RIP Guitar Hero!

[Darth Groovy]

This almost wants me to get the podcast back together just to discuss...

 

http://blog.games.yahoo.com/blog/374-activision-axes-guitar-hero-franchise/

 

Good news for us old Video game store managers. At least this Christmas I won't have to litter my store front window with a bunch of crappy fake music band kits that nobody cares about anymore. Happy days are here again!

 

P.S. I loved, and still love the HELL out of Rock Band, but after the third installment, there is little left to add to even that franchise. That game exists now through download content. I am o.k. with that.

[IG-64]

Let's get some expert opinion on this matter:

 

[BongoBob]

I knew that Activision was going to kill the franchise when I saw they were giving away the Van Halen one with Guitar Hero 5.

 

I think they released 5 Guitar Hero games in 1 year? Just begging for trouble.

[jebbers]

Saw it coming. Beat one game, the next is already out, get that one, half way through the next two installments are already out....

[Darth Groovy]

I knew that Activision was going to kill the franchise when I saw they were giving away the Van Halen one with Guitar Hero 5.

 

I think they released 5 Guitar Hero games in 1 year? Just begging for trouble.

 

Between 2005 and 2011 there have been 6 full games, and 7 spin offs. That my friends is classic Activision over kill.

[Alkonium]

Between 2005 and 2011 there have been 6 full games, and 7 spin offs. That my friends is classic Activision over kill.

 

Frankly, I'm just glad they didn't do the same with James Bond. Now let's see them ruin Blizzard in the same way!

[Darth Avlectus]

Please Dear God Leave Blizzard alone. I love blizzard games.

 

I randomly thought about Activision the other day which never happens. Wow. Guess that was a sign. A disturbance in the Force that something terrible has happened.

 

Oh the long since passed glorious days. The three stooges for NES--epic classic for 8 bit goodness.

 

MechWarrior 3050 for SNES and all its glory. (Come on I *know* we have mechwarrior fans here that know what I'm talking about!)

 

It is sad indeed. I never got into guitar hero myself but personally as an outsider even I have to say the effect it had was undeniable. How families could get together and rock out together. A game you could actually play with your family.

 

The frenzy of people who could never truly be rockstars in real life rejoicing in their living room, making it their stadium and at least living their own piece of what it would be like to be a rock legend.

 

R.I.P.

[PR-0927]

A very Activision thing to do. But I was sick and tired of seeing so much Guitar Hero, so I'm glad it's gone. Only good thing Activision has done at all in recent memory.

 

Now if they would only get rid of CoD...

 

- PR-0927

[Pho3nix]

I'm sure it'll be resurrected at some point

[Darth Groovy]

Frankly, I'm just glad they didn't do the same with James Bond. Now let's see them ruin Blizzard in the same way!

 

Well actually, at the end of last year, two Bond games were released, despite a major movie backing it. Blood Stone for PS3 and 360, and Goldeneye for Wii.

 

Blood Stone was pretty lackluster in my opinion. Lots of driving and some shooting. Pretty thin on substance.

 

Goldeneye was trying to capitalize on the same crowd that views N64's game of the same name, as some sacred cow. However they butchered this cow in a horrible way. They replaced Pierce Brosnan with Daniel Craig and tweaked the story to make it take place in present day. Lame. I played the multi-player game at conference. It would be fun if....oh I dunno, you were at your grandma's house, and she only had a wii, and you had about 7 hours to kill before you were able to leave. Other than that....not much there either man.

[Darth Groovy]

Frankly, I'm just glad they didn't do the same with James Bond. Now let's see them ruin Blizzard in the same way!

 

Well actually, at the end of last year, two Bond games were released, despite a major movie backing it. Blood Stone for PS3 and 360, and Goldeneye for Wii.

 

Blood Stone was pretty lackluster in my opinion. Lots of driving and some shooting. Pretty thin on substance.

 

Goldeneye was trying to capitalize on the same crowd that views N64's game of the same name, as some sacred cow. However they butchered this cow in a horrible way. They replaced Pierce Brosnan with Daniel Craig and tweaked the story to make it take place in present day. Lame. I played the multi-player game at conference. It would be fun if....oh I dunno, you were at your grandma's house, and she only had a wii, and you had about 7 hours to kill before you were able to leave. Other than that....not much there either man.

 

Even though Daniel Craig is my least favorite Bond, I kinda feel sorry for the poor fella. He is caught in the middle of a feud between the creator's of Bond, and the studios. In the mean time, he is forced to voice ****ty video games to make ends meet. Brosnan had a way better deal than that.

 

A very Activision thing to do. But I was sick and tired of seeing so much Guitar Hero, so I'm glad it's gone. Only good thing Activision has done at all in recent memory.

 

Now if they would only get rid of CoD...

 

- PR-0927

 

SO glad somebody else has finally stated what has been on my mind for the past two years. Call of Duty paved the way and made some major leaps in action gaming, but I feel the franchise has worn out it's welcome. As a video game store manager, I am so, so sick of the mindless drones who poor into my store day in, and day out only in search of Black Ops, or any other CoD game that has freaking Nazi Zombies in it. Too bad I never got to ask my Grandpa about the Nazi Zombies in WWII. I was very dissapointed with MW2, I got bored with it after a week, as it was just a rehash of CoD4. Black Ops is not a bad game per say, but you would be shocked at how many people own a system, and this is the only ****ing game they EVER play. How shallow can you be? I enjoyed CoD4 online as much as the next guy, and I actually loved the campaign even though I beat it in two days. However CoD suffers from the same problem that ruined the Halo franchise for me. Smack talking bitches, dirty hacks, *******s obsessed with Kill to Death ratios and over all morons that have no respect for an online gaming community. They make the old Counter Strike community look like Rhode's Scholars by comparison. If I had to pick one game that made my XBOX 360 and my live membership seem worth the purchase price, it was freaking Rainbow Six Vegas. I had become the comic relief of a small team (mostly comprised of dudes I met at work) and we would play Terrorist hunts on Realistic every night for hours and hours, and hours. We became obsessed with the looks of our MP characters, and unlocking certain weapons. In that game it was VERY hard to move up the ranks. They actually RUINED that in Rainbow Six Vegas 2. RB6V was the closest thing I ever came to an MMO, and I have not one regret, other than it was never attempted again. Ever. The closest I ever got to that feeling again was a game called MAG for PS3. The biggest leap of tech for that game, was it's vast squad based ranking system, and huge battles! The best part of that game, was that it ranked you and placed you on teams with those of your skill level. No game ever pulled that off better than MAG I played with complete strangers but we always got along, because they were no better than me. So the odds were stacked fairly! Problem with that game was that your customization of your character was limited. You were forced to pick from only 3 factions. And since it was on such a large scale, the damn thing lagged like crazy at times. Plus, as we have learned.... online only games, don't last very long. My second favorite would probably be Gears of War. Anyways, enough of my rant. I am ready for something different. Modern shooters are starting to play out like WWII games did back in 2007. I am ready for something with full customization, good skill based ranking, and a decent single player with a solid co-op experience. I honestly don't give a damn what universe or time frame, as long as it is fun.

[edlib]

I got on a bit of a Guitar Hero/ Rock Band kick at one point... until it occurred to me: "Hey... I actually own REAL guitars!"

 

As far as releasing band-specific GH titles... that got old fast. When it was done well, it was good. But that was rare. And it limits you to fans of that band... which isn't everybody who bought your game... no matter how popular the band.

 

Better to offer song/ album packs for download for a cheaper rate, and spare a major disk-package release that is destined for the bargain bin before the month is over.

 

And how many peripherals do we all need? There were just too many updated guitar controllers to keep track of.

 

This doesn't surprise me... though I've actually met a couple of folks who worked on these games, so it doesn't make me happy.

[BongoBob]

SO glad somebody else has finally stated what has been on my mind for the past two years. Call of Duty paved the way and made some major leaps in action gaming, but I feel the franchise has worn out it's welcome. As a video game store manager, I am so, so sick of the mindless drones who poor into my store day in, and day out only in search of Black Ops, or any other CoD game that has freaking Nazi Zombies in it. Too bad I never got to ask my Grandpa about the Nazi Zombies in WWII. I was very dissapointed with MW2, I got bored with it after a week, as it was just a rehash of CoD4. Black Ops is not a bad game per say, but you would be shocked at how many people own a system, and this is the only ****ing game they EVER play. How shallow can you be? I enjoyed CoD4 online as much as the next guy, and I actually loved the campaign even though I beat it in two days. However CoD suffers from the same problem that ruined the Halo franchise for me. Smack talking bitches, dirty hacks, *******s obsessed with Kill to Death ratios and over all morons that have no respect for an online gaming community. They make the old Counter Strike community look like Rhode's Scholars by comparison.

 

I feel that the franchise definitely needs something new, something akin to what CoD4 was back when it came out. However, that being said, I enjoyed the everloving hell out of CoD4, MW2, and now Black Ops. MW2 was by no means perfect, but I hit rank 70 10th prestige in it legitimately, and am working my way up Black Ops, middle of my 9th prestige now. The community can be annoying at times, but what popular game's community isn't? (Also praise the almighty mute function).

 

As a side note, do you mind if I ask what gametype you played with a bad community? I know that some gametypes I avoid completely, half because I don't enjoy the gametype, and the other half because of elitist douchebags that play it.

 

Oh yeah, and PS: f*** you if you don't think Nazi Zombies is fun, 4 man Zombies with good friends is an absolute riot

[GeneralPloKoon]

I wish Activision would kill Call of Duty next. Anything after Call of Duty 4 I have no care for. I did like Guitar Hero, but it was a addiction that died as quickly as it came. Never though Id say this but I like EA more than I like Activision now. And I used to loathe EA.

 

Does the death of Guitar Hero mean the slow death of all kinds of music based games with instruments has begun?

[TiE23]

Oh, yes, praise be to Battlefield. May you mop the floor with your enemies. Praise be to Battlefield. Aaaaaaaaa~~~

 

(This BBCode requires its accompanying plugin to work properly.)

[PR-0927]

SO glad somebody else has finally stated what has been on my mind for the past two years. Call of Duty paved the way and made some major leaps in action gaming, but I feel the franchise has worn out it's welcome. As a video game store manager, I am so, so sick of the mindless drones who poor into my store day in, and day out only in search of Black Ops, or any other CoD game that has freaking Nazi Zombies in it. Too bad I never got to ask my Grandpa about the Nazi Zombies in WWII. I was very dissapointed with MW2, I got bored with it after a week, as it was just a rehash of CoD4. Black Ops is not a bad game per say, but you would be shocked at how many people own a system, and this is the only ****ing game they EVER play. How shallow can you be? I enjoyed CoD4 online as much as the next guy, and I actually loved the campaign even though I beat it in two days. However CoD suffers from the same problem that ruined the Halo franchise for me. Smack talking bitches, dirty hacks, *******s obsessed with Kill to Death ratios and over all morons that have no respect for an online gaming community. They make the old Counter Strike community look like Rhode's Scholars by comparison. If I had to pick one game that made my XBOX 360 and my live membership seem worth the purchase price, it was freaking Rainbow Six Vegas. I had become the comic relief of a small team (mostly comprised of dudes I met at work) and we would play Terrorist hunts on Realistic every night for hours and hours, and hours. We became obsessed with the looks of our MP characters, and unlocking certain weapons. In that game it was VERY hard to move up the ranks. They actually RUINED that in Rainbow Six Vegas 2. RB6V was the closest thing I ever came to an MMO, and I have not one regret, other than it was never attempted again. Ever. The closest I ever got to that feeling again was a game called MAG for PS3. The biggest leap of tech for that game, was it's vast squad based ranking system, and huge battles! The best part of that game, was that it ranked you and placed you on teams with those of your skill level. No game ever pulled that off better than MAG I played with complete strangers but we always got along, because they were no better than me. So the odds were stacked fairly! Problem with that game was that your customization of your character was limited. You were forced to pick from only 3 factions. And since it was on such a large scale, the damn thing lagged like crazy at times. Plus, as we have learned.... online only games, don't last very long. My second favorite would probably be Gears of War. Anyways, enough of my rant. I am ready for something different. Modern shooters are starting to play out like WWII games did back in 2007. I am ready for something with full customization, good skill based ranking, and a decent single player with a solid co-op experience. I honestly don't give a damn what universe or time frame, as long as it is fun.

 

 

Word. Personally, I hate CoD. With a passion. The gameplay is not innovative at all and is unnecessarily faced paced for a modern shooter, teamwork doesn't exist, the maps are small, there are no vehicles, the graphics (and game engine) are SUPREMELY DATED, and is overall extremely arcadish (dual-wielding shotguns, knives that kill a person no matter where they hit, knives that shoot across the map and reload in seconds - the real-life version of it takes 20 minutes to reload).

 

And to top it all off, the franchise is milked to death - Bobby Kotick needs to die. His public quotes about supporting exploitable games that don't try anything new make me furious.

 

Oh, yes, praise be to Battlefield. May you mop the floor with your enemies. Praise be to Battlefield. Aaaaaaaaa~~~

 

(This BBCode requires its accompanying plugin to work properly.)

 

 

I'm a hardcore Battlefield fan. Meaning CoD is nothing but a steaming pile of **** to me. I pre-ordered BF3 the moment I heard about it. Nothing comes close to Battlefield gameplay (for online MP).

 

Also, PC gaming FTW. Anything that works against PC gaming (CoD and their ****ty console ports) is pure evil, in my book.

 

- PR-0927

[BongoBob]

Why the supreme amount of hate?

 

While I prefer CoD to Battlefield, I still enjoy both series pretty well. CoD isn't realistic, and that's the whole point. If I want to play something arcady, then I play CoD. If I want something realistic, I play BC2.

 

Comparing CoD and Battlefield are like comparing Apples and Oranges.

[Jeff]

Why the supreme amount of hate?

 

While I prefer CoD to Battlefield, I still enjoy both series pretty well. CoD isn't realistic, and that's the whole point. If I want to play something arcady, then I play CoD. If I want something realistic, I play BC2.

 

Comparing CoD and Battlefield are like comparing Apples and Oranges.

Well, depends on the context of the comparison. The games compete for your money, and many people stick to one series it seems like. Since Medal of Honor was a complete failure, I think the Battlefield series is going to be what EA pushes to be its rival shooter.

 

I was very glad to see Guitar Hero go and I hope it stays that way for a while. I don't hate Call of Duty (I enjoy the MW games) but I hate how Activision handles it and if they keep pumping out essentially the same game each year it will suffer the same fate. While one could argue that each year's Call of Duty has unique features or whatever, the only real distinction is between the setting (ww2 vs modern) and when we look back years later there will not be much to set them apart especially compared to other sequelized franchises.

[PR-0927]

Why the supreme amount of hate?

 

While I prefer CoD to Battlefield, I still enjoy both series pretty well. CoD isn't realistic, and that's the whole point. If I want to play something arcady, then I play CoD. If I want something realistic, I play BC2.

 

Comparing CoD and Battlefield are like comparing Apples and Oranges.

 

 

Because Activision, and CoD in particular, are harmful to the development of the video game industry. CoD is pure recycled garbage. No innovation whatsoever, OLD graphics, OLD gameplay, just reskinned games. Activision causes dead studios right and left (they seem to kill off anyone who tries something new/different - their kill count grew extraordinarily in 2010). The *******, Bobby Kotick, runs the company primarily as a money-grabbing firm, and barely as a video game one. He doesn't play games and is just really out of touch with the gaming industry, which I hold dear to myself.

 

Plus, the majority of people who love CoD and have brought it success are console gamers (and frat bros...ugh). And I'm pretty much a huge console hater at this point. Downright amazing PC games and franchises have been killed off in favor of mainstream-ized, EASY, old-graphics, arcadey games.

 

Which is why I'm thrilled that DICE is making BF3 primarily for PC, then porting it to consoles. This is how it should always be. Games should be developed for the most powerful/innovation-encouraging systems. Not ancient hardware like the Xbox 360/PS3. Regenerating health, small maps, easy gameplay, and anti-teamwork games have got to stop.

 

- PR-0927

[TiE23]

Which is why I'm thrilled that DICE is making BF3 primarily for PC, then porting it to consoles. This is how it should always be. Games should be developed for the most powerful/innovation-encouraging systems. Not ancient hardware like the Xbox 360/PS3. Regenerating health, small maps, easy gameplay, and anti-teamwork games have got to stop.

 

- PR-0927

 

Hey now, don't be a gamer snob. CoD is fun for it's own reasons. Before BF2, I played the crap outta CoD1 MP.

 

Also, don't talk crap about the regenerating health in BC2, it's perfect in that you're not in situations where you're searching all over the map for a medic while holding onto your 1% health bar. But, it's not like you duck behind a wall for 4 seconds and you're good to go.

 

Keep an eye out tomorrow, BF3 **** is gonna be coming.

 

@Battlefield:

Quote from tonight's BF3 show: "Best effing game I've seen!" Socks knocked off. Stay tuned for online coverage.

[PR-0927]

Hey now, don't be a gamer snob. CoD is fun for it's own reasons. Before BF2, I played the crap outta CoD1 MP.

 

Also, don't talk crap about the regenerating health in BC2, it's perfect in that you're not in situations where you're searching all over the map for a medic while holding onto your 1% health bar. But, it's not like you duck behind a wall for 4 seconds and you're good to go.

 

Keep an eye out tomorrow, BF3 **** is gonna be coming.

 

@Battlefield:

Quote from tonight's BF3 show: "Best effing game I've seen!" Socks knocked off. Stay tuned for online coverage.

 

 

Can't help it. Proud elitist gamer here. CoD is horse**** to me. Zero innovation, same engine since CoD 2. Not fun at all for me. And as a PC gamer, the industry is moving in a horrible direction with these ancient consoles. I care deeply for gaming and follow every nook-and-cranny of developments in the industry. CoD has been worthless. An anti-gaming-innovation prick runs Activision like a cost-minimizing filthy oil company.

 

Regenerating health sucks dick. WAY too arcadey, oriented at making games easier. Unlike CoD, BC2 implemented it in a positive manner and still had useful medics - better than nothing, but the regeneration has got to go.

 

Old games were far more epic. I'd kill for a JO remake.

 

- PR-0927

[ZBomber]

Jedi Outcast remake? I'd kill for a Dark Forces remake... or even better Jedi Knight!

 

Anyways, I am not a big FPS guy... but I have to say the Goldeneye remake really got me into the game and genre in general. I then went on to play the new Call of Duty campaign, but I wasn't too impressed with that. The multiplayer is excellent though.

[Darth Groovy]

Jedi Outcast remake? I'd kill for a Dark Forces remake... or even better Jedi Knight!

 

Anyways, I am not a big FPS guy... but I have to say the Goldeneye remake really got me into the game and genre in general. I then went on to play the new Call of Duty campaign, but I wasn't too impressed with that. The multiplayer is excellent though.

 

It IS possible. They gave Serious Sam a really nice face lift last year, only that style of FPS game is ancient history. The days of the goofy FPS games have come and gone, (with the exception of my beloved Borderlands which is really an action RPG at heart). For this reason I feel the ever so belayed Duke Nukem Forever is doomed to fail. Too many people want realism in the shooters, CoD4 changed the standards in which FPS games are now made.

 

I think everyone here in the um, Jedi Knight Series forum would love to see another game as wonderful as Outcast, or even an upgraded re-make of what is still my favorite Star Wars game of all time.

 

Even better, a brand new installment of Battlefront on something that other than a hand held would be stellar.

[BongoBob]

CoD is horse**** to me. Zero innovation, same engine since CoD 2.

 

Actually (practically) same engine since CoD4. CoD2 was a very different ballgame enginewise.

 

Also zero innovation? I agree the series has stagnated since CoD4, but CoD4 was what stepped everything up. So many games since have modeled their multiplayer after CoD4 that to say it has offered zero innovation is preposterous.

 

Like I said earlier I believe, I really want the next game to step their **** up like CoD2/3 -> CoD4 did. However, I doubt Activision will **** with a sure seller that much.