Music games need to refocus, not reboot

29.01.2010
In his first editorial for us, columnist Joe Rybicki explores the changing dynamics of the music game genre, and examines what needs to change in order to keep things viable in the years ahead.

Music games need to refocus, not reboot

Music games are in trouble. No, wait. Music games are doing great! No, wait. Music games are doing great in terms of sales, but are disastrously down in terms of revenue. No, wait--strike that, reverse it. No, wait...

Depending on whom you ask, you get a very different story about the health of the music game genre. Analysts, PR reps, and CEOs regularly throw around sales and revenue numbers that clearly can't all be right. It's enough to make you want to smash a plastic guitar, Pete Townshend-style. (Hey, at least replacing it would help out the genre. If it's in trouble. Which it isn't. Or is it?)

We know one thing for certain, at least: Music games are generating less money than they were even a year ago. Part of this is the economy, no doubt. But a bigger part is the fact that games have reached a critical mass. We are most definitely at saturation point. Fans of music games already have instruments that work with most newer games--so we're investing $60 in a new game rather than $200.

So where does that leave the genre? Bringing in less money, is where. But what's the alternative? Pundits and analysts have begun championing the idea that music games are due for a major reboot, with the idea being that new ideas will require new peripherals, which will bring new money into the genre. But there's a problem with this approach. And its name is DJ Hero.