Major Nelson announced 3 “song packs” for the 360 version of Guitar Hero II this morning, available now for the price of 500 points (or 6.25 USD). This works out to more than two dollars a song, and all for tracks that were previously available on the PS2. That’s right kids, no new songs, and no a la carte option to buy the songs you want without having to pay up for ones you’re rather not. If this is where Red Octane and Activision are planning on going with downloadable content for the title (as Microsoft aren’t the ones making the calls on what Activision and Red Octane release or how they price it outside of certain amounts), then I hope they’re sorely disappointed by the return they get. Guitar Hero isn’t Madden, and while it does appeal to a casual audience, it’s a casual audience that has very likely already invested about 150 dollars in the product, as opposed to 60. Combine that with the defective guitars manufactured by Red Octane that are likely going to be part of a recall, and it’s becoming painfully clear why Harmonix jumped ship once their contractual obligations were met. At least the 360 guitars will work for Rock Band.

-Aegies

update: Andrew Pfister of 1UP has some additional commentary, and unsurprisingly puts it better than I do, especially when it comes to motivations and lack thereof to really push the DLC model in a new direction:

The only thing Activision forgot to throw in here was the Ticketmaster sponsorship.

“But what about new songs?”

Yes, the potential for downloading completely new songs to the 360 exists. But consider the following:

In April, 9 GH1 songs are released. If the pattern holds, May will see 9 more. June brings the tally to 27, and throw in the last pack of three before July.

July, August, September…that’s three months to fill before “autumn,” and what happens then?

Guitar Hero III. Available for your PS3, PS2, Wii, and Xbox 360. New songs, new features, and another $50 from your wallet.

There’s more at his blog. I suggest you check it out if you care about these things.

There have been plenty of rumors for quite a while now, but this morning Harmonix and their new corporate overlords lifted the curtain a bit to formally announce the spiritual (and conceptual) successor to their much beloved Guitar Hero franchise: Rock Band.

“Harmonix was founded to create new ways for everyone to experience the pleasure and satisfaction that comes from playing music. Our work on Guitar Hero was an instrumental step toward that goal,” stated Alex Rigopulos, co-founder and CEO of Harmonix. “But Rock Band is Harmonix’s most ambitious project to date, and it will take music gameplay to an entirely new level. MTV has given us the freedom and the resources to really swing for the fences and make the game we’ve always wanted to make.”

Basically, it starts with the tenets of Guitar Hero, but now with Drums, Bass, and Vocals added to the mix. Harmonix has been cagey regarding the cost of the game and it’s peripherals, but I’m anticipating somewhere between “an arm and a leg” and “a vital organ”. Here’s hoping the separation from Red Octane, who still owns the rights to Guitar Hero and are continuing the series, as developed by Neversoft, was amicable enough to support the use of those new 360 guitars.

All in all, it’s an interesting prospect, but the real test will be whether it includes a robust online element or not; rather than the standard multiplayer/competition, I’m picturing globally dispersed Rock Band supergroups. You know, a drummer from Sweden, a lead guitarist from Mexico City, a bassist from, say, Detroit, and a singer from the UK? Or maybe you’re an awesome hired gun on lead, and different “bands” try to poach you from each other. This would be the kind of paradigm shift that would push not just the game, but Games with a capital “G” forward. I’m dying to see what they have to show us.

-Aegies