What could be better than living the life of a rock star? Who cares if all your fans are in your living room, you are the man or the woman! The latest interactive game has arrived in the world of video games. Guitar Hero takes you from the role of interested observer to complete participant of rock and roll. In other video games, you have a controller and different views that draw you into the game, but with the invention of the guitar controller, you get a complete experience that is hard to find in other games.
Guitar Hero has released six different games so far for a plethora of platforms. It was available for PlayStation 2 and 3, Xbox 360 and PC and, more recently, for Nintendo DS. With the exception of the DS, the gameplay and peripherals have been very similar across platforms. Of course, due to the size of the DS, a full-size guitar controller was not practical, so the creators created a guitar grip that connects to the second slot on the console. One major difference between the platforms is that Guitar Hero 3 can be played online only with the Xbox 360 console.
Overall, the impact of this game has been phenomenal no matter what console it is played on. The game includes different levels of difficulty, tour and arcade mode, cooperative and competitive play.
Guitar Hero was challenged last year with the release of Rock Band, a similar game idea but one that incorporated the entire band. You could play guitar, bass, drums, or sing along to Harmonix’s answer to Guitar Hero. The challenge would be short-lived, as the team was not up to the task.
Soon, RedOctane and Activision will continue this challenge with the Guitar Hero World Tour. Kids and parents alike have been eagerly awaiting the latest release in the Guitar Hero family. The play promises to be intense as drums and vocals are added. Another advantage is that while the new guitar is great, you don’t have to buy it to play it. If you have the older version of the game, the guitar will be compatible. They have also announced that for Xbox 360 Rock Band instruments will also work. This is not the case with the PlayStation 3, although Sony says they are working to make the units compatible.
Guitar Hero World Tour may very well be on every little boy’s and girl’s holiday list. If past performance is any indication, in 2008 Activision posted that total sales for the Guitar Hero franchise have exceeded $ 1 billion. The craze has prompted some bars and grills to have a Guitar Hero night instead of karaoke. One in New York reported that business tripled on those nights.
It’s obvious that Guitar Hero is just starting to have an impact on kids playing games and it sounds like their parents too. A great idea that so far has been executed perfectly. Look for the new release soon and hope all the kids will want one.
