Activision: Guitar Hero 4 this "holiday"

By Robert Purchese Published 9 May, 2008

Will make a "significant leap forward".

Activision bigwig Mike Griffith has said the next instalment in the Guitar Hero series will be out this "holiday", or Christmas as we quaintly like to call it.

He told analysts during a conference call that plenty of resources had been poured into the game to provide a "significant leap forward in innovation" on all platforms.

"We've put a lot of additional development resources, a lot of additional music licenses resources, a lot of additional hardware supplier resources against the title to fuel growth over next year," said Griffith.

"We're excited by the increased musical content and innovation we're bringing. We do expect a leap forward in innovation with our holiday launch, and we're about two weeks away from providing very specific details on that."

That innovation will be the "other instruments" and "vocals" publisher overlord Bobby Kotick talked about last month, presumably. Kotick also promised localised songs from bands in your area [will that include popular Lewisham garage combo Pay-As-You-Go Crew? - Dep Ed], as well as the benefits of merging with Vivendi to access the Universal Music Group's library of songs.

Griffith also went on to talk about DS-exclusive offering Guitar Hero: On Tour. It's due out sometime in July and has a fret-board peripheral that clips onto the side of your handheld so you can finger your way through hairy passages while strumming your strings on the DS touch-screen.

Griffith promised a DS hardware bundle to go with the game, too.

Activision also has Guitar Hero: Aerosmith up its sleeve, which is based around the legendary rock group and their rise to fame. This is due out on Xbox 360, PS3, PS2 and Wii on 30th June.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (27) Latest comment 4 years ago

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  • Lemming81 #1 4 years ago

    hopefully they'll make more of an effort with the Wii version this time. There was no need to have the PS2 graphics for that version...The Wii could have easily handled the extra flourish the x360/ps3 versions had (minus the HD of course).

  • ZuluHero #2 4 years ago

    I don't know. All the multiplatform games i've seen for the wii have always used assests from their ps2 counterpart, not the 360/ps3 ones. I think it must be far easier to use assets built for a PS2 over the headache (and the cost) of optimising higher poly varients of the 'next-gen' versions...even moreso when you are dealing with a rhythm action game that has to really run at 60fps to give correct feedback.

    Plus there are the ps2 ports to consider - which are now starting to make up a small portion of the wii's library... Unless its a multiplatfrom game from the getgo, you don't hear of any ps3 or 360 games being ported to the wii, do you?

    Edited by 1 at 09/05/08 @ 09:58

  • kangarootoo #3 4 years ago

    If its like Rock Band but cheaper, that is a win for me right there. Alternatively, this would push the price of Rock Band down, which is still a win :)

  • Stu #4 4 years ago

    The RB and GH instruments had better be cross-compatible, or I'm going to cry.

  • NickD7 #5 4 years ago

    To me these music games are non games like so many Wii party games. Bought Guitar hero 3 to see what the fuss was about, sold it two weeks later.

    Non games for the loss.

  • wobbly_Bob #6 4 years ago

    it's not inovation if others have already done it.

    "we are going to copy rock band" - fixed!

  • JonFE #7 4 years ago

    Is it just me or are these annual revisions of GH an overkill? I understand they need to respond to Rock Band, but I also feel they need to let the franchise breathe a little, if you know what I mean...

    I've already purchased GH2 & 3 on the x360 (both with their respective guitar peripherals) and if GH4 comes with additional instruments (as implied) I know I'll get into real trouble with the missus (especially with that Rock Band pre-order just around the corner).

    Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and the RB instruments are compatible, although given the bad blood between Activision and Harmonix/MTV/EA over that RB patch I highly doubt it...

  • asphaltcowboy #8 4 years ago

    +1 what kanga said :)

  • systems #9 4 years ago

    I don't really see what else they can do. GH1 was great (best songs) but lacked widescreen support and progressive scan. They improved on that for GH2 by also adding HDTV calibration, allowing different skill levels simultaneously, adding training and making HO/PO easier.

    GH3 was just GH2 with online play, gimmicky power ups and worse songs aimed at people who were really, really good at the game (i.e. expert level players from the previous two). I can't think what I'd want in GH4 to make it all better. It can't just be new songs as they can do that in song packs.

    I hope they surprise us all, but in how many ways can they make pressing coloured buttons different? I suppose they could add an effects pedal peripheral and supply the guitar in a carry case this time. They could add the extra 5 coloured "solo" buttons at the base of the neck for extra points (or compulsory at expert level). Yes, that would do it.

  • Cloudane #10 4 years ago

    I loved the original Guitar Hero on the PS2 but it became a chore and smells of cash-cow with every version cropping up on a yearly basis.

    Now Rock Band is something I'm keen on but not until the EU PS3 version is announced.

  • Dan234 #11 4 years ago

    They just need to do DLC and push out more songs every so often instead of coming out with yet another version.

  • Gaol #12 4 years ago

    Better be compatible with my existing PS3 GHIII guitar or /no sale. Otherwise, if it's reasonably priced, looking forward to seeing what is on offer.

  • speedjack #13 4 years ago

    'finger your way through hairy passages while strumming your strings'

    err, is it just me or...
    Edited by 1 at 09/05/08 @ 11:23

  • chrisjm #14 4 years ago

    they could stop using rock music for a start!

  • Progguitarist #15 4 years ago

    "The could stop using rock music for a start"

    Yeah and they could call it "Techno Hero" or maybe even "Rap Hero" but then the game would like suck cause theres like, no guitar in those types of music LOLZZLZLZ!

    Uh huh.

  • Sir_TimAlot #16 4 years ago

    NO MORE BOSS BATTLES.........
    k
    thx

  • IzzyToxic #17 4 years ago

    Hopefully they are talking gameplay innovation as well as the obvious new musical content latitude they have gained from their partnership with Vivendi. They obviously are going to add instruments but that, to me, is hardly innovative (but definitely welcome) since that is the basic premise of their top rival Rock Band. I would love to see a more fleshed-out story mode (single and online multiplayer) as well as a graphics update. A fellow can dream, can't he?
    Edited by 1 at 09/05/08 @ 12:09

  • Brogan #18 4 years ago

    Yeah boss battles totally missed the point.

    @NickD7, what the hell do you call games then? think this answer's going to shock the makers of Monopoly and others who have been getting it wrong for a long time.

  • optimusprym8 #19 4 years ago

    there's plenty of music types that use guitar other than rock (and whilst playing cheesy housewife / cock-rock is fun... well, something else would be nice.) I'd like to see some proper blues, jazz and punk etc. Actually sod GH4, I just want them to come up with middleware that they can sell to record labels that allows music CDs to contain GH track information so you can play whatever you want. That would be cool. And make paying £15 for a CD more worthwhile.

  • PatrickEwing #20 4 years ago

    so all in all, a lot more additional.

  • kestral #21 4 years ago

    Are they not making these too fast? casual games can have a lot longer lifespan with content updates and program updates, they're more like mmo's in the regard that people play casually once in a while then it becomes important that the products are supported long term?

  • Feanor #22 4 years ago

    "will be out this "holiday", or Christmas as we quaintly like to call it"

    Actually, it will be likely be out in October or November, well before December 25th.

  • Lemming81 #23 4 years ago

    @systems:

    You've failed to mention the most important difference between GH3 and the previous titles - the songs were the actual songs and not some cover-version shit. Lest we forget the awful Rage Against the Machine cover from GH2...*shudder*

  • Super_Zee #24 4 years ago

    "...so you can finger your way through hairy passages while strumming your strings..."
    Rob, you are Kenneth Williams AICM5£ :D

  • SpyroViper #25 4 years ago

    Let's hope they can get a better PS3 version out this time. Really, Activision are a pile of s**t

  • spammage #26 4 years ago

    "Activision also has Guitar Hero: Aerosmith up its sleeve"

    Does ANYONE outside the US acutally give a shit about this "expansion"

    I'm personally more excited about the return of Gladiators to Sky One on sunday nights than Guitar Hero, twat fronted MOR bollocks.

  • smelly #27 4 years ago

    "hopefully they'll make more of an effort with the Wii version this time. There was no need to have the PS2 graphics for that version...The Wii could have easily handled the extra flourish the x360/ps3 versions had (minus the HD of course)."


    Graphics is the LAST thing that concerns me about something as simple as Guitar hero...

  • WittyPseudonym #28 4 years ago

    I read a rumour that Dead Star by MUSE is gonna be on this which would be brilliant.