Rhythm games – Does the beat go on?

Pretty much all of us would of, at some time, had a go on a rhythm action game, and incredible fun they can be for the most part (excluding Drum King and Rock Revolution!). Nothing beats the exhilarating feel of hitting a perfect note streak and rocking out as the crowd goes wild. Or having mates around and just sipping beers and blasting forth some tunes as your bands vocalist of choice screams forth murderous squeals like a badger with it’s ball sack in a blender.

The thing I ask, based on the impending Guitar Hero onslaught and looming Rock Band Beatles, is – “How much of a good thing is too much?”

I admit I came to the whole rhythm genre late’ish with Guitar Hero 3. Sure I had dabbled with Amplitude but this was my first purchase. After a short spell I was totally loving the whole thing. What a friggin awesome idea for a game! I had endless fun just ripping up the tunes and battling the bosses. A few months later I had played the whole thing to death, from my point of view. Dust started to gather and it was only blown off occasionally to have a quick jam session. With in 6 months of purchase the whole kit was on Ebay and packed off to its new home.

I felt I had taken my need for this genre to the limit and was content with my decision until recently. Rock Band and Guitar Hero World Tour did little to sway me on release but as the whole kit got cheaper I just had to give it a try again. Picking up Rockband, and quickly after GH: WT Solus, was a fantastic decision as the dynamics added by the band elements gave the whole thing much more “legs”. In the 2 months I have had the kit I have yet to touch the guitar other than to make sure the buttons worked on day of purchase – I just can not face it.

So I have been blast with Rock Band and GH:WT, but recently my play time has started to dwindle again. Dust is starting to gather on the drum kit and it has moved from the spare room out in to the garage. The thought started to creep in to my mind this morning… “Should I sell it?”. I quickly dismissed this as I am stoked for Rock Band : Beatles but why do I keep feeling this way about these games? Whilst pondering this the news came in of the new Guitar Hero titles. This got me to thinking – how many of these games do we honestly need?

I’ve spent time talking this over with friends and online buddies and many feel the same – “Man, I am really starting to be over the whole Rhythm thing!”. I have to say I agree. Activision (and Harmonix) are pouring millions of dollars and thousands of man-hours in to bringing us the next installment of these franchises but I am starting to wonder – will anyone care?

A large chunk of my apathy can be directed at Actiblizzard – they are milking the crap out of the whole GH franchise. In the last 12 months we have had 4 iterations with 3 more (at least) due by the end of the year – WTF? So my question to you dear reader is – are you going to pay for yet another iteration of a game your probably sick of already? Are ActiBlizz heading down the EA path with the GH franchise. You have to understand and respect their need to milk a lucrative franchise for every penny but as a consumer it’s getting old fast.

Sure, the games are as fun as they ever were, and with some mates around or online, then it can be a real blast. The problem is were do they go from here? You can sing, you can drum and you can play guitar. Sure add in a turntable for all the scratch junkies out there, but most of the dedicated ones will have their own MP3 based tables anyway. Another logical step is the keyboard/piano addition but how to implement that properly is a nightmare I would not like to take on. How could you emulate an 88 key instrument and leave it accessible to the masses with maybe 4 or 5 buttons instead… I have no idea!

The fundamental problem with the genre is that it straddles the novelty/hardcore divide. And pretty soon the hard core will move on to other things and as we know the novelty & casual markets are incredibly fickle. I get the feeling that this year my spell the death of this genre in it’s current incarnations. A reinvention is needed and I don’t think Neversoft (awesome devs as they are) are going to be up to the task. I think ever Harmonix will be struggling to put together a forward plan for this niche they have cut out.

If you would like to discuss this and other topic then please head on over to the BG forums and let us know your thoughts and feelings.

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