“Rock Band” Franchise Exceeds $1 Billion In Sales Before Beatles Game Arrives (Rolling Stone)
Comments(2) Whatever the revenue gap between RB and GH is now, expect it fluctuate as both titles release big-name versions this year: Guitar Hero: Metallica hits shelves March 29th (James Hetfield talks that game here) and The Beatles: Rock Band, perhaps the most-anticipated game in either franchise’s history, will be released on September 9th, 2009. To counter, Guitar Hero reportedly has a Van Halen-dedicated version on the way.
[I’m not a big fan of Metallica and playing “Enter Sandman” on Rock Band 2 is as tough (if not tougher) as playing “Green Grass and High Tides” on Rock Band. I am more impressed with Rock Band’s catalog compared with Guitar Hero and its securing The Beatles’ music (which is an important digital first for the band and its catalog) makes me feel better about being a Rock Band player. BK]
category: Gaming, Popular Culture, Rhetoric and Poetics, Technology
I tried to like Guitar Hero…but I couldn’t. I just don’t get what’s so thrilling about pretending that pressing some brightly colored buttons is anything like making music. 🙂
Actually, interviews with professional musicians reveal that Guitar Hero and Rock Band require similar muscle movements compared with actual playing of instruments. I believe timing and rhythm are elements equating to fun in those games combined with loving its songs.