“Are they going to make you write a lot about ‘Rock Band‘?” “Are you going to have to say bad things about ‘Guitar Hero‘?”

People ask me these questions fairly often these days. I cover video games for MTV News (obviously). And MTV is one of the major players behind one of the biggest games of the year. What happens when those factors collide? Do my unimpeachable, high standards of journalism give way to craven, corporate shilling?

Ah, but I’ve written about MTV-owned, “Rock Band” development studio Harmonix as well as “Rock Band” rival “Guitar Hero” before, and I’ve made the MTV connection perfectly clear and avoided being a shill or slamming that rival franchise. See here and here.

But that’s so boring!

Don’t I have any good stories to tell about working for the same company backing “Rock Band”? Something to make the IGN and Joystiq guys jealous that their company isn’t making a Game of The Year contender?

I have two, but only one involving running into Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos in the men’s room…

Story One: I Can’t Hide From “Rock Band”

I work more than 20 stories up in the main MTV building in Times Square. Half of the floor is staffed by the MTV News team. The other half has executives and MTV radio employees who might not want our actual floor location revealed.

In the last year, this floor has become a minor video game crossroads, at least when it comes to anything Harmonix-related.

It started a little over a year ago as I waited for an elevator on my floor. Under my arm I carried a long, plain white cardboard box. A guy who looked like — and turned out to be — an exec, pointed to it and said, “Guitar Hero?” I was impressed. I had taken the box’s telltale sleeve off, stripping it of any “GH” logos and artwork, the better to walk through Times Square without hassle. But this fellow floor-worker knew there was a video game controller shaped like a small-ish guitar in that box. He actually worked with Harmonix for business wheelings and dealings. Who knew?

We chatted for the elevator ride. He hinted at things that made a whole lot more sense as the months went on.

Jump ahead to this past April and there was another run-in. This time it wasn’t with an exec and it wasn’t in the elevator bank. I was washing my hands in the men’s room — cleanliness is key! — and about to leave when in walked Harmonix CEO, and head “Rock Band” developer Alex Rigopulos.

I was startled. I’m used to seeing rock stars and rappers walk around on my floor (Snoop has the biggest body guards of any of them), but game developers?

Time froze as I wondered whether he’d recognize me from our brief prior interviews. I wondered, if he didn’t, if it would be appropriate to remind him who I am as he’s walking into the men’s room presumably with objectives in mind that don’t involve talking to a reporter.

Did I say something clever? Did I offer him a shake with my now-sparkling clean hand? According to the e-mail I later wrote to one of the heads of MTV PR about this incident, I muttered a “Hi” and then shuffled off in a moment so awkward, that, well, I notified MTV PR so they could smooth things over.

A great moment in corporate synergy this was not.

The MTV PR guy I e-mailed travels with Alex for game demos. I knew he could explain away the strange moment. He e-mailed Alex. And Alex e-mailed back: ““I love random weirdness…but I did know who he was.”

Relief! I felt better, though, frankly, I’m still glad we didn’t stop and chat in the bathroom. That would have been too weird.My floor continues to generate surprise sightings. Two weeks ago I was scrambling to the elevators to rush off to a Ubisoft meeting. And entering an elevator on my floor was Alex Rigopulos, talking to people — more execs? — as he got in an elevator. Were they nailing down “Rock Band”’s still-not-publicized price? Were they negotiating a deal to introduce an extra instrument? Were they discussing plans to include me as an unlockable character in the game? I don’t know. The doors closed.

Where will my next surprise Harmonix/”Rock Band” encounter occur on this floor?

Story Two: “Rock Band” Knows Best

Last week I was invited to a “Rock Band” demo. A publicist who is not employed by MTV but represents “Rock Band” called me and, without a hint of irony, invited me to play the game. The previous story’s MTV PR rep would run the demo. It would be at VH1, at 1633 Broadway, on a specific floor (I’m not naming floors again).

The funny thing is: I used to work at VH1, at 1633 Broadway on that specific floor. And I hadn’t been back there since I came to MTV News to cover video games. “Rock Band”: possible game of the year, major video game brand, exciting new bit of technology… coordinator of my very own professional homecoming?

Last Wednesday I entered 1633 and wasn’t even in the lobby for a full minute when I ran into someone I knew from my VH1 stint. Up on my old floor, I learned that the demo room was on the opposite side of the building as my old office. It was in a strange room I didn’t even know existed (You can see the room in the photos throughout this post.)

For the first song of the demo I played drums as two MTV colleagues and Newsweek’s N’Gai Croal (I can’t shake him!) took care of rhythm guitar, bass and vocals. I scored 87% and hit a 68 note streak as we rocked out to Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead Or Alive.” Next, I played rhythm guitar on Nirvana’s “In Bloom” and managed to hit 93% of the notes. But that was on easy. Then I got 81% playing bass on our second try at the Bon Jovi tune. And then — would you look at the time? — I skipped out on trying vocals.

On my way out of the demo room I ran into two more former colleagues. I walked over to my old office. A stranger sat at my desk. It was like visiting high school once you’re in college. I knew “Rock Band” was supposed to evoke nostalgia, but like this?

“Rock Band” keeps popping up around here. The full MTV News team was given a demo of the game (”off the record,” we were told, once I started asking questions). The even bigger MTV team was given a demo as well. And me? I just keep running into the thing.

These are my “Rock Band” stories. Don’t like them, fellow games reporters? Then go have your company make some games of its own. Now about that craven shilling thing…