The News That Everyone Had Been Waiting For!

[Stufin135]

Source: http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/101/1011988p1.html

And now for a bigger announcement. Guitar Hero 5 will be the first in the franchise to feature forward compatibility of songs from past games. On PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii, some of the disc-based songs from Guitar Hero World Tour and Smash Hits will be importable, for a fee, to work with Guitar Hero 5 and the upcoming Band Hero. What's more, currently 152 out of 158 Guitar Hero World Tour downloadable tracks will automatically work with Guitar Hero 5. All of the songs you import will be upgraded to work with the new Guitar Hero 5 features, such as band moments and vocal star power.

Tim Riley, head of music licensing at Activision, had this to say about importing songs

"It's something we've wanted to do for a while now. They are separate licenses, so we need to go back and re-license previous content. So, songs from World Tour, songs from the download space, songs from Smash Hits that will technically work in Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero had to be renegotiated...We didn't want to do it for a couple songs. We wanted to do it for a couple hundred songs. So we have a lot cleared and we're in the process of clearing a lot more."

[Mortikie]

Awesome. Hopefully it'll be the same deal as RB, one low cost for every song they can offer.

[Huntsman125]

Game.......sold!


If they did it for metallica and van halen too i'd be over the moon, because then i could just rent them and get the songs.

[good ol boy366]

also...let's not forget...the man in black has been confirmed as a character:

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/1...cash_8709.html

[Xedoss]

Finaly! Glad Activision learned something from their previous mistakes!

I am a bit worried about this though:

We didn't want to do it for a couple songs.

I bet they didn't want to fork out the more expensive license fees for the better songs, just like GH: Smash Hits. I just hope i'm wrong.

[nightmare975]

I'm guessing that the Jimi Hendrix songs wont be importable.

[sweatdog]

I thought it was a great idea until I read the words "for a fee". If I've already bought the original game, I don't think I'd want to pay extra just to play the same songs on 5. Still, if they're offered as DLC, like Guitar Hero 1 songs were made available for XBOX 360 Guitar Hero 2, it may make more sense.

[CRAZYCJ20]

Honestly, I'm still not totally satisfied. Why the hell can't we import Metallica as well? That's a full band game, it should be importable. Hell, if Activision wanted to go all out, they could throw Aerosmith on there for a price and add the rest of the instruments.

Although, now my chances of purchasing this game has jumped from a "no" to a roll of the dice, one side being a "yes."

[Xedoss]

Originally Posted by sweatdog

I thought it was a great idea until I read the words "for a fee". If I've already bought the original game, I don't think I'd want to pay extra just to play the same songs on 5. Still, if they're offered as DLC, like Guitar Hero 1 songs were made available for XBOX 360 Guitar Hero 2, it may make more sense.

Uhm, that really doesn't make more sense.

The fee will probably be about 5 bucks (RB2 price) to transfer the majority of the songs from World Tour and Smash Hits (or 5 for each). Like Rock Band 2 did for Rock Band 1.

Download 5 songs as DLC and it'll be more expensive.

You would actually be able to transfer the songs and then sell your old game and still be able to play the songs, so its even likely you'll earn some money because of this!

That and the posibility to play "older" songs with multiple guitars etc.. Using the features GH5 presents.

[sweatdog]

Originally Posted by Xedoss

Uhm, that really doesn't make more sense.

The fee will probably be about 5 bucks (RB2 price) to transfer the majority of the songs from World Tour and Smash Hits (or 5 for each). Like Rock Band 2 did for Rock Band 1.

Download 5 songs as DLC and it'll be more expensive.

You would actually be able to transfer the songs and then sell your old game and still be able to play the songs, so its even likely you'll earn some money because of this!

That and the posibility to play "older" songs with multiple guitars etc.. Using the features GH5 presents.

Sorry, I didn't clarify what I meant. I meant that it would make sense to offer it as DLC for those who don't own the earlier games. They could get just certain songs they wanted for less than they could buy the original games. True, if they wanted a lot of the songs, it would still be cheaper to buy the original games. As far as trading in/selling the originals, that would not be okay if you were still trying to obtain any achievements from the older games. Certainly in my case, since I own World Tour, I'd have no interest in paying to incorporate my songs in 5, nor would I care to download any songs since I can play them in World Tour. I don't own Smash Hits, but I plan to when it gets released at a bargain price, and I'd like to earn achievements in it, again negating the motive to pay more to play them on 5.

Now if they're working towards the game being set up where the main game works as a hub that allows songs to be used from other editions (similar to what Rock Band seems to be doing), than I can understand that. But without the career mode framework, I still don't see the big deal in playing songs from older games on the latest edition. I'd just as soon put in the older game myself.

[sweatdog]

I've read some more on this forward compatibility feature that has turned me around on how I feel about it.

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/puzz...&mode=previews

Okay, this does sound cool after all. When I read "for a fee", I was apprehensive, but it does sound like it won't be too unreasonable. This article also clarifies that the songs will be playable in career mode. One of the things I didn't care about downloaded songs in the past is that they provided only an arcade experience. You play them then you're done. Also mentioned is the expectation that this feature will be expanded to include other editions as well. The thought of hand choosing songs from previous Guitar Hero, DLC, and the current game to use in your career is an attractive one

It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong. I'm nothing if not a big man.

[Xedoss]

Originally Posted by sweatdog

I've read some more on this forward compatibility feature that has turned me around on how I feel about it.

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/puzz...&mode=previews

Okay, this does sound cool after all. When I read "for a fee", I was apprehensive, but it does sound like it won't be too unreasonable. This article also clarifies that the songs will be playable in career mode. One of the things I didn't care about downloaded songs in the past is that they provided only an arcade experience. You play them then you're done. Also mentioned is the expectation that this feature will be expanded to include other editions as well. The thought of hand choosing songs from previous Guitar Hero, DLC, and the current game to use in your career is an attractive one

It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong. I'm nothing if not a big man.

Nice article.

One peace stood out though. And not in a good way for a lot of people.
I quote:

If you take a look at your copy of Guitar Hero: World Tour or the more recently released Smash Hits, you'll see an ID code printed on the back of the manual. You can take that code, enter it into the Guitar Hero 5 Import Songs menu, and download an unspecified number of songs from that game after paying what Activision calls a "nominal relicensing fee" (don't get too worked up; Rock Band 2 made users pay $5 to import songs from the original game).

So your disc is ID tagged. Which probably means you can only use it to download songs, which would eliminate the possibility of renting the game and downloading the songs.

Personally I don't mind (I buy all my games), but this could suck for people who use rentals most of the time.

[sweatdog]

Originally Posted by Xedoss

So your disc is ID tagged. Which probably means you can only use it to download songs, which would eliminate the possibility of renting the game and downloading the songs.

Personally I don't mind (I buy all my games), but this could suck for people who use rentals most of the time.

I suspect that is the very reason they're using the code. They probably want only people who have purchased the game to be able to import the songs. I wonder if the code, once used, becomes inactive. So if anyone buys the older game used, and the code's been used, they won't be able to import the songs in GH5.

[N-Forced]

Originally Posted by sweatdog

I suspect that is the very reason they're using the code. They probably want only people who have purchased the game to be able to import the songs. I wonder if the code, once used, becomes inactive. So if anyone buys the older game used, and the code's been used, they won't be able to import the songs in GH5.

Well if this is true then what about used games? There is no reason to have to purchase a game twice just to be able to play a few songs with additional features. If this whole id tag does infact expire after use then in the end it's just going to piss alot of people off and make this "feature" worthless.

[Krisko Disko]

I'll hold on to my Smash Hits GameFly rental until September 1st then, and wait until that day to sell World Tour. This is what I needed to sell me on the game. I hope Band Hero will transfer the same way.

[nightmare975]

Looks like activision fucked up.

Please, Rock Band let me download almost all my songs for 5 bucks, with no id tagging required.

I would demand my money back if I payed the fee then come to find out that my id has already been used.

[good ol boy366]

Originally Posted by nightmare975

I would demand my money back if I payed the fee then come to find out that my id has already been used.

it would not ask you to pay the fee if your code is invalid or has already been used...so you won't have to worry about that.

imo, using the codes are a great idea (thinking in terms of business)...it guarantees that activision will not be ripped off like i'm sure ea was with how the rb1 export was handled (and they learned from that quickly as we can see how they handle track pack exporting nowadays).

[nightmare975]

Originally Posted by good ol boy366

it would not ask you to pay the fee if your code is invalid or has already been used...so you won't have to worry about that.

As it is a flat rate for both games, it seems more like that you pay then enter your code(s).

[Stufin135]

Remember RB1 didn't have this because they didn't have a ID code for the games. So they had to do it that way. But what about the RB track packs? They have ID codes and can't be re-exported. Sounds logical to me.

[sweatdog]

Originally Posted by Krisko Disko

I'll hold on to my Smash Hits GameFly rental until September 1st then, and wait until that day to sell World Tour. This is what I needed to sell me on the game. I hope Band Hero will transfer the same way.

I don't think that'll work for Smash Hits, unless you have the manual. The code you'll need is on the back of the manual.

Also, people who tend to not keep the manuals will be annoyed if they've lost the manual for World Tour and/or Smash Hits.

[dakisbac]

Anyone know if any GH3 DLC will be part of this? I bought moreorless all the GH3 DLC but nothing since

[good ol boy366]

Originally Posted by nightmare975

As it is a flat rate for both games, it seems more like that you pay then enter your code(s).

possibly, but maybe not...that doesn't make sense to me, but i have me code still, so i'm not worried about it!

Originally Posted by Stufin135

Remember RB1 didn't have this because they didn't have a ID code for the games. So they had to do it that way. But what about the RB track packs? They have ID codes and can't be re-exported. Sounds logical to me.

exactly...they probably weren't planning on allowing the rb1 tracks to export when it first came out, so they added in the patch later and they lost a lot of money because of it.

[anorexicwes]

So I guess we will find out the list of songs that are exportable form GHWT and GHSH when GH5 comes out? Also, from my understanding on the ID-tagging, your disc code has to match the one in the manual? Or is just have to be a unused code?

[Huntsman125]

It'll be most of the songs from both. If they relicensed for GHSH, those same bands will probably license again. The main notable ones would be the Jimi Hendrix songs.

[Stufin135]

Originally Posted by Huntsman125

It'll be most of the songs from both. If they relicensed for GHSH, those same bands will probably license again. The main notable ones would be the Jimi Hendrix songs.

Everyone keeps forgetting Tool. Unless they somehow include the Tool Venue? But I for one would be glad to see them go.

[nightmare975]

Originally Posted by Stufin135

Everyone keeps forgetting Tool. Unless they somehow include the Tool Venue? But I for one would be glad to see them go.

QFT

Tool was the biggest disappointment for me.

[good ol boy366]

Originally Posted by Stufin135

Everyone keeps forgetting Tool. Unless they somehow include the Tool Venue? But I for one would be glad to see them go.

i don't know...if a perfect circle is in 5, then maybe the tool songs will be exportable after all...

[dm master]

Well i would be very happy to see tool go... I dislike those songs..

Is there any news on when the songs/price will be announced?

[Coadster1]

Awesome. Can't wait! Does anyone how much it'll cost to import them?