RIP Guitar Hero

[ifilus]

NEW YORK — These days, guns are more popular than guitars, at least when it comes to video games. The company behind "Guitar Hero" said Wednesday that it is pulling the plug on one of the most influential video game titles of the new century.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/10/guitar-hero-gets-axed_n_821159.html

 

[BYH]

Guitar Hero had to be near the top of the short list of dumbest things ever.

 

[jlee]

Guitar Hero had to be near the top of the short list of dumbest things ever.

Obsessing over "Guitar Hero" is dumb. The game itself was incredibly fun party fare.

 

[kingcreole]

I actually really liked the series, but yes it was getting bland.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Guitar Hero had to be near the top of the short list of dumbest things ever.

Agree. You want to learn to play the guitar? Learn to play guitar.

I'm flashing back to the South Park episode.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

Really, though, what was Guitar Hero other than a) Dance Dance Revolution with your fingers or b) Simon set to music? I never got into it (primarily because I really sucked at the guitar thing, though I had better success with the drums), but it was a good party game.

Is the music game genre done and dusted, or will someone pick up the slack? Viacom sold Harmonix, which developed Rock Band, last month for $50 (and $100 million in debt load). Presumably the new owner will at least publish Rock Band 4, especially now that it appears to be the only musical insturment game in town.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Given how much they surely had to pay in music rights, I wonder how profitable these types of games are?

 

[TigerVols]

Given how much they surely had to pay in music rights, I wonder how profitable these types of games are?

This has to be the main reason; not like they're having to pay royalties to Black Ops vets.

A bit surprised, none the less, as I figured GH was still percolating along pretty well. But I'm not much of a video gamer.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

Not only royalties (though they're also selling a lot of the music on a per-song basis through their online store, so it's not a total loss), but there's not much they can do to get people to buy the equipment or the new games, especially if you can still buy songs for the earlier version. There was a good bit of buzz about the keyboard on Rock Band 3, but that didn't really drive sales that much, I don't think. And at its core, it's the same game. Once they added drums and a microphone (Rock Band, Guitar Hero 2), there really isn't much left to do.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I read something recently that said that some of the top video games are more profitable than some of the top films.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

I read something recently that said that some of the top video games are more profitable than some of the top films.

I think I remember reading that Grand Theft Auto IV was a bigger grosser and more profitable than any movie released that year.

 

[mustangj17]

I really enjoyed Guitar Hero and Rockband. Didn't play often, but I had one game and I unlocked enough tracks to kill enough time here and there. I never played it instead of learning to play guitar. That's just silly.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Somewhere, Joel Zumaya weeps.

 

[wisportswriter]

We have Rock Band at our house and still love playing it - just did so last week.
In fact, my 5yo daughter is already a huge Beatles fan because of Rock Band, which I think is pretty damn cool.

Mizzou, you're one of my favorite posters here, but "just learn to play guitar" has to be one of the dumbest things you've ever written, and if South Park did an episode suggesting the same thing, Matt and Trey had a similar lapse.
I get a kick out of rocking the axe on Rock Band because, for that half-hour or so, it's fun to imagine playing those songs on the guitar, and it feels like you are, even if in the slightest sense.
But I'm still more than a few small steps away from being able to play "Three Blind Mice" on the guitar, much less "Enter Sandman."

 

[Pilot]

We have Rock Band at our house and still love playing it - just did so last week.
In fact, my 5yo daughter is already a huge Beatles fan because of Rock Band, which I think is pretty damn cool.

Mizzou, you're one of my favorite posters here, but "just learn to play guitar" has to be one of the dumbest things you've ever written, and if South Park did an episode suggesting the same thing, Matt and Trey had a similar lapse.
I get a kick out of rocking the axe on Rock Band because, for that half-hour or so, it's fun to imagine playing those songs on the guitar, and it feels like you are, even if in the slightest sense.
But I'm still more than a few small steps away from being able to play "Three Blind Mice" on the guitar, much less "Enter Sandman."

The failure of logic going on here is that Mizzou and his ilk act as if the thought process is "Hm. I want to play music. Should I
A: learn to play guitar
B: play Guitar Hero?"

The real thought process is: "Hey, I want to play a video game..."

Guitar Hero and Rock Band make for great party games. They are inclusive, allowing three or four people to play together, and short, allowing people to try different instruments or jump in or out frequently. It is simple enough in concept and easy enough in gameplay for anyone to pick it up, but can get very difficult. Each player can be on a different level and still play together, too.

All that said, the South Park issue on the subject was freaking fantastic. I hope this doesn't mean they'll stop development on Heroin Hero.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Saw Beatles Rock Band in the clearance bin at Target for $7.48 recently.

Was a little surprised it was that low, but it makes more sense now. I thought about buying it, but I don't have any of the Rock Band stuff. Just a GH guitar and I don't think the two are compatible.

 

[doubledown68]

Saw Beatles Rock Band in the clearance bin at Target for $7.48 recently.

Was a little surprised it was that low, but it makes more sense now. I thought about buying it, but I don't have any of the Rock Band stuff. Just a GH guitar and I don't think the two are compatible.

Guitar Hero guitars are indeed compatible with Rock Band.... in fact, they're much easier to use than the ones that come with the Rock Band game.

As for Rock Band... the drums are like video game crack. I've got a decent sense of rhythm and have always wanted to learn to play the drums. Rock Band is as close as I've gotten... and it's freaking awesome.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

As for Rock Band... the drums are like video game crack. I've got a decent sense of rhythm and have always wanted to learn to play the drums. Rock Band is as close as I've gotten... and it's freaking awesome.

The drums in either Rock Band or Guitar Hero are a good tool for actually learning how to play.

 

[Buck]

Really, though, what was Guitar Hero other than a) Dance Dance Revolution with your fingers or b) Simon set to music? I never got into it (primarily because I really sucked at the guitar thing, though I had better success with the drums), but it was a good party game.

Is the music game genre done and dusted, or will someone pick up the slack? Viacom sold Harmonix, which developed Rock Band, last month for $50 (and $100 million in debt load). Presumably the new owner will at least publish Rock Band 4, especially now that it appears to be the only musical insturment game in town.

I would've bought it for $50, even $60.

 

[dooley_womack1]

I guess heaven needed to rock out with its **** out