Who remembers the days of moshing in your parents' basement with a plastic guitar, dreaming the dream of a bona fide rockstar whacking away at a Guitar Hero controller? Alright, for a brief moment, let’s step out of our reminiscing selves and face it – we were furiously astride technology's answer to the extinct Tyrannosaurus Rex. We haven’t chanced upon the glorious plastic tool for a glossy spanking-new entry for a sprawling eight years. But lo and behold, Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision, has just hinted at bringing back the fan favorite... with a twist, no less.
During a grand company meeting discussing the future of Activision (which is on the brink of being snapped up by tech giant Microsoft for a gigantic $70 billion), the CEO brought forth this interesting thought from the depth of his imaginations. With subjects such as keeping the company culture intact post-acquisition, investing in machine learning, and ramping up hirings of writers and actors, folks must've assumed that their plate was full enough. But enter the crazy world of Bobby Kotick and there's always room for a few 'out of the box' ideas - or in this case, 'out of the plastic box' ones!
Kotick, caught in a reverie about future tech like VR, Neuralink, AI systems, brought up Microsoft’s vast innvestment in R&D, a sure shot boom for Activision's future. Taking everyone by surprise, he used Guitar Hero as an example of Activision's leap into the future. Could the comeback of the plastic hero be on the horizon? Our dear CEO seems to think so!
Ever the visionary, Kotick talked about how AI could revolutionize gaming, with a brand-new Guitar Hero taking center stage. To quote the great man himself, "I’ve always had this vision for what a new Guitar Hero product could be, but without having AI… and the processors embedded... we’ve never been in a place where AI is going to have practical reality and applicability for games until now."
Could a potential Guitar Hero AI version be part of this formula? To quote our favourite corporate figure, the prospects are "just incredibly exciting."
Alright, fair's fair, it is true this is not a solid, 100% gold-plated confirmation that we're getting a new Guitar Hero game. But what it does suggest is that when it comes to the genre of musical gaming, it seems Activision's glorious general is, in fact, keen to revisit the plastic battlefield again.
So, strap on your virtual leather pants, tighten your air guitar straps and mentally prepare yourself for the sweet sound of unnecessary fretboard tapping. The home-based rock gods might be making a comeback, folks. Now let's just hope we remember what to do with that whammy bar!
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