In February 2011, Activision (known for their work on the ever-popular Call of Duty games) decided to cease the development of further games in the once-popular Guitar Hero video game series. Due to declining sales, the music-rhythm genre once led by this strong franchise no longer possesses the market it once held. What does this mean for music gaming?
A Brief History of Guitar Hero
The original game in the Guitar Hero franchise was released in late 2005 and it was the first to include the well-known five-fret, plastic controller which rose in popularity in video game circles.
Developed by Harmonix and RedOctane, it shaped the future of gaming and its influences on music as a whole. As the series became more and more popular, the developers were able to license songs oft-regarded as classics, and the series would build a colossal library enjoyable by all players.
After the second game in the series, Harmonix, one of Guitar Hero's developers, decided to split off and form their own independent studio which would later be spearheaded by MTV Games. These employees would later create Rock Band, the inevitable rival in the music gaming world.
Over the next few years, Activision intensified production on additional games with more instruments (drums and vocals were soon added) to match the capabilities of Harmonix's product. With both series releasing new setlists, downloadable content, and games every several months, the rock battle continued on.
Until 2011, that is.
Oh, How the Mighty Guitar Heroes Have Fallen
In a press release regarding quarterly sales, Activision representatives noted that "due to continued declines in the music genre, the company [would] disband Activision Publishing's Guitar Hero business unit and discontinue development on its Guitar Hero game for 2011." This came as a shock to many video gamers, most of whom were divided between the two warring franchises.
According to the same press release, the removal of the Guitar Hero name from Activision's line-up also marked the end of DJ Hero, Band Hero, and all other prospective titles in the line-up.
While Guitar Hero did have a bigger name, Rock Band had innovation by its side; Harmonix had not only added a keyboard to their game peripherals in 2010, but they also created an innovative, six-string guitar controller (in collaboration with Fender) for use as a learning device for people dedicated to teaching themselves how to play the instrument.
What's Next for Music Gamers?
With Guitar Hero no longer on tour, Rock Band has pushed its way to the forefront and has continued to provide players with weekly updates and downloadable content, new instruments, and new approaches to education through video gaming.
For those looking for alternatives, vocalists could try their hand at Sony Playstation's Singstar games, Lips on Microsoft's Xbox 360, or Karaoke Revolution for the Nintendo Wii while drummers may find solace in the classic Beatmania games.
Harmonix also created Dance Central for the Xbox 360. Using the Kinect motion capture device, a new dimension of rhythm gaming has been created. Of course, for players looking to take a trip back in time, Harmonix created Frequency and Amplitude, two precursors to the genre available on the Playstation 2.
Music and rhythm games have clearly delighted players, but it's clear that the advancements made by Guitar Hero are unparalleled in their significance thus far.
Sources:
Tim Surette, Harmonix Forms Rock Band, Gamespot, 2007.
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