Guitar Hero IV

[simon]

According to a NeoGAF poster armed with the latest issue of Game Informer magazine, Guitar Hero IV will, as expected, focus on more than just faux guitar playing, as the next proper iteration is said to add drums and vocals, just like Rock Band. Where GH IV is expected to go above and beyond the Rock Band experience is in its custom creation modes.

Guitar Hero IV will feature a "create a song" mode, allegedly, which appears to let gamers lay down guitar, bass and drum tracks-but no vocals-then upload their creations for others to enjoy. That song sharing mode is said to extend beyond the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, with Wii and PlayStation 2 versions getting their own song sharing.

Additional details from the NeoGAF post indicate that players will be able to create custom virtual musicians, virtual guitars and virtual drums. As for the licensed stock tracks, tunes from Van Halen, The Eagles, Linkin Park and Sublime are said to appear.

Also, there are two other things.

"It'll include all the instruments. Neversoft mentions that their goal is for the drums to be quieter than the ones in RB. There are also 6 parts to it as it'll have 2 cymbals."

"Also about GH4, there are no more licensed guitars thanks to the Gibson falling out, and that's the reason the're going to allow you to create your own guitar. Red Octane is creating a new guitar that'll have a function on it that'll "directly impact the way you play GH in the future.". GI said while they were playing they saw see through notes that Neversoft really wouldn't comment on other than saying they're trying to patent it."

[Pink-Ninja]

I hope thats true as it sounds awesome

[aquaticmole]

So it's really just rock band 2 when you really think about it.

The create your own song mode is a mode I have wanted evver since I played the first Guitar Hero.

[Deadly-Shadow]

At 5/13/08 09:12 AM, simon wrote: Guitar Hero IV will feature a "create a song" mode

I'm very skeptic about this, the sounds will either be way too hard to make, or they'll all sound very similar.

players will be able to create custom virtual musicians, virtual guitars and virtual drums.

This will be awsome, assuming that there will be a high amount of customization. If all of the creations look the same, then the feature will be useless.

"It'll include all the instruments.

I never doubted that they would release a full band pack, but what I want to know is how much will it cost?

[MasterBalls]

Yay!

This is why Guitar Hero III perhaps wasn't as satisfying to me, because it didn't fulfill any new criteria, it was just more of the same. These new features seem to secure Guitar Hero as a strong franchise, but I don't want this new make a song feature to be too complex or likewise too simple.

All those people who ripped apart their PS2's to mod Guitar Hero must be feeling pretty stupid right now. Or not, I don't know.

Personally if I was going to buy the extra instruments they'd have to do something about cost. I know its costs a lot to manufacture the instruments but if Guitar Hero IV really wants to kick Rock Band's ass in Europe they could make a significant leap by simply lowering the instrument bundle by £30.

I am personally suprised they haven't just released Guitar Hero III with better graphics + more songs. I guess with DLC and everything and three previous pretty much the same installments they can't do that anymore.

[InfernoX880]

If everything you said is true, then with the release of GH IV, we will have an awesome game to play. Sounds good. But it also feels like one of those things you can't wait to have but once you have it, it is a great disappointment.

[shadowchaotailsevil3]

so i should be able to put any song on the game and create song chart and all for it

I guess when it comes out I will no longer need Custom gh

[zimzap]

I think this entire music stuff is just going no where. Release your new songs and make your money. They are turning GTA into madden and milking people every year.

[Chiklay4]

Can't wait for the creating stuff. Hope its all true.

[simon]

At 5/13/08 04:08 PM, aquaticmole wrote: So it's really just rock band 2 when you really think about it.

Yeah if you want to look at it like that, the whole instrument pack is very similar to Rock Band.

I think the interface will be a lot smarter, I always liked the Guitar Hero interface over Rock Band's.

At 5/13/08 04:16 PM, Deadly-Shadow wrote: I never doubted that they would release a full band pack, but what I want to know is how much will it cost?

I'm guessing a lot of fucking money.

The drums are FAR superior to Rock Band's if this is true, so to all people wishing to learn drums, this is the way to go as it's the most real thing to a drumset.

[Doom-Fan]

Cool. I'll have to spend another 200$ for Rock Band 2: Made Slightly Different.

[Jayblin]

I wonder how the custom-song creation mode will even work. When I think about it, if you're allowed to upload your own songs and make a chart for it, that would almost definately defeat the point in downloadable songs. If they released a DLC pack from a certain band, about 2 people would actually buy the pack and everyone else will just look at the official chart, upload the song and copy it, destroying a major profit.

Therefore, the create-a-song mode will just contain already recorded instrument sounds. At least, that's what I think.

.....

... I dunno.

[malachi117]

I'd rather just play the game with my Rock Band instruments.

[uchiha666]

GH4 needs more Metallica, Metallica + GH = Big Money$$$

[Dobio]

Honestly, it sounds stupid.

I'd rather see them focus on making the Guitar as good as it can be, than start trying to be Rock Band 2.

And seriously, do they not realize that it's called fucking GUITAR Hero? If you want to make a Rock Band clone, change the name to Music Hero or some BS.

Also, it sucks that people shelled out a great deal of money for the Rock Band Instruments are going to get screwed when assumingly BOTH companies add more peripherials to their games....

[ForsakenFriedChicken]

Sounds epic, and expensive. I have to agree with previous posts the create-a-song option sounds complicated. It may end up pretty bad considering the limitations on the guitar-controller.

[Lost-Chances]

At 5/13/08 09:12 AM, simon wrote: As for the licensed stock tracks, tunes from Van Halen, The Eagles, Linkin Park and Sublime are said to appear.

I have absolutely no hope in this being good.

[JarrodK]

I don't want vocals, drums, etc I just want a damn guitar.

[DaveMan-CI]

What happened to it being 'guitar' hero... either stick to why everyone loves it or release it under a diffrent name, don't ruin a great series with attempting to keep up with rockband.

[Bahamut]

Wow. The most interesting part about GH4 is of course, the create a song feature. I'm just wondering how it'll work. I'm guessing there'd be different guitar sounds to choose from. I'm also guessing that this will be a way to play any songs you want to play on just like the previous GH custom songs. I'm hoping that will be so. Also, I'm not too sure about the use of vocals and drums here, but I hope they don't end up making the game really expensive like Rock Band is.

[xXCostelloXx]

Creat a song modes so gonna rape ass

[Jake]

Wow, this actually sounds pretty terrible. I liked the series just the way it was, and I was hoping the only differences in this one would be better graphics and more songs. It looks like they're trying way too hard now.

I'd like a GH4 please, not a Rock Band 2.

[Jercurpac]

I was never very enthusiastic about Guitar Hero inevitably getting more instruments (admit it, we all knew it was coming). I can't sing for shit and drum charts tend to be very repetative. Plus as Rock Band showed us, catering to four different instruments drags down the challenge of them all. Still, the potential to take all those components and make entire songs and charts as well as "jamming" to a song and then turning that into a playable chart is very enticing. Plus, my fears of a boring setlist might dissapear if "the most tracks ever in a rhythm game" means I won't have six tiers of shit with only eight or nine challenging songs then I'll be very pleased. They still might fuck it up, but it could potentially be a must-buy for me.

[BlueHippo]

Sounds to me like Neversoft is thankful that they bought the game, and is now trying to screw over Red Octane...

We'll just have to wait and see how it turns out.. although this news is kinda upsetting. I hope you can still just cruise through a guitar only career... I mean, it is guitar hero... hmmm... but I've yet to play rockband (sadly) so I don't know.

Lastly, if you're going to quote something, I think you should at least toss a link to the article somewhere ;P

[36Holla]

I can't get really excited for this. I'm not going to use a create a song mode, and would most likely just play others songs. What it really needs is something that lets you take songs that are downloaded on your console and create a music chart for those songs. That would be the best thing they could do for the game PERIOD.

The extra instruments also make me less enthusiastic. The game is called GUITAR HERO, note the word "Guitar" in the title. Adding drums and vocals is just giving them an excuse to make the thing way more expensive like RB was and frankly I'm not going to be buying another huge drum set. Yeah sure the game will be available without all the instruments, but I don't appreciate the direction they're taking with the series. Now I'm wondering how many years until Piano Hero or Saxophone Hero comes out.

[cyberpotato]

I wonder if it will have more dragonforce in it this time. Maybe fury of the storm , operationg ground and pound or revolution deathsqaud.

[DaveMan-CI]

At 5/15/08 11:57 AM, cyberpotato wrote: I wonder if it will have more dragonforce in it this time. Maybe fury of the storm , operationg ground and pound or revolution deathsqaud.

Nope, they are putting in stairway to heaven.

I LIED

[simon]

At 5/15/08 03:26 AM, BlueHippo wrote: Lastly, if you're going to quote something, I think you should at least toss a link to the article somewhere ;P

This wasn't even factual evidence, until now.

US, May 13, 2008 - Rock Band may be currently cornering the full-band music game genre, but Activision and Neversoft have come out swinging, revealing loads of new info on the next installment in the franchise, aimed at unseating EA and MTV games' reigning rockstar simulator.

According to a cover-story spread in this month's issue of Game Informer magazine, Guitar Hero IV will introduce massive changes to the traditionally guitar-focused series, starting with a drum set addition meant to knock Rock Band's kit offstage.

The kit looks similar to Rock Band's, with its bass drum pedal and primary-colored circular pads (there are only three in GHIV), but that's where the similarities end. Activision's set - which the company claims is built more sturdily than the competition's -- adds two raised, wedge-shaped cymbal pads (used to activate star power), and each pad on the kit is pressure-sensitive. Itching to freestyle on the Rock Band drums after playing Weezer's "Say it Ain't So" for the 75th time? The GHIV drum career mode will let you do your thing during encores.

Although Activision didn't reveal specific details, the publisher told GI the next Guitar Hero axe will feature a "totally new input mechanic" in addition to the standard buttons. The game will still support current GH controllers, however. All instruments in the game, including the drum set, will be wireless.

Guitar Hero IV will also feature an expanded character creation system similar to those found in the Tony Hawk and Tiger Woods games -- think facial sliders and customized outfits, accessories and even reaction animations. Instruments will be able to be personalized, too. Licensed guitars are out, drums will have different wood grains available, decals can be created and you'll even be able to slap your band's name on the bass drum head.

Activision and Neversoft also told GI they will release more downloadable songs for Guitar Hero IV than they have for Guitar Hero III and plan to introduce a new music-creation tool. The new Studio Mode will let users not only freely jam over songs in the game but also create and upload their own original tracks. Using a vertically-scrolling grid, you'll be able to record rhythm, lead, melody, bass and drums (sorry, no vocals) and create loops and effects.

There's still no release date for Guitar Hero IV, and despite the wealth of info Activision has now shared about he title, there's still a lot we don't know. As long as we get to play a keytar, we'll be happy.

[ Source ]

[Kunera]

Wow, and everyone used to complain that ROCK BAND was the one copying off of GUITAR HERO....

[aquaticmole]

The drums look much nicer this time around. I like the symbols.