"Is the genre now owned, lock, stock and barrel by Harmonix, EA and MTV Games and their Rock Band series?"

No, because MTV Games sold Harmonix back in December and they're an independent studio again. Either way, the GH glut was inevitably going to bite the music game industry in the ass. Nice job, Activision!

RB is still awesome, though, even if I suck at the keyboard.

@tk.: Nex doesn't like it when you point out glaringly obvious factual mistakes in his posts. Won't you respect his feelings as an author and not do this in the future? kthnxbai!

Uhh, I'd like the 99 tacos for 2 cents, dude.

It was a dumb, overpriced gimmick game that caught on with casual gamers for a while.

The rhythm genre was around for years before Guitar Hero (Beatmania, hello? DDR?) and will continue to occupy a niche in the market.

I always liked the Guitar Hero peripherals better than the Rock Band ones, but the move toward real instruments is pretty interesting. RB could become a cheap way to learn an instrument well enough to jam on it, as well as a fun, cheap way to kill a few hours with your friends.

I have one word for anyone who thinks that music games are on the way out: Madden.

Point 1) As much as I'm happy Graham could find something to whine about even here, I'm going go ahead and say "yes tk., you're right. Good point. Wish I'd remembered that transaction before I forced my brain to choke down that awkward sentence."

Point 2) Possibly related news: Activision Blizzard has laid off 500 employees: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/32572/A…
It physically hurts me to pin any blame on the Blizzard part of the company, so let's just assume it's either all Activision's fault, or the blame can be entirely traced back to Tony Hawk himself.

I'm going to go out on a really thick, comfy limb and state: Most people who play these games do not know the difference between Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

Like, personally I think of Rock Band as, "Guitar Hero with more instruments." But that's not really correct, is it?

@Nex: If I were to whine it would be about your mediocre writing and lack of editorial voice. But why would I do that?

@ganatronic: No it's not, but for the most part -- at least as far as sales figures can demonstrate -- you are correct. Rock Band, despite being far better reviewed and generally beloved by critics and "hardcore gamers" has almost always trailed Guitar Hero in sales.

@Graham: The general assumption has been "latent, unrequited homosexual crush," but if you have a better explanation, we'll certainly add it to the office pool.

@Graham "Editorial voice"? He writes about video games. As for the mediocre writing, it's par for the course here at Bikes, Books, & Bieber-town

@Nex: If you want to make this personal, please consult your editorial supervisors in regards to how that should be handled.

Both of you, go to your rooms!

BWA?!? For real? The one time I opt to ignore the "don't bait the dumb trolls" directive and you start getting all teary-eyed and hiding behind MY employers when I call you out for being my own personal John Hinckley?

Y'know Graham, you were a whole lot more interesting when you ... no wait, that was that A Cat guy. Nevermind.

@ROM: It's sort of correct. Both have guitars, drums and vocals, but only RB has keyboards (and multiple vocal parts too, AFAIK). The Guitar Hero tracklists also tend to be a lot more hard rock/metal oriented with ridiculous guitar parts whereas Rock Band is much more genre-inclusive. Also, Guitar Hero's user interface sucks ass.

Wow! Graham blinked!

This proves that Graham is an actual person and not an IBM computer programed to troll internet weaklings.

@SC: It's more that I've been asked very nicely not to make the trolling about personal matters, but instead to keep it on the topics of writing and subject matter. Well, he's welcome to be as weak of a writer as he'd like to be. I'm just embarrassed for the Mercury to employee such a shittty faux-journalist.

@ROM @tk: I'd say it's correct. Honestly, as much as I've played them at parties and gatherings, I can't really tell the difference between Guitar Band and Rock Hero.

Dammit Graham, I was again done with you until you decided to start hiding the truth from these good people. If you're going to say "I was asked nicely to stop being such a douche," you should probably also mention WHY such a request was put to you.

Y'know, the creepy, borderline-psychotic stalker behavior? The "we're taking bets on when the nutso commenter is going to start boiling our pets" behavior? I understand that you want to white wash what happened, but don't just blatantly dump all the interesting parts.

Otherwise you make us seem like jerks for suddenly asking that you change your behavior.

@Nex: Your paranoia is showing.

@Graham: Your transdimensional reptoid is showing. Shape-shift faster, Brother.

Well if you're just going to ignore the last year of your life, this "I'm trying very hard to be nice so I don't get banned" persona of yours is just going to bore people. It wasn't like you were likable before, but at least you were mean enough to make an impression in the minds of others.

Now you're just some guy. What's the point?

p.s. HI NEX!!!

Hey! It's A CAT! Now see Graham, THERE is a troll you could learn something from. At least he never had to compromise his stated ideals to cling to Blogtown.

Zionist world domination means never having to say you're sorry.

@Nex You realize you're doing what you've accused Graham of doing, right? Being overly personal in your critique and veering into the bizarrely obsessive...

(Also, is Graham the reason that Blogtown has this new "Report" button?)

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg617/scaled.ph…

BUT NEX HAS VAST CONSPIRACIES TO UNVEIL!!! GIVE THE MAN SOME BREATHING ROOM!!!

NEX CAN YOU TELL ALL THE /B/TOWNERS ABOUT THAT ONE TIME WITH YOU AND I???? I LOVE THAT STORY.

http://i56.tinypic.com/fddis6.gif

This comment thread went from being funny to sad and then back to funny. Thanks cat & beard!!

(We need a Blogtown-pedia; it's too hard keeping up on the storied history of trolling and counter-trolling between Nex and Graham.)

AND ME!!!

That what I mean, I didn't even know that Nex and A CAT... had a history with one another

A CAT has a history with everyone, n00b.

Ah. If Graham is John Hinckley, and Nex is Reagan, that explains why reading this thread makes me feel like Jim Brady.


(Jodie Foster is clearly a conflation of Olive the pug and Minnie Driver, but you already knew that.)

@cat & beard. Well put. that's exactly how i feel.
Now let's hear some more anecdotal evidence for statements like
"creepy, borderline-psychotic stalker behavior"
"if you're just going to ignore the last year of your life"
"compromise his stated ideals to cling to Blogtown"

Also (on topic) regarding the GH franchise "oversaturated the market" is almost an understatement.

@ Chundy: "You realize you're doing what you've accused Graham of doing, right? Being overly personal in your critique and veering into the bizarrely obsessive..."

Well yeah, that's the joke. Especially because Graham now runs the risk of being banned for such behavior after the "obviously too obliquely referenced" Hinckley thing I mentioned.

Also, I too was going to say that A CAT has a history with everyone, but then A CAT beat me to it.

@ Colin: In that analogy I was Jodie Foster. I probably should have clarified that the scenario took place circa 1980 when Reagan was too busy selling Spreadguns and Lasers to Lance and Bill from Contra, and sucking down America's entire Jelly Belly surplus to bother getting shot.

@ Jaxawhatever: Since when was it anecdotal? It's all in the relatively recent past and is public record here on Blogtown. I was convinced my audience consisted of long time reader/commenters who were around when all of it happened, and that I wouldn't necessarily have to link directly or carefully explain hours of story comments in detail to ensure everyone was up to speed.

Though I should say, that after the two week vacation I took of late, I come back to find myself almost developing a grudging respect for Graham, for at least learning when he's crossed a line.

Or maybe Graham just suddenly seems preferable to the new ... no, I should probably self-censor that bit. It would've crossed from "outwardly hostile toward the dumb" to "verbally burning down people's homes for fun."

Sounds like it's time for another Blogtown meetup!

Wow. I was going to come in here to talk about video games, but instead I'll just walk slowly backwards towards the door.

Yeah, really, can we stay on topic and talk about video games, please?

(That is the first time in my life I've ever used that phrase.)

tk, you're probably being sarcastic, but it IS time for another Blogtown meetup. I think we might have to wait until we move offices next month, but for sure late spring we'll make something happen.

@AH Sorry, mom! We'll play nice; we promise.

Apparently, we all some unresolved emotional issues (and by we, I mean: Nex, Graham, & A CAT) that we're trying to work out here.

Only half-sarcastic, as I'd like to make it to one someday, seriously.

This thread is amazing. I had no idea you guys took the internet so seriously.