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Activision and Konami , who had previously worked together to make sure that the Guitar Hero series meets with Konami 's patents on music games , developed an arcade console version of the game , titled Guitar Hero Arcade , distributed to arcades in early 2009 . The game is completely based on the Guitar Hero III gameplay , but reducing some of the features such as the use of the Whammy bar , Star Power Button ( Star Power may only be activated by lifting the Guitar ) and Practice Modes , but keeping the ability to download new songs for the cabinet from the Internet . The arcade game has come under some scrutiny by the American Society of Composers , Authors and Publishers ( ASCAP ) , who believe the use of the game in arcades is equivalent to " public performances " and seek additional fees to be paid by operators of the game .
= = = Planned games = = =
No more Guitar Hero games were released on the PlayStation 2 after 2009 , with the double release of Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero . It was expected that the 2010 entry for Guitar Hero , Warriors of Rock , would be the final entry developed by Neversoft , based on claims that Neversoft would be letting go of its Guitar Hero division , with Vicarious Visions likely poised to take over future development . Further industry rumors pointed at the closure of RedOctane Studios and Underground Development ( the development studio for Guitar Hero : Van Halen ) as further results from the scaling @-@ back ; Activision moved the controller hardware development within their own division to continue to support the series , with RedOctane founders Kai and Charles Huang remaining with Activision . A week prior to these announcements , the Guitar Hero division CEO at Activision , Dan Rosensweig , left the company , leading to some speculation on whether Rosensweig 's departure influenced these changes . Activision and RedOctane had trademarked the titles " Guitar Villain " , " Drum Villain " , " Keyboard Hero " and " Sing Hero " . RedOctane originally trademarked the titles " Drum Hero " and " Band Hero " , but the work performed towards the Drum Hero title was eventually folded into the gameplay for Guitar Hero World Tour , and Band Hero became its own game . Later , as of October 2009 , Activision reapplied for a Drum Hero trademark . Pi Studios , which had previously helped to port Rock Band to the Wii , had started work on the karaoke title Sing Hero before Activision cancelled its development .
Dave Mustaine , frontman for Megadeth , stated he had been in talks with Activision and Neversoft for a Guitar Hero @-@ related product . It was later revealed that Dave Mustaine was working with Activision for music in Guitar Hero : Warriors of Rock , including an original track ( " Sudden Death " ) recorded specifically for the game .
Two Guitar Hero products that were announced but never released were a Red Hot Chili Peppers @-@ themed title and a PlayStation Portable title that would have featured a drum component .
= = Gameplay = =
The core gameplay of the Guitar Hero games is a rhythm game similar to Konami 's Guitar Freaks and to a lesser extent Harmonix 's previous music games such as Frequency and Amplitude . The guitar controller is recommended for play , although a standard console controller can be used instead . However , the guitar controller has been required for play ever since the inclusion of drum and vocal parts in the series . The game supports toggling the handedness of the guitar , allowing both left @-@ handed and right @-@ handed players to utilize the guitar controller .
While playing the game , an extended guitar neck is shown vertically on the screen ( the frets horizontal ) , often called the " note highway " , and as the song progresses , colored markers or " gems " indicating notes travel down the screen in time with the music ; the note colors and positions match those of the five fret keys on the guitar controller . Once the note ( s ) reach the bottom , the player must play the indicated note ( s ) by holding down the correct fret button ( s ) and hitting the strumming bar in order to score points . Success or failure will cause the on @-@ screen Rock Meter to change , showing how well the player is playing ( denoted by red , yellow , and green sections ) . Should the Rock Meter drop below the red section , the song will automatically end , with the player booed off the stage by the audience . Successful note hits will add to the player 's score , and by hitting a long series of consecutive successful note hits , the player can increase their score multiplier . There is a window of time for hitting each note , similar to other rhythm games such as Dance Dance Revolution , but unlike these games , scoring in Guitar Hero is not affected by accuracy ; as long as the note is hit within that window , the player receives the same number of points .
Selected special segments of the song will have glowing notes outlined by stars : successfully hitting all notes in this series will fill the " Star Power Meter " . The Star Power Meter can also be filled by using the whammy bar during sustained notes within these segments . Once the Star Power Meter is at least half full , the player can activate " Star Power " by pressing the select button or momentarily lifting the guitar into a vertical position . When Star Power is activated , the scoring multiplier is doubled until Star Power is depleted . The Rock Meter also increases more dramatically when Star Power is activated , making it easier for the player to make the Rock Meter stay at a high level . Thus , Star Power can be used strategically to play difficult sections of a song that otherwise might cause the player to fail . In the earlier entries of the series ( up until Guitar Hero : Aerosmith ) , activating Star Power meant that players could not accrue more Star Power until the Star Power meter was fully drained and the effect ended . Starting with Guitar Hero : World Tour , more Star Power can be collected even if the effect is active by completing more Star Power phrases , extending the Star Power 's duration by doing so . When playing in cooperative play ( with a bassist / rhythm guitarist in Guitar Hero II through Guitar Hero : Aerosmith or as a band in Guitar Hero : World Tour ) , Star Power is shared between all the players and activation of Star Power is dependent on all players simultaneously activating it .
Notes can be a single note , or composed of two to five notes that make a chord . Both single notes and chords can also be sustained , indicated by a colored line following the note marker ; the player can hold the sustained note ( s ) keys down for the entire length for additional points . During a sustained note , a player may use the whammy bar on the guitar to alter the tone of the note . Also , regardless of whether sustains are hit early or late , if the fret is held for the full duration of the hold , the game will always award the same amount of score increase for the note . In addition , the games support virtual implementations of " hammer @-@ ons " and " pull @-@ offs " , guitar @-@ playing techniques that are used to successfully play a fast series of notes by only changing the fingering on the fret buttons without having to strum each note . Sequences where strumming is not required are indicated on @-@ screen by notes with a white outline at the top of the marker instead of the usual black one , with Guitar Hero III : Legends of Rock adding a white @-@ glowing effect to make these notes clearer . Guitar Hero World Tour features transparent notes that are connected by a purple outline ; players may either simply tap the correct fret for these notes without strumming or utilize a touchpad on World Tour 's guitar controller to mimic the slide technique . In addition , notes can now be played while a sustained note is being played . World Tour also adds an open string note for bass players , represented by a line across the fret instead of any note gems , that is played by strumming without holding down any fret buttons ( the sixth installment , Warriors of Rock , features an open note sustain for bass instruments as well ) .
Guitar Hero World Tour introduced drums and vocal tracks in addition to lead and bass guitar . Drum tracks are played similar to guitar tracks ; the player must strike the appropriate drum head or step down on the bass drum pedal on the controller when the note gems pass the indicated line . Certain note gems , when using a drum controller that is velocity @-@ sensitive , are " armored " , requiring the player to hit the indicated drum pad harder to score more points . Vocal tracks are played similar to games such as Karaoke Revolution where the player must match the pitch and the pacing of the lyrics to score points . Guitar Hero 5 allows players to create a band of up to four players using any combination of instruments .
While the song is playing , the background visuals feature the players ' chosen avatar , along with the rest of the band performing in one of several real and fictional venues . The reaction of the audience is based on the performance of the player judged by the Rock Meter . Guitar Hero II added special lighting and other stage effects that were synchronized to the music to provide a more complete concert experience . The games developed by Neversoft feature a simple storyline , usually about a band 's quest for fame , which is told through animations played throughout the game . These animations were created by Chris Prynoski and his studio , Titmouse , Inc . , who have also done animations for the animated show Metalocalypse .
= = = Game modes = = =
The main mode of play in the Guitar Hero games is Career Mode , where the player and in @-@ game band travel between various fictional performance arenas and perform sets of four to six songs . It is by completing songs in this mode that the songs are unlocked for play across the rest of the game . Players can choose their on @-@ stage character , their guitar of choice , and the venue in which they wish to play . In this mode , the player can earn money from his / her performances that is redeemable at the in @-@ game store , where bonus songs , additional guitars and finishes , your characters clothing and bonus content can be unlocked . Quick Play mode is a quicker method of playing songs , as it allows the player to select a track and difficulty , selecting the character , venue , and guitar and guitar skin for the player based on the song chosen . After successfully completing a song , the player is given a score , a percentage of how many notes they hit and a rating from three to five stars , and two in rare cases depending on his / her final score on the song , with money being awarded in Guitar Hero World Tour .
The games have also added multiplayer modes . Cooperative modes allow two players to play lead and either bass or rhythm guitar on the same song , working together towards the same score . A competitive Face @-@ Off mode allows two players to play against each other at different difficulty levels , each attempting to earn the best score on a song . Each player plays different portions of the song . There is also a Pro Face @-@ Off mode , where two players battle at the same difficulty level . Unlike standard Face @-@ off , each player attempts to play all of the notes in a song , while still trying to earn the highest score . In Guitar Hero World Tour this was advanced on , as players could play a Pro Face @-@ Off game against each other on any difficulty level , the lower your difficulty , the more points were awarded so a player on a low difficulty could potentially beat a player on a more challenging difficulty . Guitar Hero III introduced Boss Battles , in which two players face off against each other , attempt to collect " distractions " to throw at their opponent , trying to make them fail . With Guitar Hero World Tour , up to four players can play cooperatively on lead and bass guitar , drums , and vocals , while a total of eight players can compete in a Battle of the Bands . The Xbox 360 , PlayStation 3 , and Wii versions of the games support multiplayer modes over their respective network services .
The four difficulty levels for each song afford the player a learning curve in order to help him / her progress in skill . The first difficulty level , Easy , only focuses on the first three fret buttons while displaying a significantly reduced amount of notes for the player to play . Medium introduces the fourth ( blue ) fret button , and Hard includes the final fret button while adding additional notes . The addition of the orange fret button forces players to move their fingers up and down the neck . Expert does not introduce any other frets to learn , but adds more notes in a manner designed to challenge the player and to simulate the player 's hands to move in a sequence similar to a real guitar . A difficulty added in World Tour is Beginner , which only requires the player to strum to the basic rhythm ; holding the fret buttons becomes unnecessary . Another new difficulty only for drums was added to Metallica known as Expert + , which uses the double bass pedal .
Guitar Hero : Warriors of Rock is the sixth installment in the franchise and introduced a new take on the Career mode of previous games . Rather than being a quest for fame and glory with the band travelling through different venues , Warriors of Rock features the " Quest Mode " as the primary campaign mode . Quest Mode tells the story of an ancient warrior who was defeated by a powerful monster and his mystical guitar was lost . The player must amass a team of rockers to help recover this guitar and defeat the monster ( called " The Beast " ) . As the player progresses through the mode , the rockers joining them will transform based on the number of stars earned from songs played . These transformations will empower the player with extra abilities in a song such as constant score multipliers or Star Power bonuses . These abilities are each unique to the individual rockers and by using them effectively , it is possible now to earn up to forty stars for a single song .
= = = Characters and customization = = =
When playing through Career mode or in other parts of the Guitar Hero games , the player has the option to select one of several pre @-@ created avatar characters , who will be shown performing on stage as the player attempts a song , but otherwise has no effect on the gameplay . A certain number of characters are available at the start of the game , but the player must spend in @-@ game money earned by successful performances to unlock other characters . Many of the characters reappear throughout the series , with the character roster changing as new characters are added or removed . Standby characters that have appeared in nearly all the games include the metalhead Axel Steel , extreme / Viking / thrash metalhead Lars Ümlaut , punk rocker Johnny Napalm , alternative rocker Judy Nails , and hard rocker Casey Lynch . The developers utilized these characters in more detail within Warriors of Rock , where each was given a unique setlist and venue based on their musical style , as well as a unique power within the game 's Quest mode .
Several games in the series feature caricatures of celebrity artists , such as Slash , Tom Morello and Bret Michaels in Guitar Hero III , Ozzy Osbourne and Jimi Hendrix in World Tour , Kurt Cobain in Guitar Hero 5 , and Taylor Swift and the band No Doubt in Band Hero . The band @-@ specific games , Aerosmith , Metallica , and Van Halen also feature the members of the respective bands . However , in late 2009 , both Courtney Love and the members of No Doubt sought legal action against Activision for the misuse of their in @-@ game characters singing or performing songs by other artists , which the musicians believe fell outside of their contract .
The ability for the players to create their own avatars was added in Guitar Hero World Tour , and was based on Neversoft 's existing character creation tools from the Tony Hawk series . Later games on the Xbox 360 and Wii allowed players to use the respective console 's avatars as members of the band . In addition to unlocking characters , in @-@ game money can be used to buy clothing , accessories and instruments that they are seen playing with . The guitars can also be customized with special finishes purchasable through the in @-@ game store . Guitar Hero World Tour includes the ability to fully customize any component of the guitar . The in @-@ game store in the series is also used to unlock bonus songs or special videos with interviews about the game or with the artists involved .
= = = Soundtracks = = =
Most of the games in the Guitar Hero series feature a selection of songs ranging from the 1960s to present day rock music from both highly successful artists and bands and independent groups . Guitar Hero Encore : Rocks the 80s features songs primarily from the 1980s , while Guitar Hero : Aerosmith , Metallica , and Van Halen feature music from the respective bands and groups that inspired or worked with the bands . Songs with profanities have been censored .
Many of the Guitar Hero games developed for the recent generation of consoles ( Xbox 360 , PlayStation 3 , and Wii ) support downloadable content , allowing players to purchase new songs to play in the respective titles . Songs each cost approximately $ 2 through the various online stores for the console 's platform . Prior to Guitar Hero 5 , downloadable content for earlier games will not work in other games in the series , save for songs from Metallica 's Death Magnetic , which were available for Guitar Hero III , World Tour , and Metallica . Existing World Tour downloadable content for World Tour will be forward @-@ compatible with Guitar Hero 5 , Band Hero and Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock , and for a small fee , some songs from both Guitar Hero World Tour and Guitar Hero Smash Hits can be exported to both Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero , limited by music licensing . Activision has also stated that they are considering a monthly subscription service to deliver downloadable content to user for future games . Guitar Hero World Tour introduced a music creation mode that will allow players to create and share songs ( excluding vocals ) via the " GHTunes " service , which was also used in all other Guitar Hero games and Band Hero since its inclusion . The creation tools were improved with Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero to allow longer songs and other means of generating songs in real @-@ time .
In the first two games and the 2007 expansion Guitar Hero Encore : Rocks the 80s , the majority of the songs on the main career mode set lists are covers of the original song ; for example , a song may be presented as " Free Bird as made famous by Lynyrd Skynyrd " . Guitar Hero III : Legends of Rock introduces a much larger range of original recordings , and World Tour featured a setlist that contained all master recordings . The covers throughout the games are mostly recreated by WaveGroup Sound who has worked before to create songs for Beatmania , Dance Dance Revolution , and Karaoke Revolution , making small changes to the guitar portions to make them more adaptable for gameplay . Almost all of the unlockable bonus songs are songs performed by the original artist for the game ( the only exception is the song " She Bangs the Drums " by The Stone Roses , which is featured in Guitar Hero III : Legends of Rock ) .
Prior to the release of Guitar Hero III : Legends of Rock , Activision worked with the iTunes Store to provide more than 1300 tracks of Guitar Hero @-@ related music across more than 20 compilations , including most of the tracks from the games in the series , called " Guitar Hero Essentials " . These compilations , such as " Killer Guitar Solos " and " Guitar Anthems of the ' 80s " , include songs related to but not contained within the Guitar Hero series . Dusty Welch of RedOctane stated , " Where there ’ s music , there ’ s Guitar Hero , and with iTunes , we are able to provide fans with a central location for downloading their favorite rock anthems . " Following the merger of Activision and Blizzard , the new company announced that it planned on creating an alternative to iTunes based on the Guitar Hero brand that would allow for downloading songs and their associated note tracks for the Guitar Hero games .
= = Reception and sales = =
Games in the Guitar Hero series have been generally well received by critics . The initial games were highly praised by reviewers . Neversoft 's first entry to the series , Guitar Hero III , was considered to be too difficult , with many difficult songs presenting players with " walls of notes " ; the developers later acknowledged this . Subsequent efforts in Guitar Hero : Aerosmith and Guitar Hero World Tour were seen to have some improvements , with Guitar Hero : Metallica considered to be a well @-@ polished title and , at that time , the best Guitar Hero title Neversoft has produced . Guitar Hero 5 's improvements toward social gameplay were complemented by reviewers and considered a further improvement upon the series . Entertainment Weekly put it on its end @-@ of @-@ the @-@ decade , " best @-@ of " list , saying , " An addictive videogame provides the illusion of musical mastery for even the least gifted : . How do you get to Carnegie Hall ? Tap , tap , tap . "
Upon release , the first game was seen as an unexpected hit , earning over US $ 45 million with about 1 @.@ 5 million copies sold . Guitar Hero II was significantly more financially successful , with over 1 @.@ 3 million copies sold and sales over US $ 200 million . Guitar Hero III , according to Activision , was the first single video game to sell more than US $ 1 billion at retail , with nearly 3 @.@ 5 million copies sold during the first seven months of 2008 . World Tour continued the series ' high sales records with 3 @.@ 4 million units sold in the United States during 2008 . More than 60 million downloadable tracks have been purchased across the series as of February 2010 . Both Guitar Hero III and World Tour were listed on a March 2011 list from the NPD Group of top grossing games in unadjusted sales in the United States since 1995 ; Guitar Hero III tops the list with total sales of $ 830 @.@ 9 million .
Overall , the Guitar Hero series has sold more than 25 million units worldwide , earning US $ 2 billion at retail . Activision claimed the series to be the 3rd largest game franchise in 2009 after the Mario and Madden NFL franchises .
= = Cultural impact = =
The Guitar Hero series has made a significant cultural impact , becoming a " cultural phenomenon " . The series has helped to rekindle music education in children , influenced changes in both the video game and music industry , has found use in health and treatment of recovering patients , and has become part of the popular culture vernacular . Several journalists , including 1UP.com , Wired , G4TV , the San Jose Mercury News , Inc . , The Guardian , and Advertising Age , considered Guitar Hero to be one of the most influential products of the first decade of the 21st century , attributing it as the spark leading to the growth of the rhythm game market , for boosting music sales for both new and old artists , for introducing more social gaming concepts to the video game market , and , in conjunction with the Wii , for improving interactivity with gaming consoles .
= = Legal and practical issues = =
= = = PlayStation 3 incompatibility = = =
Sony 's PlayStation 3 console has no compatibility with the PlayStation 2 Guitar Hero controller on the system . While Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II are fully backward @-@ compatible through the hardware PlayStation 2 emulation in the initial North American release of the console , it was impossible at launch to use the guitar controller to play either game . Kai Huang , of RedOctane , states that they are " working on that with Sony right now – looking at how we can get all the PlayStation 2 guitars that are out there , and all the owners of them , to use them on the PlayStation 3 . " Nyko , an accessories company , was poised to make a special PlayStation 2 controller adapter for the PlayStation 3 , but put the product on hold due to technical difficulties . Tac , another accessories company , also made a PlayStation 2 controller adapter for a PlayStation 3 game console so players could use their Guitar Hero guitar controllers that were made for the PlayStation 2 with a PlayStation 3 . However , the May 2007 PlayStation 3 V1.80 system update has made the guitar controller compatible with generic PlayStation 2 controller to USB adapters when playing Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II . In addition , Pelican Accessories has released a special controller adapter that supports both games , including the ability to switch the handedness of the guitar .
= = = Patent litigation = = =
Gibson Guitar Corporation , whose guitar likenesses have appeared in the Guitar Hero series from the first game to Guitar Hero Aerosmith , informed Activision on January 7 , 2008 , that it believed the games infringe its U.S. Patent 5 @,@ 990 @,@ 405 . Gibson claimed that this covers technology that simulates a concert performance via pre @-@ recorded audio and a musical instrument . In response , Activision filed a suit seeking a declaration that it was not in violation of the Gibson patent ; Activision also asserted that Gibson had given an implied license by waiting to assert the patent and that the patent was invalid . On March 17 , 2008 , Gibson sued six retailers ( GameStop , Amazon.com , Wal @-@ Mart , Target , Toys " R " Us and Kmart ) for selling Guitar Hero products . Subsequently , on March 21 , 2008 , Gibson also filed a lawsuit against EA , MTV , and Harmonix over their game Rock Band also for violation of its patent , to which a Harmonix spokesperson stated that Gibson 's claims are " completely without merit " . Activision lawyer Mary Tuck stated in their legal filings that they believe that Gibson initiated the lawsuit due to the fact that " Activision was not [ interested ] in renewing the License and Marketing Support Agreement " with Gibson Guitars . In February 2009 , the United States District Court for the Central District of California ruled against Gibson in their case against Activision , stating that the controllers are not musical instruments but " toys that represent other items " , and that Gibson 's patent only covers instruments that send out analog signals . Activision and Gibson settled the suit following this ruling .
Activision , through John Devecka , owns all of Devecka Enterprises ' US and international patents that deal with music games . All patents issued by the USPTO are presumed valid .
In February 2010 , Activision was sued by the Patent Compliance Group ( PCG ) for releasing Guitar Hero products with false patent claims , with the PCG asserting that games like Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero were marked with up to 10 patents that are not used within the games along with several other improper patent pending claims . PCG claims that " Acts of false marketing deter innovation and stifle competition in the marketplace . " PCG 's qui tam lawsuit is seeking up to $ 500 per unit sold if Activision is found liable .
= = = Oversaturation = = =
Many critics believed that the number of releases of Guitar Hero games was " milking " the brand name and oversaturating the market . PaRappa the Rapper creator Masaya Matsuura stated that the video game market was growing stale and needed to move beyond games that simply challenge the player to mimic the playing of licensed music . Ryan Geddes of IGN stated that he " hit the wall with play @-@ along music games " , and challenged the game makers to explore other ways to combine music and video games . Analysts stated that such games must continue to innovate instead of just providing more songs in order to prevent " genre fatigue " . Jesse Divnich of Electronic Entertainment and Design Research commented that , much like Dance Dance Revolution , Guitar Hero and other music games explosively grew initially due to significant new features from other games but have become stagnant due to focusing on content over features , and suggested that for the genre to continue to grow , they must look to incremental changes as done with the first @-@ person shooter genre . Former CEO for RedOctane , Kelly Sumner , believed that Activision " abused " the series , as " they tried to get too much out of the franchise too quickly " .
The series has also been criticized for its release model in contrast to the Rock Band series , causing some players to hold contempt towards Activision . Harmonix considered the Rock Band series as a " music platform " , and supported it with downloadable content and the ability to import songs from its games and expansions into most other games of the series . Critics argued that Guitar Hero should have been doing the same , either through releasing expansions that could be incorporated into the main games of the series , or by issuing the songs as downloadable content . The release of Guitar Hero : Smash Hits , reworking older songs from the series to full four @-@ instrument band support but otherwise adding no additional material , was called " the definition of ' milking ' " by reviewers , with no observable technical limitation as to why the songs could not be added as downloadable content . Ars Technica recognized that licensing issues might have limited when songs from one single game could be played in others of the series ( such as the case for The Beatles : Rock Band ) , but that such cross @-@ compatibility should have been a high priority for rhythm games . Furthermore , some expansions were praised for the additional content beyond the note @-@ matching gameplay ; Guitar Hero : Metallica is considered to be one of the series ' best works to be developed by Neversoft in part due to the care that the developers took with imaging the band and the available extras for the game . Activision later revealed that both Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero would support playing songs from both Guitar Hero World Tour ( both on @-@ disc and downloadable content ) and Guitar Hero Smash Hits , with music licensing being the only limiting factor on which songs could be made forward @-@ compatible .
The large number of Guitar Hero and Rock Band titles on the market is considered to be partially responsible for the sharp decline of music game sales in the latter half of 2009 , along with the effects of the late @-@ 2000s recession . The market for rhythm games was $ 1 @.@ 4 billion in 2008 , but dropped to $ 700 million in 2009 even though more titles were available that year . Former Neversoft project director Brian Bright noted that at one point in 2009 , they were responsible for the release of three games that year ( Guitar Hero 5 , Metallica , and Band Hero ) and supporting other studios for the development of two additional games , causing the studio to lose focus both in development and marketing efforts . According to Bright , sales of all the Guitar Hero games released in 2009 totaled the number of sales of the 2008 title World Tour , demonstrating the dilution of the marketing . Though Activision had originally planned on tripling the offerings of the Guitar Hero series in 2010 , the company readjusted their plans , reducing the number of offerings and focusing more on selling digital downloadable content for the series . Only two titles , Guitar Hero : Warriors of Rock and DJ Hero 2 were released in 2010 , both scheduled for the " back half of 2010 " . Analysts believe that the market will evolve to support a smaller number of titles each year , averaging at a " healthy " value $ 500 – 600 million in revenues annually . Kotick believed that part of the downfall of Guitar Hero was due to Activision 's introduction of DJ Hero , which they gave too much focus and left the core Guitar Hero games without the " nourishment and care " needed to continue to innovate in the series .
Activision Publishing chief executive Mike Griffith , in response to questions about Activision 's approach to the Guitar Hero market , noted that Guitar Hero continues to outsell the Rock Band series in both number of sales and revenue , with consumers continuing to buy the separate games on the market , and considered the market acceptance of the multiple games as validation for their model . Regardless , after releasing 25 different SKUs ( between games and bundle packages ) in 2009 , Activision opted to reduce that number to 10 in 2010 , recognizing the music game genre was not as profitable as it once was . Activision later opted to put future development of the series on hold in early 2011 citing weak sales in the rhythm game genre , a move that many journalists attributed to Activision 's earlier oversaturation .
= = List of games = =
All games are published by Activision , except the first Guitar Hero and the PS2 version of Guitar Hero II , which were published by RedOctane .
= Fieldfare =
The fieldfare ( Turdus pilaris ) is a member of the thrush family Turdidae . It breeds in woodland and scrub in northern Europe and Asia . It is strongly migratory , with many northern birds moving south during the winter . It is a very rare breeder in the British Isles , but winters in large numbers in the United Kingdom , Southern Europe , North Africa and the Middle East . It is omnivorous , eating a wide range of molluscs , insects and earthworms in the summer , and berries , grain and seeds in the winter .
Fieldfares often nest in small colonies , possibly for protection from predators . The nest is built in a tree where five or six eggs are laid . The chicks are fed by both parents and leave the nest after a fortnight . There may be two broods in southern parts of the range but only one further north . Migrating birds and wintering birds often form large flocks , often in the company of Redwings .
The fieldfare is 25 cm ( 10 in ) long , with a grey crown , neck and rump , a plain brown back , dark wings and tail and white underwings . The breast and flanks are heavily spotted . The breast has a reddish wash and the rest of the underparts are white . The sexes are similar in appearance but the females are slightly more brown . The male has a simple chattering song and the birds have various guttural flight and alarm calls .
= = Etymology = =
The English common name fieldfare dates back to at least the eleventh century . The Anglo @-@ Saxon word feldefare perhaps meant traveller through the fields .
The species was described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae ( 1758 ) under its current scientific name . The name Turdus pilaris comes from two separate Latin words for thrush . No subspecies are recognised .
= = Description = =
The fieldfare is easily recognisable with its slate @-@ grey head , nape and rump , dark brown back , blackish tail and boldly speckled breast . In flight , its white under wing @-@ coverts and axillaries are conspicuous . The harsh flight call " tsak tsak " is also distinctive .
The forehead and crown of the male are bluish @-@ grey and each feather has a central brownish @-@ black band . The lores and under @-@ eye regions are black and there are faint , pale streaks above the eyes . The ear coverts , nape , hind neck and rump are bluish @-@ grey , usually with a white streak near the shaft of each rump feather . The scapulars and mantle feathers are dark chestnut @-@ brown with dark central streaks and pale tips . There are fourteen tail feathers each with a pointed tip , the outer two slightly shorter than the others giving a rounded tail . They are brownish @-@ black , with inconspicuous darker bars visible in some lights . The outer edge of each tail feather is fringed with grey near the base and the outer pair of feathers have a narrow white border on the inner edge . The chin , throat and upper breast are creamy @-@ buff with bold streaks and speckles of brownish @-@ black . The lower breast is creamy @-@ white with a diminishing buff tinge and fewer speckles and the belly is similarly creamy @-@ white , with the speckles restricted to the uppermost parts . The primaries are brownish @-@ black with the leading edge fringed grey and the inner edge of the outer feathers grey near the base whereas the inner feathers are fringed with brown near the base . The secondaries are similar but fringed with chestnut @-@ brown on the leading edge . The upper wing @-@ coverts are brownish @-@ black and similar to the outer primaries in their margin colouration . The axillaries and under wing @-@ coverts are white and the under tail @-@ coverts have dark greyish @-@ brown bases and margins and white centres and tips . The beak is strong , with a slight curve and a notch near the tip . It is orange @-@ yellow in winter , with the upper mandible somewhat brownish and both mandible tips brownish @-@ black . In the summer both mandibles of the male 's beak are yellow . The irises are dark brown and the legs and feet are brown . The average adult length is 25 cm ( 9 @.@ 8 in ) , the winglength is 14 @.@ 5 cm ( 5 @.@ 7 in ) and the tarsal length 3 @.@ 5 cm ( 1 @.@ 4 in ) .
The female is very similar to the male but the upper parts are somewhat more brownish and the feathers on the crown have narrower black central stripes . The throat and breast are paler with fewer , smaller markings . The beak is similar to the male 's winter beak . The juvenile are a duller colour than the adults with pale coloured streaks on the feathers that have dark streaks in the adult . The young assume their adult plumage after their first moult in the autumn .
The call is mostly uttered in flight and is a harsh " tsak tsak tsuk " . The same sound , but softer , is made more conversationally when individuals gather in trees . When angry or alarmed they emit various warning sounds reminiscent of the mistle thrush ( Turdus viscivorous ) . The male has a rather feeble song that he sings in the breeding season . It is a mixture of a few phrases like those of the common blackbird ( Turdus merula ) interspersed with whistles , guttural squeaks and call notes . This is sung on the wing and also from a tree and a subdued version of this song with more warbling notes is sung by a group of birds at communal roosts .
= = Distribution and habitat = =
The fieldfare is a migratory species with a palearctic distribution . It breeds in northern Norway , northern Sweden , Finland , Belgium , Germany , Switzerland , Austria , the Czech Republic , Slovakia , Hungary , Poland and Siberia as far east as Transbaikal , the Aldan River and the Tian Shan Mountains in North West China . Its winter range extends through West and South Europe to North Africa , though it is uncommon in the Mediterranean region . Eastern populations migrate to Anatolia , Israel , Iran and Northwest India , and occasionally Northeast India . It is a vagrant to Iceland , Greenland , Spitsbergen , the Canary Islands , the Balearic Islands , Madeira , Corsica , Sardinia , Sicily , Malta and Cyprus .
In the summer the fieldfare frequents mixed woodland of birch , alder , pine , spruce and fir , often near marshes , moorland or other open ground . It does not avoid the vicinity of humans and can be seen in cultivated areas , orchards , parks and gardens . It also inhabits open tundra and the slopes of hills above the tree line . In the winter , groups of fieldfares are chiefly found in open country , agricultural land , orchards and open woodland . They are nomadic , wandering wherever there is an abundance of berries and insects . Later in the year they move on to pastureland and cultivated fields .
= = Behaviour = =
The flight of the fieldfare is slow and direct . It takes several strong beats then closes its wings briefly before flapping on . It is highly gregarious , quite shy and easily scared in the winter and bold and noisy in the breeding season . When a group is in a tree they all tend to face in the same direction , keeping up a constant chatter . When foraging on the ground , often in association with redwings , the group works its way up wind , each bird pausing every so often to stand erect and gaze around before resuming feeding . When alarmed they fly off down wind and the feeding group reforms elsewhere . In woodland they do not skulk in the undergrowth as do blackbirds or song thrushes , instead they perch in the open on bushes and high branches . They roost socially , sometimes in overgrown hedges and shrubberies but usually on the ground . Common sites are in rough grass among bushes or clumps of rushes , in young plantations , on stubble and in the furrows of ploughed fields .
Migration southwards from the breeding range starts in October but the bulk of birds arrive in the United Kingdom in November . Some of these are still on passage and carry on into continental Europe but others remain . The passage @-@ migrants return in April and they and the resident migrants depart from the United Kingdom mostly by early May .
The fieldfare is omnivorous . Animal food in the diet includes snails and slugs , earthworms , spiders and insects such as beetles and their larvae , flies and grasshoppers . When berries ripen in the autumn these are taken in great number . Hawthorn , holly , rowan , yew , juniper , dog rose , Cotoneaster , Pyracantha and Berberis are all relished . Later in the winter windfall apples are eaten , swedes attacked in the field and grain and seeds eaten . When these are exhausted , or in particularly harsh weather , the birds may move to marshes or even the foreshore where molluscs are to be found .