The battle of the band simulators just got interesting. Rock Band 3 Vs Guitar Hero 6 looks set to be the most epic plastic axe face-off ever, bigger than RB1 vs GH3.
In the RB corner, we have two massive additions (in terms of importance and price, no doubt) in the form of three-mic harmonies, lifted from The Beatles RB and keyboards. Yes, keyboards.
A recent Xbox 360 Green Day Rock Band demo hinted at the inclusion of keyboards with a little monochrome keyboard symbol along with the usual drums, bass, guitar and (three) mic symbols – all alongside a jagged, Rock-Bandy 3. Harmonix haven’t officially confirmed it, but it doesn’t take a Science Genius Girl by Freezepop to work out that the keyboards are coming to the next proper Rock Band.
What could this mean exactly? Well, a much needed reinvigoration of a stagnating music genre for one. And secondly, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. If the epic seven-minute wonder is in RB3 and playable on keyboard, expect sales to fly like a rocket ship soaring through the sky (yes, I know that’s Don’t Stop Me Now, which would be equally welcome).
This brings us to Guitar Hero 6’s response. Well, it’s going to have to be big, isn’t it? Well, the setlist which has so far been confirmed by an Official Playstation Magazine UK leak isn’t so much ‘big’ as eye-wateringly, head-bangingly massive. Dragonforce are back, and Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica, Ozzy Osborne and Children of Bodom have come to join them. Oh, and it definitely has Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody (except without the keyboards, we assume). It’s going to be epic.
Activision’s response to Harmonix’s ‘ultra-realism’ band sim (they are, apparently, going for a more realistic approach to RB3) is to make Guitar Hero an axe-shredding, finger-burning cavalcade of killer rock again, like it used to be before they sold out and started putting in Coldplay.
That means no more turgid pop-‘rock’, no more teeny-bopper indie bands (that’s what Band Hero will do now, apparently). GH6 is going to be Guitar Hero III – The sequel, like everyone wanted World Tour to be. It might still have full band support but the focus is squarely on guitar riffs and screaming solos.
Thus, we have two very different approaches to the music game genre from the two largest behemoths in gaming – EA and Activision. The original Rock Band sold like hot cakes despite GH3 having been out at roughly the same time and selling some 12 million copies in the face of EA’s full band sim (whereas GH3 had only guitar or bass support). This would suggest that there’s room for both in the crowded genre – but that was years ago when the phenomenon was still exploding.
Whether people opt for Harmonix’s super-real, keyboard-toting, all-in-one band sim or Neversoft’s monster rock and metal fest with a killer guitar setlist might decide the direction of the industry for years to come.
I’ll have one of each, thanks. It’s like Gran Turismo V Burnout – If they both keep to their own identities rather than ripping off each other, there might be room on gamers’ shelves for two new rhythm action games this year.
And really, who saw that coming?
No comments:
Post a Comment