Sweet.
Some might say that this is a cheap shot at Harmonix, the people that made Rock Band (which first incorporated drums and vocals into gameplay) and Guitar Hero 1 and 2, but it's the nature of the business. Pretty much every major innovation is "copied" or incorporated by rival companies. It happens with Nintendo all the time! Nintendo revolutionized the way we play 3D games with Super Mario 64 and other companies followed suit. Probably the most blunt showing of competition was way back when Nintendo first release the Rumble Pack with Star Fox 64 in 1997, but now a rumble feature in controllers is a standard across all the next gen consoles. It's only logical that Activision/RedOctane incorporates Rock Band's success with adding drums and a microphone.
As for the innovative aspects, Dusty Welch, head of publishing for RedOctane, is quoted saying that this new in-game studio tool feature "has the potential to revolutionize consumer generated music, much in the same way that video sharing hubs have driven user generated video. With the introduction of our advanced high-quality new wireless instruments, in-depth customization options and advanced online functionality, the game enables music fans and gamers globally to share in the most social and expressive music experience ever."
An interesting note is that Guitar Hero World Tour will also include a "Battle of the Bands" feature where eight players can link up online and challenge each other, band-to-band. This will no doubt have a tournament mode as well, which I can see there be tournament weekends on Xbox Live to see who's the best ranked.
The dream of being a rock star may not be so far fetched:)
3 comments:
DID Chik-Fil-A invent the chicken sandwich?
I really like the move the gaming industry is taking toward peripherals. There's only so much you can get out of playing games with a controller, and games like Rock Band and pretty much any game on the Wii are infinitely more fun to me than traditional games.
I agree, Charles. Games are evolving into something more immersive, more engaging, mentally and physically. The cool thing is that most of these new ways of playing can involve everyone. I've seen more girls play and enjoy video games in the past couple years all because of games like Guitar Hero and the Wii. I may blog about this subject soon.
and- do you think chik-fil-a invented the chicken sandwich?
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