Guitar Hero Subscription Fee Could Be in the Works
How much could it cost?
Activision let slip that they are looking into charging players for their online services. One possibility may involve Guitar Hero, and it actually sounds like something gamers could get behind.
Red Octane, the company behind all those plastic band peripherals everyone loves to play fake band with, says it is interested in creating such a subscription service with Activision. Kai Huang, Red Octane’s founder, stated that it is “definitely one of the things we would love to do. There are a lot of issues around music licensing. Consumers want it; I know I want it. We’re trying to make that happen.”
So instead of purchasing tracks and so-called Track Packs, users would ideally be able to download all DLC provided they are paying their monthly dues. What do you think? Is this the next big step for rhythm games, or a horrible idea that should never be implemented?
[Source]
14 Responses to “Guitar Hero Subscription Fee Could Be in the Works”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
November 25th, 2009 at 6:07 AM
Mmm, nothing I love more then paying for subscriptions after the extra $10 on MW2. It’s like I’m really a money tree ready for Kotick to hire Mexicans to pluck me.
November 25th, 2009 at 7:05 AM
These people make games every freaking year. Not just 1 or 2 for an individual platform but like 3-5.
I don’t think it’s going to work out though. There’s still a segment of the fan base that don’t have internet and rely on track pack like disks. I just don’t see them carrying on 3 or more different purchasing models, multiple game line ups, all the infastructure, and just having all these self competing methods to deliver content.
I’d perfer to buy the tracks i like however. Because sometimes you do go a month without playing a game, then suddenly want to play for 1 day and then you have your stuff. Plus I think it’d be too hard to make a backwards compatible model that allows you to keep your paid and subscription content. Not to mention the hard drive space required for all of these tracks at 50MB per track.
The ONLY way I could see something like this happening, would maybe be a self contained unit. Like a guitar that you plug into the t.v. and it uses a wifi signal or something to download the DLC you want to play as long as your account is registered, and it could have a few gigs of storage and have to be connected online at all times to play.
Maybe some sort of adaptation like that where it would allow you to download songs in the set list while you’re playing it, and it’s all self contained.
I don’t know if my idea would even be feasible or rational, but what I do know is that Activision will try to expand its profitability, but I don’t think it’ll be in a good way. I think what ever they decide will be an “F U” to the hardcore.
November 25th, 2009 at 7:44 AM
If this works, Activision will look like geniuses and other gaming companies will step in to do the same to their online play. What would stop EA from doing that? Instead of paying all that money for those NCAA and Madden add-ons, why not just pay a subscription?
I hope this fails, for the sake of online play. The PSN is FREE. As of right now, I can play any game that has online play for free. I want to keep it that way. If the PSN decides to go the “paid subscription” route, I will listen. But I won’t pay Activision another dime.
November 25th, 2009 at 7:46 AM
[...] like something gamers could get behind. Red Octane, the company behind all those plastic … , (view [...]
November 25th, 2009 at 8:23 AM
let me respond in a south park manner by saying “F***A YOU KOTICK AND A F***A YOU RED OCTANE!” Paying £99 per song is ok becasue if you were buying it off anything else you’ld have to pay roughly the same (possibly even more) i’m so glad i’m playing rock band unplugged and not guitar hero unplugged.
November 25th, 2009 at 11:10 AM
as long as they dont decide this is a great idea for all activision games thats ok. This actually would be a good idea, I’m sure rock band enthusiasts would pay a monthly fee and get all the tracks then down load them seperatly.
November 25th, 2009 at 3:04 PM
I think I would prefer to keep paying per track just because if there is a month that I don’t like any of the released songs I would have wasted that subscription money. The only way I think I would do it is if they ALWAYS tell me what songs will be released that month before my subscription fees are due…of course, I’m a Rock Band fan because I hate Activision and Guitar Hero so I won’t have to worry about it for now.
November 25th, 2009 at 3:30 PM
the problem with the subscription fee’s is the actual concept…
in saying its bad you over look all the flaws on their side…
the way psn is coded nothing is retroactive, people whom get sony to deactivate all accounts, many of the people that traded with them prior *if you pulled it off* then they dont lose the content *according to what they say* if thats the case then they MUST figure out how to make them expire
so if you pay for 1 month you can get all the songs, and BAM you can get them all and never have to worry about it since youll have so many songs to fill ya =3, if they limit you then well whats the difference XD
November 25th, 2009 at 3:52 PM
@victorinox
Could you now put that post into a coherent, understandable dialogue please? It’s total and utter gobbledeegook at best! :-s
November 25th, 2009 at 4:44 PM
@xst-angerx
LOL i read that and thought the exact same thing, but you beat me to it.
November 25th, 2009 at 8:15 PM
This makes TOTAL sense. We know how much Activision is struggling after the measly sales that MW2 had.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:05 AM
IMO, this only works if they allow people to continue to buy songs and track packs the way they do now. I only get em if it’s a song I like, so I don’t want to pay a fee so I can download all the songs I don’t want.
November 26th, 2009 at 6:46 AM
Activision can chew on a rubber *****.
I really wanted to support the dev for MW2, but there was an Activision pig in my way.
November 28th, 2009 at 6:14 AM
screw this. change is really going to fuck with the system, hard core. I hate companies trying to squeeze more money, it’s ridiculous.