UPDATE:Â Following this morning’s story, Activision have confirmed that the game will indeed be in first person and that it will be developed by FreeStyleGames.
This will be a live-action experience, with crowds being pre-recorded rather than rendered, but they’ll still react in real-time to your performance. Sounds quite cheesy, but if it’s done right, it could be successful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SnIZgESm4c
“As the lead guitaris, tyou play an array of songs that span the changing musical landscape” states the press release, which suggests that other instruments – such as drums and microphone – will not be supported, and that it’ll be mainly a solo affair, though Guitar Hero TV, another feature of the title, is set to connect players around the world and in the same room, bringing in a multiplayer element.
Guitar Hero TV essentially acts as a music video network, in the form of “a 24-hour mode that lets fans play along to a continually-updated collection of official music videos – across a wide variety of genres – from the newest releases to favorite hits.”
Live will only support a new guitar controller – the one we mentioned in the post earlier – with six black and white keys across two rows, which should be a more natural way of playing. The game will release for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, and even mobile and tablet devices later this year.
Original story:
A new Guitar Hero game – named Guitar Hero Live – will be revealed at 3PM today, and it looks like the title will be a first person affair, as opposed to the usual out-of-body experience we’ve seen in previous rhythm games. This information is in line with the teaser trailer, which is live action and plays out in first person:
The report comes from LeMonde.fr, who have since taken the article down, but Yahoo France‘s report remains up. The game will also feature a redesigned guitar controller which has six black and white notes in two rows of three, rather than linear, coloured notes.
We’re not quite sure how well first person will work in a game like this – particularly if multiplayer is at its core – and we hope that older peripherals will be able to work with it, too. Still, a VR version could be great, eh?
The game will be developed by DJ Hero developers FreeStyleGames, and is expected to release later this year, alongside rival Rock Band 4. We’ll update this post when details are confirmed at around 3PM today.
MrYd
I guess a new guitar controller makes them some more money. But 2 rows of 3 buttons? For people who can’t be arsed to move their hands up and down the neck?
But paying lots of money to makes things easier is the thing to do this week, apparently ;)
If Rock Band 4 can manage to work with the old controllers and let you import all your songs, I think we might have a very one-sided fight coming up. (Although that thing about no keyboards in RB4 is annoying too)
tactical20
2 rows makes it a tinier bit more like playing guitar I guess?
MrYd
If you only play a guitar on the first 3 frets, sure. Going from 5 to 3 buttons just means you don’t have to move your hand along the neck.
According to reports in other places (that Eurogamer link), moving your hand up and down the neck is “a skill many players failed to master”. Presumably in the same way Mortal Kombat players failed to master pressing 4 buttons in a row.
double-o-dave
Hmmm… Not too sure about this.
Well I can play a guitar in real life but kind of liked the cartoony, more unrealistic feeling to the original Guitar Hero as i felt like I was playing a game.
– This however gives me the impression that it would appeal to me more if I couldn’t play a guitar in real life so I got the feeling I really could when I was playing the game if that makes sense. It’s hard to explain ;)
Plus the fact, at about 42 secs into the video the bloke puts what looks like a Strat around my neck. Depending on what song I was playing, I would more than like hand it back to him and ask for a Les Paul. ;)
MrYd
A Strat/Les Paul argument could be almost as annoying and tedious as a Playstation/XBox argument ;)
I think you might be right about everything else though. They’re definitely trying to make it easier for people who can’t play a real guitar, while trying to pretend it’s more realistic. That original 5 button set up is quite good if you can play a real guitar. It’s not attempting to be realistic, it’s definitely a game, and it can get quite challenging, with having to move your hand up and down as well as pressing the right buttons. And while it doesn’t improve your actual guitar playing (like some other games might), it at least forces you to concentrate on a song, which might make you appreciate other people’s guitar playing (which is a good thing, really).
double-o-dave
It is a bit like that but like em both really :)
I’m actually getting back into my acoustic again now though. Think it’s an age thing.
freezebug2
*cough* RockSmith
My latest set up is Fender Telecaster/Vox Valvetronix amp…actually prefer the sound to my ex Les Paul/Line6 rig.
freezebug2
*compared to
Starman
Given how they flooded the market with guitar hero games I don’t think this should be last gen as well. Another game that will be spread too thinly for any version to be as good as it could’ve been.