Welcome back to TSA’s Games Emporium. Despite discussing 100 PS3 games that are at least hopeful for a release this year as part of our ten part series, one thing kept niggling at us over the Christmas break: what of those we left out? What of the titles we unceremoniously and callously culled from the list in a vain attempt to keep the number down to a level that would not overwhelm Kovacs’ mind on the run-up to Christmas? What of the titles stuck in Development Hell; titles developers and publishers alike assure us are still coming, our heads nodding courteously as our eyes go large and our smiles depict a demeanour of agreement while, deep down, the game is already dead to us. Games as likely to come out as Arnold Schwarzenegger.
And then there are the titles we so churlishly dismissed. The sports titles we deemed unworthy of a place in the annals of the one-hundred, other more worthy games taking their place. Of course, they were not the only ones to suffer the ignominy of dismissal; titles treated like pariahs, electronic lepers in an age of gaming inclusion. The smaller PSN titles, the esoteric Japanese curios, the torrent of music games that appear to breed like athlete’s foot on Eddie Izzard*.
In our defence, it was an arduous task deciding which games to mention and which to ignore. Games discounted with little more than a casual tap of the delete key. We didn’t enjoy it, and we accept how this Byzantine process undoubtedly befuddled many of you who still deem certain games as having just as much right to be included within the hallowed hundred as the ones that ultimately made it.
So, the following “addendums” to our PS3 Games of 2010 series are for you. Obvious caveat: the very fact the following titles have been bundled together as part of this hotchpotch list of misfits and what-ifs can be often indicative of the likelihood of these games actually seeing the light of day. Sometimes pariahs are shunned for a reason.
First up: the (never-ending) plethora of music games that should surface sometime this year.
Guitar Hero 6
The only thing that would stop Activision from actively working on a sixth Guitar Hero franchise would be if we all collectively stopped throwing money at them for the latest version. Considering how well Guitar Hero 5 performed, that’s not going to happen anytime soon. The “faux musician” sub-genre is big business now, and, unlike what you may think, there’s still a great deal of innovation left to squeeze out of the plastic model. Give me a high-hat foot pedal for a start, and let’s watch that drum-kit really come alive.
Band Hero 2
See above. Band Hero, which was a cutesy pop-flavoured version of Guitar Hero aimed at teenage girls (apparently), is Activision’s attempt to diversify the Guitar Hero series even more. The first one sold so expect a follow-up. As long as it has Katie Perry, we’ll be happy.
Guitar Hero Van Halen
Could be worse. Could be Guitar Hero: The Jonas Brothers. Activision’s long-standing practice of emblazoning a new Guitar Hero game with a cartoony depiction of a “super-band”, Van Halen gets the ignoble treatment in 2010. The game is already out in North America where it received a chilly reception. Quoting a reduced number of songs (just 44 in total), a lack of relevance with today’s rockers who may not know who Van Halen even is, and the fact that Sammy Hagar barely gets a look in, we’re wondering just how much longer Activision will continue with this spin-off series. It does feature Queens of the Stone Age’s “Sick, Sick, Sick” though. Probably not enough to make you want to buy it however.
DJ Hero 2
Well, you have to justify purchasing that peripheral somehow. Though the first DJ Hero hardly set the dancefloor alight in the sales department, it’s a safe bet to say DJ Hero 2 is in the works. Actually, according to one DJ, it’s very much real …
Rock Band 3
Whatever you can do, I can do … rockier. Rock Band 3 has already been confirmed by Harmonix as being deep in development. In fact, they claim it will make you a better rocker by actually teaching you how to play real music. Might we finally see a guitar peripheral with strings? Wouldn’t that just be … a guitar? Hold the phone. Would Harmonix be so bold as to create a device that actually lets you plug a real guitar into your PS3/360? Have we just completely lost our minds?
Rock Band: Japan
A spin-off catering to the peculiar musical tastes of the Japanese (trust me, they like some weird ass stuff over in Japan, and I’m not talking about getting married dressed as a Gundam), Rock Band Japan will be the first Rock Band game specially designed to cater to one country’s personal musical preferences. If I see Rock Band: Ireland which bodhráns, fiddles and giant beards as peripherals, I’m outta here.
Rock Band : Insert Name of Popular Band Here
Funny what happens when a band lends their name, music and likeness to a venture and it sells like hot cakes. For one thing, haughty bands who previously would never have deigned to attach themselves to such a gimmicky and embarrassing enterprise start lining up outside Harmonix’s offices waving their multi-platinum albums. With The Beatles a resounding success, U2 are now interested. And it’s not just the aging rockers, Pearl Jam also seem to be circling the idea which the concept of fans voting on what live songs to download in the product. Considering Pearl Jam release each live show as a legitimate bootleg, that’s a crap-load of songs. Not crap songs per se. Though Pearl Jam have been known to stick to the “Two great songs, the rest you wouldn’t torture people with” shtick with their last few albums, so who knows.
Rock Band Green Day
See above. Just like other Rock Band titles (bar The Beatles) the tracks in Rock Band Green Day are fully exportable to other Rock Band games. Track listing is still under wraps at the moment though we’re sure the big hitters like Basket case and When I Come Around will feature. Time to crack open the guy-liner everyone. (Thanks mynameisblair)
Scratch – The Ultimate DJ
Bet you forgot about this one. Well, I did. The yin to DJ Hero’s yang, the PES black to FIFA’s white, Scratch – The Ultimate DJ is that other turntable sporting music game. The biggest thing going for Scratch is that the fake turntable is actually made by Numark – a company renown for making real turntables. It hasn’t all been dope tracks and sublime mixes, as Scratch has been embroiled in a good deal of controversy of late. Namely a court order demanding that original developer 7 Games hand over the source code for the game – including the game engine. Bedlam Games are now on board. With one DJ game already on the market (and proving incredibly niche), we’re not sure if Ole Scratchy will ever get out of the garage.
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Next up, the prodigious amount of sports titles due out this year. Bet you can’t wait to play last year’s games with a new coat of paint.
*Eddie Izzard is a legend. A man who has raised thousands for charity by running dozens upon dozens of marathons.