We all knew that the Guitar Hero franchise had its eyes set on more than just guitars. Trademarked potential titles like Keyboard Hero, Drum Hero, DJ Hero and even Guitar Villain and Drum Villain have all given clues as to the possible future of the series. However, Activision might be more keen than ever to step up its game in the wake of Rock Band's success, and rhythm game fans playing turncoat in its wake.
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has promised that more instruments and vocals will be included in future titles, effectively stating that Guitar Hero will become Rock Band. With so many gamers now enjoying their sneering at Guitar Hero following Rock Band's release, I suppose I can't blame Activision for trying to reclaim the music game crown in such a way.
Would you be interested in a Rock Band Hero? What would Activision have to do to tear you away from EA's rhythmic clutches?
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
8:58 PM on 04.21.2008
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Rock Band has the right balance of challenge and fun nailed a whole bunch better than what the Guitar Hero series morphed into once Harmonix jumped ship.
- Release the game to Australia sooner than "Never"
- Don't gouge the utter shit out of us in pricing
- Fall back to more sensible note charts and ditch the stupid battle modes
There's no way in hell I'm gonna bust out another $100+ for a Rock Band Hero, I just don't trust Activision with the way they've been milking the franchise. Harmonix seems to actually be pushing the medium, not just trying to release a new game every 2 months with shittier and shittier music.
Give this GH biz a rest, before you flog it to death.
Milk that sucker for all it is worth.
I do not regret choosing Rock Band over Guitar Hero 3 whatsoever.
Harmonix 4 life.
That is all.
Has everyone forgotten about this?
Watch a video of any of the Foo Fighters DLC and enjoy bullshitty 3-note chords being shoved down your throat.
In harmonix we trust.....
Now it sounds as though they'll try and wedge the overly complex GH3 note patterns into a Rock band clone...boooo.
Go fuck yourselves!
So, or bring something super archi fantastabolic and new, or i´ll stick to my rock bands.
Don't be surprised when Tony Hawk 700 includes the revolutionary new original idea of preforming tricks with the right analog stick!! Totally came up with the idea themselves too!!
I find it really funny that EA has attached itself a game that redefined the music game genre, and themselves completely redefined skateboarding games. What a era we live in when they are the ones setting the example...
I reserve judgement until I see the periphs, however.
If it was compatible, maybe I'd pick it up, but we all know Activision sees extra dollar signs with peripherals (completely missing the extra dollar signs of those who aren't buying their crap due to already owning peripherals they deem unworthy).
We all have an auto-playing guitar right? That's why they don't want us to use our own instrument of choice right? Since playing at home on our own means they lose money...right?
I wouldn't really call GH3 a failure, though a large part of its retail success is certainly owed to the previous efforts of Harmonix. This was almost inevitable, but I really don't see how Neversoft is going to be able to improve over the masters' efforts.
"To tear me away from Rock Band:
- Release the game to Australia sooner than "Never"
- Don't gouge the utter shit out of us in pricing
- Fall back to more sensible note charts and ditch the stupid battle modes"
For example, upload an MP3 and create the charts yourself for each instrument. Share said track with your friends and even the world. Rate other peoples custom tracks so we weed out the garbage. That way, I can have some awesome indie/local band songs. Weeaboos can circulate J-rock, people into hardcore metal can do their thing. Trolls can create an elaborate Rick roll. It'd be a revolution.
If they included this with "Rock Band Hero" I'd be sold. But they wont, so I'll stick with Rock Band.
1) If they did create-a-track and made me buy a whole new set of peripherals, I still say screw em. No way am I plunking down another $200. If you want my money for the game, let me use the "instruments" in which I'm already invested.
2) Create-a-track would be difficult because it would be difficult to separate out the individual instruments. That's why having the master tracks is so important -- if the guitarist fails, you can drop out the guitar track until he hits a note again, and keep the rest of the song going. Without this, the game loses some of it's charm and the fantastic feeling you get when you really nail a section for the first time. Gotta love that rush of adrenaline as the end of the solo wails to the end while you hold the last note. I admit I've yelled, "YEAH!" more than a couple times when I really do well in a tough section.
"...end of a solo wails to the end?" Don't talk too good, do ya?
that is all.
I bought GH3, played the hard mode all the way through, and do you know what my favorite part of it was? The Les Paul, because when RB finally released in Canada, we were having four-player fun with the neighbors right away. Playing TTFATF was fun in a 'hey I did it' way, but after I got RB, I have only put the disc in once because I heard Black Magic Woman on the radio and had to play it.
I Agree entirely with David Quinn Carder's statement a few posts above. Not only did Activision/Neversoft screw up the balance and 'feel' of GH3, they also turned the art direction into a horrible rolling abortion factory. The visual design was ass-tastic, same with all the non-music sounds in the game (error noises, combo noises, etc).
RB has a great visual presentation, and does so with considerable user-customization in mind, nice touches like the dynamically generated loading screens and putting the band's name up in lights really 'sell it'.
In summary, I think GH3 was a fitting humiliation for Activision/Neversoft, I'm glad they got pantsed so hard by Harmonix/MTV/EA, and I think their plan to follow up their ripping off of GH2 by ripping off RB is par for the course, and will end in another ugly, unfun game with a disturbing number of cops in it.