Harmonix Talks Death of Guitar Hero

Back on Wednesday, Activision announced over an earnings call that it would no longer be publishing the Guitar Hero franchise, making Rock Band de facto king of the musical hill.

Rock Band developer and creator of Guitar Hero, Harmonix had some kind parting words regarding the loss of GH and a little marketing talk on their forums. Harmonix’s John Drake said “We were sad to hear yesterday that Activision was discontinuing development on Guitar Hero. Our thoughts are with those who are losing their jobs, and we wish them the best of luck” and added “the discontinuation of Guitar Hero is discouraging news for fans of the band game genre.”

Drake went on to discuss the current health of Harmonix, citing the 2,500 songs available for RB3, the innovation of the finger scarring Pro Mode, the March 1st release of the Fender Squier Stratocaster real guitar/controller and the upcoming relaunch of Rock Band Network, which allows bands to publish their own music on RB.

“In short,” said Drake, “the beat of Rock Band marches on. We’re continuing to invest in the franchise and the brand that we have built, and will do our best to serve all loyal band game fans.” Speaking of that beat, Drake didn’t miss one in inviting former GH players over to RB: “For rhythm gamers out there who haven’t yet given Rock Band a chance, Rock Band 3 software is compatible with a wide range of instruments, including most Guitar Hero controllers. Looking to the future, for fans that want to switch, we’d happily welcome you over into the world of Rock Band.”

As a final nod to the loss of GH and it’s team, Drake said “It’s been a wild battle of the bands since 2007, but we respect and appreciate all of the hard work and innovation of our peers who have shared the music gaming space with us, and we look forward to rocking in the future.”

Now that Harmonix is the lone arbiter of the band game genre, it will be interesting to see how they choose to move forward and who steps up to challenge them, especially in light of MTV Games’ recent closure.

[via Rock Band Forums]

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