Is It Feasible That Call Of Duty Could End Up Like Guitar Hero?
See Full ImageEA took the jab a while back, hinting that Activision's mega-blockbuster Call of Duty franchise could follow in Guitar Hero's unfortunate footsteps.
The implication is that Activision ran the once-billion-dollar music franchise into the ground by flooding the market with not-so-new titles and spin-offs. At the time, Guitar Hero was the king of the massively popular music/rhythm genre, which also included major competition in Rock Band. But the pricey bundles and sheer number of installments with "Hero" in the title over-saturated the market and Guitar Hero went from making billions to barely hauling in a few hundred million...and that was only in the span of a couple years.
Currently, as gigantic as Call of Duty is right now, could the same thing potentially happen again? There's only one CoD entry each year and popularity shows no sign of tailing off (unless you count the fact that Modern Warfare 3 has yet to beat Black Ops in terms of lifetime sales), and there are no CoD spin-offs. Well...none yet. Sledgehammer is back on the radar with their mysterious CoD effort. That would qualify as a spin-off, right? Is that the start of multiple entries in the near future? And if so, are we once again looking at over-saturation?
Well, I'm going to say no. Thing is (and I said this at the very start of the plastic instrument craze), the music/rhythm fascination was a fad. Although it appeared to have staying power on the surface, most serious hardcore gamers weren't clamoring for every new Guitar Hero release. It was more of a casual/party experience, while Call of Duty - as much as I may not like to admit it - doesn't fall into the same category. It's a shooter and as such, has its roots in industry history; shooters have been popular since Wolfenstein and that's just the way it is. Shooters aren't a fad.
So unless Activision completely and totally mishandles the franchise, I don't see it taking a colossal nosedive like Guitar Hero. There were extenuating circumstances in the latter instance, even if it's absolutely true that CoD can't remain top dog forever...
Tags: call of duty, guitar hero, cod, activision, gaming industry
6/11/2012 11:40:37 AM Ben Dutka
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Comments (46 posts)
Underdog15
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 12:25:44 PM
0 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 12:34:08 PM
Trying to make a joke, is all.
Last edited by Beamboom on 6/11/2012 3:56:35 PM
2 up, 1 down
Underdog15
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 12:48:56 PM
Wouldn't be a "reader" contest at all when it involves not reading the article in order to respond that way!
Anyways, no one has done it yet. *cry*
Last edited by Underdog15 on 6/11/2012 12:51:39 PM
0 up, 1 down
Beamboom
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 1:20:25 PM
Last edited by Beamboom on 6/11/2012 3:55:52 PM
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Ludicrous_Liam
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 1:22:53 PM
EDIT: ZOMG UNDERDOG HAZ NEW AVATAR!1!!
Last edited by Ludicrous_Liam on 6/11/2012 1:24:51 PM
3 up, 1 down
Underdog15
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 1:39:00 PM
@Liam
I promised I would!
Last edited by Underdog15 on 6/11/2012 1:40:10 PM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 2:01:10 PM
0 up, 0 down
Ludicrous_Liam
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 5:54:24 PM
(I dare you to edit it again.)
Now, about the prize: GIMMEH!
0 up, 2 down
H0TSHELLZ
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 12:08:05 PM
Reply
COD will never go away, its just too BIG and as much as people dont believe it COD has changes with every entry that bring something new. Even without a new engine, they make upgrades to the current one which satisfy the hunger.
0 up, 12 down
sniperflash
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 12:10:31 PM
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CH1N00K
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 12:13:58 PM
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If the popularity of COD goes down, it means that all fps game sales will drop too. Which I wouldn't necessarily mind. If fps sales drop, it means that a new genre would be gaining popularity. I'm not a huge fps guy, so I look forward to something new being available on the shelves.
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telly
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 12:23:24 PM
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So no, I don't think CoD is going anywhere any time soon.
1 up, 1 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 2:50:23 PM
Don't make it sound like everyone growing up in the US wanted to play with guns. That depends a lot on the generation; my generation wasn't that way, and to an even greater extent, neither was the 60s generation.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 6/11/2012 2:50:50 PM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 2:57:42 PM
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Killa Tequilla
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 3:57:37 PM
2 up, 0 down
telly
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 5:17:46 PM
@Ben, I disagree with your take on fictional gun violence in our generation. Military-inspired fictional violence seemed especially big. I'm about the same age as you(31) and I had quite a few toy guns, most of them vaguely military-inspired. GI Joe was huge in the 80s, was it not? That was a portrayal of American military forces as the ultimate force for good and was a huge influence on, and reflection of, the times. Literally every male friend I can remember from my 80s childhood ran around with toy guns, army men, toy tanks, G.I. Joes, etc., and I grew up in a decidedly anti-(real) gun community and home. I'm sure there were exceptions, obviously. But toy guns were definitely HUGE.
In fact, I think the broader pop culture then catered a lot to those of us who really dug fictional gun violence. This was the decade that gave us Red Dawn! And the A-Team! And Schwarzenegger! I think that whole desire for good guy/bad guy gun action still exists, but now it's very prevalent in video games, and much less so in movies. We don't really see many 80s-style action movies anymore, but I think you DO see those sorts of unabashed power fantasies in games. I've thought for a while that Call of Duty, Gears of War, etc. are really this generations Schwarzenegger action movies -- we don't get that stuff at the cinema, but we get it in video games instead.
Mind you, really not trying to knock the desire of some to be the hero in a war setting, just saying it's definitely there and that's a HUGE part of the appeal of Call of Duty. Video games provide lots of wish fulfillment opportunities, certainly including "rock star," (well, used to anyway), and violence of MANY sorts. But the gun-toting good guy "simulation" (using this term very loosely here), especially with a military tilt, is maybe the biggest, most evergreen fantasy of all. I think CoD's continued success is testament to that.
Not disagreeing with your points, either -- Rock Band/Guitar Hero was super-gimmicky, totally a one-note (no pun intended) experience, expensive, fad controller-based experience, and CoD certainly benefits from the LONG history of shooters in various forms in the medium. But I stand by my points too :)
@World, that was an off-the-cuff post but I should have clarified I was talking a bit more about military gun violence, which is just a huge topic of interest in the U.S., be that regarding current tech, military history, etc. I don't sense the same sort of fetishizing in Japan of the Japanese army because, well, they don't really have one :) Now OTHER forms of violence...
1 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 5:31:46 PM
2 up, 0 down
Russell Burrows
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 12:25:11 PM
Reply
Or.
Play Dust 514 for FREE!!!!
The Freemium model is going to cut into traditional FPS economic models.
3 up, 1 down
Temjin001
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 12:25:55 PM
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slugga_status
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 1:04:35 PM
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Seems like there's a growing problem with bugs and MP fixes that go unaddressed. Just my opinion from the outside looking in..MW2 was the last one I bought..BO and MW3 don't feel much different..
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Underdog15
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 1:11:19 PM
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Tis' the circle of gaming life!
But no... for as long as CoD stays accessible, people will continue to invest.
Ben's right as well about Guitar Hero being based on a bit of a gimmick. The point about it not being an already established genre is a great point. It was the boy band of video games.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 6/11/2012 1:12:39 PM
1 up, 1 down
LimitedVertigo
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 1:18:57 PM
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I think COD has plenty of footing left it in thanks to being a FPS. I'd love for a few years from now to have the same remembrance of COD like I now have with Guitar Hero. Dead and gone.
2 up, 0 down
Ludicrous_Liam
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 1:32:01 PM
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*convincingly - England beating them in the manner we did doesn't count :P
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frylock25
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 1:50:32 PM
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some might say the same of assassins creed. but now that we have seen the graphic leap for assassins creed 3 every one knows they were working to make the game better. ac games have long single player games as well as now a good multiplayer.
2 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 2:03:56 PM
Reply
1 up, 0 down
CH1N00K
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 2:35:27 PM
Last edited by CH1N00K on 6/11/2012 2:35:55 PM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 3:00:36 PM
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Lawless SXE
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 2:16:49 PM
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Even if they remain the top seller, it'll still lose market share as its core audience moves away to try new things.
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Squirrelicus
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 4:42:34 PM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 4:49:51 PM
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2 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 5:32:26 PM
1 up, 0 down
CH1N00K
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 5:44:37 PM
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Ludicrous_Liam
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 5:48:08 PM
I enjoyed parts of KZ3 - mainly the scrapyard and the snow levels - but the story was just so unbelievable bad...and I mean BAD!
KZ2 was much the better game, in terms of gameplay, graphics & story. The slower paced gameplay, the dark, weather hardened, twisted look of Helgan & the decent storyline are all the reasons why it was better. KZ3 just felt like it was rushed to me.
I still found it fun though, & sure it does look pretty. Splitscreen coop is awesome too.
1 up, 0 down
Fane1024
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 7:20:00 PM
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As a fan of Rock Band, I kind of hope GH remains defunct, so all those still interested in music games (and there are still many) will continue to switch to the superior franchise, but I guess any reminder that these games are *really fun* is good.
Call of what now?
Last edited by Fane1024 on 6/11/2012 7:22:25 PM
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farfus
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 12:31:16 AM
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ulsterscot
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 6:08:34 AM
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I think this free to play model coming to the PS3 with Dust 514 will be very interesting (and Crytek's 'Warface' on the PC) and could change the FPS genre in a big way. Hell, even a free to play COD with all the series maps in one huge free to pay model with the option of buying weapons/perks etc - they'd make a killing ...
I actually loved KZ3 - was never a fan of the heavy controls of KZ2 - it just felt too different from all my other shooters (im old and set in my ways). I played the campaign with the sharpshooter and had a blast.
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___________
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 6:37:19 AM
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COD will never end up like GH simply because it has a much higher replay value.
people play COD for a year, 2 years straight non stop!
id love to see 1 person play guitar hero for 2 years straight non stop without loosing their mind!
GH fell because it was so expensive, 180 bucks for the game and a piece of plastic guitar.
and 300 bucks if you wanted the whole band experience, ie guitar, drums and microphone.
and also because no matter how much you enjoy them, no matter how much DLC and new songs you bring to it, it gets boring after a while.
thats what happened to GH, people got bored playing it and moved on.
same wont happen to COD because you cant get bored!
people have been playing online shooting people in the face for centuries!
and it has never been more popular!
0 up, 1 down
Ludicrous_Liam
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 9:37:10 AM
?
I believe you mean decades...
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Fane1024
Friday, June 15, 2012 @ 8:22:26 PM
If you really like playing something, it stays fun. If not, it doesn't.
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farfus
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 9:57:30 AM
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Laguna
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 3:17:28 PM
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I would hate for it to be an EA title that becomes the most popular game ever.
EA is worst than activision.
Right now activision makes so much that they don "need" online passes.
So they just release DLC packs. usually 3 to 4 packs $15 each.
or $50 a year.
Then we have EA who already has their games with less content that needs to be unlocked through paid DLC. They allow paid DLC that unlocks weapons and skills for you, which is ridiculous in a competitive online game.
I know this is an EA rant, but i seriously hope EA is continually losing to call of duty, because at least Call of Duty gives you more content for $60.
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Beamboom
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Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 12:07:47 PM
;)
Last edited by Beamboom on 6/11/2012 3:52:14 PM