RedOctane Speaks Out on Guitar Hero's Future

[D_Litch]

via Gamedaily

GameDaily BIZ: We'll start with the obvious. Why is Neversoft developing the next Guitar Hero instead of Harmonix? Did Harmonix want to do something else or was this a RedOctane/Activision decision to keep things in-house?

Dusty Welch: Internalizing development allows for more control of the creative elements of the game and, in this instance, provides for a much more robust and feature laden franchise. We believe that having the talented group at Neversoft, with their unprecedented string of market success with the billion dollar Tony Hawk franchise, develop the next Guitar Hero game will allow us to vastly enrich the consumer experience. We are excited to further the music and rhythm-based videogame genre, and Neversoft has the full experience, knowledge, and talent to do this.

"Neversoft's talents and extensive experience working within the skateboarding and music culture are already adding tremendous value to Guitar Hero's core tenet of fulfilling the fantasy of becoming a rock star."

BIZ: Some believe that because Harmonix was acquired by MTV, that had something to do with this Guitar Hero move. Any truth to that?

DW: We have tremendous respect for, and greatly appreciate, everything that Harmonix has done for the Guitar Hero franchise. Their vision has always aligned with ours from the start. In looking toward the future, we believe it was a natural and neutral decision for us to look at other opportunities. We look forward to partnering with Neversoft's development team, and can't wait to show our fans what we have in store for them.

BIZ: What guidelines will you give Neversoft for developing the next Guitar Hero?

DW: Neversoft has a long-standing and trusted reputation for developing great games that appeal to our core target demographic, and we're definitely excited they're on board! We have an incredible fan base and the popularity of the franchise continues to grow exponentially. Neversoft's talents and extensive experience working within the skateboarding and music culture are already adding tremendous value to Guitar Hero's core tenet of fulfilling the fantasy of becoming a rock star.

BIZ: Upon hearing the news, some fans became concerned that putting the franchise in the hands of Neversoft would affect its quality. What can you tell them to allay their fears?

DW: We believe that Neversoft will take Guitar Hero to a new level and are dedicated to creating the most exciting gaming experience possible. We all religiously read the message boards and forums, and everything that we implement into the game comes directly from our fans suggestions.

BIZ: Anything you can say about the rumored '80s edition yet?

DW: We are fully dedicated to, and currently focused on the production of Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360. There have not been any announcements, or further information, on any future titles beyond this.

BIZ: As part of the recruitment process, are you looking to hire/keep on board some of the same musicians that helped with the first Guitar Hero games?

DW: WaveGroup Sound conducts all of the hiring and recruiting process for tracking the songs, and they have done an amazing job thus far! We do not see any reason why we shouldn't continue working with them, as they've helped to significantly sculpt and influence the Guitar Hero brand.

BIZ: Will the next Guitar Hero be brought to all platforms and is there a rough release date planned yet?

DW: We have not announced any plans to bring the franchise to any other next-gen platform beyond the Xbox 360.

BIZ: Some would say that Guitar Hero follows a pretty simple formula, such that it would be quite difficult for Neversoft to screw things up. How would you rate the scale of development difficulty on Guitar Hero games?

DW: Guitar Hero is about feeling like a rock star, and getting the experience of playing to an audience that you can't get anywhere else outside of actually playing the real instrument. The biggest parts of that experience are the songs and playability and the unique and seamless marriage between the hardware and software. Until rock n' roll is dead, there will always be further opportunity for Guitar Hero to take it up another notch, and we look forward to Neversoft helping us get to the next level.

BIZ: Thanks, Dusty. We're eager to see how the franchise progresses with Neversoft.

Note: We also asked about what effect Harmonix patents might have on development, and what (if any) crossover there might be between the Tony Hawk team and the new Guitar Hero team, but Dusty unfortunately could not respond to those questions.

[Serren]

Cant wait for the 360 version!

[D_Litch]

Neither can I.

[Jon Liu]

I will have to give Guitar Hero 2 a spin when it comes to 360!

[AZRaiderH8r]

I can't wait to rock this on the 360. Of course, now that my son is learning to play a real guitar, I don't know if I want him taking this for a spin.

And 80s edition? Are you kidding me? That would be totally rad, gnarly, wicked awesome, etc!

[Jon Liu]

Bleh, the 80's. I don't like very much of the music that came out of that decade.

[Peench]

Originally Posted by Jon Liu

Bleh, the 80's. I don't like very much of the music that came out of that decade.

With very few exceptions I totally agree with you Jon.

[D_Litch]

Originally Posted by Jon Liu

Bleh, the 80's. I don't like very much of the music that came out of that decade.

What? You don't want 76 Van Halen songs in GH?

[Jon Liu]

No thanks. I can handle about 2 VH songs.

[D_Litch]

Originally Posted by Jon Liu

No thanks. I can handle about 2 VH songs.

Panama FTW!!!!!!

[Peench]

Panama? I'm thinking Hot For Teacher!!

[Jon Liu]

And that's the one I can stand to listen to!

I've got it baaaaaaaaaaaad, soooooooooooooooooooooo baaaaaaaaaaaaaad!

I'm hot for teacher!!!!!!!