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Neversoft: We 'lost our souls' with Guitar Hero franchise photo

Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and Guitar Hero project director Brian Bright has admitted that the quest for music game dominance certainly had a corrupting effect. According to Bright, developer Neversoft sold its soul in order to compete with Rock Band

"With Guitar Hero World Tour we kind of lost our souls a bit,” he confesses. “We lost that spark by trying to cater to everyone. We were in this arms race with our competitor [Rock Band 2], and in the end I felt like we sold a bit of our souls.”

With word that Neversoft is hiring for an "action shooter," it would seem that the studio is getting the fresh air it so sorely needs. If it means we get a break from ten Guitar Hero games a year, that's fine by me. Seriously, that series needs at least a few months' rest. 

Neversoft on ‘selling out’ in the race for sales [Develop via Industry Gamers]








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36 comments | showing # 1 to 36
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ZServ's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 15:45
ZServ
Too bad they couldnt compete in quality, either.
DV2FOX's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 15:47
DV2FOX
it had to be....JIM STERRRRRRRRRLIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNG.....Who the fuck is Jim Sterlig?XD

Yep,that's what they get..i like GH,yes,but RB3's commin' n dominating even more...
Xzyliac's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 15:50
Xzyliac
I'd say it was somewhere around Tony Hawk's Underground but whatever lets them sleep at night. GH5 was pretty decent though and Warriors of Rock is shaping up nicely.

Also, that shooter? Given recent events I'm guessing it's Gun 2.

Also also,
flea friend's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 15:59
flea friend
I wonder what it was about World Tour that made them decide that this was the sequel where they sold out...
KrazyKraut's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 16:00
KrazyKraut
Yes...they sold their souls. Thats bs...now they have enough money to produce the games they ever wanted to produce.

Also, also:


Didnt know that they made music for Sucklight. Now I will sell their CDs on eBay.
NinjaTaco's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 16:03
NinjaTaco
GH 1 through 3 (and Metallica) were the best so far, but I'm more into Rock/Metal music, so you can't account for taste.

Like the Neversoft quote says, they tried to include a little bit of every genre in World Tour & GH5, and the result was pure crap.

GH:WoR honestly looks pretty good to me, but I'm soured enough on the series that I'll likely wait to buy it once it's a $20 bargain bin game.
President Curval's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 16:10
President Curval
I really hope the new action shooter is GUN 2. The first GUN doesn't get the credit it deserves. It was a fun game with an interesting story. The old west is an untapped setting for games and we need more of them as soon as possible. I've been think that ever since Lucasarts put out that FPS on the PC a long time ago, I think it was called Outlaws, it had cartoon like graphics and was set in the old west.
janoDX's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 16:11
janoDX
Go back to tony hawk games neversoft and bring us Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5
Jaffacakelover's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 16:18
Jaffacakelover
World Tour is the only one I bought... because it had songs i'd actually bloody heard of. I still got bored of it within weeks.
jawshoeuh's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 16:19
jawshoeuh
I've never bought a Guitar Hero game or peripheral ever. My wife did buy Beatles Rock Band and though I do enjoy it, I totally lament the large plastic instruments in our living room... I'm sure before too long they'll be retired to the closet where our DDR pads reside.
ThatStupidGeek's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 16:25
ThatStupidGeek
And here I thought they sold their soul to Activision. I mean...the soul cant be worth that much if you can trade it for the rights to repackage and sell Simon Says with some plastic instruments.
Xpeki's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 16:32
Xpeki
Why does everyone keep saying Activision is milking Guitar Hero when the only Guitar Hero on consoles this year will be Warriors of Rock? Geez
cimerians's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 16:38
cimerians
They sold their sold to Activision.
Malik's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 16:43
Malik
@xpeki

There are 12 Guitar Hero games on consoles sense the debut I of the franchise in 2005.
Freequebec86's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 16:51
Freequebec86
I think that guys talk about the ( tackled Drums and microphone ).


For peope who don't know, the guys who made Guitar Hero ( Harmonix ), left for EA and they made Rock band.

When Rock Band came out, the Guitar Hero trademarker holder ( Redoctane, activision, neversoft ) need to compete with the "full band experience"... And they failed so hard.... Because of the gameplay ( Harmonix got the original "codes" ), art styles, songs choice etc etc.

Rock Band still going "strong" i think ! Maybe they will not be the TOP seller this holiday, but they will do good with Rock Band 3.

And they continue to bring up innovation with Real guitar or a Fake 102 buttons and 6 strings guitar ! For their pro-mode ! They got DLC and backward compatibilities.

Rock Band is almost a Multimedia-musical-platform ( like a ipod ). At least for me

"Guitar Hero" lost the battle ! But HARMONIX PREVAILLLLLL and continue to make great gamesssssssss
nanowerx's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 16:53
nanowerx
I dont even think Harmonix has even made 12 games. I hope we get another 2 year break before Rock Band 4 comes out. The wait between 2 and 3 was just perfect enough to where I am really anticipating the new features and UI of Rock Band 3 and not sick of the concept.
Sexualchocolate's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 16:59
Sexualchocolate
A break from guitar hero for a year?

Somewhere a Kotick laughs...
Xzyliac's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 17:01
Xzyliac
@nanowerx
Since 1998 Harmonix has developed 22 games including Rock Band 3 and Dance Central respectively.
KingSigy's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 17:12
KingSigy
I'd say a few decades rest. There's enough GH games to fill in 15 years if you released 1 a year.
Spaz's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 17:29
Spaz
Yeah only GH games that ever got me going where one through three. I'm more of a metal guy so yeah didn't care much for anything else they put out. Now they only need to do a GH game with a GOOD metal band and I'll be happy. Then they can never release another guitar hero game for all I care.
Flamingboar's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 17:40
Flamingboar
So that's why no new pro skater has come out in a long time. Makes me hate GH more than I did already.
nanowerx's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 17:45
nanowerx
@xzyliac

Color me impressed. Didn't even know they were in business that long
Xzyliac's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 18:12
Xzyliac
@nanowerx
Yeah. Starting with The Axe on PC. Then Amplitude and Frequency. GH and RB. Their EyeToy and iPod (pre-Touch) game. Harmonix has done a lot. They don't get much show as their music games. They're just weird little arcade ventures.

I think they have some weird MIDI software thingy out there too that isn't technically a game. It's from their really early days. Before they even started videogame development. Originally videogames were just what they were doing to pay the bills.

And here we are. Rock Band 3 is essentially why Alex and his partner started Harmonix. It's a digital interface that can fit into anyone's home and teach them how to play an instrument but disguise it behind the accessability of playing a game.

And there lies the main differences between RB and GH. GH is an arcade game and RB is an attempted simulator. Lord only knows if they'll succeed. I'm still skeptical on the guitar.

I'm done. I'll go music game nerd out somewhere else now. :P
twincannon's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 19:57
twincannon
What's that? Notharmonix talking about guitar hero turning into a big fucking sellout?

Look, in the interbutts! Is it a troll? A first poster? A lurker? No... it's CAPTAIN FUCKIN' OBVIOUS! gh has had no soul since 3.
Keasar's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 20:06
Keasar
Hey, newsflash, you guys sold it once you started working for Kotick. :P
The Cast's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 20:23
The Cast
Wait, Neversoft wasn't forced into making Guitar Hero games? So much for feeling sorry for them to be supposedly ruled by such tyranny.
nanowerx's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 20:53
nanowerx
I have much love for Frequency and Amplitude, many a bong-filled nights playing those back in the day. I actually thought those were their first true games (aside from the ported Bemani stuff they used to do).

I think it's time for an Amplitude sequal. Or hell, rerelease the old games in HD and I'm sold
Perfidious Sinn's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 21:27
Perfidious Sinn
Step 1: Say exactly what people want to hear.
Step 2: Pretend to be remorseful
???
Profit!
atastysammich's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 22:28
atastysammich
Whoa whoa whoa, hold up. When did the lady/ies of Guitar Hero get hot?
Loogibot's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 23:21
Loogibot
It's unlikely, but maybe we won't see another Guitar Hero until 2011 or even later. Warriors of Rock is looking fine, but Rock Band 3 will be the better rhythm game all round. I have a feeling that we might see far more Rock Band iterations in the coming years. Last year we saw three (yes Rock Band Unplugged does count) and this year there are already two (Green Day counts too). Before you know it, there might be as many Rock Bands as there are Guitar Hero's. Though we probably won't have to worry about quality control by then...
DustyBlue's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 23:26
DustyBlue
Isn't selling your soul pretty much the admission fee for working with Activision?

Which makes me wonder why/how Bungie got an agreement with Activision; Microsoft still has their souls from their agreement with Bungie.
enteringoblivion's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/11/2010 01:03
enteringoblivion
I remember the ps1 Spider-man game they made being pretty good (for its time). Activision should let them make another one after Shattered Dimensions comes out.
Xzyliac's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/11/2010 02:10
Xzyliac
@atastysammich
The women of Harmonix era Guitar Hero were actually pretty damn attractive and badass to boot.

The NSoft came along and sluttied/weirded 'em all out. They look alright now but not as good as they did in GH2. GH5 was a good year for Judy Nails but Pandora (who I totally confess to having a pathetic videogame crush on) has never reclaimed her blue-haired, white leather, glory from GH2.

And Casey Lynch, I don't know what the fuck happened to her.
The Amazing Shenazin's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/11/2010 08:11
The Amazing Shenazin
remember those Spider Man games they did? those rocked
Midgetsnowman's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/11/2010 08:34
Midgetsnowman
T-minus Ten minutes till activision fires their leading programmers and forces them to make Guitar Hero till the end of time via lawsuit.
silvain's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/11/2010 10:37
silvain
@xzyliac: agree on pandora and Casey. :)
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