How would YOU run the Guitar Hero franchise?

[gamesurf]

It's generally agreed that Guitar Hero made more than a few missteps. Whether it was overcharting, odd setlists, songs that were boring, songs that were difficult, weird art styles, too many games, no real innovation, whatever. After hearing about the proposed 2011 reboot, it got me thinking... how COULD the franchise have been run? How should the series have been focused? Was there a way to do it that didn't result in ripping off Rock Band at every turn?

Suppose it's 2007 and you're in charge of the Guitar Hero franchise. Your latest game, GHIII, is selling boatloads of copies, but there's a new game called "Rock Band" that's stealing some of your thunder. How would you compete with it?

Or, suppose it's 2009. GH:World Tour has favorable reviews, but Rock Band 2 is getting rave reviews and is making boatloads off DLC. Rumors are they're working on an exclusive project with the Beatles. How do you one-up them and keep Guitar Hero in the public eye? You've just gotten exclusive rights to Metallica, Van Halen, and The Eagles. (Also, some guy from R&D has this wacky idea about a turntable DJ controller.)

Or, suppose it's early 2010. The genre just isn't making what it used to. You're not sure if the franchise is still worthwhile. Rumor has it that Harmonix is working on a revolutionary project that will incorporate real instruments in their next game. How would you re-ignite interest in the genre?

Basically, write your own alternate history of how you'd compete with Rock Band. What directions COULD Guitar Hero have gone?

[www1221]

This will not end well.

[Witticus]

I would take Guitar Hero to a special farm upstate so it could be free to live out the rest of its days frolicking in the sunshine and clean mountain air.

[dog037]

I'd spend the entire budget on licensing Radiohead songs.

[www1221]

I'd spend the entire budget on licensing Radiohead songs.

Not metal enough for GH

[LiveHomeVideo]

DRUM HERO! Now with hihat, double bass, bells, whistles, and more!

Or alternatively, just did what Neversoft did up to GH5/Band Hero, then I'd start releasing less games than, say, five a year. Ideally one per year, if that.

Also, I never would have made slide notes and open strums a thing. Those are both needless and take out of the fun in this series.

For setlists, I'd try what RB3 did and add a mix of really popular and not-so-well-known artists from around the world, but not to the extend with WT on the obscure gems. I'd also try to keep things challenging all around instrument wise, since a lot of the popularity of GH3 was that it was a masochistic game.

I think after GHWT I'd attempt to get real instruments in there and try to get some technology similar of that to Rocksmith to be made. After all, I'm freaking Neversoft, owned by a corporate giant like Activision. But if that didn't end up working I wouldn't even announce it as a feature, like Elder Scrolls IV did with radiant AI before they pulled the plug on that due to glitches making everyone kill each other.

I definitely wouldn't push for as many games, as mentioned. I also wouldn't make Band Hero at all, simply because a pop-oriented guitar rock game sounds like it's gonna fail.

As for charting, I'd try to keep it realistic. That doesn't mean there won't still be crazy keyboard solos on guitar, but that also means slides won't be sixteen notes in less than a second. I'd want the games to be fun, but I never found overcharting the way to go.

[horsepastriesa]

I would have released only 3 Guitar Hero games in 2009: Guitar Hero Metallica, Guitar Hero 5, and DJ Hero. I would also try to release DJ Hero under a less similar name than Guitar Hero, as to avoid consumer confusion. DJ Hero was an amazing game, and had it been more focused on in the franchise, it would've landed in more hands

[horsepastriesa]

Also GH: Aersomith would never happen under my command. I know it made more money than any other Aerosmith project (even Quest For Fame! WOW), but everyone was just waiting for World Tour at the time

[FujiSkunk]

I'd hire Harmonix to run it for me. Screw competition. Put the name back together with the company that made it great.

[hiimSMAP]

Guitar Hero: Sonic Youth