Not so long ago, the general population went crazy for plastic musical instruments that allowed the most ham-fisted of gamer to rock out with moves like Jagger. Fantasy Flight Games are looking to ride the wave of armchair shredders into the realm of the deckbuilding card game, with the fantastic-looking Rockband Manager...

In a great preview article on the Fantasy Flight Games website, the mechanics and flavor of the game are thoroughly investigated. The career management aspect for example, is discussed at length:

In the Career stages of the game, each manager sends out his newly recruited stars to gain fame and fortune. Managers can send their musicians to play shows, which are represented by Concert cards. Attaining these cards immediately adds to the band’s decibel level. Also, players can collect Album cards that lead to decibel bonuses at the end of each phase, but only if your band has the highest total Album card score. Last, band members can claim Opportunity cards that provide bonuses, or they can also cause grief to rival bands. There are many routes to victory in [:Rockband Manager, so managers must decide which of these options places their band in position to win the game.

The fantastic "Batte of the Bands" scenario is also introduced:

Inevitably, conflicts occur over valuable cards, and bands are bound to clash. When this happens, managers must flex their fiscal muscles to help their band members win a duel with their adversaries. If two or more stars are on the same card at the end of a round, a duel takes place. In a duel, all players involved secretly choose one of their remaining cash envelopes and reveal it simultaneously; the player who made the largest bid wins the duel and gets the card. The loser (or losers) can then select another card to claim, if there are any cards still available.

The guys at Fantasy Flight Games have done a great job with the preview articles for Rockband Manager, so get on over to their website and check them out. The game hits the stage in the first quarter of 2012, so be sure your mullet is appropriately crimped and pick up a copy.