With the recent boom of video games and kids wanting to spend money on extra peripherals, like the Wii Fit, the Madcatz SE (read: POS) fightstick and enough Rock Band instruments to fill the GWAR roster, I thought I'd school some kids with a hilarious picture.
“I feel it’s a time where a lot of people who study games start to graduate and come into this field. It’s a really good time for all these people to really push the boundaries of what games can be. With digital distribution — PSN, Xbox Live, WiiWare, Steam — all those [avenues]…Before, everything sold through retail. You can’t even make a game that’s below a million dollar budget. I think right now — in the future, when people look back, I think it’s the renaissance of video games.”
Jenova Chen - cofounder of thatgamecompany
Rock Band 2 is already available on the PS3 & Xbox 360, and both the Wii and PS2 versions are to follow in December. With developer Harmonix striving to have a combined total of 500 songs available for the platform before year's end, they have officially revealed the 20 free songs available for those that purchase a new copy of the game. The songs will be available through a code printed on the back of the manual, and will release on November 4 for PS3/360 and the Wii version available at the game's launch. While the on-disc content went with songs from more popular artists, the free content instead goes with some nice up-and-coming bands. The list covers a diverse group of artists and genres, such as Japan's X Japan and Ireland's Lesley Roy. * The 88 - "Sons and Daughters"
* Authority Zero - "No Regrets"
* Between the Buried and Me - "Prequel To The Sequel"
* The Cab - "Bounce"
* The Chevelles - "Get It On"
* The Cocktail Slippers - "Give It To Me"
* Dealership - "Database Corrupted"
* Endeverafter - "I Wanna Be Your Man"
* The Ghost Hounds - "Ashes To Fire"
* Hollywood Undead - "Young"
* Kutless - "The Feeling"
* The Len Price 3 - "If I Ain't Got You"
* Lesley Roy - "I'm Gone, I'm Going"
* Opiate for the Masses - "Burn You Down"
* Semi-Precious Weapons - "Magnetic Baby"
* Shaimus - "Like a Fool"
* Thenewno2 - "Crazy Tuesday"
* Tickle Me Pink - "The Time Is Wrong"
* Underoath - "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures"
* X Japan - "I.V."
The musical genres range from metal to alternative to a little bit of rap rock and christian rock. While these artists may not have the notoriety and name recognition, many of the songs I sampled sounded fun to play. Songs like Semi-Precious Weapons' Magnetic Baby were very catchy and brings a lot of good exposure to these groups. The addition of X Japan was a pleasant surprise, although it probably helps that their latest track was sung in English. With news on the Japanese version of Rock Band remaining stagnant since its announcement, bringing over a famed Japanese artist is a good sign for possibly more Japanese music to come either as DLC or progress on Rock Band Japan. I'm a little disappointed they didn't bring over a couple of tracks that had more artist recognition, but fans of these indie groups should be delighted. And given that all of these songs are free, it's hard to be upset.
As the October 26 release date of Guitar Hero World Tour grows closer, it looks like both Harmonix and Activision are looking for ways to one-up each other. Both games are similar on the surface, but they take different approaches when it comes to releasing content. But the value of Rock Band 2 will be hard to beat, with over 100 songs available in the game alone and most RB1 disc songs and all DLC compatible with the title. The Wal-Mart exclusive release of the AC/DC Live Track Pack carries controversy over its bare-bones content, short song list, and $30/$40 price tag for Wii/PS2 and 360/PS3, but the game also allows for a one-time only export of songs for an additional 18 songs. With Guitar Hero focusing more on their GH Tunes platform, it'll be interesting to see how the sales for both games pan out.
Although the original Rock Band game launched less than a year ago, the sequel is going to launch on the Xbox 360 on September 14 with other platforms following before year's end. With Guitar Hero World Tour making their own full band additions to stay in competition, the battle for music/rhythm supremacy is starting to heat up. While both games can boast about their large song lists and new features, perhaps one of the more important improvements to look at are the new instruments. Many prefer the GH guitars over the RB Fender Stratocasters, and GH's new drum set with two elevated stock cymbals are making many gamers turn heads. However, Rock Band's new instruments are more than just a new paint job. With some smart forward-thinking in Harmonix's designs, they may tempt previous RB owners to shy away from the new Guitar Hero instruments and even contemplate getting the new ones.
The drum heads use a mix of silicone and plastic to create a drum head that should give more acoustically pleasing feedback and a more satisfying experience. The pedal is also metal-reinforced, which should prevent breaking. It also stays attached and flush with the drum set when lifted up and moved, which should make transportation easier. There are also marked height adjustments on the bars to make it easier for multiple people. The feet also have non-slip pads to prevent shifting while playing. But the most intriguing addition are the new expansion slots that allows up to three cymbals to be remapped from the drum pads. They will also emit an in-game cymbal sound to add to the realism. There will be a premium electric drum set made available from ION, but the new stock set sounds pretty good to me.
Images courtesy of GameSpot
The smaller, elevated fret buttons and metronome-like strum bar on the GH guitar were features that made it hard to go back to after playing the original RB guitar. The tilt sensor has also been improved and allows for a wider freedom of movement. Smaller changes like a stiffer, textured neck, removable headstock, and a screw-less battery door are small touches that make the guitar a more viable option. There will also be high-end third-party guitars made available as well as a larger amount of options.
The MotionPlus add-on will increase controller accuracy and come with an expanded Wii Jacket.
The demonstration felt very hokey and lame, with a dog frisbee game, jetskiing, and a sword dueling game revealed. The frisbee game looked uninspiring, but the other two seemed decent. Either way, they seemed to fit more in the Wii Play tech demo than to sit along side the games in Wii Sports. The game will arrive in Spring 2009 at a $50 pricepoint, which will probably see sales similar to Wii Play due to the MotionPlus accessory rather than the game itself. The often-rumored Wii Music was officially unveiled, but it became a much different from the orchestra mini-game from the Wii's big E3 2006 debut. Much like the DS title, Jam Sessions, it's more of a simulation rather than a game. With various public-domain and Nintendo music on the disc and over 50 instruments featured, you get to jazz up and alter the music rather than making your own unique tunes. First impressions of the motions for the instruments were questionable, and Nintendo seems to be focusing more on creating and sharing video performances rather than DLC.
The Wii Speak community microphone will expand communication features in titles such as Animal Crossing: City Folk.
Besides the new setting, it looks to be very similar to the original GameCube game with the new communication feature, similar graphics, and very limited Wi-Fi features. Besides those announcements, there wasn't much else that was noteworthy. They showed off some extreme sports titles using the Balance Board, but that was expected. The DS received its own share of news with the surprise announcement of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Besides the new game engine, characters, and the series' trademark sandbox gameplay, nothing else is known about the game. Air travel and cookbook applications were shown off, but they didn't look very useful or exciting. The DS version of Sims creator Will Wright's Spore is still looking impressive. And perhaps as no surprise to anyone, they have already announced a sequel to Guitar Hero: On Tour, which only released a few weeks ago. Entitled Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades, the game will feature song sharing and expanded microphone functionality. There may be some scattered third-party gems out there, but first-party announcements were very disappointing.
The new wireless drum controllers will include the standard version (left) and the limited edition Ion drum kit (sold separately).
Harmonix has made Rock Band into a platform rather than a series of games, with current and future instruments as well as all DLC cross-compatible with both games. Boasting over 200 downloadable songs and full albums already available, the steady stream of weekly content will ensure satisfaction for owners of Rock Band 1 and the forthcoming Rock Band 2. News on the temporarily 360 exclusive RB2 has escalated leading up to E3 2008. There have been multiple reports on rumored song lists for RB2, which will include 80+ tracks on the disc alone, all confirmed to be master recordings. Here are the 17 songs officially confirmed so far.
Ever since the Nintendo Wii’s launch in November 2006, it has taken the world by storm. It has broken numerous sales records, currently sitting atop the current generation of consoles. Over a year and a half later, it is still impossible to find one in stores without calling retail outlets ahead of time for delivery schedules. The success of the Wii Sports game pack-in has ignited the casual gaming market, with its easier controls and family-friendly attitude only a couple of the contributing factors. Since the Wii’s popularity took game developers off-guard, they have since tried to capitalize on this relatively untouched market with a slew of mini-game based party games and “shovelware”, which are low-quality games that take very little time and effort to produce. While the Wii’s lower development cost has allowed many smaller companies to develop for the console, bigger companies such as Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and Activision have now formed dedicated brands to create “innovative” games that take advantage of the hardware and the consumer.
EA Sports' current line-up of Wii exclusive All-Play titles.
EA Sports has formed the All-Play brand with intentions to create titles that are unique and exclusively developed for the Wii. Rather than tacked-on motion controls of previous games, this new brand will include “unique controls, easy-to-learn mini games, Wii-exclusive modes” and much more. The first five titles announced are: Tiger Woods PGA Tour ’09 All-Play, Madden NFL ’09 All-Play, NCAA Football ’09 All-Play, NBA Live ’09 All-Play, and FIFA ’09 All-Play. At first glance, this sounds like a good thing for the system. Wii gamers are looking for a new game experience that is different from other traditional consoles, and Wii Sports has shown that there is huge potential for exclusively developed games. However, comments from EA Sports president and former Xbox VP and figure head Peter Moore may show that this may not be a good thing. With intentions to “level the playing field” and target people of all skill levels, this sounds like it will only fuel the recent trend of “dumbing down” games. There may be less barriers-to-entry for the consumer, but it sounds like this may only bring a more limited experience rather than elevate these “casual gamers” into “hardcore gamers”.
Ubisoft's Play Zone title, Sports Party looks to capitalize on Wii Sport's success.
Ubisoft was one of the first third-party companies to provide support for the Wii, with a large line-up of launch games that included titles such as the hyped-up FPS disappointment Red Steel and the fun mini-game collection Rayman: Raving Rabbids. The casual gamer and the desire for simple, fun party games have been dominating the Wii’s market, which many companies have been capitalizing on. Ubisoft has reinforced its casual game program with the Play Zone brand. Dedicated to solely making party games that has flooded the console, the first title announced is Sports Party. EA’s intentions can be rightly justified, as they are attempting to re-launch their existing sports titles to take advantage of the Wii’s potential. Ubisoft’s Play Zone sounds like a pure cash-in. The fact that their first announced title is basically a spin-off of Wii Sports reveals a lot. Creating an entire brand to exclusively develop mini-games for the Wii does not bode well for the console’s third-party future.
Although Electronic Arts has been infamously known as one of the biggest game conglomerates, Activision has recently been competing for the title with its recent merger with Vivendi Games and its better-known subsidiary, Blizzard Entertainment. With such a wealth of experience, capital, and potential available to them, Activision has renewed their commitment to the Wii with its new Wee 1st brand. With their plan to expand their Wii development in the works for more than a year, the first titles announced are: Little League World Series 2008, Rapala Fishing Frenzy, and Dancing with the Stars: Get Your Dance On. Like every other company, Activision has been seeking ways to access this casual gaming market. It’s hard to say how pure their intentions are, but the label has been described as, ”designed to showcase games that take full advantage of the Wii's capabilities”. With two great companies and a slew of studios at their disposal, this announcement is very disappointing. The current game list doesn’t exactly inspire much hope for quality games, but at least it isn’t solely composed of party games.
Nintendo’s intentions to expand the gaming market with the Wii have worked, but not well enough. Rather than inspire consumers to learn and play more challenging and traditional games, they have allowed their system and consumer market to get overwhelmed with shovelware. The fact that neither Nintendo nor the casual gamer doesn’t seem to mind at all is a bit alarming. There have been very few games that have the quality, depth, and richness that take advantage of the Wii’s strong points, and the majority of them have, of course, come from first-party studios. With seemingly no reason to cater to the “hardcore gamer”, hopefully Nintendo’s announcements at E3 will get other third party companies to make real Wii games.
Not only will this fall show off a fierce battle with new titles, Rock Revolution and Guitar Hero World Tour, but it looks like Harmonix is throwing their hats into the ring with a new entry in the Rock Band franchise. Not just settling for a sequel with a new song list, a slew of new features, online modes, and improvements have been made to the game as well as “quieter, more realistic, and more reliable instruments.” While GHWT can boast its music studio modes and additional drum cymbal, RB2 is looking to add much more. Although the game won’t make its debut until E3 2008 in a couple of weeks, it already sounds like they have been listening to the fans. The game is slated to release in September on the Xbox 360 for an “exclusive launch window” with other unspecified platforms coming before the end of the year.
Images courtesy of IGN.com
There is speculation that this gameplay screenshot depicts Nirvana's "Drain You".Agent OrangeTeasdale wouldn’t say which bands are in the game, but there have been rumors that companies like Harmonix, Apple, and Activision have been involved in negotiations about digital releases of The Beatles catalog. The absence of new Weezer song, “Pork and Beans” in the latest DLC three-pack just recently released could also mean its inclusion in Rock Band 2. With other longtime desired groups like Journey and Led Zeppelin in the list of possible included bands, the RB2 setlist may really be one of the best ones yet. Outside of their music editor suite, it looks like Activision is mostly copying ideas for Guitar Hero, With Harmonix, it looks like they may really be providing some innovative ideas. Look for more details around E3 2008 in a couple of weeks. Read more...
The Beatles
Built to Spill
The Buzzcocks
Journey
Led Zeppelin
Modest Mouse
Pavement
The Replacements
Tool
Activision simply doesn't get it. Since taking over Guitar Hero from original developer Harmonix, they have used the brand as a cash cow with celebrity endorsements, product placements, and sequels galore. While Harmonix has kept things simply about the music with Rock Band's gameplay, formula, and weekly song downloads, Activision is the exact opposite. Any company's bottom line is profit, but you don't see that passion and overall music knowledge Harmonix infused into Guitar Hero and now Rock Band. With most of their staff also acting as part-time musicians and apart of local bands in Boston, you could see why and how they made Guitar Hero so successful. From the atmosphere to the note charts, it just felt genuine.
Since Activision officially took over the series in 2007, they have been taking advantage of their new title with many sequels and spin-offs. After releasing Guitar Hero III, a portable DS version called Guitar Hero: On Tour and another guitar-based expansion for all major consoles entitled Guitar Hero: Aerosmith will see release this summer. Cheap cash-ins such as the small electronic key chain game Guitar Hero Carabiner have also taken advantage of the brand name. And to top it all off, they are basically borrowing Rock Band's proven success and current formula and incorporating the GH name in Guitar Hero World Tour. Don't get me wrong, GHWT looks like a good game in the increasingly crowded music/rhythm genre. But their lack of cooperation to allow instrument compatibility across rival games shows how greedy they are. With the slew of new drum sets on the way, they are determined to force consumers to choose where their loyalties and hard-earned cash lie.
Guitar Hero World Tour's current interface looks very similar to Rock Band.
And Activision is recruiting even more celebrities to their Guitar Hero PR bandwagon. This video from the All Things Digital 6 conference shows Activision CEO Robert Kotick bringing out American Idol judge Paula Abdul and Tony Hawk from their skateboarding franchise to judge and play the game live. The video does show some of the first in-game footage, which looks similar in layout to Rock Band. The host takes a jab at Kotick by mentioning Rock Band, but I can't help but feel like Activision is being disingenuous. With these music games following the same basic premise, you can't really help the similarities that will arise. But their attitude about the subject is what's bothersome. Rather than giving credit to their predecessors or even a sly reference to competition, they instead act like they created this revolutionary new idea to simulate a realistic band experience. While Konami's Rock Revolution looks weaker than Guitar Hero or Rock Band, I can at least respect what they're doing and their somewhat unique approach. It just seems like Guitar Hero is losing its integrity.
However, the bottom line is whether or not the games are fun. If they can make their many spin-offs into enjoyable, worthy experiences, then their business tactics shouldn't matter in the bigger picture. Their release of Call of Duty 4 has earned the game numerous awards and was the top-selling game worldwide in 2007. If all of these Guitar Hero sequels turn out to be great experiences, then that is all that should matter. But it looks like Activision wants gamers to either be broke, litter their living rooms with fake instruments, or choose sides & create divisions within the community much like the console wars.
With Rock Band containing two extra instruments and more robust modes over Guitar Hero III, it would sound like a no-brainer on who would be more successful. But with GHIII releasing earlier, already having a built-in audience, a lower price point and barrier-to-entry, having less frequent instrument quality issues, and containing more difficult and guitar-focused songs, Guitar Hero has kept a loyal following despite the new development team. With Activision taking the ‘Rock Band route’, some fans are worried that the game will lose its guitar focus in favor of the new drum set. Often a criticism of Rock Band, most songs are usually considered easier on guitar because they chose songs that are fun for all four instruments. But the promised robust song list, all master recordings, and a larger dedication to DLC may appease some of the fears.
Guitar Hero World Tour's music creation mode.
UPDATE: Geekpulp has brought to my attention an unofficial image of the new guitar controller on the official site. While it may not be a final design, it looks to feature a similar layout to Rock Band's Fender Stratocaster controller with five extra frets on the neck of the guitar. The new buttons look to be recessed or touch-sensitive. Actual gameplay integration with the change is still unknown.
Read more...
As I talked about previously, the battle for music game supremacy is starting to get more intense. With Game Informer and MTV Multiplayer getting exclusive shots of the Guitar Hero IV and Rock Revolution drum sets, respectively, I thought I would take a look at something a little interesting.
Rock Band Drum Set - 4 pads, bass pedal
By the end of 2008, there will be three separate band simulation games out for the consoles, each with their own set of instruments. Along with the currently available Rock Band, Activision’s Guitar Hero IV will feature for the first time in the series additional instruments such as drums and microphone. Both Rock Band and Guitar Hero were inspired by the original music/rhythm games developed by Konami and Bemani. Known for popular series like Dance Dance Revolution and Karaoke Revolution in the US, Konami has developed a slew of popular Japanese music games like the RB/GH predecessors, GuitarFreaks and DrumMania. Using their music game experience, Konami is developing Rock Revolution, a new band simulation that will feature guitar/bass and a focus on drums.
After the release of Guitar Hero II and Guitar Hero Rocks the 80s, series publisher Red Octane and developer Harmonix split ways after being purchased by Activision and MTV Networks, respectively. While Activision proceeded with GHIII, Harmonix moved on to their bigger project, Rock Band. Featuring guitar, bass, drums, and vocals, the game has set the bar for innovation in music/rhythm games. The PS3/360 version has the full feature set, while the PS2/Wii versions have created controversy with a more limited set of options. The lack of DLC, online play, and the career mode has caused a stir among gamers, as well as the price tag for the game and bundle in Europe. But with weekly downloadable content, online game modes, and a robust Band World Tour career mode, Rock Band has risen in popularity despite being a new IP, having a larger price tag and instrument quality issues.
Courtesy of Game Informer
Rock Revolution's drum user interface.
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