As the impact of Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard continues to be felt across the gaming industry, fans, commentators, and developers are all speculating on what happens next. After the new partnership has addressed the abuse allegations and awful workspace culture that has seeminglybeen rampant within Activision for years, there’s reason to believe a mini-renaissance of the publisher’s IPs could be on the cards. If this turns out to be the case, aGuitar Heroreboot that channels musical nostalgia should be high up on the agenda.
Based on interviews conducted with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer since the acquisition plans were made public, it sounds as though Activision’s new owner is fully aware of the publishing house’s fall from grace when it comes to IP diversity. Having become the house thatCall of Dutybuilt, there’s a sense that more franchises and studios will be given the freedom to create the games they want. Considering Microsoft’s strategy has pivoted towards the creation of a steady stream of Game Pass ready content in recent years, a reboot ofGuitar Herowould make too much sense for the publisher to ignore.
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Microsoft’s Guitar Hero Resources
As the fallout of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard has continued to play out, more comments have been made by the parties involved regarding the events that led up the deal being put to paper. One that’s captured the imaginations of players in particular was made byActivision’s potentially outgoing CEO Bobby Kotick, in relation to the IPs that the publisher has been unable to put into production in recent years. AlongsideSkylanders, a newGuitar Heroinstallment was name-dropped as a project that Activision simply lacked the resources to make a reality.
Widespread chip shortages, supply issues, and a lack of QA manufacturing resources were all cited as obstacles that prevented Activision from creating the guitar peripheral that the theoretical rhythm game would require. With the vast resources of an organization like Microsoft now at its disposal, it’s easy to imagine most of these issues will eventually become non-existent. Even though Microsoft has had to contend with manufacturing shortages itself since the launch of the Xbox Series X and S, the situation should be greatly improved by the time that the deal is actually finalized. Havinga brand-newGuitar Heroready next year when that happens would be a great way for Microsoft to earn some good will from players.
Rhythm Game Competition
Roughly two console generations ago, it was virtually impossible to walk into a physical store without bumping into some form of music game peripheral. Thanks to the over-saturation of the rhythm game genre, both in terms of competing items and software, the landscape of the once popular corner of gaming looks far different today. Aside fromindie hits likeBeat Saberand the occasional mobile title, there’s a noticeable lack of options for players looking for a fix of music-based wish fulfillment. When it comes to games that rely on physical peripherals, there’s been even fewer options since 2015’sGuitar Hero Live.
In a lot of ways the state of the genre, and the lack of any director competitors, represents the perfectopportunity for Microsoft to bring backGuitar Hero. Considering that the franchise has sold over 25 million copies by Activision’s latest estimates, there’s plenty of players out there that a reboot could entice back into the fold with nostalgia. Having vast monetary resources at its disposal also allows Microsoft to rise above the licensing issues that have plagued recent games that feature real-world music. Because of these factors, it’s not too much of a stretch of the imagination to picture a reboot that features new songs, alongside some of the series’ most iconic hits, doing well in today’s market.
Game Pass Potential
Guitar Hero Livereleased in 2015, on PS4, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One and iOS.
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