[Rumor] - Guitar Hero 4 To Include Create-A-Song?

[Dr.Finger]

This one gets the rumor tags, the question mark and a whole heaping helping of skepticism, so be warned.

A poster at NeoGAF (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=294354) claims to have the new issue of Game Informer, which in turn has the scoop on Guitar Hero 4. The big news: a create-a-song feature, complete with song sharing.
Guitar Hero 4 (PS3, 360, Wii, PS2)
- Create a song. Although these exclude vocals due to storage and possible copyright issues.
- You'll be able to name your song as well as creating album art. After you've done all that you can upload it to GH Tunes where anyone can download it.
- You'll be limited to 5 songs at first. But depending on the ratings you get you'll possibly be able to upload 10 or more.
- The song sharing mode will be in the Wii and PS2 versions also, but GI says it's unlikely that it'll be as robust as the PS3 and 360 versions.
- Drums, bass, vocals guitar
- Create a rocker
- Create a guitar and drums
- All songs will be master tracks
- They don't want to discuss specifics on track listing out of fear of being scooped by the competition. However they confirmed 4 bands: Van Halen, The Eagles, Linkin Park and Sublime.
- A new guitar designed by Red Octane that includes a new input mechanic that'll "impact the way you play GH in the future".
- GI saw see through notes while playing that Neversoft said was the new input mechanic and that they were trying to patent.Again, no confirmation at the moment, but once we can confirm the content of the cover story in Game Informer we'll let you know.

Source - Maxconsole (http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=27625).

[Variable Gear]

This is a very positive rumor, and one that gives me hope that Guitar Hero 4 could be better than decent. I am certain that Harmonix will never add such a feature to Rock Band, as they previously intended to do, out of fear that people will recreate songs instead of buying the DLC. If this mode was included, I would seriously consider buying GH4, despite the fact that I've thrashed the series recently, and even though I have no faith in Neversoft as a developer.

I'll cross my fingers for this one.

[mkelehan]

Hmm... new input mechanic, you say? Making us buy new guitars again, you say? I'm honestly all for it. This is what competition does: it forces innovation where the status quo would otherwise be good enough.

[Mdot23]

Just please, PLEASE make all the GH/RB equipment compatible, because there's no way I'll be buying more drums, more guitars, more etc.

[Mantooth]

Just please, PLEASE make all the GH/RB equipment compatible, because there's no way I'll be buying more drums, more guitars, more etc.

They block GH3 from even starting up on the 360 if you have a RB guitar hooked up, so I seriously doubt it. Then there is the whole PS3 GH3 guitar not working with RB fiasco with Activision blocking the patch. Fuck Activision and GH4!

[oldschooldimo]

ok so they are adding every instrument to be like rock band? thats awesome..i think.. as long as my rock band equipment works. my drums already have a +30 agility enchant so i really dont feel like respecing. but im all for create songs. I always thought the games would be so much better if i really listened/enjoyed the songs i was playing.

[RestlessAvenger]

Hmm... new input mechanic, you say? Making us buy new guitars again, you say? I'm honestly all for it. This is what competition does: it forces innovation where the status quo would otherwise be good enough.

I am thinking that this is the pedal that they had hinted at with the expansion port on the Guitar Hero 2 Guitar.

[thFOOL]

They block GH3 from even starting up on the 360 if you have a RB guitar hooked up, so I seriously doubt it. Then there is the whole PS3 GH3 guitar not working with RB fiasco with Activision blocking the patch. Fuck Activision and GH4!

They so do not block GH3 from even starting up if a RB guitar is hooked up. I forget to unplug my RB guitar all the time and have never had this problem. Way to spread the FUD....

[inmostlight]

I am thinking that this is the pedal that they had hinted at with the expansion port on the Guitar Hero 2 Guitar.

That's what I was guessing, too. I can't think of too much else they could add to guitars other than multiple "strings".

I'd kind of written off the Guitar Hero series after Rock Band blew away GH3, but being able to create songs might be cool enough to win me back. Or at least give it a sure rental.

[Zander]

The Guitar Hero name means zero to me after last fall.

They have a lot of work to do to regain my mindshare.

[AgtFox]

I will say that Andy McNamara, EIC at Game Informer, let loose today on local radio (GI is located here in Minneapolis) that they had an exclusive story on GH4 on the next issue, but he did not go into it. Chances are good that this is the news.

[Gerbs]

They block GH3 from even starting up on the 360 if you have a RB guitar hooked up, so I seriously doubt it.

Wow is this real? I have to try it later.

[UnderHero5]

I'd get it, assuming I can use my Rock Band equipment.
If I can't, they have lost a sale. I'm not owning MORE plastic instruments.
If they want to get people to move over from RB, then they NEED to make the game work with the instruments.

Creating midi songs isn't enough to make me buy more of this shit.

[TrackZero]

I'd be interested, if I didn't know they'll end up removing every song using existing copyrighted material that someone posts.

[divinechaos]

Wow, if true I'm very interested. It'll be hard to make me stop loving Rock Band.

[UnderHero5]

Wow, if true I'm very interested. It'll be hard to make me stop loving Rock Band.

Pssst... you're allowed to like both!

[Jaded Fool]

Sublime alone would be enough for me to give this a serious look, now to convince my friends there is a point in playing virtual music instead of real instruments.

[Mantooth]

They so do not block GH3 from even starting up if a RB guitar is hooked up. I forget to unplug my RB guitar all the time and have never had this problem. Way to spread the FUD....

Then they have actually gotten something of a clue and updated it. It sure as hell did do that before. I got a message that I had an incompatible controller plugged in whenever I tried to start GH3 with a RB guitar plugged in. This was even though two GH2 guitars were plugged in. I had to unplug the RB guitar to play GH3. I have since gotten rid of GH3, so if they changed it, I wouldn't know. FUD you. ;)

[Wilkz07]

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c138/Wilks_SCC/points.jpg

[ResistanceAddict]

- They don't want to discuss specifics on track listing out of fear of being scooped by the competition. However they confirmed 4 bands: Van Halen, The Eagles, Linkin Park and Sublime.

Hotel California... please, please, please...

[Wslove]

Can they at least rip off Haromnix in the way they structure their songs. Guitar Hero 3 seemed brutally punishing in terms of actually playing, where as Rock Band feels better because it feels like you are actually playing the instrument and the level of difficulty feels right.

I'm still going to buy the game, but I hope they actually make it fun rather then the exercise in frustration that was Guitar Hero 3.

[nixpayn]

next up in the milking of the franchise, you'll have to move your feet in choreographed dance moves when playing vocals and there will be sensors on the drum sticks to make sure you're twirling them at the proper spots.

[Farsight]

I do play way more RB than GH, but RB is far from perfect, so I'm interested in what a new GH game can bring to the table. Just avoiding the flaws in Rock Band would help:

Make the drums not be punishingly harder / more tiresome to play than the other instruments, so the drummer doesn't feel like the gimp of the band.

Give the players the slightest hint how hard a set will be before playing. Rock Band would be 10x more fun if you didn't have to guess blindly how hard a set will be. "We won 4 of the 5 song-set on expert! What's the 5th? Deep Purple... FUCK!!!" Or even worse, hedging your bets by playing a 10-song set on Hard, then nearly falling asleep because they're all easy.

Single player World-Tour! Not "Let's make a cool career mode for multiplayer, and force solo players to muddle through the old boring list"

Plus, full games give a better value than DLC.

There's definitely room for 2 rhythm games. Bring on GH4! (and skip GH:Aerosmith!)

[Wilkz07]

next up in the milking of the franchise, you'll have to move your feet in choreographed dance moves when playing vocals and there will be sensors on the drum sticks to make sure you're twirling them at the proper spots.

They already have that game in JPN, it just hasn't been translated to english. Its called:

Dance Dance Karaoke Happy Idol Baton Ribbon Universe Hero 3. Comes with a dancepad, microphone, tapshoes, baton and ribbon (collector's editon has the olympic gymnastics official baton/ribbon) and drinking bottle hat for those extended re-remixes.

[ElectricMonk]

Man how will this create-a-song thing even work. PC song editing software is clunky enough to use let alone trying to control the whole thing with a plastic guitar.

[UnderHero5]

Man how will this create-a-song thing even work. PC song editing software is clunky enough to use let alone trying to control the whole thing with a plastic guitar.

My guess is that it will be a bunch of sound samples, and you'll arrange them into music, ala midi... then make a note chart to go along with it. Of course, they will have to make it extremely user friendly... which means it will most likely be pretty shallow.

Think something along the lines of the music creator in Mario Paint. That would be my guess.

[Acidpoptart]

Just please, PLEASE make all the GH/RB equipment compatible, because there's no way I'll be buying more drums, more guitars, more etc.

Yup. If it works with my current equipment, sure, this sounds like a sweet game. But I am not dropping another $170 on equipment... Where the hell will I keep two sets of crap?

[Deadend]

Man how will this create-a-song thing even work. PC song editing software is clunky enough to use let alone trying to control the whole thing with a plastic guitar.

Which is probably the reason Harmonix has not made one yet. As making it both easy to use and capable of being good at higher end things is really hard to do.

[resikel]

next up in the milking of the franchise, you'll have to move your feet in choreographed dance moves when playing vocals and there will be sensors on the drum sticks to make sure you're twirling them at the proper spots.

http://i30.tinypic.com/59t1c6.gif

[TheFlyingOrc]

OK, I see a major problem here.

While 1.5 million of us bought Rock Band, over 7 million people bought Guitar Hero 3. If those people buy GH drumsets (instead of investing in Rock Band), then Guitar Hero wins in the long run, meaning that Rock Band dies off. (as the rock band userbase wouldn't grow very much)... I hope that the rumor that RB has a patent on drums that can't be broken is true.

I might look at GH again, if they take that crap away from neversoft. GH3 sold because of GH2, not because of its own merits.

[UnderHero5]

OK, I see a major problem here.

While 1.5 million of us bought Rock Band, over 7 million people bought Guitar Hero 3. If those people buy GH drumsets (instead of investing in Rock Band), then Guitar Hero wins in the long run, meaning that Rock Band dies off. (as the rock band userbase wouldn't grow very much)... I hope that the rumor that RB has a patent on drums that can't be broken is true.

I might look at GH again, if they take that crap away from neversoft. GH3 sold because of GH2, not because of its own merits.

You have to remember that people are more willing to pay $80-$90 (GH) than they are $250+ (GH4, assuming this is true). It's NOT going to sell like the previous GH games, if it includes all the instruments. If it doesn't include all the instruments in the box... then RB has nothing to worry about.

Either way, competition is good, and I don't think Harmonix/EA are going to simply abandon Rock Band if GH4 sells more, especially when they are making a killing on DLC. What makes you think Rock Band would just die off if GH4 sells more units? (which, again, would be NO WHERE near the amount of the previous GH games).

[Loganrapp]

Think something along the lines of the music creator in Mario Paint. That would be my guess.

Do you know how many fucking hours I sunk into that fucker?

If RB copies any of this, I'm boned.

[JazGalaxy]

Here's what I don't get.

The reason a drum game wasn't made sooner was because MTV owns the patent on creating a videogame that uses a drum based imput device. I know that sounds absolutely ridiculuos, but it's true. That's what kept drum-mania out of the us for so long.

The only reason Rock Band could be created is with the MTV partnership.

How is it that EA can now make a drum peripheral?

[Mighty Jesus]

Arrrgh, no! As if Fruity Loops wasn't bad enough. Don't make it even easier for 14 year olds to make shitty music! There's enough worthless garbage clogging up myspace as it is.

[mister_slim]

Here's what I don't get.

The reason a drum game wasn't made sooner was because MTV owns the patent on creating a videogame that uses a drum based imput device. I know that sounds absolutely ridiculuos, but it's true. That's what kept drum-mania out of the us for so long.

The only reason Rock Band could be created is with the MTV partnership.

How is it that EA can now make a drum peripheral?

Activision bought the company that made the drumming "game" MTV worked on. I don't know how the patent ownership is split up though.

[lost]

Maybe I'm late to the show here but apparently this is no rumour. It's confirmed by a paper publication.

[nixpayn]

as long as they dont go an change the way the guitar works in terms of number of notes and such, it should still be compatible, and same with the drums. PS3 people will no doubt be screwed, but unless they go adding more notes than RB has, which would be the suck, the 360 crowd should be ok in terms of compatibility because of the MS SDK.

so thats good news.

the bad news is, really, they dont have to try very hard to make it not compatible. but that would be a total dick cockblocking move on their part and for that alone would make me not buy gh4, i dont care what the songs are. i am NOT buying another guitar or drums. ive already got 2 guitars, drums and mic. and i live in an apartment. theres no physical room for more.

[pooty-tang]

VAN HALEN!! I just hope its Van Halen and not Van Haggar. As much as I want this now, if they try to make me buy more shit other than the actual game, I'm not down. This whole "you have to buy our guitars to work with our game even though its EXACTLY like the other guy's" is getting really old. Its like me buying a slightly different looking $50 360 controller for every game. Thanks, but the government already sticks enough broomsticks up my ass.

[Metal Jesus]

Wow... That would be freakin' AWESOME...

[Tohoya]

I'm going to strangle someone if I can't use my Rock Band drums on this.

Otherwise, friggin awesome. Create-a-songs to get some of the more obscure techno and video game music I like to listen to will be friggin sweet.

[Veregon]

Create-A-Song is going to be a total marketing push but a flop in actual use. It's ridiculously tedious to sync up a song and to line up the notes correctly. Look at 99% of the homebrew songs for GH from the hacked PS2's and you'll notice that the notes are off tempo. Those songs are made in software designed for a PC, imagine trying to do it with a console controller. Also, from a technical side I don't see how they'd let you import your own music. The 360 drops to the dashboard if you eject the DVD tray and I don't think developers have access to anything in the media library. I don't own a PS3 but I imagine the hurdles would be the same.

My guess is that the Create-A-Song will be something you do on your PC and submit to their system (which will make sure it's not copyrighted material), or as someone else said they'll have predefined samples for you to use.

[Mantooth]

I'm going to strangle someone if I can't use my Rock Band drums on this.

Otherwise, friggin awesome. Create-a-songs to get some of the more obscure techno and video game music I like to listen to will be friggin sweet.

I won't strangle anyone if the RB drums don't work with it. I just won't buy it.

[mkelehan]

Create-A-Song is going to be a total marketing push but a flop in actual use. It's ridiculously tedious to sync up a song and to line up the notes correctly. Look at 99% of the homebrew songs for GH from the hacked PS2's and you'll notice that the notes are off tempo. Those songs are made in software designed for a PC, imagine trying to do it with a console controller. Also, from a technical side I don't see how they'd let you import your own music. The 360 drops to the dashboard if you eject the DVD tray and I don't think developers have access to anything in the media library. I don't own a PS3 but I imagine the hurdles would be the same.

My guess is that the Create-A-Song will be something you do on your PC and submit to their system (which will make sure it's not copyrighted material), or as someone else said they'll have predefined samples for you to use.

My guess is it'll be like Frequency, where the notes and the samples are one and the same. So, you pick a sample, and place it on the track, and it's a note. No synching required.

[Micasa]

Looks like Neversoft finally realized their note charts sucked and let people make their own.

[ResistanceAddict]

If I have to buy a new guitar and not be able to use the GH3 guitar, I'll be pissed.

[fitbabits]

Arg. NeoGAF..., really?

[UnderHero5]

Well, it definitely looks like (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/game-informer-snags-first-pic-of-guitar-hero-iv-drums/) we won't be able to use the Rock Band drums with it.

Count me out. It's off my radar, now. I'm not spending another $250+ for more bulky plastic instruments.

[Rock Bandit]

It goes like this. If all the shit I already own is compatible with it AND they actually do a good job on the game I'll pick it up. If Activision acts like, well, Activision and cockblocks controller compatibility and/or Neversoft continues to fuck up charting a music game than they can keep playing "do what Harmonix does but worse" without me.

I'd prefer option one but I'm expecting option two.

[SalaciousPuck]

I don't know how many people played it, but Harmonix pre-GH game Amplitude had an incredible, revolutionary, music creator. It used licensed music and let you play with each track - modifying the chord pattern or drum layout with a relatively simple interface. Get around licensing issues, and something like this could be amazing with the production budget of the GH series combined with the more connected consoles we have today (XBL, etc).

[inmostlight]

Well, it definitely looks like (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/game-informer-snags-first-pic-of-guitar-hero-iv-drums/) we won't be able to use the Rock Band drums with it.

Count me out. It's off my radar, now. I'm not spending another $250+ for more bulky plastic instruments.

I'm not spending $5 on any more plastic instruments. I love Rock Band, but I've officially reached the limit of too many accessories.

Congratulations, Activision; for all the acclaim that Call of Duty 4 had, I'd think you would have learned to shoot something other than your own feet.

[mister_slim]

Why only one pedal?