Topic: Off to San Fran to Rock Out

[WindyMan]

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16034

 

I'm waiting to catch a flight up to San Francisco to attend a special Guitar Hero event being held by Activision later today. With any luck, I'll be able to bring you hands-on details on Guitar Hero: On Tour, Guitar Hero Aerosmith, and (maybe) the newly-christened, officially-announced Guitar Hero World Tour very soon.  Watch the blog for any breaking developments and the front page for news, previews, impressions, or anything else that comes out of tonight.  Whatever Activision has planned for GHIV (particuarly the Wii version) has me curious about something, though.    

World Tour is obviously a direct response to MTV/Harmonix's Rock Band. The multi-instrument experience was something Activision was probably going to do anyway, but for it to pull out all the stops like this may leave some of the casual market behind. Here are a couple of questions I have, which may or may not be answered tonight:    

- Does the multi-instrument game mean the guitar-only players will be out of luck? People have no problems paying $100 for a game with just the guitar.  But will they be okay paying $150 or more for an all-instrument bundle if they don't really want it?  I hope Activision is still thinking about the little guy here and offers an easy way for people to get a simpler, cheaper GHIV experience.    

- Why build a wall between the two music games by making controllers that aren't cross-compatible? Rock Band and Guitar Hero are competitors, so competition is understandable. Activision and Red Octane got a lot of flak for making the GHIII Gibson controllers initially incompatible with Rock Band. While the new controllers could work with Rock Band (we don't know yet), at least the Rock Band (four pads) drums definitely won't be compatible with Guitar Hero World Tour (six pads).  This essentially means gamers who got Rock Band will need to backpedal from what may be a large investment to re-equip for GHIV or make those who haven't pick one or the other. Pricey game-exclusive peripherals can be justified if the game they come with is unique. GH and RB offer basically the same experiences. Can the industry support them both, or will a genre divided be more harmful than helpful?

[Plugabugz]

Expense. More. Yum. I saw Rock Band in GAME for "only" (THEY PRICED IT AS ONLY) £130. $260 for coloured plastic bibs?

Both Guitar Hero and Rock Band are in very close danger of falling into a pit by pricing themselves out of the market they created. Wii Fit for £70 was tolerable because of the reuse value of the board. I won't buy any of these music peripheral games because 6 months later they announce Wannabe Beyoncé Superstar Dance Troupe 5001 and start it all over again.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Internet Idol

Dancing with the n00bs

[vudu]

While the new controllers could work with Rock Band (we don't know yet), at least the Rock Band (4 pads) drums definitly won't be compatible with Guitar Hero World Tour (6 pads).

Actually, the Guitar Hero World Tour drums only have five pads.  It's the Rock Revolution drums that have six of 'em. 

[UltimatePartyBear]

Actually, the Guitar Hero World Tour drums only have five pads.  It's the Rock Revolution drums that have six of 'em. 

This is starting to remind me of razor blade marketing.  All we're missing is the photoshopped image of a drum kit with 20 pads.

[Berto2K]

I had the chance to go to this, but work and all is more important.

[animecyberrat]

Well think of it like this, a real guitar, drum set and mic all cost several dozen times more than this game does, and so many people aspire to be rock gods but can't afford it increases the appeal of these types of game. Compared to other video game these are expensive, compared to starting a band these games are a bargain.