It's been a long time since we had a new Rock Band or Guitar Hero game. If you're like me, then your old plastic instruments from those games are collecting dust in a corner, sitting unused year after year. Rock Band 3 launched all the way back in 2010, and we've not had a follow-up since then.

But Rock Band developer Harmonix hasn't given up on the franchise. Although there's been a lack of recent peripheral-based music games, Harmonix CCO Alex Rigopulos affirms that the company has plans for future Rock Band titles on the current-gen consoles.

In an interview with GameReactor, Rigopulos explained the developer's approach to the series. When asked specifically if Rock Band with plastic instruments will return, Rigopulos responded, "We think about it all the time because we love Rock Band, and we're waiting for just the right moment in the new generation of consoles to bring it back."

He continues: "Someday, when the time is right, we will want to bring it back."

So there's a strong probability that we'll see a return of the plastic instruments during this console cycle. Maybe just not right away, considering Harmonix is developing several different games simultaneously.

The company's gesture-based music game Fantasia: Music Evolved launches October 21 for Xbox One and Xbox 360. At this year's E3, Harmonix announced Dance Central Spotlight for the Xbox One, which will be released by the end of 2014. It also recently revealed music shooter Chroma for the PC. In May, the developer Kickstarted a sequel to the PS2 classic Amplitude, which should have a 2015 release.

What do you want to see in a new Rock Band? Do you want even more instruments, or would you like a return to the basics of the genre? Let us know in the comments.