, but it is often built on rivalries, real or manufactured. Building on its impressive back catalogue, Rock Band 4 is a rock-solid return for the stalwart music game.

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