Rhythm games have never experienced the level of popularity as much as they have today. With games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Singstar, and the 47th version of Dance Dance Revolution, it's hard to find someone on your friends list who doesn't have one of these games attached to their gamertag. Now, it's getting to the point where companies are having to try and one up each other when it comes to content and replayability. Activision, starting to feel the effects of Rock Band's seemingly endless supply of downloadable content on Xbox Live, had finally made their move, announcing that Guitar Hero IV will be available by, as of press time, Holiday 2008.
However, that's not what I'm focused on. With the rumor mill spinning constantly and information coming our way almost on a daily basis, there's always something to read about. Right now, it's Activision's decision to release a sequel title to GH3 that is centered solely around possibly the oldest American rock band, Aerosmith. Now, I was never a huge Aerosmith fan, but I also acknowledge the fact that they've had plenty of amazing songs and the game itself will, in all likelihood, be a blast to play.
So what bothers me about this? It's actually pretty simple. It seems like a reach for Activision and its development partners, Red Octane and Neversoft. The reason I see it this way is because Aerosmith may not be the band that gamers today are looking to play songs from. While Aerosmith does have one of the most impressive discographies in history, from their self-titled album in 1973 all the way to their most recent release, Honkin' on Bobo, in 2004, let's look at this from a technical standpoint.
The general gaming audience nowadays is generally considered from the ages of 13-25. This is the primary group that developers have to attack full force. Teenagers today, even the oldest ones, were born in 1990, twenty years after Aerosmith's inception. You then have to look at it from the point that they probably didn't get heavy into music until at least 2000, and considering the way that mainstream radio has gone, chances are good that Aerosmith isn't near the top of their list when it comes to bands that they listen to.
Now, chances are good that I'm blowing this out of proportion, but there are going to be some things I'll be looking forward in the coming weeks.
1) How many songs will be on this sequel?
Rock The 80s for the PS2 gave us thirty songs, most of which gamers my age (25-30) knew fairly well. Aerosmith will also be fairly familiar to me, although I'm not sure I'm going to be too jazzed to play a game that features just one band. Now, if it was Metallica....
2) Is it going to cost the full 60 dollars?
If this game costs full price, it may be a point that turns off most gamers. Perhaps if Rock The 80s hadn't been so easy, I wouldn't be so scared of this. Now, it must be noted that Rock The 80s did only cost 40 dollars when it was released. However, it seems like it would make more sense to utilize Xbox Live and make this as an expansion pack. It would save money in production as well as cut costs for consumers. Plus, it can simply be added onto their current career totals of Guitar Hero III, although, chances are good that it will somehow link itself to the current score anyways.
3) Will there be other sequels on the horizon before Guitar Hero IV?
This excerpt is taken from Electronic Gaming Monthly's February 2008 issue.
(Credit to "Quartermann", Electronic Gaming Monthly, Feb. 2008, #225)
So, other than the fact that I would say that it would be three sequels since GH4 is probably going to be its own game, what is it that we should expect if these rumors are true? Maybe there will be a genre-based GH sequel on the horizon, but two Guitar Hero games based solely around individual bands?
In the end, my concerns are simply just that: Concerns. I'm worried that shooting these titles out may diminish what Guitar Hero has become to the Rhythm-based genre, especially if they don't cater to the crowd that they are mainly dealing with. Activision, choose your titles carefully, because not everything you touch turns to gold.
This article is an editorial written by the original author and in no way are his views shared by any other member of Xbox America, its staff, or its users. Furthermore, Xbox America is in no way affiliated with Electronic Gaming Monthly and any information that was used to complete this article was quoted to give necessary credit to the original author.
However, that's not what I'm focused on. With the rumor mill spinning constantly and information coming our way almost on a daily basis, there's always something to read about. Right now, it's Activision's decision to release a sequel title to GH3 that is centered solely around possibly the oldest American rock band, Aerosmith. Now, I was never a huge Aerosmith fan, but I also acknowledge the fact that they've had plenty of amazing songs and the game itself will, in all likelihood, be a blast to play.
So what bothers me about this? It's actually pretty simple. It seems like a reach for Activision and its development partners, Red Octane and Neversoft. The reason I see it this way is because Aerosmith may not be the band that gamers today are looking to play songs from. While Aerosmith does have one of the most impressive discographies in history, from their self-titled album in 1973 all the way to their most recent release, Honkin' on Bobo, in 2004, let's look at this from a technical standpoint.
The general gaming audience nowadays is generally considered from the ages of 13-25. This is the primary group that developers have to attack full force. Teenagers today, even the oldest ones, were born in 1990, twenty years after Aerosmith's inception. You then have to look at it from the point that they probably didn't get heavy into music until at least 2000, and considering the way that mainstream radio has gone, chances are good that Aerosmith isn't near the top of their list when it comes to bands that they listen to.
Now, chances are good that I'm blowing this out of proportion, but there are going to be some things I'll be looking forward in the coming weeks.
1) How many songs will be on this sequel?
Rock The 80s for the PS2 gave us thirty songs, most of which gamers my age (25-30) knew fairly well. Aerosmith will also be fairly familiar to me, although I'm not sure I'm going to be too jazzed to play a game that features just one band. Now, if it was Metallica....
2) Is it going to cost the full 60 dollars?
If this game costs full price, it may be a point that turns off most gamers. Perhaps if Rock The 80s hadn't been so easy, I wouldn't be so scared of this. Now, it must be noted that Rock The 80s did only cost 40 dollars when it was released. However, it seems like it would make more sense to utilize Xbox Live and make this as an expansion pack. It would save money in production as well as cut costs for consumers. Plus, it can simply be added onto their current career totals of Guitar Hero III, although, chances are good that it will somehow link itself to the current score anyways.
3) Will there be other sequels on the horizon before Guitar Hero IV?
This excerpt is taken from Electronic Gaming Monthly's February 2008 issue.
Unattributed Quote:
We already know GH4 is on its way (as well as a game based on the band Aerosmith), but I'm hearing two more Guitar Hero titles are also in the works, bringing GH3's sequel count to four. And one may star a group that rocks in mysterious ways.
(Credit to "Quartermann", Electronic Gaming Monthly, Feb. 2008, #225)
So, other than the fact that I would say that it would be three sequels since GH4 is probably going to be its own game, what is it that we should expect if these rumors are true? Maybe there will be a genre-based GH sequel on the horizon, but two Guitar Hero games based solely around individual bands?
In the end, my concerns are simply just that: Concerns. I'm worried that shooting these titles out may diminish what Guitar Hero has become to the Rhythm-based genre, especially if they don't cater to the crowd that they are mainly dealing with. Activision, choose your titles carefully, because not everything you touch turns to gold.
This article is an editorial written by the original author and in no way are his views shared by any other member of Xbox America, its staff, or its users. Furthermore, Xbox America is in no way affiliated with Electronic Gaming Monthly and any information that was used to complete this article was quoted to give necessary credit to the original author.
