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Competition vs. Cooperation

RedOctane’s rhythm game Guitar Hero has enjoyed a long series of successes, including the release of a third installment (Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock) which sold 1.4 million copies in the first 6 days. The sales numbers added across gaming platforms far out-grossed the Halo 3 sales for October. If you thought this niche market of “rock simulation” is tapped out though, you would be seriously mistaken.

Tuesday, November 20th marked the release of the much touted Rock Band produced by Harmonix and MTV. Rock Band is a game where you can not only play the guitar, but sing and play the drums as well. It should be interesting to see how this game’s success compares to its predecessor, when already reviewers have proclaimed it an instant classic. One blogger went so far as to say, “Guitar Hero is dead.”.

Due to the holiday season quickly approaching, I foresee Rock Band selling very well. The party aspect is extremely appealing for family settings or groups of friends. While Guitar Hero III focused on the competition element of the game (new Battle mode, online vs. play, and competitive Leaderboards), I believe the cooperative elements of Rock Band will prove to be more enjoyable. When I play Guitar Hero with my friends, we often play the Co-op mode where one person plays Guitar and the other Bass. When you amplify that experience by putting 4 people together, the shared experiences will be much more memorable.