Activision Blizzard axes music games division

[K9]

No more Guitar Hero games will be produced for the foreseeable future.

I'm not all that surprised. After the inception of the genre of musical rhythm games the genre has been pretty stagnant, and none of the new games have offered significant advances in gameplay since rockband added the drum and mike. Also, as catalogues become a bit exhausted there's less pull as people aren't playing increasingly obscure songs. I guess there's mileage in dancing games for a few years, with the Wii/Move/Kinect, but I don't see what the new exciting direction is for these games, and I'm guessing neither do the companies.

I never heard of Warriors or Rock either, I guess only selling 86,000 units world wide says about all you need to know though.

[MuffinMan]

Psst.

[Zaljerem]

I enjoy the shit out of all of those games, especially Rock Band with a bunch of people. It has introduced a lot of great music to an entire new generation too. That is great. but of course, you're right ... where can they really go from here?

As a musician I recommend learning a real instrument. You can get a well-made guitar or bass for less than $200 these days. You can get a pretty excellent electronic drumkit for $300 or so. All you need then is practice. Of course, that's on you.

Everyone should learn something about music, and how to play some sort of instrument. It's right up there with "war" as something we humans, as a race, do really well. :)

[ghost]

This news makes me happy. 

[Sjofn]

I really, really doubt I could teach myself guitar or bass, and I am someone who actually knows how to play an instrument already. It's even one that requires you to have something of an ear (yeah, French horn! YEAH! ROCKIN'!)! I took a violin class in college and strings make my head hurt.

Also I hope this means Rock Band will get their grubby mitts on Van Halen now. 

[Minvaren]

I found DJ Hero with the controller on clearance for $20.  I got way more than my money's worth there.

Dunno how much staying power that franchise would have had, but it was definitely just plain fun for a while.

[Azazel]

Meh. Activision execs clearly have their heads up their arses and can only see anything in terms of "annual franchises" rather then being interested in putting out good games. Their desperation to milk the shit out of the GH genre with annual retail product was what killed the golden goose.

As something that they put out every couple of years, sure. But no-one wants to buy another plastic guitar every fucking year. Bobby thought the well would never run dry (and the stupid Tony Hawk game with the stupid plastic skateboard, and DJ Hero were both similar attempts to sell us a cheap piece of Chinese plastic with a game disc for superextralarge profits.

Also, as a non-musician, I say "fuck that shit" to "Everyone should learn something about music, and how to play some sort of instrument". As the Southpark kids said on my TV not 10 seconds ago "real guitars are for old people"  . (funny that episode happens to be in right now). Seriously though, that's like me (a painter) saying that everyone should learn to paint. We all have different talents etc etc.

[Margalis]

In the time it takes to get good at expert Guitar Hero you could learn to play real songs on a Guitar pretty well. Guitar is one of the easiest instruments to get passably good at.

Also painting doesn't help you score.

[Tarami]

I really, really doubt I could teach myself guitar or bass, and I am someone who actually knows how to play an instrument already. It's even one that requires you to have something of an ear (yeah, French horn! YEAH! ROCKIN'!)! I took a violin class in college and strings make my head hurt.

Hey now. I played the French horn too. It's a beautiful instrument. And fuck trumpet players, the low-life, lead part-stealing motherfuckers.

Also, that explains your sig.

[Azazel]

In the time it takes to get good at expert Guitar Hero you could learn to play real songs on a Guitar pretty well. Guitar is one of the easiest instruments to get passably good at.

Also painting doesn't help you score.

Don't care about learning guitar, also, I'm not especially good ingame either. I'm a Easy/Medium player. I play it for fun (GASP!)

Also, painting can.
But yes, when I was briefly asked to sing in a shitty band many years ago when I had far more hair and far less lard, the ladies did indeed like it to a whole different and special level. I still can't figure that shit out.
But needing/wanting to go out and score is also long behind me. I can still somewhat sing, though since I'm a basketcase who never leaves home except to go to work these days, I now only sing in GH/RB. 

What's embarassing is that when I first read your post, I read "score" as in "score points in GH" for a second before it clicked. I'm such a sad case tonight.

Anyway, if everyone could play guitar, it would lose it's specialness, and no longer be useful for scoring.

 

[Bunk]

Also painting doesn't help you score.

He could play Epic Mickey!   

[Sjofn]

I really, really doubt I could teach myself guitar or bass, and I am someone who actually knows how to play an instrument already. It's even one that requires you to have something of an ear (yeah, French horn! YEAH! ROCKIN'!)! I took a violin class in college and strings make my head hurt.

Hey now. I played the French horn too. It's a beautiful instrument. And fuck trumpet players, the low-life, lead part-stealing motherfuckers.

Also, that explains your sig.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I love playing horn! It's just not exactly an instrument that gets people to throw up the horns (har har), generally speaking. And yes, fuck trumpet players. Trombone players too, all rubbing their non-shitty parts in my face when I'm forced to play a Sousa march. Again.

Ahem.

[ghost]

They should do a Kenny G version of Rock Band as a last hurrah.




This would look pretty sweet with a plastic instrument.

[Rendakor]

Activision doesn't own Rock Band, only GH.

[Xuri]

In the time it takes to get good at expert Guitar Hero you could learn to play real songs on a Guitar pretty well. Guitar is one of the easiest instruments to get passably good at.

Or, you could do both at the same time. At least after they release the damn thing (1. March?)

[ghost]

Activision doesn't own Rock Band, only GH.

Sorry, I'm not an expert at who owns the plastic instrument games. 

[Zaljerem]

Also, as a non-musician, I say "fuck that shit" to "Everyone should learn something about music, and how to play some sort of instrument". As the Southpark kids said on my TV not 10 seconds ago "real guitars are for old people"  . (funny that episode happens to be in right now). Seriously though, that's like me (a painter) saying that everyone should learn to paint. We all have different talents etc etc.

I think everyone could benefit from exposure to painting. Most of us get exposed too, even if it's just fingerpainting or watercolors as a child.

Just because you're not supremely talented at something doesn't mean that there's no point in learning about it, or even doing it. Knowledge for knowledge's sake? A greater appreciation? Maybe you end up finding out you have some talent after all.

Far be it from me to dispute the wisdom of South Park though.   

[Comstar]

You cant get Rock Band instruments in Australia, so I had to buy Warriors of Rock and then get Rock Band 3 too. I find Rock Band 3 a MUCH better game, and a lot better songs.

[Rendakor]

Rock Band instruments are pretty hard to find in the US too, since they don't make RB2 bundles anymore, and didn't put out a complete bundle with RB3.

[Azazel]

Also, as a non-musician, I say "fuck that shit" to "Everyone should learn something about music, and how to play some sort of instrument". As the Southpark kids said on my TV not 10 seconds ago "real guitars are for old people"  . (funny that episode happens to be in right now). Seriously though, that's like me (a painter) saying that everyone should learn to paint. We all have different talents etc etc.

I think everyone could benefit from exposure to painting. Most of us get exposed too, even if it's just fingerpainting or watercolors as a child.
Just because you're not supremely talented at something doesn't mean that there's no point in learning about it, or even doing it. Knowledge for knowledge's sake? A greater appreciation? Maybe you end up finding out you have some talent after all.
Far be it from me to dispute the wisdom of South Park though.   

You're absolutely right. Knowledge for knowledge's sake is something I'm completely against. You should also fingerpaint as a child - that's enough painting exposure if it comes to it, but make damn sure you learn to play an instrument, regardless of whether that's where your passion lies or not.

[Merusk]

On that topic..

http://www.cracked.com/article_19006_the-5-weirdest-ways-music-can-mess-with-human-brain.html

Music: More useful than painting.   

[Azazel]

Oh, music is way more emotively powerful than painting. It's the most powerful form of art, in fact.

None of that means that people "should" all learn to play an instrument, though. 

[Zaljerem]

I apologize, I let my own particular bias (musician) shape my thought towards the importance of art, any art, in people's lives.

And I'm sorry for saying "people should learn" when I really meant "I personally feel that people should learn". What other people do is really none of my damn business. Not everyone takes my joy in music or your joy in painting. I guess I was just trying to say that I feel that people should be exposed to as many different forms of creation as possible, even in a shallow way (Rock Band or finger-painting, I guess?). They could find something to take joy in, and that's few and far between in the best of circumstances.

[Sheepherder]

It would be cool if one of these chucklefucks turning out shitty music games turned around and built a dongle that interfaced between a game and the amp out of a guitar.

[Azazel]

That's actually (more or less) what I expected the Rock Band 3 "play real guitar" thing was going to be. A Shame.

[MuffinMan]

Psyke!

[Paelos]

DJ Hero bombed, so they had to pull it back. Now, they are putting it back out there.

Maybe they finally got some of the rights they wanted too.

[Merusk]

All this has done is remind me that Rock Band 3's pro controller with strings still hasn't come out yet.  Only the fret-button version. I am disappoint.

[Minvaren]

Actually, the Squier has been out since March, I think.  You can get one on Amazon or eBay (or at a few Best Buys) if you like, but I heard they're being discontinued soon for (unknown reason).  Even with as much as I play the fake guitar games, I can't cost-justify it, even though I've learned and forgotten real guitar in the past.  There's too few pro-mode songs, plus the extra cost of them on DLC, plus the cost of the Squier.

That said, I'd love to see GH7/RB4 let you just plug in a midi-compatible ($instrument) and run with it in both basic and pro mode.  "Let There Be Rock" indeed.   

[Merusk]

Well, damnit. That explains why I didn't hear about it.. I was unemployed when they came out.

Cost is probably why they're being discontinued.  They can't be moving many considering they're selling for $400 on Amazon, and look to be $280 retail.  Combine the high price tag with the falloff in popularity of Music games and they're a dead weight.