Guitar Hero wasn't the first music game, but it was arguably the most influential. However, the team behind the original Guitar Hero has split, and now there are two series, Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Both series are amazing as far as co-op goes, and the genre has definitely reached a point of maturity. Hundreds of songs are available for gamers to rock out to. One of many differences between the two franchises is how new music is delivered to the player. Guitar Hero leans to a disc based approach, with a small amount of DLC interspersed between new game releases. Rock Band is on the other end of the spectrum, almost entirely focusing on downloadable content.
So which is best? Each method has its own benefits and drawbacks, that much is certain. Today, we'll take a look at disc based content. Examples of this include Guitar Hero Metallica, the upcoming Guitar Hero Smash Hits, and the AC/DC Track Pack for Rock Band. First we'll consider the good, then the bad, and we'll do the same for downloadable content delivery in a future article.
Why Disc Based Content Is Good:
Portability: Being able to take an entire disc full of new songs with you is very convenient. You can take your Guitar Hero Metallica disc or your AC/DC Rock Band track pack anywhere, and it will play just fine. There's no need to be signed in, and no worrying about hauling a fragile hard drive or easily misplaced memory card with you. Taking your huge library of DLC on the go is a major hassle, as anyone who has tried to do so can attest.
Exposure to new content: I call this one the "Coheed and Cambria" factor, as I was unaware of that group until I played Rock Band. Even rabid music fans don't know every song by every band out there. Chances are, if you are playing a disc full of dozens of songs, you are going to find something new. This can be a bit of a two edged sword, as there is no guarantee that you'll like all the songs that are new to you. However, you might just find a new favorite band.
Achievements and Trophies: For those of us who actually care about it, having a full set of achievements to play with is a nice upside to disc based content. It won't be a deciding factor for everyone, of course. If they are handled right, achievements and trophies can add to any game's replayability, and music games are no exception. In other games, DLC does often add achievements, but so far that is not the case with music games.
More than just music: This one is specific to the band-based Guitar Hero games, but is certainly worth mentioning. There are tons of extras in these games that add value; the more you like the band, the better the value. Interviews, behind the scenes videos, trivia, and more are definitely a step in the right direction for disc based compilations. You won't find this stuff in DLC, though.
Resale or trade-in value: Keeping up with all the music games is very expensive. When the latest and greatest new title comes along, it might be a good idea to get rid of games that are just collecting dust. You can easily sell disc based games on Ebay, or even trade them in at a video game store. Disc based games have a resale value that downloaded content does not.
Why Disc Based Content Is Bad:
Disc swapping: Music games are a fantastic choice for parties. But nothing grinds a party to a halt faster than having to swap discs all the time. I'm probably an extreme example, but there are five Guitar Hero discs in our game drawer. When one guest wants to play Metallica, another likes Aerosmith, and then you hear "Say, do you have Cult of Personality?" it's a huge problem. This is one of the biggest problems with disc based content.
High initial cost: No matter how you look at it, music games are expensive. Paying the full retail price for what is in essence only new content, and not new gameplay, is troublesome. Typically, content discs have less songs than the "main" games. The song list is smaller for GH Metallica than it is for GH World Tour, for instance, and World Tour had major gameplay additions, too!
All or nothing: Often, there are only a few songs on a disc you are really interested in. Having to pay for the whole kit and kaboodle when you just want a handful of tunes turns you off. If those songs were available a la carte, you might be more willing to buy, but with disc based content, it's all or nothing. Many people choose nothing.
Incompatibility with other DLC: This is largely a problem unique to the Guitar Hero franchise. There have been a relatively small amount of songs released as DLC for several GH titles. With the exception of the Death Magnetic pack, none of this DLC will work in other GH games. That means if I want to play "Higher Ground", I have to play it on the GH2 engine. (That song didn't make it onto Smash Hits, incidentally.) Harmonix's method of total compatibility of DLC between games is far better. Recent news indicates this problem may be addressed in Guitar Hero 5.
Oversaturation: There is an absolute overload of music games in stores right now. An incredible amount of shelf space is taken up by games that feature what is almost the exact same gameplay. This cannot be good for the game industry as a whole. If you walk into a typical retail store, you will find dozens of music game discs, bundles, standalone instruments, and track packs. It's confusing enough to a veteran gamer, and it has to be even worse for the casual fan these games often appeal to. It might even drive potential buyers away.
Next week, we'll take a look at downloadable content. How do the pros and cons stack up? Is DLC the way to go, or does disc based content come out ahead? Most importantly, what are your thoughts about the issue?