It’s too early to say yet, but there is a possibility that Guitar Hero may make a comeback at some point in the future. That’s according to Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who mentioned the series recently.
All said in a leaked interview
In a report from Windows Central, a leaked interview between Kotick and British actor James Corden discussed the possible future of Activision. The information comes just as the company is due to close a deal in which Microsoft will be acquiring the Call of Duty and Overwatch company.
Among other things, Kotick spoke about possible technological innovations for gaming in the future. There were discussions about research, AI and machine learning capabilities, and data analytics.
Looking ahead to what’s on the horizon, Kotick then dropped the name Guitar Hero into a conversation about Activision’s back catalog. “The re-emergence of Guitar Hero and other things would not be possible without the different types of resources,” said Kotick. “And so, you know, just the endless possibilities for the future that are just incredibly exciting.”
This suggests that the once-popular rhythm series could be making a return or is at least on Kotick’s mind. However, it’s best to temper expectations for now, but many will be eager to know whether the franchise will surface again.
Beginning with the first installment in 2005, Guitar Hero became a worldwide phenomenon. The third entry alone – Legends of Rock – generated over $1 billion in revenue, becoming one of the best-selling games of 2007.
Sadly, while subsequent games were successful – such as the Aerosmith and Metallica games – the series’ popularity dropped off before the end of the first decade in the 2000s. Numerous spin-offs, such as DJ Hero, and competing brands from the likes of Rock Band meant the era of music-based gaming loaded with plastic accessories quickly became a saturated market.
However, in the current climate of remakes and reboots, it’s likely that many would love to see a return to Guitar Hero, for nostalgia if nothing else.
As it stands, we don’t know what Kotick or Activision Blizzard has in store for the series, but there’s hope it’ll see the light of day one more time.
