To see a video on the new Guitar Hero World Tour, click here.
The high price tag didn’t stop customers from grabbing Guitar Hero World Tour off retail shelves last week.With consumer spending at its lowest in three months, some may be hesitant to purchase the new Guitar Hero, but GameStop on College Drive and Play N Trade on Highland Road said they continually sell out.”No matter what it costs, someone always complains about it,” said John Winkler, Play N Trade manager. “But when we get [the games], they go.”Guitar Hero World Tour is Activision Blizzard’s most anticipated game of the year and costs about $190, making it one of the most expensive games the publisher has ever released.The game was released Oct. 26, and analysts expect sales to reach $1.4 billion in the U.S. alone.Guitar Hero transformed its signature guitar game play into a full band experience with a guitar, microphone and drums. The Music Studio feature lets users compose, record, edit and share their own songs.The game consists of 86 on-disc tracks from music legends like The Eagles, Van Halen, Metallica, Michael Jackson and The Doors.Winkler said the first three Guitar Hero games cost about the same, but Guitar Hero World Tour includes three instruments, which makes it more expensive.Meghan Hebert, sociology senior, said she spent $55 on Guitar Hero World Tour for the new song selection.”I didn’t buy any of the new instruments because they were too expensive for me right now, but I would be interested in getting them later,” she said.Jared Henderson, accounting senior, said the novelty of Guitar Hero has worn out. He said the songs get old, which forces users to buy new ones.”I just don’t have the money to spend on a whole new Guitar Hero system, which I’ll then have to buy songs for,” Henderson said. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the game. I just can’t afford it.”Chris Sanderson, landscape architecture sophomore, said he also doesn’t have the money to spend on the new Guitar Hero.”I personally like playing with all the instruments because just playing guitar can get old and boring,” Sanderson said. “It’s just too expensive right now.”Antonia Taylor, elementary education junior, said she prefers Rock Band over the new Guitar Hero World Tour.”Even though they are kind of similar, I haven’t bought Rock Band 2 yet because I’m totally broke,” she said.Winkler said Rock Band costs about $169 — only $20 cheaper than Guitar Hero World Tour.”Rock Band is generally more well-received,” Winkler said. “It was done a little better, and it’s been reviewed better.”Jon Osdell, disaster science management senior, said he purchased the first and second Rock Band and doesn’t plan on purchasing the new Guitar Hero World Tour.”For me, it’s either one or the other,” he said. “I don’t think there is enough in Guitar Hero to lure me away.”—-Contact Leslie Presnall at [email protected]