Guitar Hero 5 hits the streets September 1st, one week before the Fab Four
By Laura June 
posted May 29th 2009 4:49PM
posted May 29th 2009 4:49PM
Yeah, you heard it right: another volume of Guitar Hero -- the game you either love to hate or love to love -- is making its debut on September 1st. This one, Guitar Hero 5, promises a bunch of features that are party friendly, such as the ability to play through sets with no players actively playing, allowing anyone to join in at any time -- because we all know how many ragers are built around GH, right? It's probably no coincidence that the release date comes exactly one week before that other music game, The Beatles: Rock Band. So, which one are you buying?
Lets see, random assortment of songs, many of which I will not want to play, versus a collection of the some of the best group music ever made.... Yeah, I'm going to have to go with Beatles Hero, as it is by far the more appealing of the 2 games.
Well said. Song selection on the GH series has been garbage ever since GH3. GH2 is still the best game available (besides the Rock Band games of course).
Agreed. Beatles: Rock Band is an easy buy.
I couldn't be bothered with GHWT or GHM, there's no chance of me picking up GHSH... I have very little respect in the Guitar Hero franchise, and I didn't think I'd play another Guitar Hero game again.
However, I was looking at the wikipedia compilation and that announced setlist for GH5 is currently looking pretty weak, but it has some potential. I'd want to play only 2 of the listed confirmed songs, but about 15-20 of the reportedly included artists, if they get the right songs. If they pull out a good set, I might have to buy the game...
... or just wait a few months and have HMX release the same songs as downloads for RB2.
i choose Rock Band. + rock band game for psp is pretty decent (better than what i excpected)
unless GH5 gives you the option of buying a gretsch or a rickenbacker for $100 each (the only kind ill probably ever get around to buy)...ill stick with the fab four
Neither.
I'll keep playing my Guitar Hero: Metallica, thanks.
neither, I'm kind of bored to death of these games.
Easy, Guitar Hero 5
Amen!
I'll buy both, as usual. The amount of enjoyment I get out of these games is easily worth the purchase price.
But honestly, I prefer the Rock Band series of games to GH, although being able to form a band with 2 lead guitarists and a bassist will be kinda sweet.
We'll see what exactly the "game" portion of the Beatles Consists of. I'm not a big beatles fan, but I think the game would be a good baseline for understanding why some people are. I really like the idea of getting a better understanding of a band's music through the game, rather than just another collection of singles to play.
But most likely, I'll wait til beatles RB gets cheap, then give it a try, and wait til GH5 goes for $20.
looking forward to this, but also DJ Hero - finally a new spin on the same idea!
"One week before Fab Four" ... if there were "8 Days a Week" and there are.
To answer the question though ... I think I'm getting Beatles ... cause I don't own any Rock Band or World Tour drum set up yet (just two Guitar Hero guitar controllers) ... and the Beatles game equipment would be a cool look. The $250 price tag seems kinda outrageous, so maybe I'll wait for a bit more details.
Can't wait until the next gen systems arrive and we'll have to get all new equipment again.
Yeah!! That's gonna rock! ;)
I don't see what GH5 is going to bring to the table apart from 4 drums or 4 guitars which seems like a gimmick to me in all honesty.
I'll be grabbing Beatles day one, I just dont know if I want (read: can afford) those awesome guitars or not.
Neither! I'm not a big enough of the Beatles to waste the extra money, and I haven't been a fan of the latest Guitar Hero's, they feel like they miss the mark. Besides, I've spent so much on RB2 downloads already as well as equipment for it, why would I want to change over and not be able to play all the songs I already have?
exactly, because if you pick up a guitar hero game, all of your rock band songs suddenly become unplayable. Wait... What that? Just swap the disc? No, that couldn't possible work!
I think his point was "why spend all that money on DLC only to go buy a game that doesn't support it?" Wouldn't a game be way more valuable if it could support all the DLC you've amassed over the past year and a half? Personally, I've got quite a collection myself now, and buying the Guitar Hero games would be tough for me since all that DLC that I've collected and got used to having doesn't work for it. It's like starting from scratch again after spending all that money. So it doesn't seem quite as valuable to me.
I mean, which game would I rather play, a game that supports my crapload of DLC or one that doesn't?
I'm kinda getting tired of these games too. Forced to decide, I'd say Beatles Rock Band, but I don't think anybody can fairly answer the question (unless you are a HUGE Beatles fan) until you see the Rock Band 5 set list. This is how I usually decide... 10 or more songs that I want to rock out to --> then it's a buy. I don't think at this point most of us care about these add on features.... (or maybe I'm just speaking for myself.)
But let me be clear - NEITHER one will I buy with another plastic guitar! :-) Just the disc.
Both :)
Beatles, hands down.
Let's see, one says 'Guitar hero 5", the other one says "The Beatles: Rock Band". hmmm...... no contest, bring on the Fab Four.
Getting both because I'm a fan of the genre.
I had no idea these were two different companies. I figured Rock Band was an extension of Guitar Hero. Don't guitars from one work with the other?
Touchy subject there.
Once upon a time there was a company called Harmonix who were roped in by a company called RedOctane to produce the first Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero was a raging success, RedOctane is bought out by Activision and Harmonix is bought up by MTV Games. A few years later, RedOctane and Neversoft - now paid up by Activision - released GH2. Then, a couple of years after that, Harmonix return with Rock Band.
So, yes, some of the original creators of Guitar Hero went on to create Rock Band, but the two are now separate franchises.
All it is, is a controller. So long as it's for the same platform (X-box, PS2, PS3, or PC) it will work. Game regardless.
Actually, Harmonix did GH2, as well, and the expansion. Activision had bought out RedOctane at this point, though. There was kind of a Harmonix Era and an Activision Era to the series.
It goes like this:
Guitar Hero - Harmonix & RedOctane
Guitar Hero 2 - Harmonix & RedOctane/Activision
Guitar Hero Encore Rocks the 80's (Separate Expansion) - Harmonix & RedOctane/Activision
Rock Band - Harmonix & EA/MTV Games
Guitar Hero 3 Legends of Rock - Neversoft & Activision
Rock Band 2 - Harmonix & EA/MTV Games
Here's where the wheels kind of come off the wagon for the Guitar Hero series...
Guitar Hero World Tour, Guitar Hero Aerosmith, Guitar Hero Metallica, Guitar Hero Van Halen, Guitar Hero Smash Hits, Band Hero
Then there's the mobile versions of Guitar Hero...
Guitar Hero 3 Mobile, Guitar Hero 3 Backstage Pass, Guitar Hero On Tour, Guitar Hero On Tour Decades, Guitar Hero On Tour Modern Hits, Guitar Hero World Tour Mobile
So, it's safe to say that Activision has definitely been milking their cash cow. Can't blame them, it makes them a ton of money, but it's safe to say the Guitar Hero name isn't quite what it used to be.
I'm giving GH5 a chance simply because they improved the interface.
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2009/145/reviews/960092_05262009_screen002.jpg
I enjoy The Beatles, but the reason i enjoyed Metallica was because it also featured some other bands that Metallica likes. Keeping some form of variety. The Beatles have an expansive career with plenty of variety, but 100% Beatles might get a little bit stale. Also, while I do love The Beatles, I am also a good expert player. This won't be a challenge at all.
I'll buy both eventually, but probably GH5 first, since I already enjoy the tracklist that is coming out for it.
I know nothing's been officially announced about the setlist, but I think there's a chance that Rock Band might include other songs by different artists from the Beatles' era like GH:Aerosmith did.
If they do that then it shouldn't get stale as quickly. But I'm sold if it includes "Carnival of Light" :D
Guitar Hero 5 will be my first Guitar Hero game. I love the Beatles, but a bunch of songs by the same band will grow old, even if it was my favorite band.
No way, man, make Guitar Hero 1 be your first Guitar Hero game!
Classic :)
Then move up to Rock Band, I think you'll be happier with it than the later GH games. 700+ song DLC catalog can't be wrong.
beatles for me. Just because Lennon-McCartney were the greatest song writing duo of all time
Thanks to DLC I don't think I really need any more of these games, Rock Band will do me fine for many years to come, Beatles Rock Band will surely be worth the purchase, for a start I know all the songs are going to be good whereas GH5 will continue the path of getting more poppy and less fun.
Let's hope those songs can be imported into RB. I'll be pretty upset if they won't be.
But I think they will be. Harmonix likes to talk about how Rock Band is a platform, so it'd be weird for them to have separate games in the series not on the same platform.
i still have GH3, i want the new GH games, theyre coming out kinda fast
Guitar Hero 10: Coming Fall 2011
You meant to say "Spring 2011", right?
I loved Guitar Hero.
Guitar Hero 2 was pretty good too. Pretty darn similar, but I still wanted more Guitar Hero, so that was ok.
Guitar Hero 3 was solid, but kinda stale at this point since Rock Band 1 had just came out and that was just completely awesome.
Guitar Hero World Tour was not very good, in my opinion; I sold it a few months after getting it. It seemed like it was imitating a lot of Rock Band 1 features, and not many of the new/differentiating features really worked well for me. Some were cool, like the no-fret-button notes and the timed resume after pausing (why doesn't every rhythm game have that?), but a lot of the rest seemed gimmicky and didn't really hold me.
So far, I see nothing different about Guitar Hero 5 except the crapload of drums you can now play simultaneously... seems like a pretty minor feature. With all the spin-offs going on I just can't shake the feeling that Activision is just trying to milk the poor GH franchise to death, so I don't really have any reason to think GH5 is really going to be that much better than GHWT. Activision, in my opinion, has some work to do to convince me they're actually trying to make a good, solid game and not just make some half-assed attempt to cash in on the brand name of one of the most ground-breaking games in recent video game history. If GH5 turns out to get great ratings, I'll take another look at it.
I've spent a lot of money on my Rock Band song collection and I'm glad they kept that compatibility in there for RB2, and it had some nice new features, but yeah, it was largely the same. That's ok for now, GH2 was pretty similar to GH1 and I liked both, but GH3 had gotten stale by then, so let's hope the next Rock Band game is really a change from what we've got now and not just the same thing with a few new features tacked on. I'm encouraged by the announcement awhile back that Harmonix said they were not looking for the yearly development cycle; that makes me feel like they're going to take their time and do it right. I'm excited to see what they come out with, I hope they don't disappoint.
And they better let me keep my DLC library, too!
I've had enough of all of them to be honest.
GH1&2 on PS3. Then GH4 on 360, then rock band (with all the instruments)..
Wouldn't say I'm 'bored' of it all - but not playing the games as much as I was. Probably going to stick with Rock Band, as it nicely lets you integrate all your music, I've bought way more stuff than I ever did on GH - oh and I F*'in hated all that duelling crap GH felt they needed to add. I just want to play the music (although to be fair the 'tour the world RB' thing pisses me off nearly as much).
Pick up and play...
Who can't sit through a 3minute song?
Dumb feature.
it's kind of cool, if you use it as a jukebox, and people can pick it up and play if they want to, and drop it again when they get bored and want to talk to ppl
I'm not getting either of those games. Rather, I'm going to spend the same amount of money and buy the new Beatles CD boxed-set when it releases the same month.
OK now am I the only one that thinks this is the franchise that rips of people the most? Rock band as well. This is rediculous that they sell this crap at exsaperated prices for what in fact should be sold as an add on from psn or xbox live for 10 -20bucks.
I mean come people has are civilization become so retarted that paying full price from 60 - 180 for updated crap that should be add on packs. Since day one I thought these type of games were just gonna churn out crap after piss. These franchises are a joke and really need to be sold as add ons not full fledged games.
Sorry to all of you fake pretend musicians but if I hurt your feelings or you get mad at this comment I just don't give a rats ass becuase you are dumb enough to pay full game price for what???Extra songs and features that can be added as an update or add on?? Think about it. Are these game really worth what they are asking you to pay??? I predict in not more than 4 months another rock band and guitar hero will come out and the mass of morons will flock to the stores to pay more for the same tired out garbage.
All of these simon esque music title just need to fade away already and die.
Both, of course, any music/rhythm game fan has to have these in their collection. Can't wait for both of these, DJ Hero, Scratch DJ and any other new ones!
I just have to comment on 2 big frustrations with GHWT: 1) the ridiculous number of "clicks" it takes to play GHWT vs RB2, and 2) the incredibly obnoxious Tool-inspired venues.
First, the number of clicks. In RB2, I press Start to play, then pick Quick Play, Local Band, pick my character, and I'm in. In GHWT, I press Start, then it tells me, for the millionth time, how to play my freakin' instrument. I acknowledge that message, then, despite the fact that I only have one data source where it could be, it asks my what data source I'd like to use. Then I can finally start go into Quick Play and so on. It may seem small, but that frustration alone has lead me to buy all of my new songs on RB2.
Second, the venues. My not-quite 3 yr-old son loves to watch us play, and when I choose Quick Play in GHWT I can't pick the venue, and about 20% of the time it picks the extremely-creepy Tool-inspired venue which shows those weird worm-heads that stare at you. It doesn't even show your avatars! Totally, totally lame, and scary to my boy.
Oh, and I'll throw in one more lame thing about GHWT while I'm at it: it only lets you sort songs by Song or Artist. RB2 has about 5 sorting options, although I think both of them need a way to add songs to a favorites list and filter your faves.
I'm definitely getting The Beatles. No doubt about it.
III wasn't nearly as fun as 2, but I figured that was transitional, and the fact that I was moving from PS2 to 360 with that one. Then, WT came out, and I gave up on GH, because it got worse. $60 for a game that looked and acted like an alpha build, had a mediocre setlist, and had one of the most annoying single-player setups I've ever played. I stopped playing it about two weeks after I got it. I'm still playing RB/2.
Plus, it's the Beatles. They haven't let me down yet.
These were the BIG companies that created the GAME nothing else:
GH1:Harmonix
GH2:Harmonix
GH:Rocks the 80's:Harmonix
GH3:Legends of rock:Activision
GH:Areosmith:Activision
RB1:Harmonix
RB2:Harmonix
GH:World tour:Neversoft
GH:Metallica:Neversoft
GH5:Neversoft
RB:The Beatles:Harmonix
Harmonix:6 games
Activision:2 games
Neversoft:3 games
Activision+Neversoft=5
By the way neversoft is part of activision, it's just that they started actuly BUILDING the game after areosmith. :)