Details for Guitar Hero 4 Released

GameSpot is reporting that details for Guitar Hero 4 have been released. The biggest news seems to be that the new release will be adding drums and vocals a la Rock Band. The new drums are to offer three pressure-sensitive pads (which can tell if you are just tapping or really wailing), two elevated cymbals, and a pedal. "The details in Game Informer also clear up the mystery surrounding the 'innovation' which Activision promised was coming to the Guitar Hero series in a recent earnings report conference call. The article outlines the game's studio mode, which will give users a variety of ways to create their own songs. Players will be able to jam along with one of the game's existing tracks, record songs as they're played, or meticulously detail note charts."

Comments

Never got why people like Guitar Hero

[Anonymous Coward]

I must be the only one, but I never understood why people (and gaming society as a whole) goes ape-shit over this game?

Re:Never got why people like Guitar Hero

[NotBornYesterday]

My two sons and their friends played GH3 a lot (prior to GTA4, that is). When I would mention that there were a couple real guitars and a foundation-shaking amp down in the basement, all I ever got were funny looks. Man, I would have killed to have an electric guitar as a kid. But like others have said, it's easier to play a game than it is to grow some talent. I've tried it, and I've got to admit, it's fun.

On the other hand, getting semi-competent on a guitar really isn't that hard, either. Power chords are easy. 1-4-5 chord progressions are easy. Spend a little time memorizing a couple riffs, and you can make some remarkably satisfying noise.

Sounding great is hard. Sounding okay is easier than it looks.

Re:Never got why people like Guitar Hero

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, I only have a limited number of data points, but having bought my sons a copy of Guitar hero two last year, they had an enormous amount of fun with it and still do. So much so that the elder of the two still at home, who is in employment as an engineer, bought the younger one, a 19 yo engineering student, an electric guitar and amp for his birthday back in march. Of course they both play with it, the younger having put in the most time so far. They can do enough to sound quite good. OK Jimmy Page probably does not need to worry too much, but they are having fun. Looks kind of odd to see the 19 yo with his laptop on his knees to let him see the chords off the Internet while playing his guitar

Funnily enough they have also gone from playing with a snowboard simulator to actually taking trips to the mountain and to the indoor slope.

So maybe, just maybe, simulators can awaken interest rather than just being an outlet for wannabees

Re:Never got why people like Guitar Hero

[aztektum]

a girl i know has a 9 year old son who recently began guitar lessons. he became interested after playing Guitar Hero. also, i'm sure guitar hero doesn't not help with practical guitar skills (chord changes, strumming), but this kid seems to have picked up a good deal of skill when it comes to rhythm and tempo thanks to the game. he's actually rocking ass on a real guitar compared to others in his guitar class.

Re:Never got why people like Guitar Hero

[bogjobber]

It also helps with hand/finger strength. One of the hardest parts of beginning at guitar is only being able to move your fingers quickly and hold chord shapes for the first fifteen minutes before getting tired. If you were good at guitar hero, you should already have a lot of the muscles developed to progress more quickly.

Re:Never got why people like Guitar Hero

[superslacker87]

As am I. Honestly, as a guitar player, I find it more challenging to play the songs on lower difficulty levels. I almost always start out on hard or expert depending on the song and try to play it there. When I hear a song coming out of my TV speakers (especially when it's one that I already know how to play on a real six-string or know really well) and the notes I'm looking at on screen don't mesh, I actually do worse. I have to train myself to play what I see, not what I hear.

Re:Never got why people like Guitar Hero

[somersault]

That's true actually, and gives people a false impression of the game when they first try it, because if you tell them to play along to the music then it can screw them up. If you are trying too hard to hit the notes by watching when they pass the bottom of the screen then that will screw you up for the higher difficulties as well. I get the impression from the people I know that aren't very good at the game, that they are trying to use the screen too much for timing. I basically just look at the screen to see which notes are coming rather than when I have to hit them.

Good Move.

[morari]

All good news. I just wish that developers would stop giving the PS2 any thought and instead focus on making the Wii version the best it can be. I'd hate to see another enhanced PS2 port on the Wii. I suppose though that even if it does come down to that, at least it won't be as butchered as the Wii version of Rock Band. Activision has already shown that they're willing to at least tailor a majority of the game to the Wii's strengths. It does have the best guitar, after all.

Keytar Hero

[prockcore]

It's a shame they don't add synths so you could do keytar hero.

Hell, I have a usb synth, they should add the ability.

Re:nope

[DeathCarrot]

I've been playing the guitar for nigh on a decade (I've just turned 21) and I absolutely adore Guitar Hero, as does a guitarist friend of mine. To most people I know Guitar Hero isn't about pretending you're a rock star, it's just a game, no different to WoW or the FPS du jour.

Granted, if someone comes up to me boasting how their 5* on expert Cliffs of Dover was more of an accomplishment than being able to play the same song on a real guitar, they really do deserve a slap. One takes 8 months to reach a suitable level of proficiency, the tends to take more than 8 years.

Re:I will not buy two frigging drumsets.

[xero314]

Harmonix was gracious enough to let you use the GH guitar in Rock Band. What? You can use your GH guitars with Rock Band? I guess you don't have a PS3 and had to watch Activision actively block the release of a patch that would have solved the issue. It was big news, but not big enough to get on slashdot, no matter how high it was voted in the fire hose.