Early hype has been that Guitar Hero 4 would “revolutionize” music games with an incredible new feature. Are they going to add a keyboard? How about a kazoo? No, sadly not. Instead, the revolutionary new feature is “create a song.”
If you haven’t picked up Call of Duty 4 yet, then it may actually be in your best interest to continue waiting. Word is that Activision will release a Game of the Year edition sometime in April. The special edition will feature new packaging as well as the ability to download the new map pack for free.
So far the special edition of the game has only been confirmed for the Xbox 360, though it would seem likely a PS3 version would be released, too. The whole idea of special editions of console games seemed entirely foreign just a few years ago. That all has changed as more games get the special edition treatment such as Ninja Gaiden and Devil May Cry 3. (more…)
Electronic Arts’ Skate was one of the big surprises of 2007. Many had challenged Tony Hawk’s dominance of the extreme sports genre, but Skate was the first to really deliver a knockdown punch with its innovative controls. Now, in the face of being outsold two to one, Activision has plans to innovate with the Tony Hawk franchise.
Speaking with USA Today, Activision Senior Vice President Will Kassoy referenced the “Tony Hawk Innovation Plan,” but refused to elaborate. What could this plan be? The easy speculation is a move toward a new control scheme akin to Skate’s. However, with Activision’s success with the Guitar Hero franchise and now Call of Duty 4 online, one should not rule out the move to a more multiplayer friendly setup. And yes, Tony Hawk Wii featuring the Balance Board seems inevitable. (more…)
How the mighty have fallen. Then gotten back up, dust themselves off, and fallen again. But yet, gotten up again. That’s basically the story of Sega over the last seven years or so as the once mightily publisher has flipped and flopped about, eventually merging with Sammy. Yet, despite all of this, they have no interest in joining forces with anyone else.
Sega’s Dreamcast was, in many minds, the last great old school console. The games were a mix of arcade ports and Japanese styled classics. When it died many hoped that Sega would bring its superb blend of games to other consoles as a third party. They did go third party, but the great games didn’t come with them. Instead, Sega as a third party basically drove itself out of business before Sammy stepped in and saved it. (more…)
Bobby Kotick is a happy guy right now. With the upcoming Vivendi merger, which will bring Blizzard and World of Warcraft under the Activision umbrella, the sky is the limit for what Kotick’s company can do.
At the recent Morgan Stanley Technology Conference in California, the CEO of Activision discussed how they would use Blizzard’s expertise in the world of online gameplay to help open a new door for some of the company’s best selling titles. Starting with the Guitar Hero franchise, Kotick proposed using Blizzard’s “institutional expertise” to bring PC editions of Guitar Hero to the “roughly 300,000 game rooms between China and Korea.” This would be a feat definitely not insurmountable considering the popularity of the title and the fanatical gaming community in Korea. (more…)
Back on February 8th, Activision trademarked the name “DJ Hero” for video game software and video game controllers. The legality of the trademark is as follows: “computer game software and related instruction manual sold together as a unit; interactive video game programs; computer game discs; downloadable software for use in connection with computer games; video game controllers; interactive video game comprised of a CD or DVD sold as a unit with a video game controller.”
What this means is Activision may make a turn and appeal to even more gamers with a rap genre focused game. Reading into the legal terms more you could come to the conclusion that, like the guitar replica controllers for the popular Guitar Hero series, Activision could be coming out with turntable replicas for controllers. If you’ve ever played or heard of Beatmania you know this idea could work if incorporated correctly. Of course, no game has been announced yet, meaning this could have been trademarked to avoid anyone else from taking the “Hero” brand name from Activision. (more…)
Let the milking of the Guitar Hero franchise begin (if you think it hasn’t already). Rumored for a good while now, Activision has officially announced Guitar Hero: Aerosmith will be coming to the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and PS2. To celebrate the announcement of the game, one of Aerosmith’s biggest hits, “Dream On,” will be free to download for Guitar Hero 3 owners on Xbox Live and the Playstation Network this weekend, February 16-18.
The game, slated for a June 2008 release, will feature Aerosmith songs spanning the bands entire 38-year history. According to Activision, “Gamers will experience Aerosmith’s GRAMMY® winning career, from their first gig to becoming rock royalty, in a way that no other entertainment vehicle offers.” This isn’t to say that all songs will be by Aerosmith in the game, because Activision again clearly points out in the press release that as you get further into the game, you will unlock songs from artists that Aerosmith has been inspired by artists that Aerosmith has performed with. (more…)
Activision is reporting that Call of Duty 4 was the best selling title of 2007, with an impressive seven million plus copies sold since its November release. Those are certainly impressive numbers for what many considered a gamble on a new series direction. Still, for the gaming community, it’s both good and bad news.
First, the bad news-a Call of Duty game has been crowned the best selling game of the year. Not that’s anything wrong with the Call of Duty series particularly, but it hasn’t exactly been a series of restrain over the past few years. Call of Duty 1, 2, 3, 4, Big Red One, etc. have all clouded the market in recent years. It’s become the shooting equivalent of Madden Football. The games also promise inconsistent quality. While CoD 1, 2, and 4 are generally considered to be of exceptional quality, the other titles have been more suspect (though not nearly as bad as their Medal of Honor brethren). (more…)
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