Guitar music game genre a hit this holiday season and what makes a game of the year |
Despite instrument issues and the $170 price tag, Rock Band is selling very well, as is Guitar Hero according to the following USA Today story. I’m not surprised, these games are a lot of fun.
Guitar Hero III has sold about $300 million since its release and could generate $600 million by year’s end, says Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter. In comparison, the year’s top movie, Spider-Man 3, grossed about $337 million, and the top concert tour, the Police reunion, $212 million. Past Guitar Hero games, still selling well, may account for $300 million more. And Rock Band will likely sell about $200 million worth.
If you like music and Karaoke (in the case of Rock Band), you will be in heaven. Spike gave Bioshock the nod for 2007 game of the year, but I think it should have gone to Rock Band. Yes, despite the cheaply made controllers. Spike did award the studio who made Rock Band Harmonix the Best studio and named Rock Band the Best Rhythm Game and Best Soundtrack, but that wasn’t enough to best Bioshock.
I enjoyed Bioshock but the game was too short and it would have been better if it offered a greater ability to interact with the environment, especially the outside water scenes.
What should make up a Game of the Year?
As someone who has followed videogames for most of my life and bought many of the game systems over history (some of them, like the Xbox 360, multiple times), I have my own opinion on what should make up the Game of the Year. Here is the criteria that I use:
1. Game replay factor is high. Just try to beat every instrument on solo Rock Band on ‘expert’ setting, heck try it on ‘Hard’. With over 60 songs you can’t do it, even if you have the skills, in a single day. And once you get together with your friends you have the band World Tour mode to beat as well. We’ve been playing for 3+ weeks and still haven’t gotten every mode beaten.
2. Must be challenging, but not impossible. Along with replay the game has to give you some scintilla of hope that you can beat it someday. Or in the case of games like Robotron 2084 that you can get into a groove and beat your prior best score. With practice, as with real musical instruments, you can improve skill and eventually learn how to play songs skillfully. Must admit though as someone who also plays guitar I find playing some songs easier to play than playing the Rock Band versions.
3. Must offer something fresh or innovative either in a new genre or a twist on an existing genre. While Nintendo had already offered the Kongo Bongos, Guitar Hero had brought the guitar and the PS2 with Singstar offered Karaoke, Rock Band was the first to offer somewhat authentic drums controls, guitar and vocals all in one game. Play as a band, we’ve never been able to do that before.
4. Above all else it must be fun. Games are supposed to be fun, not work.
Notice I didn’t mention graphics or sound above. Graphics has been an area that too much reliance has been put on over the last 10 years. Some of the most beautiful games aren’t fun to play or offer limited game replay. Bioshock was a blast to play but it’s not a title I want to replay.
I can get into a game with very simplistic graphics and sounds if it is fun to play. I’d put sounds/music as more important than graphics in a game, so beeps and blips probably won’t help a game get to the top these days, but there is charm to the 8-bit gaming days that can’t be denied.
Would you add to my list of what makes a game of the year? Agree? Disagree?
Did this post make you go hmm?
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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As I said on twitter
I think that replay value is a category but some things once, with its twists and turns of story, can be enough.
A game that draws you in entertains for a suitable amount of time does not to have specific replay needs.
The performance games do need replay factors though, and the online shooters end up being different every time.
e.g. I finished COD 4 and thought wow. I am sure I will play odd levels again but I will not be engaging with the story, I will also play it online a bit.
I will never go through 140 hours of final fantasy Vii ever again but will remember sepiroth for a very long time.
I will keep playing GH iii and singstar as its great to engage with music and perform.
I am looking forward to the UK release of rock band, its just a pity they did not bother to release it over here for christmas!
Comment by epredator — December 18, 2007 @ 10:47 am PST
Hi epredator - bummer Rock Band not available in the UK yet
From what I understand with games like COD4 and Halo 3 (from my teen sons who are fans), the online play is where it’s at, not so much the story modes. I’m not a big FPS guy myself, so can’t really comment on that one.
I will agree that replay is not essential in every potential game of year, but I don’t mean it as literally play again over and over again that you’ve beaten, I mean it in the sense that you’ll keep playing it to beat it. I would consider Super Mario Bros 3 one of the greatest games ever made. Lots of replay value but then once you beat it, probably not something to play again and again.
Comment by TDavid — December 18, 2007 @ 11:11 am PST
Wow, I’m really surprised that they’re predicting GH3 will outsell Rockband 3-1 (600 mil to 200) maybe because it was released sooner and it’s cheaper.
As far as graphics go, I am in complete agreement. I grew up playing commodore 64 games that were just as addictive if not more than current generation console games. The reason is because they couldn’t rely on graphics to make something look polished. they had to come up with creative and fun gameplay.
Comment by Kevin — December 19, 2007 @ 1:18 am PST
Cool Kevin! Another computer user that got their start on the Commodore. My first machine was the Vic-20. Peek, Poke, Peek, Poke.
Comment by TDavid — December 19, 2007 @ 3:11 am PST
Even before the vic-20…. the mighty Zx81
That’s where I started, then 64 then amiga 
I think the replay value element is some coefficient of either repetition becuase its a fun or intriguing concept (as people have with tetris), or a long enough draw to make you want to finish it. Having said that most game endings are a dissapointment. I quite often do not finish games now, I play them to a suitable depth and then leave them hanging there as a postitive but incomplete memory experience. Just the ageing gamer in me.
Of course now I do really love games that are more sandbox, with a hint of story if you want it. Ones where you almost find your own entertainment to suit the mood. GTA, crackdown, burnout, skate etc. Each can have its own self set mini goal nail this trick, scale this building etc. Yet when you want to progress there are ready made story line challenges and missions. You are able to engage and be deep into it, or just mess around because you have 10 mins.
Comment by epredator — December 19, 2007 @ 3:57 am PST
GTA Vice City was a breakout title for me in the franchise (and the type of game of year I’m talking about) but San Andreas, not so much. I’m looking forward to the next version but they need to expand the series. Tony Hawk is alright, but each new version hasn’t really hooked me much beyond the original concept. Skate was kind of interesting.
Same goes with the yearly sports titles. Madden is a great game and buy it every year, but seem to play it less and less as the years go on. Madden would be more fun if it was more web-interactive somehow, I think that’s the next untapped area for sports titles. They seem to be headed this direction by changing the game somewhat with real game happenings. Take that a step further and imagine if you could blog, email, sms, twitter, etc something and have it be a part of your gaming experience. Some amount of customization has happened with games like Rainbow Vegas (put your face on the character with the webcam), but there is a lot of room for expansion in this area.
Comment by TDavid — December 19, 2007 @ 4:07 am PST
Check this out, Wired named Rock Band the #1 Game of the Year:
http://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/multimedia/2007/12/YE_games_2007?slide=10&slideView=2
saying:
Comment by TDavid — December 19, 2007 @ 9:50 am PST
Nice! They deserve it. It’s a great game and in my opinion much more of a fun experience than GH3.
Comment by Kevin — December 21, 2007 @ 12:15 am PST