Guitar Hero Franchise Canceled

[Depression Moon]

Activision has canceled their Guitar Hero and DJ hero series and have stopped production on True Crime Hong Kong which I never knew existed. (http://www.destructoid.com/guitar-hero-dj-hero-dead-true-crime-hong-kong-canceled-193638.phtml)

[DMKA]

Honestly I'm surprised Guitar Hero games were made as long and as many as they were. Good riddance.

I mean it was a neat little novel concept and fun time wasting BS among friends the first couple times around, but the fact that anyone bought two or three or five of them is just beyond my understanding.

[Jiro]

Apparently sales for the last few have been less than stellar. As if we're really surprised.

[Depression Moon]

I'm not too surprised. I had forgotten about those games for a while. That's what happens when you over saturate consumers with a series, they get tired of it.

[Dreddz]

I'm glad they have put GH to rest. Not that I felt bitter towards the series, I just think its unnecessary for it to continue. I'm surprised that True Crime was cancelled. I was under the impression it was close to release. Quite harsh to pull the plug on something that was so far along in its development.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

I'm glad they have put GH to rest. Not that I felt bitter towards the series, I just think its unnecessary for it to continue. I'm surprised that True Crime was cancelled. I was under the impression it was close to release. Quite harsh to pull the plug on something that was so far along in its development.

Reminds me of Star Fox 2. The game was DONE. I have it on an emulator but I'm still bitter about that. :mad2:

[Wolf Kanno]

I'm not too surprised. I had forgotten about those games for a while. That's what happens when you over saturate consumers with a series, they get tired of it.

My thoughts exactly. While I do like the series, I never understood why it had a Madden/Ubisoft release schedule, where a new entry was released every year. I figured they would have taken advantage of DLC more, and postpone making new entries, but I guess they were hoping to make more money on expensive entries instead of living off smaller but more maintainable small sales.

[Iceglow]

Old news really. Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, True Crime Hong Kong, Tony Hawks are the ones Activision has laid to rest, couple this with the sale of the Harmonix name following the split from MTV a few weeks back and the music genre is well and truly gone as far as games are concerned. It also leaves me wondering what Neversoft will work on next after all for recent years (since GH3) they've made nothing I've noticed apart from Guitar Hero and Tony Hawks.

I'm not too surprised, but I am kinda miffed that the pro guitar will never make it to shelves in the UK for Rock Band 3, I know Rock Band 3's pro instrument series was rediculously expensive but I also would've appreciated that more than another plastic guitar periphial which won't get used too often sitting by my TV. Guitar Hero tried to do so many bad decisions it was surreal, they went from hardcore elite gamerism to casual casual easy thing and then for the "swan song" as it turns out with Warriors of Rock they went back to hardcore elite gamers and it kinda didn't wash through everyone was just fed up. DJ Hero was just a side casualty, the games have never sold as well as GH series and without the main GH series there just isn't a market

Tony Hawks, to be expected, frankly Shred and Ride were complete wastes of time I guess Activision pushing the periphial front was to blame partially but I don't excuse Neversoft for the fuck up of allowing Activision to do so. Skate has long since been out classing the Tony Hawks franchise game for game gimmicks couldn't have changed this.

True Crime Apparently was pulled because Activision looked at it long and hard and said "frankly this just isn't worth a damn" and pulled the plug. I'm kinda glad they pulled the plug prior to release rather than release another mediocre game but fuck it, don't let mediocre game series get up to there 4th sequel or 3rd sequel in this late stage of development before pulling them.

[Jiro]

I saw True Crime in the "Coming Soon" section at a local store and was somewhat excited by it. The others weren't fantastic games but they were still kind of fun. I found a shotgun on a grandma once.

[Vyk]

So glad. So sick of those games. Now if we can get rid of the song and dance games, XBL Marktplace updates won't be flooded with updates on releases of single songs for games and I can actually browse semi-worthwhile content updates

[NorthernChaosGod]

So glad. So sick of those games. Now if we can get rid of the song and dance games, XBL Marktplace updates won't be flooded with updates on releases of single songs for games and I can actually browse semi-worthwhile content updates

You don't know how to browse by category yet? o_O

[ScottyRedXIII]

think the novelty wore of after a while any way, besides not like Activision need more money!?

[Shattered Dreamer]

I saw True Crime in the "Coming Soon" section at a local store and was somewhat excited by it. The others weren't fantastic games but they were still kind of fun. I found a shotgun on a grandma once.

I loved True Crimes New York City, was one of those games that didn't get a great review but I loved it. Bought it for €10 too! True Crimes LA on the other hand sucked some major ass!

[Hollycat]

they've all pretty much sucked since the third one. the other day, I was walking around, and I saw guitar hero 5 in the 9.99 bargain bin....
I never even knew they made a 4th one, and I only got the 3rd one because my friend had the second one

[Jessweeee♪]

Rock Band is cool if you have a friend that actually buys those things, and you can all be totally goofy goofs together playing a very silly game. But I would never shell out for all of that equipment that I don't even have the space for :|

But yeah, one's enough.

[Depression Moon]

I wonder how long it'll take before people get tired of the abundant amount of shooters that are released per year now.

[NorthernChaosGod]

I wonder how long it'll take before people get tired of the many shooters that are released per year now.

Can they just get tired of CoD, pleaaaase?

[Hollycat]

more freelancer!!!!!!!

[Vyk]

Music and rhythm games may be their own genre like first person shooters. But they're pretty much just a one note song. Very gimmicky. First person shooters are just a style of presentation. But what's being presented can be vastly different from game to game. Guitar Hero and Rock Band however... Every game is the same. There's no option for a gripping story line, or epic boss battle at the end or anything. I'll agree certain first person shooters need to die. But as a whole, I don't think they ever will (honestly I'm not even sure they should. Its not a horrible style of presentation, though I do much prefer third person)

[Wolf Kanno]

Music and rhythm games may be their own genre like first person shooters. But they're pretty much just a one note song. Very gimmicky. First person shooters are just a style of presentation. But what's being presented can be vastly different from game to game. Guitar Hero and Rock Band however... Every game is the same. There's no option for a gripping story line, or epic boss battle at the end or anything. I'll agree certain first person shooters need to die. But as a whole, I don't think they ever will (honestly I'm not even sure they should. Its not a horrible style of presentation, though I do much prefer third person)

You're making a blanket statement if you feel the whole Music/Rhythm genre can best be summarized by Rock Band and Guitar Hero, cause its more than just these two games. Even the major player who is the most similar, DDR has gone over some interesting transformations in the last decade and is still going pretty strong despite not having boss battles or story mode, but then again these games are not meant to be a narrative but rather a test of skill and they have certainly done that. Course DDR has always been more of a series that caters to a hardcore crowd.

Games like Gitaroo Man, PaRappa The Rapper, Elite Beat Agents, and Space Channel 5 are more for the story crowds and many of them are highly regarded and loved. So I wouldn't call it a "one note genre". It existed and was doing rather well before Guitar Hero was ever conceived. While Guitar Hero may have died, in truth it's days were numbered once Rock Band entered the scene anyway. While Harmonix's might be in the process of finding a new publisher, I don't see them retiring Rock Band, so I'm pretty sure it will last a few more years. They just need to market it better cause they don't have DDR's luxury of having 90% of its music made in-house.

[Hollycat]

:mock::skull::bored::expee::laughing::pinkelephant::monster::tonberry::smurf::party::hahaha::cactuar ::ffvipatpat::ffvilaugh::bou::quina::peachdance:


all of those to activision

[Vyk]

Totally agree, actually. I guess I was referring more to peripheral music games, than the entire genre. It'd have been nice if Guitar Hero or Rock Band had tried to expand at all in content and presentation rather than just creating the same games over and over with more expensive equipment involved each time

[McLovin']

Rock Band 2 is still fun occasionally...

[Iceglow]

While Guitar Hero may have died, in truth it's days were numbered once Rock Band entered the scene anyway. While Harmonix's might be in the process of finding a new publisher, I don't see them retiring Rock Band, so I'm pretty sure it will last a few more years.

The last I saw about Harmonix after the name got sold for a measly $50 was that they were no longer going to produce any new games in the Rock Band franchise but would continue to support Rock Band 3 with DLC. They apparently lost all the MTV music rights when they got dumped...



According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the music game developer was sold to investment group Columbus Nova for a measly $49.99. Columbus Nova had to assume Viacom's remaining liabilities, however, which includes the company's "expensive music rights fees, and responsibility for lots of unsold games and equipment sitting on warehouse shelves."

The deal, first announced in late December, allowed the studio to go independent. The team is currently developing several unannounced projects and will continue to support the Rock Band franchise with post-release downloadable content.


Article found in full here (http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/114/1142516p1.html)

Losing the MTV contracts means their music rights bills would go up exponentially to release a new game this could herald a return to cover artists like in GH1 and 2 but more likely it means there will be no more Rock Band games.

[Bolivar]

People losing jobs sucks, but this is kind of a good thing for gaming. I mean the whole DLC thing kinda killed it, what's really the point of buying a new disc when there's tons of offerings out there? I remember when the genre was at its height and Beetles Rock Band was coming out and all the analysts and commentators saying this is such a huge, tear-jerking moment in gaming because of how big the beetles are and... that game flopped. Then all the analysts and commentators were getting pumped for green day rock band because that's more the demographic of people who play those games and... that game flopped. Finally with the latest Rock Band doing horrible, I feel like we've taken back gaming just a little bit. I've always liked the track-list and difficulty in GH a lot better, but there were just too too many versions of that game. Both are redundant by now, especially with the programs people use to put their own songs in the game.

Also, I doubt the series is really "dead," I'd be willing to bet that 3-4 years at the latest they find some kind of way to give us a reason to buy a new one, we'll see.

[Hollycat]

bring on the age of ratchet and clank type games

[nirojan]

Activision milked it, ran it into the ground then :bou::bou::bou::bou: it out. Here's hoping that those people who lost their jobs can find a better one at a better employer! Personally wasn't too fond of the GH franchise, but lots of my friends were crazy about it.

[Hollycat]

Rock Band 2 is still fun occasionally...
Don't you ever say anything good about Rockband, I bought unplugged the other day, and THEY MAKE YOU PAY FOR THE SONGS!
seriously, you can't even reach the end of the game unless you buy extra songs.
for $2.00 each!!!!!!
and the game only starts with like 5 songs.

in that case guitar hero pwns rockband