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EA: Music Genre Could Rebound, Skating Games Sliding

After producing several billion dollars a few years back, the music genre will be lucky to generate $400 million in 2010. But EA CEO John Riccitiello says the category can recover…he isn't so sure about skateboarding games, though.

In speaking to Kotaku , Riccitello spoke about the future of certain franchises, like Harmonix's Rock Band , which has admittedly remained stellar throughout. Still, the music genre has fallen off big time and the boss isn't entirely sure how it will recover; perhaps through innovation…? Said Riccitiello:

"I think the music genre is going to recover. I don't know exactly how. It could be based on some new innovation. Maybe it all becomes dance-based."

Even though Rock Band 3 is a darn good game and in our estimation, the best one going in the music category this year, Viacom has since put Harmonix on the auction block. There have been rumors that EA might want to pick up the studio, but Riccitiello recently said doing so would be like "trying to catch a falling knife." And as for the skateboarding genre, which has also taken a dive – despite EA's solid efforts with the Skate series – Riccitiello isn't holding out hope:

"When it comes to action sports, I think that's going to be an an ongoing exciting genre. But at least for the level of excitement out there, skateboarding seems to have run its course as the representative example in that broader genre."

Things change. The industry flexes and bends. Companies like EA have to try to keep up and to be perfectly honest, we don't envy them in the slightest. It's gotta be…wicked hard.

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AshT
AshT
13 years ago

IMO, music genre is going to recover, only if they reduce the game gear cost,
skateboading games suck neway.

gangan19
gangan19
13 years ago

i thought rock band was publish by activision?

Ben Dutka PSXE
Ben Dutka PSXE
13 years ago

No, Activision publishes Guitar Hero.

gangan19
gangan19
13 years ago

oh ok thank goodness, i have rock band 1 and i hate activision

Dfreek31
Dfreek31
13 years ago

Well, skateboarding games back in the day where cool and fun, but after all the tony hawk saturation it is getting old and boring. One game I personally still like is Thrasher presents: Skate and Destroy. It is fun and not forcing you to do impossible combos.

gumbi
gumbi
13 years ago

Amen to that, I still think Thrasher was the best skateboarding game ever. It was just plain fun.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
13 years ago

Well they shouldn't have sunk the Skate or Die resurrection. I personally roll my eyes every time I hear about a music game, but whatever I guess people like them. If they want a rebound they are going to have to find a way to incorporate Move. But basically I think it's doomed.

Like Boy bands, these things will come around every now and then only to fade away.

mike rlz
mike rlz
13 years ago

remember shaun palmer's pro snowboarder? I liked the first tony hawk underground game, but i cut it off after that, the sequel sucked.

Nlayer
Nlayer
13 years ago

The Music Genre would make a great comeback if more games like "BIT.TRIP BEAT" and "Beat Hazard" were made and developed deeper. Seriously, look them up on Steam, they are amazing games that shouldn't be skipped over.

That's my two cents anyways.

Alienange
Alienange
13 years ago

Have you seen what they've done to skateboarding games in recent history? No wonder they've become yesterday's news. Gamers want games, not a bunch of plastic peripherals.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
13 years ago

nonsense, I love standing on plastic junk and leaning in different directions.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
13 years ago

Gimme some updated graphics on Oolala and a Space Channel 5 reboot. Add a striptease, maybe some Move support, then we'll talk.

___________
___________
13 years ago

it already has.
music games are no where near as popular as they use to be, thats what happens when you milk the sh*t out of them!
i wish antivision would give us a HD remake of GH1, that had by far the best track list!
than make all the songs from all the other GH games compatible with the remake, and harmonix should do the same with RB.
no more of this yearly iterations, with really nothing changed besides the track list.
unless its going to be like RB3, but really what else needs to be added or changed?
all these games need is more songs to play, and thats what DLC is for!

Fane1024
Fane1024
13 years ago

Nearly every song in the entire RB catalog (over 2000 songs BTW) IS compatible with RB3 (and every other RB game except The Beatles).

So, Harmonix don't need to do what you suggest; they already have.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
13 years ago

lol @ the Binary Domain video. Why would the Yakuza team want to make a terrible Gears meets I-Robot game?

(What? This thread isn't going to get a lot of posts anyway)

A2K78
A2K78
13 years ago

Music games could rebound? when a consumer is put in a position to where they are shelling out $100+ for the same title year in/year out its kinda hard to keep committing to something like that in the long-run. Its for this reason why console music are slumping.

On the flipside though I'm somewhat shocked that whenever I go to an arcade games like DDR and Guitar Freaks are still attracting players. If anything I would say Konami must have been doing something right to keep consumers flocking to these games.

In the case of games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero it was quite obvious as to why they should all of a sudden be slumping. Overall the real losers are both Viacom/MTV and Activision who hedged their bets on fad.

Naga
Naga
13 years ago

I really like to another extreme sports game, Skateboarding is okay Skate isn't quite there yet so I think they should improve on the playabitly.

Oh and music? well no it can't it depends on preference for me maybe a powerful music tool cause playing negative music from sh** bands get tiring.

Danny007
Danny007
13 years ago

I would be up for another Tony Hawk game. Just no skateboard controller and a thought out, well developed, storyline. One like the games before "Project 8". How about we call it Underground 3?

AnonWTF
AnonWTF
13 years ago

They should give it a rest for at least a decade. Then come back to it.

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