Guitar Hero to Jump the Shark

I won't ramble on too much, but Guitar Hero IV, set to be released later this year, will include more instruments, including a drum kit and vocals according to Activision CEO Bobby Kotick (in an interview with Conde Nast Porfolio magazine). Hmm...this all seems so familiar. Perhaps it's because my copy of Rock Band does exactly the same thing.

Has Guitar Hero lost its way? I talked to my roommate Glenn about his appreciation for Rock Band vs. Guitar Hero. He likes both games. We play Rock Band from time to time, but only when we can get the other to play it. It's harder to get into it by yourself. It's definitely not a game that's very much fun when you're playing it alone. Enter Guitar Hero, a game that's fun both when you're alone and with your friends. Glenn prefers Guitar Hero because you can play it solo without feeling like a fool.

Guitar Hero IV doesn't need to be Rock Band II in order to succeed. It just needs to be itself again. People still bought Guitar Hero III in the face of the much-cooler Rock Band and people will still buy Guitar Hero IV. They just need to keep improving their song choice, graphics, and maybe add a couple of motifs in there that players aren't used to. So, people of Activision, get it together. Don't be Rock Band. It's like every sitcom mom ever said to any sitcom son or daughter - just be yourself.