Stop the Rock?

There's no question Konami got the ball rolling with rhythm based games. GuitarFreaks was very well received and the Dance Dance Revolution titles soaked up more quarters than anyone can imagine. We were all graced with the presence of Guitar Hero on our home consoles, which ultimately became the "it" game for social gatherings. Nintendo has its claws embedded deep into the casual games market, but there is something about playing music on fake instruments that everyone seems to love. With each new Guitar Hero sequel, the songs got better, the gameplay options increased, and the fun factor was pushed to eleven. Somewhere along the lines, the companies responsible for Guitar Hero had a falling out. As a result, Harmonix went off to form Rock Band, and RedOctane continued with the Guitar Hero franchise. Thus the rivalry began that may claim the consumers as victims.

With each leap in technology, older things become obsolete. We no longer play Guitar Hero with wired controllers. Wireless is now, and the games will support that no matter what. The issue here is the number of plastic instruments we have to buy in order to enjoy the game. When Rock Band was released, everyone was excited about being able to play drums. The drums is what really made Rock Band a formidable opponent. Guitar Hero has the best guitar gameplay, and the best feeling guitar controller. Therefore to get the different highs each game has to offer, you must purchase both. The drums were not sold separately from the beginning, but the real tragedy is the lack of cross compatibility with the guitars. If you own both games, you would have shelled out $100 for Guitar Hero 3 and $170 for Rock Band. On top of that comes the possibility of extra controllers and downloadable content. For a one time deal, one could probably overlook this, but it doesn't stop here.

Recently Guitar Hero World Tour was announced to the public. In order to keep up with Rock Band, Guitar Hero has implemented a mic, drums, and new state of the art guitars. As of right now, I'm not sure if the new guitars will be so different they won't be compatible with Guitar Hero 3. If not, then where will those poor plastic peripherals go? It's hard to believe anyone will go back to the previous iteration when the new one has so much more to offer. The drums are different from Rock Band's kit as well. World Tour features two cymbals that float overhead. It's also completely wireless. It goes without saying you can't use these drums with Rock Band or vice versa. What about DLC? Can we still play the songs we payed for on Guitar Hero 3 on World Tour?

Rock Band hasn't released information regarding a sequel yet. Chances are they are watching the competition closely in order 1up them. If their instruments are entirely different this time, it means more money for more plastic, with the old ones finding a new home in the closet. I fear the market could become oversaturated with fake instruments and high prices. It's rumored that Guitar Hero World Tour will cost $199 for the complete bundle. The Rock Band sequel can't be too much more than that. How much is enough? The fun factor of these games in unquestionably high, but someone needs to make sure the public won't have to spend close to $300 every year just to play these games. This is where third party peripheral makers can really shine. If not, the tour may come to an end.