In one of the sadder dark days in the hisory of videogames, Activision has declared the end to the Guitar Hero series due to declining sales. True, Guitar Hero has been of diminished quality in recent years, surpassed by Rock Band as the premier music-based game on the market, but from 2006-8, it was arguably the hottest franchise on the planet, and deserving of that title.
The immense importance of Guitar Hero on culture can't be ignored, and that may be why two other killed titles by Activision didn't get the notice they deserved. One was True Crime: Hong Kong, the proposed third in the True Crime series after Streets of L.A. and New York City. New York City didn't match expectations when released, and that seems to be the problem with TC:HK, which Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg bluntly stated "wasn't going to be good enough." Still, anyone who had the thrill of playing Streets of L.A. and driving the actual roads and highways of the entertainment capital, racing cars and shooting guns under an awesome B-movie action film plotline, will tell you it's one of the most underrated games ever and a pure joy to play. The other game, though not officially retired, looks that way, and it's the Tony Hawk skateboarding series, which at its peak was only a notch below Guitar Hero in quality and culture influence. RIP to all three classic series...
Activision cancels Guitar Hero franchise, True Crime
Dave Rudden
February 09, 2011
http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/218158/activision-cancels-guitar-hero-franchise-true-crime
Showing posts with label Guitar Hero. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guitar Hero. Show all posts
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Hottest Videogame Franchise: Rock Band
While Guitar Hero has betrayed its fanbase with bad versions featuring Van Halen (no to Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, but yes to Wolfgang?) and Napster whiners Metallica, Rock Band has featured The Beatles and Green Day in two excellent games. But perhaps the clincher in how awesome the game is comes thanks to Lego Rock Band, which featured a Legos Queen in full "We Will Rock You" glory...
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 said to break records
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10396593-52.htmlNovember 12, 2009
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 said to break sales records
Daniel Terdiman
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is said to have broken the single-day sales record for an entertainment property. According to Activision, the game earned $310 million in North America and England alone in its first 24 hours.
So much for the supposedly unbreakable first-day sales record set last year by Grand Theft Auto IV.
On Thursday, Activision said that its brand-new Call of Duty 2: Modern Warfare, which hit store shelves on Tuesday, had "shattered" the previous record for opening-day sales by an entertainment property, earning $310 million in North America and the U.K. alone. That equates to 4.7 million copies of the new game sold in those regions, and, if true, would eclipse the previous first-day sales record of $310 million globally, which GTA IV set in May of 2008.
Given that GTA IV had nearly doubled the previous record of $170 million, set by Halo 3, I wondered at the time whether its new mark was unassailable. Clearly, the new Call of Duty has answered that question, and loudly.
Now, we have to ask once again whether there could be another challenger for the crown. It would be foolish, it seems, to conclude that there won't be, given the dominance of franchises like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Grand Theft Auto itself, and, of course, Call of Duty.
A bigger question could be: Why do we care? That's especially true given how frequently these mega-records are broken. Still, it's hard not to get worked up about what it means for a single video game title to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in a single 24-hour period, particularly while we're still mired in a fairly deep recession.
There are all kinds of arguments to be made about why video games do well in tough economic times, and I've trotted a number of them out in this space. But most games don't come anywhere near selling $310 million worth of product in their entire lifetime, let alone on their first day, so Activision--and its Infinity Ward studio, which actually developed the new Call of Duty--seem entitled to a little bit of attention.
But at the rate these records are falling, I'm going to have to start thinking twice every time a new game sends me one of these announcements about breaking records. Sooner or later, it's not going to be all that noteworthy, no matter how much money is earned in a single day. Until then, though, watch this space for word on which game will be next in line for the throne.
Daniel Terdiman is a staff writer at CNET News covering games, Net culture, and everything in between.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Joke of the Week: Funny People
"I'm really good at Guitar Hero, then I thought like maybe I should get a guitar. Then I thought like I'm really good at Grand Theft Auto, maybe I should start beating up hookers."
Seth Rogan in Judd Apatow's upcoming Funny People
Seth Rogan in Judd Apatow's upcoming Funny People
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Activision renames Guitar Hero 4 to 'World Tour'
http://www.gamepro.com/news.cfm?article_id=186848
Activision renames Guitar Hero 4 to 'World Tour'
by Blake Snow 05/22/2008
In addition to a name change, Activision on Thursday confirmed a fall release of Guitar Hero World Tour for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and PS2, replete with wireless drums, guitar, microphone, a multitrack music studio, and enhanced online multiplayer modes.
"Hey, I'm in the band!"
As previously revealed, Guitar Hero World Tour features all wireless instruments, a multitrack music studio to create original songs (without vocals) that can be uploaded, shared, and in turn downloaded and played by other World Tour owners.
Guitar controllers have been redesigned, in addition to the new drum set, which includes three drum pads, two raised cymbal bads, and a bass pedal. The pads are larger and quieter than Rock Band's 5-piece set, and support velocity-sensitivity for crescendos and better bounce back for drum rolls.
Newly announced features include an online Battle of the Bands mode where two competing 4-piece bands can go head-to-head to determine who has the most skills. There's also an online Band Career mode that presumably allows for online cooperative play. All other online and offline modes from Guitar Hero III are said to be included in the game.
Confirmed tracks include songs from Van Halen, Linkin Park, The Eagles, Sublime and others in what Activision calls the "biggest selection of on-disc music with all master tracks." Also returning from Guitar Hero III is the ability to purchase additional songs from an online store.
"With the introduction of our advanced high-quality new wireless instruments, in-depth customization options and advanced online functionality, Guitar Hero World Tour enables music fans and gamers globally to share in the most social and expressive music experience ever," said Dusty Welch, head of publishing for RedOctane.
Guitar Hero World Tour launches this fall on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and PS2. Pricing and an exact date have not been disclosed.
Activision renames Guitar Hero 4 to 'World Tour'
by Blake Snow 05/22/2008
In addition to a name change, Activision on Thursday confirmed a fall release of Guitar Hero World Tour for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and PS2, replete with wireless drums, guitar, microphone, a multitrack music studio, and enhanced online multiplayer modes.
"Hey, I'm in the band!"
As previously revealed, Guitar Hero World Tour features all wireless instruments, a multitrack music studio to create original songs (without vocals) that can be uploaded, shared, and in turn downloaded and played by other World Tour owners.
Guitar controllers have been redesigned, in addition to the new drum set, which includes three drum pads, two raised cymbal bads, and a bass pedal. The pads are larger and quieter than Rock Band's 5-piece set, and support velocity-sensitivity for crescendos and better bounce back for drum rolls.
Newly announced features include an online Battle of the Bands mode where two competing 4-piece bands can go head-to-head to determine who has the most skills. There's also an online Band Career mode that presumably allows for online cooperative play. All other online and offline modes from Guitar Hero III are said to be included in the game.
Confirmed tracks include songs from Van Halen, Linkin Park, The Eagles, Sublime and others in what Activision calls the "biggest selection of on-disc music with all master tracks." Also returning from Guitar Hero III is the ability to purchase additional songs from an online store.
"With the introduction of our advanced high-quality new wireless instruments, in-depth customization options and advanced online functionality, Guitar Hero World Tour enables music fans and gamers globally to share in the most social and expressive music experience ever," said Dusty Welch, head of publishing for RedOctane.
Guitar Hero World Tour launches this fall on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and PS2. Pricing and an exact date have not been disclosed.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Electronic Arts Offers $2 Billion for Take-Two
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/technology/25game-web.html
February 25, 2008
Electronic Arts Offers $2 Billion for Take-Two
By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN and SETH SCHIESEL
Electronic Arts, the video gaming giant, made an unsolicited $2 billion bid on Sunday for rival Take-Two Interactive, publisher of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, a deal that would further a wave of consolidation in the rapidly growing industry.
Electronic Arts, which publishes hit games like the Madden N.F.L. and Need for Speed series, offered to pay $26 a share for Take-Two, a 50 percent premium over its share price of $17.36 on Friday. The offer was made publicly after a series of private offers to Take-Two were rejected by its board.
Electronic Arts approached Take Two with a $26-a-share offer on Feb. 19, up from $25 share it initially offered on Feb. 15.
The timing of the bid appears to be an attempt to acquire Take-Two before it releases what is widely expected to be the top-selling game of 2008, the fourth installment of the crime thriller Grand Theft Auto. The Grand Theft Auto franchise, Take-Two’s crown jewel, has sold more than 60 million copies since Grand Theft Auto III took the game industry by storm in 2001.
Through its Rockstar subsidiary, Take-Two is scheduled to release the game on April 29 for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 consoles. If it lives up to consumers’ expectations, the game is expected to sell 10 million copies or more by the end of the year, which would almost certainly make Take-Two more expensive.
Electronic Art’s dominance has been strongly challenged by Activision. Not only has Activision had a recent string of hits, notably Guitar Hero, it also recently agreed to buy Vivendi’s game division to form a company called Activision Blizzard.
At the same time, E.A. has endured a growing chorus of criticism from some investors who say the company has lost its creative and innovative edge.
There is little doubt that E.A. remains the juggernaut of the video game industry. But it has come to rely heavily on sequels.
A merger with Take-Two would be a union of two vastly different companies. E.A. has a reputation for steady growth and fiscal discipline, while Take-Two is known as a mercurial one-hit wonder.
Electronic Arts said it was making its offer public to “bring its proposal to the attention of all Take-Two shareholders.” In a telephone interview on Sunday, Electronic Arts’ chief executive, John Riccitiello, said, “It is an enormous premium,” suggesting that rather than consider the offer hostile, “We think of ourselves as a ‘white knight.’ ”
Take-Two was far less generous. In a statement, Strauss Zelnick, the company’s chairman, said, “Electronic Arts’ proposal provides insufficient value to our shareholders and comes at absolutely the wrong time given the crucial initiatives under way at the company,” referring to the new Grand Theft Auto and other products.
Mr. Riccitiello said, however, he believed that Take-Two’s stock price already reflected an expectation among investors that Grand Theft Auto IV would be a success, and that Take-Two would become less valuable to E.A. after the game’s introduction than it was now.
Mr. Riccitiello said his offer’s timing reflected a desire to integrate Take-Two’s operations with E.A.’s before the all-important holiday shopping season. He said he had formed a relationship in recent years with Sam Houser, one of Rockstar’s founders, but added that he had avoided contacting Mr. Houser while pursuing his negotiations with Mr. Zelnick.
Mr. Zelnick said that Take-Two had offered to initiate discussions with Electronic Arts on April 30, the the day after Grand Theft Auto IV was scheduled for release. “We believe this offer demonstrated our commitment to pursuing all avenues to maximize stockholder value, while we believe that E.A.’s refusal to entertain this path is evidence of their desire to acquire Take-Two at a significant discount,” he said.Mr. Riccitiello refused to speculate about what steps he would take next, but it is possible that Electronic Arts could pursue a proxy contest to oust the board.
Over the next several weeks, Mr. Riccitiello’s main challenge will be to persuade investors to accept the deal and convince employees that Electronic Arts will respect the creative autonomy of Take-Two’s various development teams. Over the last decade, E.A. has acquired many high-profile game studios, including Westwood (the Command & Conquer series), Bullfrog Productions (Populous) and Origin Systems (Ultima), which essentially dissolved after Electronic Arts tried to direct and homogenize their creative output.
Any deal for Take-Two would be largely empty if Take-Two teams like Rockstar and Ken Levine’s group at 2K Boston, which recently released the acclaimed game BioShock, were to depart rather than work for E.A.
Mr. Riccitiello seems aware of the danger and is taking steps to convince the game industry of E.A.’s newfound respect for creative talent. At a well-received speech at an industry conference in Las Vegas earlier this month Mr. Riccitiello promised that in future deals, Electronic Arts would avoid killing the creative golden goose as it has in the past.
Matt Richtel contributed reporting.
February 25, 2008
Electronic Arts Offers $2 Billion for Take-Two
By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN and SETH SCHIESEL
Electronic Arts, the video gaming giant, made an unsolicited $2 billion bid on Sunday for rival Take-Two Interactive, publisher of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, a deal that would further a wave of consolidation in the rapidly growing industry.
Electronic Arts, which publishes hit games like the Madden N.F.L. and Need for Speed series, offered to pay $26 a share for Take-Two, a 50 percent premium over its share price of $17.36 on Friday. The offer was made publicly after a series of private offers to Take-Two were rejected by its board.
Electronic Arts approached Take Two with a $26-a-share offer on Feb. 19, up from $25 share it initially offered on Feb. 15.
The timing of the bid appears to be an attempt to acquire Take-Two before it releases what is widely expected to be the top-selling game of 2008, the fourth installment of the crime thriller Grand Theft Auto. The Grand Theft Auto franchise, Take-Two’s crown jewel, has sold more than 60 million copies since Grand Theft Auto III took the game industry by storm in 2001.
Through its Rockstar subsidiary, Take-Two is scheduled to release the game on April 29 for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 consoles. If it lives up to consumers’ expectations, the game is expected to sell 10 million copies or more by the end of the year, which would almost certainly make Take-Two more expensive.
Electronic Art’s dominance has been strongly challenged by Activision. Not only has Activision had a recent string of hits, notably Guitar Hero, it also recently agreed to buy Vivendi’s game division to form a company called Activision Blizzard.
At the same time, E.A. has endured a growing chorus of criticism from some investors who say the company has lost its creative and innovative edge.
There is little doubt that E.A. remains the juggernaut of the video game industry. But it has come to rely heavily on sequels.
A merger with Take-Two would be a union of two vastly different companies. E.A. has a reputation for steady growth and fiscal discipline, while Take-Two is known as a mercurial one-hit wonder.
Electronic Arts said it was making its offer public to “bring its proposal to the attention of all Take-Two shareholders.” In a telephone interview on Sunday, Electronic Arts’ chief executive, John Riccitiello, said, “It is an enormous premium,” suggesting that rather than consider the offer hostile, “We think of ourselves as a ‘white knight.’ ”
Take-Two was far less generous. In a statement, Strauss Zelnick, the company’s chairman, said, “Electronic Arts’ proposal provides insufficient value to our shareholders and comes at absolutely the wrong time given the crucial initiatives under way at the company,” referring to the new Grand Theft Auto and other products.
Mr. Riccitiello said, however, he believed that Take-Two’s stock price already reflected an expectation among investors that Grand Theft Auto IV would be a success, and that Take-Two would become less valuable to E.A. after the game’s introduction than it was now.
Mr. Riccitiello said his offer’s timing reflected a desire to integrate Take-Two’s operations with E.A.’s before the all-important holiday shopping season. He said he had formed a relationship in recent years with Sam Houser, one of Rockstar’s founders, but added that he had avoided contacting Mr. Houser while pursuing his negotiations with Mr. Zelnick.
Mr. Zelnick said that Take-Two had offered to initiate discussions with Electronic Arts on April 30, the the day after Grand Theft Auto IV was scheduled for release. “We believe this offer demonstrated our commitment to pursuing all avenues to maximize stockholder value, while we believe that E.A.’s refusal to entertain this path is evidence of their desire to acquire Take-Two at a significant discount,” he said.Mr. Riccitiello refused to speculate about what steps he would take next, but it is possible that Electronic Arts could pursue a proxy contest to oust the board.
Over the next several weeks, Mr. Riccitiello’s main challenge will be to persuade investors to accept the deal and convince employees that Electronic Arts will respect the creative autonomy of Take-Two’s various development teams. Over the last decade, E.A. has acquired many high-profile game studios, including Westwood (the Command & Conquer series), Bullfrog Productions (Populous) and Origin Systems (Ultima), which essentially dissolved after Electronic Arts tried to direct and homogenize their creative output.
Any deal for Take-Two would be largely empty if Take-Two teams like Rockstar and Ken Levine’s group at 2K Boston, which recently released the acclaimed game BioShock, were to depart rather than work for E.A.
Mr. Riccitiello seems aware of the danger and is taking steps to convince the game industry of E.A.’s newfound respect for creative talent. At a well-received speech at an industry conference in Las Vegas earlier this month Mr. Riccitiello promised that in future deals, Electronic Arts would avoid killing the creative golden goose as it has in the past.
Matt Richtel contributed reporting.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
First Screen Of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/02/first-screen-of.htmlFirst Screen Of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
By Chris Kohler
February 15, 2008
Categories: Console Games
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith -- Activision's worst-kept secret since the last Guitar Hero spin-off -- was officially announced today, and here's the first screenshot.
Available in June, the game will feature nothing but Aerosmith, from 'Don't Want To Miss A Thing' to 'Sweet Emotion' to 'Love In An Elevator.' Players will be able to take the roles of guitarists Steve Perry and Brad Whitford, as well as Tom Hamilton on bass if you are so inclined.
The game will ship on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and PlayStation 2.
To increase consumer awareness of the game, Activision says that owners of Guitar Hero III for PS3 and 360 will be able to download the song 'Dream On' for free, from February 16-18.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Guitar Hero III: Five Reasons to Rock
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/guitar-hero-3/guitar-hero-iii-five-reasons-to-rock/535232
Guitar Hero III: Five Reasons to Rock
Gaming's biggest arena tour is about to hit your town. Here are some details to chew on while you stand in line for a ticket.
by Russ Fischer
1. Better Than A New Drummer
Tony Hawk developers Neversoft were so into Guitar Hero while creating Project 8 that they were hired to make this third game after original publisher Harmonix was snapped up by EA. With loads of experience pushing established ideas forward, Neversoft has kept the game's classic elements and added new details to the user interface and player characters.
2. Mode-tacular!
Co-op gameplay has been given its own career mode, and you can finally play co-op online as well. Contentious players can check the Battle Mode, where axe-handlers face off playing identical tracks and earning attacks with Star Power. Unleash these devious deals against your opponent to break their concentration. You can make single notes appear as chords, overload the amp to make their screen shake, or even force the dreaded (rightys to) lefty flip.
3. SoundScan
Complaints against some of Guitar Hero II's song choices were heard loud and clear, and while there's still plenty of metal (Slayer, oh yeah!) there are also more genuine guitar hero choices like Eric Johnson, Sonic Youth, Living Color, and the reappearance of Stevie Ray Vaughn. More than 70 percent of the tracks are performed by the original artist. Of the three "holy grail" bands, AC/DC Metallica and Led Zepplin, one is finally on board. You'll be able to rock the master track to Metallica's 'One' along with all the other goodness.
4. Play The Pros
Guitar Hero is no longer confined to the realm of pure fantasy; now it's only partial fantasy with the inclusion of real-world rockers like Slash and Tom Morello. (Oh, and Brett Michaels.) Slash and Morello will be two of the game's three bosses, against whom you'll have to face off in the biggest battles of your career. They even recorded new music for their confrontations. The third battle will be against the most pro player of all, the guy that everyone from classic blues legends to Ralph Macchio have taken on: the Devil. If you can guess that battle, you're probably a Charlie Daniels fan.
5. It's All Wireless
No more being tethered to the amp, er, console, by a cord that's too short for rocking. Activision broke through Microsoft's resistance to third-party wireless controllers and so the Gibson Les Paul controller, with a removable neck for easier travel, will be wireless on all consoles. (The PS2 gets its own wireless controller modeled on the Kramer Pacer.) Special bonus for Wii players: by slotting the remote into the guitar, you'll hear extra sounds pumped through the remote's speaker.
Posted: 24 Oct 2007
Guitar Hero III: Five Reasons to Rock
Gaming's biggest arena tour is about to hit your town. Here are some details to chew on while you stand in line for a ticket.
by Russ Fischer
1. Better Than A New Drummer
Tony Hawk developers Neversoft were so into Guitar Hero while creating Project 8 that they were hired to make this third game after original publisher Harmonix was snapped up by EA. With loads of experience pushing established ideas forward, Neversoft has kept the game's classic elements and added new details to the user interface and player characters.
2. Mode-tacular!
Co-op gameplay has been given its own career mode, and you can finally play co-op online as well. Contentious players can check the Battle Mode, where axe-handlers face off playing identical tracks and earning attacks with Star Power. Unleash these devious deals against your opponent to break their concentration. You can make single notes appear as chords, overload the amp to make their screen shake, or even force the dreaded (rightys to) lefty flip.
3. SoundScan
Complaints against some of Guitar Hero II's song choices were heard loud and clear, and while there's still plenty of metal (Slayer, oh yeah!) there are also more genuine guitar hero choices like Eric Johnson, Sonic Youth, Living Color, and the reappearance of Stevie Ray Vaughn. More than 70 percent of the tracks are performed by the original artist. Of the three "holy grail" bands, AC/DC Metallica and Led Zepplin, one is finally on board. You'll be able to rock the master track to Metallica's 'One' along with all the other goodness.
4. Play The Pros
Guitar Hero is no longer confined to the realm of pure fantasy; now it's only partial fantasy with the inclusion of real-world rockers like Slash and Tom Morello. (Oh, and Brett Michaels.) Slash and Morello will be two of the game's three bosses, against whom you'll have to face off in the biggest battles of your career. They even recorded new music for their confrontations. The third battle will be against the most pro player of all, the guy that everyone from classic blues legends to Ralph Macchio have taken on: the Devil. If you can guess that battle, you're probably a Charlie Daniels fan.
5. It's All Wireless
No more being tethered to the amp, er, console, by a cord that's too short for rocking. Activision broke through Microsoft's resistance to third-party wireless controllers and so the Gibson Les Paul controller, with a removable neck for easier travel, will be wireless on all consoles. (The PS2 gets its own wireless controller modeled on the Kramer Pacer.) Special bonus for Wii players: by slotting the remote into the guitar, you'll hear extra sounds pumped through the remote's speaker.
Posted: 24 Oct 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
