Correction:

My story incorrectly stated that Harmonix was purchased from Activision in 2006.

Harmonix and Red Octane actually were both independent companies prior to being purchased. Activision purchased Red Octane (and therefore the rights to the Guitar Hero franchise) in July 2006. MTV networks then purchased the developer of the franchise, Harmonix, in Spetember of that same year.

The way I worded it in the story paints the wrong picture: I meant to say that MTV Networks purchased Harmonix before Activision could get their hands on them. I attempt to make the article readable for those who are not heavily connected to the gaming industry, so I probably should have explained it more than I did.

Activision obviously had a problem when they got the rights to the game but didn’t acquire the developer. I thought Harmonix would die out and the Guitar Hero series would live on, but I guess I should know to trust talented developers over a franchise.

Thanks to IzzyRock for pointing out the mistaken wording.

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When MTV plunked down $175 million to purchase Harmonix, I know I questioned if it was a smart purchase. 3.5 million units later, Rock Band has refined a genre, reinvigorated an industry and made MTV and Electronic Arts lots of money.

And how could anyone have questioned the concept?

The model for success is pretty simple when you think about it: Refine the experience Harmonix envisioned with Guitar Hero to make the full band, use MTV’s music licenses to get tons of great music and create an experience similar to playing in a band with three of your closest (and at times most intoxicated) friends.

Now the sequel brings an improved drum kit, all master tracks and the ability to import nearly all of the songs from the original for a measly $5.

If you didn’t understand the point of those triplet-themed paragraphs: Rock Band is doing pretty well for itself.

So of course, rival game developers are following rule #1 of the industry these days: If someone else makes a good game, copy them and hope for the same success.

That’s where Rock Band (and Rock Band 2’s) soon to be rivals come in: Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Revolution. Since I wasn’t able to mention much about them in the print article, now is a great time to analyze these rivals (since both see release in October).

When Harmonix was purchased from Activision, the Guitar Hero franchise stayed with the publishing giant due to licensing agreements. Rather than reinvent the wheel, Activision put Neversoft (the guys behind the once ever-popular and award winning Tony Hawk series) at the helm for Guitar Hero: III Legends of Rock.

The result was a natural progression for the series: it was incredibly hard. The difficulty jump from GH 1 to 2 was quite apparent, but the jump from 2 to 3 was absolutely brutal. In fact, many gamers complained that some of the final songs on hard difficulty were nearly impossible to play.

Guitar Hero had dug itself into a hole thanks to rabid fans that thought extreme difficulty would make a better game. Now, after a short stay with Aerosmith, they plan to copy Rock Band with Guitar Hero: World Tour (Coming out for Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 and Playstation 2).

Well, not copy exactly, but attempt to improve. World Tour will feature a creator mode where players will be able to create or recreate any song in existence. It’s a good idea, as long as it’s simple to use. Although lack of vocal reproduction (you’re only allowed to make lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass and drum parts) hurts, it should be fun to make your own music.

Speaking of the skins, World Tour’s drum kit will have 2 cymbals, 3 toms and a base pedal to provide a more realistic drumming experience. That sounds awesome in theory, but Guitar Hero is known for sometimes numbingly hard difficulty. I really can’t wait to see what “Vicarious” by Tool will look like on Expert difficulty, and the reactions people who aren’t expert drummers make when they attempt to play it.

I would be willing to bet money that World Tour will be difficult all-around. Activision knows it won’t take over the market that Rock Band took, but can be a way for more dedicated players to test their skill (expert difficulty) and make unique content (custom songs).

Rock Revolution (Coming out for Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, and Xbox 360), made by Konami (the makers of Dance Dance Revolution, hence the name), will attempt to retake the rhythm genre they popularized with tons of tracks and a unique drum kit resembling most electronic drum kits.

However, unlike World Tour or Rock Band 2, none of the games songs are master tracks, meaning they’ll be Konami produced covers of the songs. In all honesty, this may be a deathblow to the game before it even begins.

People can tell the difference between covers and master tracks (Guitar Hero’s download of Metallica’s new album Death Magnetic had far improved sound quality as compared to the CD), and they’ll smell it long before they purchase Rock Revolution. Also, the drum kit isn’t as similar to playing a real drum kit, ending the emersion and killing the feeling of being a true “rock star” that Rock Band and Guitar Hero had.

It is so obvious Konami is attempting to jump on a bandwagon that only has room for one. In fact, the company will not create guitar controllers, instead relying on the cross compatibility of Rock Band’s and Guitar Hero’s controllers (All controllers from Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour work with each other and Rock Revolution) to sell the game as software.

Also, Rock Revolution will not feature vocals, a vital part of the band and great for people who don’t have a lot of experience with videogames.

I just feel sorry for Konami. They created an amazing game in Dance Dance Revolution whose time has passed and now they need to find their next cash cow.

At the end of the day, I have a hard time believing all three of these franchises will exist in five years. Rock Band has an obvious advantage with a huge catalog of titles to download, but Guitar Hero is a strong franchise for the hardcore, and Activision working with bands like Metallica may help them in the long run.

My prediction: Rock Revolution falls flat, Guitar Hero refocuses on band-specific tributes (a la Guitar Hero:Aerosmith) and Rock Band continues it’s formula for several more years of success.

– Drew Quandt | Web Producer

As the video game industry reaches ever closer to the film industry in profits, the question of which games, if any, can create the same emotional experience as a movie becomes an increasingly complex one.

As technology improves, game makers should be able to add more depth to their storytelling in their games, and immerse players ever more in a game world.

It shouldn’t be long before video games can create the same emotional response as a movie, right? Well, after spending a few months with no cable, no internet, a Netflix account and my personal collection of gaming entertainment, I don’t think videogames can, or ever will, create the same response as a movie.

There is no question in my mind that videogames are art: It can bring the player into a unique world and a good game can give a truly unique experience that other mediums can’t. Games have even created art, as great music soundtracks have been present going back as far as the 8 bit generation (think Super Mario Bros./Mega Man 2).

Why can’t games give the same experience as a movie, then? Two reasons: the emotional response the protagonist creates, specifically when the protagonist dies, and the fact that a game forces you to play it.

Of course playing Zelda can make you feel like you’re partaking in an epic adventure, but when Link dies, there’s just a “game over” screen and it throws you back to where you last saved. When a main character dies in a movie, it’s built up, and you have an emotional response from the death, sometimes to a point where you are driven to tears. That is an emotional response you simply never receive from a video game, because death to the protagonist in a video game is failure, death to the protagonist in a movie is storytelling.

That is why movies faithfully translated from videogames nearly always fall flat: protagonists just don’t make the transition from games to movies well (Mortal Kombat, anyone?). The best video game protagonists are either seemingly invincible (Mario, Gordon Freeman), completely over the top (Duke Nukem, Samus Aran), or both (Master Chief). Worse yet, most of the best video game protagonists never talk.

The other reason why videogames will never create the same emotional response as a movie: you have to move. Film is a fully passive medium, you press one button and sit back for a few hours. That allows your attention to be completely tuned into the story. In a game, you must move the character and complete tasks to continue the story. Although you can be immersed in the game, your mind still focuses on jumping across platforms or killing bad guys. No amount of immersion can cancel the fact that your mind is concentrating on things aside from the story, that’s because a game forces the player turn his/her focus towards the gameplay.

Although happy mediums are being reached, the best games are going to focus on gameplay, not story. Although story will always be an important part of a “cinematic” gaming experience, games will never create the same emotional response as a film can.

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Addendum:

The closest I have ever seen a videogame come to a cinematic experience is the Max Payne series. It had a protagonist who talked, layers of depth, and a reason for constant violence. His world was surrounded by unique characters and settings, and his story had twists and a definitive end.

Also, the “noir” style that Max Payne had accompanied the story arch well, allowed room for incredible violence, and made elements of the game slightly more believable (it’s more reasonable for someone to receive immediate benefits from pain killers than health packs).

In the end, I have hopes that the Max Payne movie will be good. Although it has a less than desirable cast (Mark Wahlberg, the annoying chick from That 70’s Show), the story’s noir style could really add a unique atmosphere to the movie, a lot like Sin City did a few years back. It will also be interesting to see how Max’s dreams/drug induced hallucinations — such a key part to the first game’s atmosphere — are translated onto film.

If done correctly, Max Payne could become the first videogame to make a good movie.

Than again, Mark Wahlberg is the lead.

– Drew Quandt | Web Producer