Really BIG problem with Guitar Hero 5....

[Jon93y]

After watching a few of their demo vids, it looks not very good...and I grew up on the GH series. HERE'S THE PROBLEM THOUGH!!!...when people get a hold of it's possible faulty gameplay, it's going to bring them down on RB's next release as well. Rock Band has benefited from people knowing GH, and people picking it up due to the similarities (not knowing that the HMX guys made GH as well), as well as the good reviews in Rolling Stone and other mainstream mags. But once GH5 (which, feature-wise, is trying to match RB 1, much less 2) makes them drop sixty bucks, and they don't care for it, they may be put off the whole genre.

Will the sales of RB3 be harmed by the "indoctrinated masses", and people that loved the beginnings of the genre, that buy GH stuff and are burned by it? I believe so. Thoughts?

[T-Hybrid]

I think we've had enough RB vs. GH threads today...

[xXjAmEZXx]

gh5 isnt even out stupid. wait until its out then you can start flaming it. and if you dont want it dont get it and dont hold others who actually want it back from buying it.

[T-Hybrid]

Not to mention GH5 won't impact RB3 because RB3 doesn't even exist yet.

[Jon93y]

This isn't a RB vs GH thread...this is how will it's qualities affect the whole genre. Call it a GH bash thread if you want, but the question is valid.

[jrcronlakers]

I would say not once they get a reality check from The Beatles ROCK BAND. Then when RB3 comes along they should know by then the difference.

[xXjAmEZXx]

This isn't a RB vs GH thread...this is how will it's qualities affect the whole genre. Call it a GH bash thread if you want, but the question is valid.

um no. its a gh bash thread. and your question was

'Will the sales of RB3 be harmed by the "masses" that buy GH stuff and are burned by it? I believe so. Thoughts? '


invalid due to the fact rb3 doesnt exist nor has it been confirmed for future release.

[Jon93y]

gh5 isnt even out stupid. wait until its out then you can start flaming it. and if you dont want it dont get it and dont hold others who actually want it back from buying it.

Not flaming dude. Hate flamers. Wanting real feedback...not insults. And RB 3 won't exist hopefully...I'm good with the engine and dlc. This game taught me how to play drums and I'm in a band now...

[Jon93y]

um no. its a gh bash thread. and your question was

'Will the sales of RB3 be harmed by the "masses" that buy GH stuff and are burned by it? I believe so. Thoughts? '


invalid due to the fact rb3 doesnt exist nor has it been confirmed for future release.

Okay, but RB 3 to read "any further RB release".

[sociald1077]

That's like saying that someone who buys a bad FPS will stop playing them all together, and it just doesn't happen. Its a big gaming world out there and there is plenty of room for more than 1 fake plastic rock game.

[xXjAmEZXx]

Not flaming dude. Hate flamers. Wanting real feedback...not insults. And RB 3 won't exist hopefully...I'm good with the engine and dlc. This game taught me how to play drums and I'm in a band now...

if you dont want it and its not even confirmed to exist or ever exist then why are you worried about its sales?

[Kidmitt]

This isn't a RB vs GH thread...this is how will it's qualities affect the whole genre. Call it a GH bash thread if you want, but the question is valid.

Will GH5 affect RB3's sales? That, my friend equals GH vs RB. Sorry. And considering RB and GH really attract different demographics, I don't think you need to spend any more time being concerned about Rock Band's future.

[Jon93y]

if you dont want it and its not even confirmed to exist or ever exist then why are you worried about its sales?

Just thinking about the future of my favorite game. Sales bad=no more games.

[T-Hybrid]

Wanting real feedback...not insults.
It was feedback. Your thread is just another veiled jab at GH to start up the same tired RB vs. GH discussion. And considering you assume GH5 will suck, and thus form the basis of your entire thread...yes...it is nothing but a GH flame thread.

Not an insult, just the feedback you asked for.

[Jon93y]

Will GH5 affect RB3's sales? That, my friend equals GH vs RB. Sorry. And considering RB and GH really attract different demographics, I don't think you need to spend any more time being concerned about Rock Band's future.

Which different demos are those dude? And don't say smart vs dumb because everyone will jump on you in this forum about that. Don't even imply it either. :)

[cherokeesam]

The really big problem with GH5 is speculation on a game that hasn't been released yet.

The really big problem with RB3 is speculation on a game that doesn't even *exist* yet.

As for speculation about GH5 sales...
...if it sells well, then that's generally bad news for RB. HMX will probably scramble to close the "ZOMG 4 DRUMMERS IN ONE BAND!!!" gap.....and I will beat my head slowly against a stout brick wall at the sheer stupidity of it all.

...if it sells poorly (that's what I'm comfortably betting), then that's bad news for Activision; but the people who get turned off by GH5 are far less likely to get burned out on the whole genre, but instead start abandoning ship to join the better game. Which is great news for RB.

[Kasil]

Am I the only one who thinks GH5 WON'T suck? They're trying to be more like Rock Band, and with good reason. While I like RB's DLC and general gameplay better, I still play GH games. I think the new multi-instruments at the same time, drop-in drop-out gameplay is really good for more casual players. Plus, the soundtrack is a lot more diverse than the past GH soundtracks.

Although, I'm not sure I'd play GH as much if RB had more Muse... (hint hint).

[XTommyDonX]

I'm so sick of the fact thay people on this site can't accept that a Guitar Hero game looks great. Sure GHWT was a mess, but don't knock a game that isn't out yet by what you see on your computer screen.

[Jon93y]

It was feedback. Your thread is just another veiled jab at GH to start up the same tired RB vs. GH discussion. And considering you assume GH5 will suck, and thus form the basis of your entire thread...yes...it is nothing but a GH flame thread.

Not an insult, just the feedback you asked for.

Okay...reworded position so as to not attract attackers.

So what if GH 5 and all the other GH products are awful in the coming year...would that turn people off musical rhythm type games?

[Jon93y]

The really big problem with GH5 is speculation on a game that hasn't been released yet.

The really big problem with RB3 is speculation on a game that doesn't even *exist* yet.

As for speculation about GH5 sales...
...if it sells well, then that's generally bad news for RB. HMX will probably scramble to close the "ZOMG 4 DRUMMERS IN ONE BAND!!!" gap.....and I will beat my head slowly against a stout brick wall at the sheer stupidity of it all.

...if it sells poorly (that's what I'm comfortably betting), then that's bad news for Activision; but the people who get turned off by GH5 are far less likely to get burned out on the whole genre, but instead start abandoning ship to join the better game. Which is great news for RB.

My point exactly...so I prob shouldn't have been so down on GH in my first post...rookie error.

If it is awesome...then the genre is cool, and I can keep getting my weekly 12 dlcs from HMX.:)

[berdo]

I think Guitar Hero's fetures are shining now, but HMX always finds a way to top them. So I am still not going to hop on the Guitar Hero Bandwaggon. I will wait until I hear RB3's features. Plus, with all my DLC, I would'nt want to start over anyway. HMX, if your listening, knock them out the park with your next game!

[Jon93y]

That's like saying that someone who buys a bad FPS will stop playing them all together, and it just doesn't happen. Its a big gaming world out there and there is plenty of room for more than 1 fake plastic rock game.

There's a million FPSs dude, but only two real viable music full band rhythm games. So, again, valid question.

[Jon93y]

Heh...182 views and mostly non-issue/attack responses. So this isn't the place for reasoned debate/conversation? Or maybe it's the hour.

[ylowbstard]

Very pointless thread. Not much has been shown of GH5. Everything that has been shown has been atleast solid. So, where's the basis to say the game ISN'T good?

Play the game then talk. Well, actually don't even do that since it's obvious that you are in the mindset of "GH5 SUCKS," so even if it is great, you'll bash it anyway!

[Blackjack041277]

Will the sales of RB3 be harmed by the "indoctrinated masses", and people that loved the beginnings of the genre, that buy GH stuff and are burned by it? I believe so. Thoughts?After all the superfluous GH releases there've been lately, I don't think that much more damage can be done by GH5. Hopefully GH5 will reinvigorate the series and turn the tide back in favor of platforms rather than band-specific games.

[sociald1077]

Heh...182 views and mostly non-issue/attack responses. So this isn't the place for reasoned debate/conversation? Or maybe it's the hour.

I think it has more to do with people not wanting to see "GH vs RB" threads any more. It doesn't really matter if you didn't intend for it to be, but your aggressive tone and speculation feeds that idea.

[hawkofva]

If anything, GH5 appears to be an improvement over the last few titles in the series. I get the feeling that band multiplayer is just going to devolve into nothing but bands that consist of four guitar players, but considering that the franchise is called "guitar hero", that's not entirely a bad thing. I trust HMX to keep the functioning multiplayer model we currently have. Neversoft is listening to their fans, and while I don't happen to agree with those fans, I'm not going to fault the company for that. I can only imagine GH5 will be quite the hit with their established fanbase, and strong sales will be good for the genre as a whole regardless.

[The Highway To Hell]

Enough of this fanboyism!!!!!!!!!!

[xXjAmEZXx]

geetah hiro is going to suck because i like rock band!

[SteveoKnievo]

Threads like these bring down the quality of our forums like the way Guitar Hero lowers the quality of the music game industry.

[shyling3164]

i personally could care less how good the games sell. that would be the companies job to worry about that. GH5 isnt really giving me any reason to buy the game. because though it has a pretty decent setlist. eventually it will end up getting overplayed and boring. the only thing that keeps me coming to rockband is the constant flow of DLC.

[ThunderCurls]

And yet the silly complaining a petty bashing continues...

[Mex]

There are a lot of angry, jaded people in this thread.

I understand it’s frustrating to see the same discussion over and over but I think the OP has a point. Does the success of one franchise have an effect on the other franchise?

Personally I think it does, just not to the hardcore fans like you’d find here in these forums. It would affect the casual market though. It only takes one bad experience to turn people off entirely.

Either way, it remains to be seen. We’ll find out.

[Sweetsamara]

Yeah lets just wait and see no point arguing about it before it even hits the stores..

[ylowbstard]

There are a lot of angry, jaded people in this thread.

I understand it’s frustrating to see the same discussion over and over but I think the OP has a point. Does the success of one franchise have an effect on the other franchise?

Personally I think it does, just not to the hardcore fans like you’d find here in these forums. It would affect the casual market though. It only takes one bad experience to turn people off entirely.

Either way, it remains to be seen. We’ll find out.

I agree that the sales of either game affect the genre as a whole. Sales show that since the peak of music game popularity (GH3 era), sales have been steadily declining, showing that maybe the average gamer is getting tired with the genre. Ofcourse the lost sales don't reflect the more die hard fans, but music gaming is losing some steam.

[LuigiHann]

I just had a scary-ish thought.

My assumption for a couple years now has been that music games won't really die out, they'll just return to being a niche genre, like they were before Guitar Hero.

But it basically just occurred to me that, in a niche genre with a smaller market, there's really no room for 80+ song, all-master setlists. So while I think there will always be music games, we probably won't see extravagant releases like RB2 and GH5 anymore, beyond a couple of years from now.

[Mex]

Yeah lets just wait and see no point arguing about it before it even hits the stores..

Woot! Another Canadian!


I agree that the sales of either game affect the genre as a whole. Sales show that since the peak of music game popularity (GH3 era), sales have been steadily declining, showing that maybe the average gamer is getting tired with the genre. Ofcourse the lost sales don't reflect the more die hard fans, but music gaming is losing some steam.

Hmm...does that take DLC into account? We might see a decline in purchases in-store but is DLC making up for it?


I just had a scary-ish thought.

My assumption for a couple years now has been that music games won't really die out, they'll just return to being a niche genre, like they were before Guitar Hero.

But it basically just occurred to me that, in a niche genre with a smaller market, there's really no room for 80+ song, all-master setlists. So while I think there will always be music games, we probably won't see extravagant releases like RB2 and GH5 anymore, beyond a couple of years from now.

I figure if we can have a Madden game every year that is still succesful, we should be ok :p

[cherokeesam]

I agree that the sales of either game affect the genre as a whole. Sales show that since the peak of music game popularity (GH3 era), sales have been steadily declining, showing that maybe the average gamer is getting tired with the genre. Ofcourse the lost sales don't reflect the more die hard fans, but music gaming is losing some steam.

Wanna know why sales are "declining" after GH3?

Simple: fake plastic guitars.

That's what nobody ever takes into account when quoting these "dismal" sales figures. What happened was that, with the advent of RB1 & 2, and GHWT as well, both HMX and Activision made all the games compatible with previous controllers.

So guess what?
Everybody KEPT the controllers they already had from previous Guitar Heroes and didn't bother buying RB or GHWT bundles at all, except for drummers.

And who the heck didn't see THAT coming....???

So here Activision and HMX are with a ton of unsold plastic guitars and drumkits, while meanwhile gamers are perfectly happy to keep buying discs and DLC....as long as their instruments are still compatible with the new stuff.

So yeah....it LOOKS like sales are down, because both GH and RB took MAJOR hits over the useless peripherals. But that does NOT reflect a loss of interest by gamers at all.....we're still buying discs, we're still buying DLC.

If Activision or EA want to get greedy about it, the simple solution is NOT going to be a popular one, but it IS one that could force the issue and bring sales back up: stop making the games cross-compatible on instruments/peripherals. Force gamers to buy the new guitars & drums if they want to play the new games.

Not something I *personally* advocate at all, but it is what it is. Cross-compatible instruments are killing sales of the games.

[ylowbstard]

Wanna know why sales are "declining" after GH3?

Simple: fake plastic guitars.

That's what nobody ever takes into account when quoting these "dismal" sales figures. What happened was that, with the advent of RB1 & 2, and GHWT as well, both HMX and Activision made all the games compatible with previous controllers.

So guess what?
Everybody KEPT the controllers they already had from previous Guitar Heroes and didn't bother buying RB or GHWT bundles at all, except for drummers.

And who the heck didn't see THAT coming....???

So here Activision and HMX are with a ton of unsold plastic guitars and drumkits, while meanwhile gamers are perfectly happy to keep buying discs and DLC....as long as their instruments are still compatible with the new stuff.

So yeah....it LOOKS like sales are down, because both GH and RB took MAJOR hits over the useless peripherals. But that does NOT reflect a loss of interest by gamers at all.....we're still buying discs, we're still buying DLC.

If Activision or EA want to get greedy about it, the simple solution is NOT going to be a popular one, but it IS one that could force the issue and bring sales back up: stop making the games cross-compatible on instruments/peripherals. Force gamers to buy the new guitars & drums if they want to play the new games.

Not something I *personally* advocate at all, but it is what it is. Cross-compatible instruments are killing sales of the games.

No, the loss of sales has nothing to do with people buying the stand alone games and not the instruments. Sure, the intrument bundles bring the companies more money, so declining sales on those in specific=less income. The problem is, less and less people are buying THE STAND ALONE games aswell... let alone the bundles.

Sales wise, what IS declining fast is the number of UNITS sold (in which the standalone game, and a bundle count as 1 unit). Guitar Hero World Tour (with Approx. 8 Million units sold) was a mega hit, but when compared to GH3 (16 million sold), was a letdown for Activision.

With Rock Band 1 (Approx. 4.85 million), the sales were suprisingly strong for a new franchise, especially with the competition of GH3. But when RB2 came along (selling just about 3 million copies), sale had dwindle slightly, and the franchise lost a lot of WII/PS3/PS2 support.

With GUITAR HERO 5/ BAND HERO/ LEGO ROCK BAND/ RB3 (when it finally arrives), it's not hard to imagine there being another drop in the sales trend. Kind of reminds me of DDR in a sense.

The expansions (post GH: Aerosmith) for the most part haven't been earth-shattering sales wise for both franchises really. And as for DLC being able to support a franchise; that's a NO. It cost money to license these songs, and not everyone is buying A s***load of it. Some people go all out; some stick to the on-disc lineup exclusively.

We'll get a good idea as to what the future has instore for the music game genre when TB:RB and GH5 drop this september.