Bandai Namco’s Taiko no Tatsujin series of drum-based rhythm games has appeared on every major console this generation, but none more than Nintendo Switch. Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival marks the franchise’s fourth Switch entry. This installment kicks things up a notch with the new 4-player co-op DON-Chan Band mode, the addictive G...
The causes of the great video game crash of 1983 were complex, but over-saturation of the market and poor quality game releases were major factors in the outcome. In the past two years, the once thriving music game industry went through a similar downturn. At one point, the genre seemed invincible, and yet it still crashed, hard. The similarities between the great video game crash of 1983 and the demise of the music genre are impossible to ignore.
Harmonix has confirmed that there will be no new Rock Band game this year. They have no immediate plans for a sequel, but are currently working on new concepts to advance the Rock Band franchise. The good news for all you Rock Band fans out there is that there's plenty of DLC planned for this year instead. Reportedly, tracks from Ozzy Osbourne, Lady Gaga, and the Foo Fighters are planned to be available for download later this month.
You may recall Activision announcing a couple months back that no further DLC would be released for the Guitar Hero franchise. Desperate fans cried out across the interweb, and the powers that be relented, releasing more new songs to download once again. Alas, even the reprieve turned out to be quite brief, and no more DLC is scheduled to be released.
Harmonix has long set atop the music game pecking order, and Rock Band 3 is another very strong effort. The gameplay we've enjoyed for years is as good as ever, and arguably the best it has ever been. But the inclusion of an entirely new instrument and Pro mode are Rock Band 3's true focus.
We've got a couple bits of news for you after Rock Band 3's release earlier this week. Ever been listening to the radio, hear a cool song, and think, "Wow, that would be awesome to play in Rock Band. I wonder if it's available?" But, you aren't close to your console to check it out? There's now an app for that, albeit an unofficial one. Called the "RB Song List", the app is free. Now you'll be able to see whether "Wipe Out" is available in Rock Band anywhere you go.
If you like your music games with a bit less metal and a bit more crossfading, you'll be glad to know that DJ Hero 2 is on store shelves starting today. Up to two turntables and a vocalist can team up to... er, spin that record, babe. If you're undecided about the game, you can try a browser based demo, using the mouse and keyboard to simulate the true turntable experience. It's actually pretty fun by itself, though I can't compare it to the real controller as I've never used one.
If you've been following the yearly to bi-yearly releases of music games, you know the genre is becoming increasingly competitive. But could the over saturation of music titles be signaling a change in consumers wants? Cowen and Company analyst Doug Creutz has put Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock sales numbers at 89,000 units for the first 5 days following launch. It may not sound that bad, but lets look at some perspective.
In many ways, Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock resembles another iteration of the franchise, Guitar Hero 3. Both have questionable subtitles, increased difficulty, and added traditional gaming elements to the established music game formula. Does the latest Guitar Hero stand on its own as a solid game?
Guitar Hero may have just released a new title, but there's only one game on the minds of discerning music game fans this fall: Rock Band 3. As the anticipation for the new Rock Band increases, the platform itself has reached a major milestone: as of next week, 2000 songs will be available to play in game, whether via game disc, export, or DLC. The 2000th song, "Are You Experienced?" is from a real guitar hero: Jimi Hendrix. I can't think of a better track to have such an honor. You can download this track and the rest of the Are You Experienced? album on October 12.
Here it is late September, and we have our first Guitar Hero release of 2010. Hard to believe, after the multiplicity of releases in 2009, isn't it? Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock boasts a large playlist, a shredding Quest mode, and promises a return to the roots of the series. If that's not enough for you, there are some impressive incentives to sweeten the deal available for early buyers.
