This weekend I went to a friend’s apartment who had just bought the game Rock Band. This game was developed by one of the original partners of the Guitar Hero game. It was very interesting to see how they took an idea that was already on the market and added so much more. Guitar Hero only has support for up to two players on two different guitars. Rock Band on the other hand can handle four players. They still have two guitars but have added drums and a microphone. The addition of these extra features makes the game more like playing in a real band, and who doesn’t want to do that? This game has taken a current idea and added significant value.
Thinking of this situation makes me think that there could be millions of products on the market that could be improved and remarketed by a new company. Finding out what makes a product successful and expanding on that feature is one way to make a ton of money on an idea that started with someone else. Also, by adding these features and changing a few details it is possible to circumvent any sort of intellectual property laws in relation to the original product. I think that the creators of Rock Band have shown that this is possible and should be expanded into other products.
