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Activision pulling all DLC for Guitar Hero, DJ Hero and Band Hero games
The downloadable music for Activision's rhythm games in the Guitar Hero, DJ Hero and Band Hero series will no longer be available after the end of this month on March 31. The production of DLC for the brands ended in February 2011. The announcement comes from an update on the publisher's Facebook page, which clarifies that the Guitar Hero servers will remain online and that previously-purchased content will be unaffected. As an encore, selected songs and track packs will be discounted by as much as 50 percent on Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii until the end of the month. Additionally, the Guitar Hero game on iOS will be discounted through the end of the month on the App Store. [Image: Activision]
Peripheral price-drop madness: Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, and Tony Hawk bundles for 10 bucks
Toys R Us has decided that all peripherals must go, and in order to clear the shelves as quickly as possible, a ridiculous number of DJ Hero, Tony Hawk, and Guitar Hero bundles for all systems have been marked down to $9.99. If you've just got too darn much free space in your living room, make the jump for the full list of store-only mega-deals. We recommend getting a swift move on, however; even with these franchises functionally dead, we don't expect this stuff to hang around for long. [Thanks, Teeftwo!]
Activision head Bobby Kotick positive but unsure on Vita; sees Wii U as 'really necessary' for Nintendo
When Bobby Kotick's not busy making appearances in major motion pictures alongside Brad Pitt, he heads up Call of Duty publisher Activision. And as head of one of the largest (if not the largest) third-party game publisher, what he says about the future of various consoles can have some major implications. It seems that, like Activision has done in the past with new platforms, Kotick's stance on both Nintendo's Wii U and Sony's PlayStation Vita is "very interested" with a heavy side of apprehension. In an interview with The Guardian, Kotick spoke to his feelings on the PS Vita. "Technically, we're super excited about what we can do on it, it's really something incredible. The question is, where is the market?" While he's excited by the capability of the PS Vita, and his company has already pledged support, Kotick acknowledged the burgeoning smart phone market for games as well. "It's a really nice product and its very well differentiated from what you can get in even the most capable smartphone or tablet today," he professed. As for Nintendo's Wii successor, the Wii U, Kotick said that Activision has had dev kits "for awhile now" and that, while Nintendo has yet to fully clarify its online system even to him, the console apparently makes "rich multiplayer games" a possibility -- a first for Nintendo, if true. As far as timing goes, Kotick stated that Nintendo's hardware reveal was a necessity. "For the kinds of games we create, it was becoming very difficult for us to support the Wii with the expectations that our gamers have ... from a development perspective, having a Nintendo device that is on parity with the other hardware from a graphics perspective was really necessary." As you might expect, Activision is apparently "very enthusiastic about it," though he wouldn't detail any specific titles in development at the publisher. When pressed on new intellectual properties, Kotick deferred to Bungie's unannounced project, as well as "the new MMO from Blizzard" (the rarely spoken of "Titan" project). And as expected, he spoke ambiguously regarding this year's Guitar Hero franchise gutting. "Until we can deliver a really high level of innovation and tap into the high level of creativity and inspiration of the people we have making games, we won't put the products out," he admitted. "That goes for everything -- we've always subscribed to that philosophy." We're not sure that the last few Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk titles would back up Mr. Kotick's claim, but then we're not the corporate figurehead of an enormous public company.
Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg on True Crime, Bizarre Creations, the 'Hero' franchise, and transparency
When Eric Hirshberg stepped into the role of CEO of Activision Publishing last July, the company had just begun an ugly, public battle with the founders of Infinity Ward, having fired the creators of the company's Call of Duty cash cow just four months prior. Frequently villainized in the press, the appointment of Hirshberg seemed to indicate that Activision was eager to turn its brand identity around. Hirshberg cut his teeth as CEO and chief creative officer of marketing firm Deutsch LA making ad campaigns for brands like PlayStation -- you may not recognize that name, but if you've seen a Kevin Butler commercial, you know his work. And as Activision Publishing narrows its focus and energies into a few key brands, notably the aforementioned Call of Duty, tasking a marketing man with running a game publisher starts to make a lot of sense. Last month I had the opportunity to speak with Hirshberg in his office at Activision headquarters in Santa Monica. It was less than a week after a massive leak upended the company's carefully prepared marketing plan for the latest in the blockbuster Modern Warfare series and, for Hirshberg, it was a chance to connect with that audience. "We woke up with a marketing crisis," Hirshberg told me, "and wanted to go to bed with a marketing win." Throughout our conversation, Hirshberg mentioned the need to be transparent with consumers, so I challenged him to explain some of the company's more controversial decisions since he's been CEO: the cancellation of True Crime; the closure of Bizarre Studios; and the very public retreat from the Guitar Hero and DJ Hero games.
Activision claims Guitar Hero only 'on hiatus,' gets new DLC
A dramatic reinterpretation: Activision CEO Bobby Kotick: But we killed the Guitar Hero franchise. Miracle Max: Ooh-hoo-hoo, look who knows so much. Guitar Hero is only mostly dead, which means it's slightly alive. See, mostly dead I can work with. Even your own veep Dan Winters just said the franchise was only "on hiatus -- we're not ending it." Kotick: But we disbanded the Guitar Hero business unit! Miracle Max: Didn't you hear me? Slightly alive. Now, all dead? Well, if Guitar Hero was all dead there's usually only one thing that you can do ... Kotick: What's that? Miracle Max: Go through its catalog of unreleased DLC and gather up the loose change.
Nine more DLC tracks make it to Guitar Hero
The good news is that Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock DLC continues, thanks to enthusiasm from fans. The bad news is that the DLC schedule's life has been extended just long enough to enable the release of Trapt's "Headstrong." Perhaps the series is better off dead ... Okay, that's not fair to the eight songs in today's "Mega Pack" that aren't "Headstrong" -- or to the fact that for DLC that we didn't think would exist a couple of weeks ago, a nine-song pack is pretty generous. Check out the full lineup after the break.
The Warp Zone laments 'The Day Guitar Hero Died'
Yesterday, we viewed a sad and poignant farewell to one of Activision's downsized branches, Bizarre Creations. Today, an equally poignant -- if not slightly tongue-in-cheek -- video comes to us from The Warp Zone: "The Day Guitar Hero Died." Yes, like the song. You know. The song.
Guitar Hero and DJ Hero DLC supply over after February
There's been some considerable debate on these here internets about the status of the Guitar Hero franchise. Thanks to "continued declines in the music genre," Activision yesterday announced that it plans to not only "discontinue development on its Guitar Hero game for 2011" (read: cancel it) but also to "disband Activision Publishing's Guitar Hero business unit." But what about the DJ Hero franchise, and the promising DJ Hero 3D, you ask? "We will release no new music or skateboarding games," CFO Thomas Tippl said of this calendar year. It certainly appears the franchise is dead, but some insist it's simply taking a year off. They'll keep making DLC, right? Right? "We will release the previously announced DLC track and mix packs for February, but - unfortunately," a FAQ answer on the official DJ Hero website states, "we will not be able to release new DLC packs beyond what we already have." The question specifically asked, "Are you still going to make new DLC for Guitar/DJ Hero?" Of course, existing DLC will remain available (for now) and existing games will remain available at retail (for now). Perhaps most telling is that one FAQ question and answer was duplicated twice, at the beginning and end, bookending the official response with a rather ominous message. "Does this mean you're no longer making Guitar (and/or DJ) Hero games?," it asks ... twice. "Over the past two years, we have seen rapid declines in the music genre, and unfortunately, based on current demand, we simply cannot continue to profitably make these games given the considerable licensing and manufacturing costs." As a means of punctuation, that sounds awfully definitive.
Activision: 'No new music or skateboarding games' this year
The grim fates of True Crime and whatever installment of the Guitar Hero series that was in development are known -- but what about Activision's other perennial franchises? A few (equally grim) details surfaced during Activision's investor's call today, during which COO Thomas Tippl explained, "We will release no new music or skateboarding games" during the current calendar year. Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg added some more insight into the company's shift away from the music genre, explaining that even though DJ Hero 2 and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock were well-received, "demand for peripheral-based music games declined at a dramatic pace." He continued, "Given the considerable licensing and manufacturing costs associated with this genre, we simply cannot make these games profitably based on current economics and demand." However, Activision will continue to support its existing music games with DLC. We're still left with a lot of questions, though (and we're working on the answers). For instance, what does this mean for the 3DS-bound DJ Hero 3D? What about the Tony Hawk series at large? Activision's frequently spoken about its staying power -- and if no Hawk title drops in 2011, it would be the first calendar year in the franchise's history without a new entry since 1999.
Ten new, totally gnarly tracks released for GH: Warriors of Rock
Activision and Beenox have really outdone themselves with the 10-song February Mega Pack DLC for Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, available today on 360, PS3 and Wii. Acknowledging that this is the year's most tender, loving month, the two have eschewed the game's core musical genres, adding selections from gentle songsmiths like Nick Drake, Iron and Wine, Damien Rice, and -- oh? No, they're not doing that? The ten songs are from rock outfits Marilyn Manson, Children of Bodom and Black Label Society? Well then. Check out the full list after the jump to see what decidedly un-tender tracks you can grab for 1440 Microsoft Points ($17.99 or 1800 Wii Points) in the February Mega Pack.
Nine Inch Nails headlines new Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock tracks
Reznorites rejoice, as a hefty dose of Nine Inch Nails has been delivered to Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. The January Mega Pack features three songs by NIN, including "Head Like a Hole," "Closer" and "The Hand That Feeds." The pack also includes three tracks by A Day to Remember and four additional singles by HIM, The Used, Hawthorne Heights and The Damned Things. The ten-song pack can be had on Wii for 1800 points, Xbox 360 for 1440 MS Points or PS3 for $17.99. Tracks can also be purchased individually for 200 Wii points, 160 MS Points or $1.99, respectively. The tracks are available now on Xbox 360 and Wii and should hit the PSN once it updates later today.
DJ Hero 2 and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock drop prices like it's hot
Activision has dropped the retail price for Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock and DJ Hero 2 standalone software and bundles. Warriors of Rock is now $49.99 (-$10), $79.99 (-$20) and $159.99 (-$20) for the game, guitar bundle and band bundle, respectively. DJ Hero 2 has been reduced to $49.99 (-$10) for the game and $59.99 (-$20) for the single turntable bundle. If you've waited this long to pick up those games, you can probably hold out until the deep discounts start popping up in the coming months like they did last year.
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock gets KISS-mas Track Pack
KISS-mas? That's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? Regardless, a trio of KISS tunes for Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, including "Rock and Roll All Nite," "Detroit Rock City" and "Calling Dr. Love," will be available today on Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii for $5.50 (440 MS Points). The songs will also be available individually for $2 apiece. If you're still feeling a little PECK-ish for music DLC (okay, that was a stretch), Linkin Park adds remixes of "The Catalyst (Does It Offend You, Yeah? Remix)," "When They Come For Me" and "Pts.OF.Athrty" to DJ Hero 2. The pack will cost 640 Microsoft Points on Xbox 360, $7.99 on PS3 and be sold individually at 300 Wii Points each on Nintendo's console.
DJ Hero 2 and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock free DLC available now until Nov. 30
Looking to expand your DJ Hero 2 and/or Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock catalogues at a significant discount? Activision's offering of free DLC for each game seeks to solve your problem, adding a DJ Tiesto-mixed three-track pack to DJ Hero 2 and a My Chemical Romance pack to Warriors of Rock, each of which is free in the US "via redemption code while supplies last." The catch: each pack is free for this week only before becoming paid content on November 30 (also, the content for Warriors of Rock is only available to Xbox 360 owners). Details for both packs can be found after the break, including pricing for when they're no longer free next week. But hey, you're on top of things, so you're totally gonna get them while they're free. Head over to Activision and Coca-Cola's code generating website "while supplies last."
Music game sales continue plunge down the charts
If this sounds like a familiar tune, it is: Music game sales have plummeted for a second-straight year. But this year, the tune is way more off key. According to analysis by Gamasutra, which looked at the period from January through October in each of the past three years, music game revenues in the U.S. have taken a phenomenal nose dive from an epic height of $1.6 billion in 2008 to where they've landed today: under $250 million for the year. "Short of a Christmas miracle," concludes analyst Matt Matthews, "music games won't break $400 million for all of 2010." Ohhh ... so that's why Viacom's hawking Harmonix.
Linkin Park DLC, album bonus announced for Guitar Hero and DJ Hero
You're seething with angst that can only be expressed through rap-rock. Activision completely understands. That's why the company is releasing a six-pack of songs from Linkin Park's new "A Thousand Suns" album (cover image above) on October 19 as Guitar Hero DLC. In addition, a set of three remixed Linkin Park songs will be available this winter in DJ Hero 2. If you'd like to hear the rest of that album, you can get a free copy with orders of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock or DJ Hero 2 from Amazon, between "12:01am PST on October 17 and 11:59pm PST on October 23." This is the second free album to be bundled with Warriors of Rock! In the future, our entire music library will consist of freebies from Activision.
Guitar Hero celebrates Rocktober with free track pack and Rocky Horror
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock may be composed of "ancient gameplay mechanics shrouded in a campy heavy metal veneer," but for those who picked it up on Xbox, it's about to be that, with three free songs. Which is objectively better. A three-track pack is available today for Gold members, featuring Disturbed's "The Infection," Muse's "Resistance," and My Chemical Romance's "Na Na Na." It's free now, and will be available for purchase by Silver Live users on October 19. On October 26, Activision will release a seasonally appropriate DLC pack: three songs from the Rocky Horror Picture Show! Soundgarden doesn't really have anything to do with Halloween, but selected individual tracks from the "Telephantasm" album will also be available for purchase that day -- though Activision didn't mention which tracks. See the list of known DLC after the break. [Image: Rockyhorror.com]
FIFA 11 has third largest debut on UK charts, rushes top spot
Like a bowl of comforting chicken soup, FIFA 11 premiered at the top of the UK all formats chart. According to Chart-Track, the game had the third-largest debut in UK chart history, unseating previous bronze holder FIFA 10's first week by 21 percent in unit sales and 36 percent in revenue. Chart-Track also states that the top two premieres belong to CoD: Modern Warfare 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV. We followed up with Chart-Track because this information doesn't exactly jive with details it provided a couple weeks back. At the time, FIFA 10 wasn't even mentioned in the top three and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was in the third spot. Turns out there are two charts the company is tracking, one that's "individual formats" and the other is "combined formats." We've placed both after the break for clarification. Surprise winner last week, F1 2010, lost its pole position and slipped into second. Dead Rising 2 maintained its third place with the help of a chainsaw paddle, while Halo: Reach began its slow fall down the charts, slipping two spots to fourth. Moving up a spot and rounding out the top five is Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, showing the rhythm genre has life in the UK beyond Just Dance (#12). Check out the UK's top ten after the break.
Activision taking 'immediate action' on Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock unreadable disc error
Activision has acknowledged that "some consumers" who purchased Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock are experiencing a disc read issue and the company is taking "immediate action" to rectify the situation. Folks who are having a problem should call Activision's customer service center at 800-225-6588. The publisher states that it will "offer existing customers free replacement discs in exchange for any purchased defective disc." Joystiq learned of the issue earlier this week and contacted Activision after several reports and one retail tipster told us that his store had received "40 returns" in one day. [Thanks, Phil] %Gallery-98494%
Frostmourne makes an appearance in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
"Hold, lad. There's an inscription on the fret bar ..." The newest Guitar Hero game isn't doing so hot critically, but maybe we can blame that cool reception on the fact that there's a rather familiar icy zweihander hanging out as an unlockable "guitar" in the game's instrument store. This marks the second time we've seen Frostmourne in an Activision game (the first being its appearance in the Wolverine game). It's also not the first time we've seen WoW references in the GH series: the Elite Tauren Chieftain song "I Am Murloc" is available as downloadable content for Guitar Hero 3. Clearly, Activision is big on brand recognition. As long as it doesn't go the other way around, I'm fine with little cross-promotions like this -- though, to be honest, if we're going with the "axe" theme for guitars, I think I know a weapon that might've fit the bill just a little better. Thanks for the tip, Valek!
