MTV Multiplayer has delivered information on the new Guitar Hero arcade machine, including the surprising news that rhythm game giant Konami is collaborating on the project. Activision, having no experience in the arcade space, asked the makers of DDR and rival console title Rock Revolution to recommend a developer for the project, resulting in the decision to hire on Raw Thrills.
The new game is based largely on Guitar Hero III, with some tweaks. While character options are being kept to a minimum, the machines will feature DLC options for owners of the unit, allowing them to update the game with new tracks as they become available. The controller is a specially-designed hybrid of the GH III peripheral and the one which ships with World Tour.
With the state of the American arcade market being almost non-existent, one has to wonder how successful a game like Guitar Hero Arcade can possibly be. Raw Thrills is stating that they've had more pre-orders for this machine than any in their history but, for a company who has only been in the business during a time when far more arcades were closing than opening, that can hardly be surprising (or heartening).
What say you? Will you be playing Guitar Hero in an arcade or stick to the living room? What would the game have to offer you to justify making the trip if you're on the fence?
Conrad Zimmerman is Destructoid's News Editor and home to the busiest mustache in the gaming press. An amateur historian and pop culture fanatic, Conrad possesses a nearly limitless wealth of videogame factoids and a passion for the power of games to teach, inspire and entertain. He enjoys reading, writing and turning things which should be fun into work.
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Contest:
9:30 AM on 12.09.2008 | 
Agreed.
All of the arcades around my area closed down.
Honestly, I'm pretty pumped about this. Forget for a second that I don't leave my house to engage in bar-scene social situations very often (anymore), but I'd be all about playing one of these while out with some friends. Could I play it at home? Absolutely. Would I rather be playing the full-band experience of Rock Band and its 500 plus songs? Most definitely.
But don't underestimate the power that a few beers or YagerBombs have in being able to sneak a few quarters away from you when you least expect it. How many times have you dumped coins into Big Buck Hunter Revenge or a touch-screen game just because it was there?
I love arcades, but I am primarily a fan of shooters and fighting games, which is why I am disappointed that Capcom has opted not to bring Street Fighter IV to US arcades. My local arcade actually imported a Tekken 6 machine from Japan, and while it is amazing, it's ridiculously expensive to play since the arcade passes the expense of importing onto the customer. While a credit for Marvel vs. Capcom 2 will only run me down 25 cents, a credit in Tekken 6 costs 3 freaking dollars. If there are three things that are hurting arcades the most, they're these: bad location, bad prices, and NO GOOD NEW GAMES! Any good arcade worth their tokens should have a great selection of both classic and new machines. Most arcades these days have lots of crap from the late 1990s, a few classics, and maybe two brand new machines that are either awesome or crap. That needs to change.
*Read: Scare off.
They hold mini tournies and everything.
So not a link to my own blog that was blogged months ago
It would be damn cool to see these in arcades and the cool thing is that it's only a 30mins drive for me to hit up a little arcade with 40 or so arcade games.
However, if they don't I'll be all over it. Hopefully there will be one at my favorite pizza place, which happens to also be a sports bar.
This other bar my friend goes to has a Guitar Hero/Karaoke night every Friday, they run it off a PS2 and they do pretty good. No charge to play though, just gotta wait in line.