Rumorong: New Guitar Hero peripheral not a keyboard

by Christopher Grant { Aug 26th 2008 at 10:45AM }

Remember when Neversoft's Brian Bright allegedly told G4 that a new peripheral was coming to Guitar Hero World Tour, and G4 speculated it would, in fact, be a keyboard? We had a chance to talk to the very same Brian Bright who told us that "a keyboard controller deserves to be introduced with its own game. This is something we're thinking about." B-b-b-but what about all the keyboard section in the song creator? Bright says, "there are reasons why we haven't included a keyboard controller." He elaborates that not all of the songs have keyboard parts so, "adding a keyboard controller would either have limited our choices, or the players."

... so Keyboard Hero: Billy Joel confirmed? Check out the full interview for more on World Tour's song creation system.

Tags: Activision, BreakingNews, Brian-Bright, Guitar-Hero, Guitar-Hero-World-Tour, Keyboard, Keyboard-Hero-Billy-Joel, Neversoft, Rumorang

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

sldtrap @ Aug 26th 2008 10:50AM

My bet's on the accordion peripheral. Bring the Weird Al songs!

Photoshop THAT one, boys & girl!

shadowchaoscontrol @ Aug 26th 2008 10:54AM

we already have an accordion for the ds

Shignami @ Aug 26th 2008 11:08AM

Or some They might be giants.

J @ Aug 26th 2008 11:45AM

Or some Gogol Bordello! Do that and I might actually pick this up.

Mr.ESC @ Aug 26th 2008 1:02PM

Keyboard Hero: Billy Joel And Accordion Hero:Weird Al I would totally buy that.

moosepants @ Aug 26th 2008 10:57AM

I hope it's a trumpet. I want to get my ska on.

Habiib @ Aug 26th 2008 12:12PM

Trumpet Hero: Chicago Edition comes to mind

Wiinterfang @ Aug 26th 2008 10:57AM

Oh I can't believe it, They forgot the onions.

sldtrap @ Aug 27th 2008 12:07PM

Indeed! Maybe I remembered the article subliminally.

Christian @ Aug 26th 2008 10:58AM

Its obvious, they will introduce a Triangle. Finally someone giving my instrument of choice some love.

Monkeydog @ Aug 26th 2008 11:04AM

I hope it's an accordian.

I need to get my TMBG and Decemberists fill in musical games.

Sabata @ Aug 26th 2008 11:51AM

High five for Decemberists

Shignami @ Aug 26th 2008 11:08AM

How will we manage to play more Queen without a keyboard?

HOW NEVERSOFT? HOW?

sldtrap @ Aug 27th 2008 12:11PM

Truly... The Doors never had a lead guitar. They used one of those 70's funky organs. That's a keyboard.

PS. Keep your John Holmes jokes to yourselves about my "70's funky organs" line! ;^)

NekoMode @ Aug 26th 2008 11:14AM

Cowbell! Needa moar cowbell!

Nephus @ Aug 27th 2008 8:35AM

awww... there goes my comment. =(

Edge @ Aug 26th 2008 11:15AM

That didn't stop them from doing the opening to Through the Fire and the Flames, did it?

tooPrime @ Aug 26th 2008 12:30PM

Ugg... how many times does this need repeating, IT'S A SPANISH ACOUSTIC GUITAR IN STUDIO, it's keyboard live. Sorry for the caps. Anyway, Hamonix has done much worse with charting non lead guitar or even rhythm guitar instruments. Frankenstein had a saxophone charted, Smokin' you played the organ half the time, some NIN songs you played synthesizer the entire time, a large number of the GH2 songs featured extensive rhythm guitar, and honestly a little synthesizer here and there isn't the end of the world. The fake plastic guitars bear more resemblance to a synthesizer than they do a real guitar anyway.

Erluti @ Aug 26th 2008 11:17AM

Clearly, the game we want is not "Keyboard Hero", but rather -

KEYTAR HERO

My friends and I have dreamed of that since the original guitar hero.

thrillho @ Aug 26th 2008 11:28AM

It's probably an effects pedal

Shmil @ Aug 26th 2008 11:42AM

it's probably just a tambourine so there can be that 5th person just standing to the side contributing essentially nothing...essentially a second bassist

Shagittarius @ Aug 26th 2008 12:11PM

Its prolly just that auto-calibration camera tool thing like Rock Band 2 will have.

Synthex @ Aug 26th 2008 12:15PM

If they put Jean Michel Jarre Songs in there I would totally buy this

Laser123454321 @ Aug 26th 2008 12:18PM

I am forced due to Bemani Fanboy Law to mention that konami did that already:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboardmania

And also I am required to mention:
"Keyboardmania 3rdMIX has a linking feature with Drummania 4thMIX/GUITARFREAKS 5thMIX and Drummania 5thMIX/GUITARFREAKS 6thMIX with a dozen songs."

Meaning that it plays with a guitar game and a drum game.

But Keytar hero would be epic!

Fat Cat Lim @ Aug 26th 2008 2:18PM

Yeah, but note that the KeyboardMania series never really took off after the 3rd game. Some songs didn't use the keyboard, and the 24-key interface meant it wasn't beginner-friendly. Furthermore, an arcade would need a lot of floor space to accommodate the guitar, drum AND keyboard cabinets.

Although I used to play the organ and the song selection for the KeyboardMania series was stellar, the 24-key interface meant it had limited appeal among players due to its added complexity, dexterity, and difficulty when playing scales on screen.

So I'm not surprised if the keyboard isn't to be included in the upcoming World Tour. A simpler control interface such as the Beatmania's 5 - 7 key interface would be more doable and achievable.

D_Average @ Aug 26th 2008 12:20PM

Dang

andrew @ Aug 26th 2008 12:27PM

http://www.play.com//ProductOutline.aspx?title=5816993&r=X360

could it be the bass guitar as listed with play.com

DCBlack @ Aug 26th 2008 12:38PM

Keyboard Hero: Billy Joel? I'd buy it!

FOXHOUND @ Aug 26th 2008 1:47PM

Screw you all, it's all about the Kazoo. The only instrument more annoying than those godawful 'recorder flutes' that they make the even more annoying public school elementary kids play for their parents.

Jamie @ Aug 26th 2008 1:48PM

"Bright says, "there are reasons why we haven't included a keyboard controller." He elaborates that not all of the songs have keyboard parts so, "adding a keyboard controller would either have limited our choices, or the players.""

Well what other instruments are in all of the songs, but isn't already included in GH4?

I can't think of any...

Mixing desk hero?

Bluebrake @ Aug 26th 2008 1:59PM

This quote is talking about a playable instrument peripheral though, whereas the rumor was about a song-creator only peripheral. I don't know if you can draw much from this interview.

I hope they'll at least consider letting us hook up a midi keyboard through the game's midi port. It would make song creation a hell of a lot easier.

Hafk @ Aug 26th 2008 3:47PM

They are. It's a confirmed feature of the World tour drumset. It has a midi port, for using actual instruments such as e-drums and keyboards for the creator.

Brian Bright also said it worked for Rock Band 1 and 2, but don't quote me on that. Not sure if it is true, I just remember seeing something like it in a post by him on the official GH forums.