Guitar Hero Games Get the Boot

No more Guitar Hero games. The Associated Press reported the game's publisher, Activision Blizzard Inc., will no longer be making the popular video game. The company is basing this decision on unprofitability choosing instead to make more shooter games such as the "Call of Duty" series.

Fans of the popular video game are sad to see it go. Activision seems to be following in the footsteps of another company, Viacom, which made a similar decision to discontinue making the "Rock Band" games. The initial investment in the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games musical accessories such as the guitars, drum set and microphones bring some capital but the game discs for the songs are not selling enough to make it profitable to company analysts. Once the set has been purchased, nothing else is required except the songs which sell for less money.

Why was Guitar Hero games so popular?

The popularity of the game was due to the ability of the players to play guitar with no musical talent required. Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band made it possible to form a band and play music with up to 4 players. Isn't that the dream of most teenagers in America, to be rock stars even if it is "just pretend"? Four year olds were playing the guitar to their favorite tune with shocking expertise. Several videos on YouTube show children as young as four years old playing the game on the "Expert" setting.

Characteristics of the Game:

Guitar Hero song discs included popular music from the 80's, and classic rock like Aerosmith, Guns N Roses and Metallica. The "World Tour" edition included music from bands and artists such as Nirvana, Blink 182, System of a Down, Ozzy Osbourne, Sting and Korn. Included are some oldies from the Steve Miller Band, Steely Dan, Los Lobos and Jimmie Hendrix. Kids and Teens everywhere became familiar with music from their parents generation.

These types of games took the place of karaoke- style games. It was more fun to play music than to sing (sometimes off-key).

Game Stats:

The game was first released in 2008 for PlayStation 2, 3, Xbox and Wii gaming consoles. The original price was $189. The game play requires the player to come up with a name for their band, play simple song lists and advance to harder level songs to continue playing. There are 86 songs included in the World Tour set and players must play "gigs" and battle virtual players to earn money to upgrade guitars and performance apparel.

Earn skill points to unlock and play as celebrity characters Travis Barker of Blink 182, Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde, rock legend Jimmy Hendrix, Sting of The Police and Hayley Williams of Paramore.

Extras:

Microsoft contributed to the game success in the form of downloadable content. Players of the Xbox 360 and Wii systems can download additional songs at 160 Microsoft points or 1.99 each or track packs for 440 points or $5.49 each.

Say goodbye to Guitar Hero and Rock Band and hello to games such as Kinects "Dance Central" and "Dance central 2". The idea with this game is to learn popular dance steps just like the ones in the dance clubs. Learn to dance in the comfort of your own home for fun, fitness and entertainment.

Resources:

Personal Experience

The Huffington Post

YouTube Video of 4 Year old Playing on Expert