Story Tools: PRINT | Text Size: S M L XL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACK

E3: Konami can’t keep time in the music game wars

Thursday, July 17, 2008 | 12:33 PM ET

By Mathew Kumar, Special to CBCnews.ca

LOS ANGELES - Guitar Hero versus Rock Band. It’s one of the biggest rivalries in the games industry right now, with new downloadable content (and upcoming revisions) desperately battling it out for mindshare. While Activision sat out E3 and chose not to show the next Guitar Hero, MTV Games and EA want to impress us so much they threw a free concert for certain lucky E3 attendees with The Who (yes, really) playing a blistering full set of their hits. Music games are a huge part of the industry now, and Konami want a piece of that pie.

With good reason, admittedly! Konami is arguably the originator of the music title - there's its Dance Dance Revolution series (of which several iterations were on show at E3), and also games such as Beatmania and Guitar Freaks that have long been a staple of the Japanese arcade scene.

Featuring instrument peripherals and beat matching gameplay, the original Guitar Hero is, frankly, a bare faced rip-off of Konami’s original idea. But it was the addition of licensed tracks that made Guitar Hero a success, something Konami never managed with releases of the DJ turntable game Beatmania in the west.

Now comes Rock Revolution.

Rock Revolution is a new full-band music game based on the beat matching gameplay Konami has used for its arcade titles (it’s almost exactly the same gameplay as Guitar Hero or Rock Band), except localized for a Western audience and featuring new music peripherals such as a drum kit with seven (yes, seven) different pads.

revolution.jpg
Rock Revolution's interface - similar but inferior to it's peers.

The problem is that perhaps because they were the ones who truly created the genre, Konami 's developers have created a game that already feels dated. The on screen interface for matching beats is unimpressive, and actually rather hard to understand (playing drums, even on Easy, is very unintuitive.) Even aspects we’ve come to take for granted – such as the ability to perform “hammer ons” when playing guitar – aren’t in the title.

It’s a shame that Konami originated a genre it ibenefiting from, but with Rock Revolution the company isn't going to change that. It’s a case of too little, too late, and if other developers want to get a piece of the music game pie, they’d be far better following Nintendo’s example by trying to do something different.

(The author is a Canadian freelance writer blogging for CBCnews.ca from the Electronics and Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.)

« Previous Post | Main | Next Post »

This discussion is now Open. Submit your Comment.

Comments

Jason

Halifax

Track list?

Posted August 20, 2008 06:46 AM

« Previous Post | Main | Next Post »

Post a Comment

Disclaimer:

Note: By submitting your comments you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that due to the volume of e-mails we receive, not all comments will be published, and those that are published will not be edited. But all will be carefully read, considered and appreciated.

Note: Due to volume there will be a delay before your comment is processed. Your comment will go through even if you leave this page immediately afterwards.

Privacy Policy | Submissions Policy

Story Tools: PRINT | Text Size: S M L XL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACK

World »

UN raises fears of civil war in Syria video
Syrian government forces renewed their assault on the rebellious city of Homs on Tuesday, activists said, as the UN human rights chief raised fears of civil war.
Moody's downgrades Italy, Portugal, Spain
Ratings agency Moody's Investor Service on Monday downgraded its credit ratings on Italy, Portugal and Spain, while France, Britain and Austria kept their top ratings but had their outlooks dropped to "negative" from "stable."
new U.S. gets 1st hard look at future China leader
Washington gets its first hard look Tuesday at Xi Jinping, the man destined to lead China in the coming decade, during which the global powers probably will see their economic ties grow.
more »

Canada »

Mandatory gun sentence struck down by Ontario judge video
An Ontario Superior Court judge has struck down a mandatory minimum sentence for a first offence of possessing a loaded firearm.
HMCS Corner Brook collision damage extensive video
The damage done to HMCS Corner Brook when it hit the ocean floor off B.C.'s coast last summer was more extensive than first reported, CBC News has learned by obtaining exclusive pictures of the submarine.
photos O Canada! 12 Flag Day stories of patriotism
Ahead of tomorrow's Flag Day celebrations, our readers shared some of their proudest Canadian moments. Here are some of the best.
more »

Politics »

Online surveillance critics siding with child porn: Toews video
Critics of a bill that would give law enforcement new powers to access Canadians' electronic communications are aligning themselves with child pornographers, Canada's public safety minister says.
Canada dropping the ozone ball, scientists warn
Leading atmospheric scientists are warning that Canada's cuts to its ozone monitoring program are already having effects on the world's ability to monitor air quality and ozone depletion.
NDP leadership race heats up with conflicting polls
The sleepy NDP leadership race has heated up with the release of competing poll results and a surprise endorsement from the late Jack Layton's mother.
more »

Health »

Chronic fatigue may be reversed with exercise
Taking it easy is not the best treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome, rather exercise and behaviour therapy are, a large study finds.
AT&T buys T-Mobile USA for $39B US
AT&T Inc. said Sunday it will buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom AG in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $39 billion US, becoming the largest cellphone company in the U.S.
Milky Way home to 50 billion planets: NASA
Scientists have compiled the first cosmic census of planets in our galaxy: at least 50 billion planets are estimated to call the Milky Way home.
more »

Arts & Entertainment»

Whitney Houston's body now at N.J. funeral home video
Whitney Houston's body has been flown from Los Angeles to New Jersey, where her family is making arrangements for a funeral at the end of the week.
Tintin in the Congo ban tossed by Belgian court
A Belgian court has rejected a claim that Tintin in the Congo is racist and tossed a request to withdraw the controversial comic book.
CBC digital music service launched video audio
CBC is diving into the world of online music with the goal of providing listeners access to their favourite tunes, and a way to discover new artists and connect with fellow music fans.
more »

Technology & Science »

Online surveillance critics siding with child porn: Toews video
Critics of a bill that would give law enforcement new powers to access Canadians' electronic communications are aligning themselves with child pornographers, Canada's public safety minister says.
Canada dropping the ozone ball, scientists warn
Leading atmospheric scientists are warning that Canada's cuts to its ozone monitoring program are already having effects on the world's ability to monitor air quality and ozone depletion.
Ban Wi-Fi in classroom, Ontario teachers union urges
The Ontario English Catholic Teacher's Association says computers in all new schools should be hardwired instead of setting up wireless networks, citing safety concerns.
more »

Money »

Moody's downgrades Italy, Portugal, Spain
Ratings agency Moody's Investor Service on Monday downgraded its credit ratings on Italy, Portugal and Spain, while France, Britain and Austria kept their top ratings but had their outlooks dropped to "negative" from "stable."
U.S. bank reforms could hurt Canadians, Flaherty fears
Canada's finance minister and the governor of the Bank of Canada have formally complained to their American counterparts that proposed banking reforms could harm Canadian banks, business, investors and the government itself.
Air Canada in talks with pilots as deadline nears
Air Canada says that talks with the union representing 3,000 pilots are scheduled to continue this week and it remains confident a work stoppage can be avoided as a key deadline approaches.
more »

Consumer Life »

Honda recalls Fit subcompacts
Honda Canada says it will recall 14,640 of its 2009 and 2010 Fit subcompact cars to replace lost motion springs.
U.S. travel fee proposal criticized by Harper
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he doesn't think much of a new border tax that's being proposed by the United States, calling it a cash grab designed to help a budget crisis.
Bell class action suit approved by Que. court
A Quebec Superior Court judge has authorized a class action lawsuit to go ahead against Bell Mobility.
more »

Sports »

Scores: NHL NBA

Canucks' shootout win moves team closer to West lead
Ryan Kesler scored the shootout winner Monday as the Vancouver Canucks continued their bid for the Western Conference lead with a 2-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. David Booth scored the Canucks' regulation goal and again in the shootout as the team closed to within two points of the idle Detroit Red Wings atop the West and have a game in hand.
Hurricanes snap Canadiens' 4-game win streak video
Jaroslav Spacek scored in his return to Montreal as the Kirk Muller-led Carolina Hurricanes snapped the Montreal Canadiens' four-game winning streak with a 5-3 victory on Monday.
Bruins goalie Thomas posts Coolidge quote to Facebook
Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas posted a quote from former U.S. president Calvin Coolidge on his Facebook page Monday, the latest in a string of messages that have brought attention to him.
more »

Diversions »

[an error occurred while processing this directive]
more »