William BagleyGuitar Hero vs Rock Band Round 2
November 10th 2007 23:59
Let's skip past the obvious 'Guitar Hero III is out now' news, and get down and dirty into the more important topics, as round 2 of this epic battle takes place...
Activision, from all accounts, have put together a worthy sequel in the franchise, and the good news is, there's even MORE room for improvement. While just about everything is as it was before, the addition of online play modes and 'boss battles' certainly adds some much needed spice to the franchise. And, of course, the wireless guitar works wonders.
So what's next? Downloadable content, of course. Here's where things get interesting. Already, two DLC packs have been released, which will hopefully be a sign of big things to come. Both packs feature three songs, much like the set up for Guitar Hero II on 360. That release didn't receive huge attention in that regard, but with a Velvet Revolver and Foo Fighters themed set of tracks out already, things are looking good.
Keep in mind, the content is for the 360 only, but PS3 and Wii owners shouldn't be waiting too long for similar content in the near future. The question is, whether the content will be console exclusive, or the same across the board. That will be interesting to follow.
And what of Rock Band? Well we know the DLC will be huge, and more varied. Instead of a handful of tracks per pack, we should be getting an entire album! A price point might be a little steeper, however, and there's no guarantee that each song on said album will be worth playing. But if the word 'Metallica' has anything to go by, it's gonna be big.
Call the DLC issue a mini war in itself. Whoever can increase market awareness online the most will receive the most plaudits. All the puzzle pieces are there to create an endless stream of entertainment, whether it be via guitar or an entire set piece of instruments.
And now, dear readers, onto the most interesting piece of info for this update. Apparently, Harmonix are already hard at work at a new game. The thing is, it won't follow the same design as Guitar Hero and Rock Band before it, and it won't be using input from plastic instruments. Essentially, the game will create music algorithmically, although I was never good at math, so how it works I have no idea. Which means next years Game Developers Conference in San Francisco should answer all my ... I mean, our ... questions, as senior designer Chris Foster will be leading a lecture on the games design.
For now, though, we've got one of the two titles on the open market. I'll keep you all informed on my progress in GHIII, and all the new DLC content that will (hopefully) make its way out over the coming months. And as the countdown to Rock Band continues, I'll take a closer look at what we can expect ... and whether Guitar Hero has found its true heir.
Activision, from all accounts, have put together a worthy sequel in the franchise, and the good news is, there's even MORE room for improvement. While just about everything is as it was before, the addition of online play modes and 'boss battles' certainly adds some much needed spice to the franchise. And, of course, the wireless guitar works wonders.
So what's next? Downloadable content, of course. Here's where things get interesting. Already, two DLC packs have been released, which will hopefully be a sign of big things to come. Both packs feature three songs, much like the set up for Guitar Hero II on 360. That release didn't receive huge attention in that regard, but with a Velvet Revolver and Foo Fighters themed set of tracks out already, things are looking good.
Keep in mind, the content is for the 360 only, but PS3 and Wii owners shouldn't be waiting too long for similar content in the near future. The question is, whether the content will be console exclusive, or the same across the board. That will be interesting to follow.
And what of Rock Band? Well we know the DLC will be huge, and more varied. Instead of a handful of tracks per pack, we should be getting an entire album! A price point might be a little steeper, however, and there's no guarantee that each song on said album will be worth playing. But if the word 'Metallica' has anything to go by, it's gonna be big.
Call the DLC issue a mini war in itself. Whoever can increase market awareness online the most will receive the most plaudits. All the puzzle pieces are there to create an endless stream of entertainment, whether it be via guitar or an entire set piece of instruments.
And now, dear readers, onto the most interesting piece of info for this update. Apparently, Harmonix are already hard at work at a new game. The thing is, it won't follow the same design as Guitar Hero and Rock Band before it, and it won't be using input from plastic instruments. Essentially, the game will create music algorithmically, although I was never good at math, so how it works I have no idea. Which means next years Game Developers Conference in San Francisco should answer all my ... I mean, our ... questions, as senior designer Chris Foster will be leading a lecture on the games design.
For now, though, we've got one of the two titles on the open market. I'll keep you all informed on my progress in GHIII, and all the new DLC content that will (hopefully) make its way out over the coming months. And as the countdown to Rock Band continues, I'll take a closer look at what we can expect ... and whether Guitar Hero has found its true heir.
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