It is Thursday night at 11 o’clock. The upper-level of Ben Skutnik’s (‘08) apartment shakes violently. Lights flash, high-pitched noises fill the room and a smoke-like substance hangs in the air. Unfinished homework sits abandoned in a corner of the room.

This might sound like the scene of an emergency, but for Skutnik and his friends, it is simply their colorfully lit, fog-covered stage for “Rock Band,” the latest craze in music-based gaming.

According to the game’s web site, “Rock Band” was developed by Harmonix Music Systems/MTV games and was released to the public in November 2007.

Harmonix, creator of the hit game, “Guitar Hero,” enhanced “Rock Band” by increasing the number of options players have for instruments. It is not only possible to play the guitar, but also rock out on bass, drums or vocals. The instruments are modeled after real instruments. For example, the guitar and bass guitar peripherals are based on the legendary Fender Stratocaster guitar.

The music for “Rock Band” is also greatly improved. According to Harmonix, this is due in large part to the “unprecedented deals with the world’s biggest record companies.”

Because of these details it is possible to sing along with 58 songs ranging from the 1960s Rolling Stones hit “Gimme Shelter” to songs from today such as Nine Inch Nail’s “The Hand That Feeds.” It is also possible to download more songs from the Internet.

Do all the changes and updates make the game better than its predecessors? Bryan Perrot (‘08) certainly thinks so.

“The ability to play different instruments is cool,” said Perrot. “The songs are better, and there is greater variety.”

The two new peripherals in “Rock Band” are the drums and microphone.

The drums resemble a real drum set and were designed to react to contact in the way real drums would. The microphone weighs the same as a normal one, and it contains a system to detect both pitch and rhythm.

For songs with cowbell or tambourine, the lead singer can hit the microphone against his or her hand during the drum breaks.

Of course, all the added peripherals and songs do more than just enhance the game. They also increase the price. Skutnik and Perrot spent around $170, a typical price for the game, when they purchased their systems.

Of course, it is also possible to buy added accessories, such as special guitars or straps. A typical video game for the platforms usually costs $50, so purchasing “Rock Band” can be quite an investment. Despite the money, however, Perrot still claims it was a good purchase.

“It’s definitely worth the money,” Perrot said. “Especially if you get a fog machine and lighting to go with it.”

The cost of the system on which the game is played also adds up. The two systems where “Rock Band” is typically played are the XBox 360 and Playstation 3. Both of these systems cost around $300. It is also possible to play the game on Playstation 2, but this version does not allow for online play or competition against other rockers, a feature highly enjoyed by “Rock Band” aficionados.

While Skutnik does not consider himself a specialist yet, he does admit it is nice to have a chance to create a band and try to rise up in the musical world. Admittedly, this is not a world with which Skutnik has a lot of previous experience. Now with “Rock Band,” Skutnik and his friends can improve their limited musical abilities and combine them to form a touring rock band.

This was exactly what the founders of the game had in mind when they created “Guitar Hero” in 2005 and the reason they continued the process with “Rock Band” last year.

“Harmonix was founded to create new ways for everyone to experience the pleasure and satisfaction that comes from playing music,” said Alex Rigopulos, co-founder and CEO of the company on the game’s web site

It seems the founders of “Rock Band” have succeeded in their mission.

“Being a student at Luther and not playing a musical instrument, I feel like I don’t belong,” Skutnik said. “Now I finally feel like I fit in.”