News

Activision kills Guitar Hero, goes on layoff rampage
Posted: 09.02.2011 21:12 by JonahFalcon Comments: 10
News coming out of San Mateo is that Activision has gone on a budget slashing attack, axing the Guitar Hero series, canceling True Crime: Hong Kong, and severely cutting the DJ Hero 2 development team.

An announcement is expected tonight ahead of the publication of Activision's financial results.

This gives lie to Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg's claim following bad sales of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock that while the music genre is ebbing, the genre still had a future: "It's no secret that not just Guitar Hero, but also Rock Band, and the music category in general, do not have the same mass appeal today that they did a few years ago. That said, I think that we would be foolish to not try and build on the strength of the Guitar Hero brand..."

He went on to claim, "I think the road to rejuvenating that category goes through innovation. The premise of Guitar Hero - that everyone has an inner rock star - it's something that we've all done forever. Some version of singing into a hairbrush, or holding a tennis racket like a guitar, or singing karaoke, or singing into the bathroom mirror - we all do that."

Innovation was hardly something Activision did with Guitar Hero; in 2009, Activision released no less than five Guitar Hero games, including the confusingly named Band Hero.
Source: Eurogamer

Comments

By PowerJack (SI Elite) on Feb 09, 2011
PowerJack
Oh well wasnt very good at it anyway
By JonahFalcon (SI Elite) on Feb 09, 2011
JonahFalcon
Look out. "Activision is also focusing on "the development of a best-in-class digital community surrounding the Call of Duty franchise."

Translation: Activision is going to milk the Call of Duty cash cow til it's dead, then they're going to hump the corpse til every bit of blood is gone, then leave it to rot in the sun.
By PowerJack (SI Elite) on Feb 09, 2011
PowerJack
Even more good news then never liked it anyway
By Revan (SI Elite) on Feb 09, 2011
Revan
Wow! They really are doing the Final Fantasy thing! And now they're starting to cancel their other games Just to support the CoD franchise. Doesn't seem like a very smart idea.

@Jonah
They did that a Long time ago already. We're on what? Call Of Duty 7 right now? Or is it 10? 20? I lost track. :S
By VHugoSama (SI Core) on Feb 09, 2011
VHugoSama
Don't really care about COD, or Guitar Hero, Activision burn in hell.
By K3Spice (SI Core) on Feb 10, 2011
K3Spice
It was getting old anyways....
By Odynee (SI Veteran Member) on Feb 10, 2011
Odynee
Agreed with VHugo
By MindCoil (SI Veteran Member) on Feb 10, 2011
MindCoil
I don't really care about Activision, don't have any of their games. And I refuse to give them more money. Don't feed the Kotick. Another franchise they're exploiting is Tony hawk, they're up to 16 now. Since 1999. Thats more than a game a year of the same old stuff. But now! They're jumping aboard the motion control train. I may be a walking wallet to them, but they can't catch me.
By Wowerine (SI Elite) on Feb 10, 2011
Wowerine
Pwned! RIP
By FoolWolf (SI Elite) on Feb 11, 2011
FoolWolf
Activision is really maing husks of everything - This Matrix quotes fits here:"I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You're a plague and we are the cure. " - The Matrix 1999.
Unfortunately I don't have any other cure then - don't feed the Kotick.
Ha ha priceless MindCoil!