guitar hero Archive

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Activision Kills Guitar Hero

By
Andy Yen
– February 9, 2011Posted in: Video Games

“Due to continued declines in the music genre, the company will disband Activision Publishing’s Guitar Hero business unit and discontinue development on its Guitar Hero game for 2011″ -Activision financial statement

Perhaps “killed” may be too strong of a word, as I’m sure down the road someone will revive the franchise. It’s just too strong of a brand to write off forever.

Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg from December 2010:

“It’s no secret that not just Guitar Hero, but also Rock Band, and the music category in general, do not have the same mass appeal today that they did a few years ago,” he said.

“That said, I think that we would be foolish to not try and build on the strength of the Guitar Hero brand, because as you said, it’s a pretty strong brand with great recognition and great likeability, and there’s a lot to work with there.”

However, there’s no question we needed a break from the over-saturation of the franchise that Activision shoved down our throats the past few years.

Hope you liked what you have wrought, Uncle Bobby.

Read More: Activision kills Guitar Hero News – Page 1 | Eurogamer.net.

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Edgar Bronfman Needs More Money

By
Andy Yen
– August 12, 2008Posted in: Music, Music Industry, Video Games

edgar bronfman moar fail money

Not content with totally mishandling the music industry’s disastrous “transition” into the iPod age, Warner Music CEO, Edgar Bronfman Jr., has started down the path of bungling yet another potential revenue stream.  With the recent explosion in popularity (and sales) of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, it was only a matter of time before someone had to open their big mouth.  The churlish executive told Reuters:

The amount being paid to the music industry, even though their games are entirely dependent on the content we own and control, is far too small.

Now, to be fair, no specifics were given as to how much the record labels are actually getting paid for the use of their music recordings in the games.  It’s certainly possible that the game industry is not paying enough.  Let’s forget for a minute all the other components that make Guitar Hero/Rock Band successful (development costs, peripheral manufacturing, distribution, marketing, etc.) and play Ed’s game.  If I had to guess, I’d posit that the current cut for music in rhythm games is close, if not the same, as a digital download on iTunes.  Our pal Eddie must have seen this, and thought, “Hay! Activision is charging double the price of iTunes, but we’re only getting the same as El Jobso.  Let me talk to the press, they will surely be on our side!”

Sarcasm aside, Eduardo and the rest of the music industry really need to think before they speak.  Even if they are getting the shaft, it would be much more productive to solve the issue behind closed doors.  Coming out and complaining to the press in a haughty tone is not going to help their situation any.  To the contrary, it’ll just serve as blogger and message board fodder to further drag the music industry through the mud.

Not that the record labels really need any more help with that.

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God of War Track Comes To Guitar Hero 3 On PS3 For Free

By
Andy Yen
– June 4, 2008Posted in: Video Games

Not to feel left out after the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero 3 got free DLC in the form of the Halo 3 theme, Sony will be putting out their own blockbuster franchise theme on Guitar Hero in the form of God of War.

Frankly, it looks like you’re going to be playing a mish mash of guitar notes – the recognizable part is with the chorus and it’s not quite apparent you get to rock out to that.  But free is free.  Just don’t expect the God of War gameplay footage as you click-clack away.

The content will show up on tomorrow’s Playstation Store update and will be free.

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Guitar Hero Slurpees – Really, Activision?

By
Andy Yen
– May 2, 2008Posted in: Video Games

guitar hero slurpee

Activision, 7-11, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft have announced a joint blitzkrieg promotion involving the upcoming Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and Slurpee cups at 7-11.  Apparently there’s a new slurpee flavor called “Full Throttle Frozen Blast” and what better way to promote a frozen energy drink to the coveted 18-34 male demographic than to slap branding of Ben Throttle Aerosmith on the cups?

I have no problem with promoting video games to the mainstream with beverage branding.  I actually thought the Halo 3-themed Mountain Dew flavor last year was a good cog in the giant promotions machine for the game.

What I do question, is a) The existence of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith in the first place and b) Do young people who go to 7-11 care about Aerosmith?

“The sweet spot of the core Slurpee customer is between 18 and 24 years old,” said Jay Wilkins, brand manager for Slurpee and Big Gulp® beverages. “Our goal is to keep Slurpee as cool today as it was to teens and young adults in the 1960s when it was first introduced.”

Aerosmith might have been cool to teens and young adults in the first decade the Slurpee was introduced, but somehow I highly doubt the kids of today are rebelling against their parents by listening to Honkin’ on Bobo and drinking their slurpees.

See, the thing about the Halo Mountain Dew promotion was that there hadn’t been a Halo game released in 3 years.  The anticipation and excitement was there – having a Mountain Dew flavor was just adding to the hysteria.  We just had a Guitar Hero game release nary six months ago, with another two coming out in early summer.

Why don’t we save the all out promotion blitzes for when you put out Rock Band Guitar Hero IV in a couple of years months?

Read the press release [biz.yahoo.com]

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Guitar Hero: On Tour For Nintendo DS – Really?

By
Andy Yen
– March 22, 2008Posted in: Video Games

Doesn’t the above ad for Guitar Hero: On Tour disturbingly remind you of those oozinator commercials from a couple years ago?

Earlier this week, Activision announced an upcoming Nintendo DS version of their oversaturated venerable Guitar Hero franchise. It’s no secret I’m not a fan of Activision’s desire to milk the once innovative Guitar Hero series for all the short term money it can before tossing its charred husk into the infernal furnace of irrelevance, but I’ll admit the fret buttons add-on they’ve devised for the DS version looks fairly intriguing. I was expecting a touch screen equivalent, but having actual physical buttons will go a long way in simulating the “real” Guitar Hero experience. It looks a bit awkward to hold and strum though, much like reading a book one handed.

Some of the “new gameplay features,” though, are a little suspect.

Fans can also join together to play co-op mode using a local wireless network, or battle each other in a Guitar Duel using new Battle Items unique to the DS platform. For example, players must blow into the microphone to extinguish a pyrotechnics effects gone wrong, or use the touch screen to autograph a crazed fan’s shirt in the middle of their set.

Really? Blowing into the DS microphone “to extinguish a pyrotechnics effect gone wrong”? Such shenanigans might have been neat in 2005 for the launch of the DS when it was called Feel The Magic XY:XX, but in 2008 for a music rhythm game? No.

We’ll see this summer if it’ll work out.

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Guitar Hero: Van Failen Edition?

By
Andy Yen
– March 9, 2008Posted in: Video Games

Saw over on Kotaku that Activision CEO Bobby Kotick may have let it slip out that a future iteration of his beloved hit franchise, Guitar Hero, would be a Van Halen-centric affair much like the recently announced Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.  I’ve already been over this with Bob Lefsetz, but it bears repeating again:

ACTIVISION, PLEASE STOP MILKING GUITAR HERO BECAUSE YOU ARE TOO SHORT SIGHTED TO SEE WHAT AN AWESOME BRAND YOU HAVE.

Activision’s already run the once venerable Tony Hawk franchise into the ground with yearly sequels that have diluted the game so much that no one gives a shit anymore. Now it looks like they’re about to do the same with the Guitar Hero franchise in half the time. (Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is scheduled to come roughly six months after Guitar Hero 3) Take a look at Microsoft’s Halo if you want to see a franchise done right. There’s been two sequels since 2001′s Halo: Combat Evolved and each one has been a megaton event game of the year selling record numbers. Do you think the Halo brand would be nearly as strong if they cranked one out every 6 months with new levels being the only difference?

Yes, Activision should do what it can to keep the momentum of the sudden Guitar Hero craze, but they should do it with tactics similar to how Harmonix or Bungie are supporting their games – affordable and regularly available new downloadable content or, in the case of Bungie, listening to the community and tweaking/refreshing/adding game playlists. You could even figure out something new!

Whatever you do, just don’t bombard us with $60 “new” games that simultaneously insult and revolt a big part of your core audience.

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Dear Bob Lefsetz, Aerosmith Only Guitar Hero Is Not That Awesome

By
Andy Yen
– February 15, 2008Posted in: Video Games

Ah, the mainstream penetration of everyone’s favorite guitar playing simulator, Guitar Hero.  Even our favorite video game newbie Bob Lefsetz deemed the latest entry into the franchise, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith worthy of mention in his latest email newsletter.  Unfortunately for Bob, his glowing enthusiasm for the newly announced title is not shared by members of the gaming community, myself included.  I wrote an animated reply back to him which I’ll post in its entirety after the jump.

My email may be a little acerbic, but something about communicating with Lefsetz gets me in a CAPITALIZING MOOD.  The fact of the matter is, Activision has severely diluted the Guitar Hero brand by releasing so many expansions/”sequels” in such a short time frame.  In a 12 month window we’ll have had Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80′s, Guitar Hero 3, and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.  None of these titles have advanced the core gameplay of the series in a significant way.  They all basically amount to song expansion packs.  While this may be fine and dandy for fans of the game who just want more tracks (or for aging rock bands to feel like they’re relevant again), but I feel that Guitar Hero is no longer synonymous with cool, innovative rhythm gaming.  It’s just about become like The Sims and its shamelessly exploited expansion packs.  A mainstream, casual gaming cash cow for sure, but zero credibility with gaming connoisseurs.  Understandable from a business perspective, but don’t go around plugging Guitar Hero like it’s Animal Collective.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Joel Zumaya Hurt Himself Again

By
Andy Yen
– November 1, 2007Posted in: Sports

guitar hero 3

Hard-throwing Detroit Tigers relief pitcher, Joel Zumaya, can’t seem to catch a break. He injured his shoulder severely while trying to help evacuate his parents from the California wildfires last week. ESPN reports that Zumaya will be sidelined until at least the middle of the 2008 MLB season. Last year, Zumaya missed the last three games of the ALCS and all of the World Series because of an arm injury due to playing Guitar Hero.

Frankly I’m surprised he didn’t injure himself again on the recently released Guitar Hero III. That Slipknot song on level 7 is complete and utter bullshit on hard difficulty. On the bright side for Mr. Zumaya, Rock Band comes out in roughly three weeks. Not having to worry about baseball until March means he can rock out all he wants.

Then again, I’m sure thousands of Tigers fans and fantasy baseball players out there are PLEADING for Joel to take it easy on the rhythm games. Todd Jones and his adventurous 4.26 ERA seasons don’t exactly inspire confidence.

Zumaya Injured [ESPN.com]

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