Tuesday, June 8, 2010
by Ben Silverman
June 4 5:30 P.M.
Music gaming might be on the ropes, but Activision is ready for another round. On Friday, the company officially pulled back the curtain on the upcoming Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.
Due this fall for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii, the latest game in the popular music franchise is chock full of new features, not the least of which is a brand new 'Quest Mode' narrated by KISS frontman (and reality show family man), Gene Simmons. The story-driven mode will see players "embark on a larger-than-life, epic rock journey" that will transform the game's eight iconic characters into "rock warriors that must join together to use their unique, game-changing powers to help the Demi-God of Rock take down "The Beast" and save rock n' roll."
Activision might mean that literally. The music game genre, once considered the brightest star in the video game universe, has fallen on hard times. While it enjoyed plenty of publicity and glowing reviews, last year's The Beatles: Rock Band failed to meet sales expectations. A flood of Guitar Hero games and spinoffs didn't help right the ship, instead diluting overall sales as consumers were bludgeoned by too many options.
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is looking to kickstart the genre by offering over 90 master tracks on disc -- the largest ever in a music game -- as well as a brand new guitar controller.
Revealed on Gizmodo, the new axe will get a major facelift. While it will be fully compatible with older Guitar Hero games, the instrument's core technology has been moved to the guitar's neck and fretboard, opening up a new customizable body design. Using removable wings, players will be able to swap in different guitar shapes -- a Les Paul shape, say, or a heavy-metal flying V -- without affecting the gameplay.
Warriors of Rock isn't the only new Guitar Hero game making headlines: during Monday's Apple conference, the company announced that Guitar Hero has finally hit the App Store.
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