Neversoft and Activisionare going big for the release of Guitar Hero 4. The game makers are following a natural progression as well as their competition, Rock Band, and adding drums and vocals to the next release of the franchise. I’m sure a lot of people will claim that Guitar Hero is copycatting Rock Band but realistically it is a natural move that Guitar Hero had to make to keep up with Rock Band because a lot of people that made the switch to the full band game preferred it, myself included.
What is most exciting about this announcement is that it looks like the drums that will be released for Guitar Hero will be far superior to the kit you play on Rock Band. The Guitar Hero kit, which is designed with actual MIDI compatible professional drum kits in mind, will feature 5 drum pads which is one more than the Rock Band kit and a kick pedal. The end product is going to offer the player a far more realistic experience as the two dedicated cymbal pads are elevated as they would be on a regular drum kit. Another thing Guitar Hero’s makers wanted was a much quieter kit, and I think anyone that has been around people playing Rock Band for an extended period of time can appreciate that as the clicking of the drums is annoying as hell. People that have had the opportunity to test the kit already have confirmed that the Guitar Hero drums are definitely quieter and that the pads provide a more natural bounce. Another key feature to the GH kit is that it is fully wireless, which is incredible as the chords on the Rock Band kit often found themselves in a mess.
Another major announcement that was made in regards to Guitar Hero 4 is that users will be able to create their own songs (minus vocals) and artwork and will be able to upload it to share with the world. That is definitely a very cool feature and it may ever turn in to the next great marketing tool for lesser known bands. All Guitar Hero needs to do now is release more downloadable songs and they will have Rock Band totally dominated.
So far Linkin Park, Van Halen, The Eagles and Sublime are confirmed to have songs on Guitar Hero 4 which is a pretty solid start. It’s been a while since the Guitar hero franchise did anything to really up their game, but the release of Rock Band has forced them to, which in the end is going to make the game makers lots of money and give the user a way better gaming experience. The only unfortunate thing about all this is that it seems dumb to call a game featuring every instrument Guitar Hero but that’s such a small detail and what difference does it make when you’re raking in a pile of cash?
