Q&A: RedOctane's Dusty Welch

Head of publishing for Guitar Hero outfit talks about the switch to Neversoft, says original game's songs likely to be made available on Xbox 360.

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Guitar Hero news has been all the rage this week, with the revelation that development duties on the next installment in the series have been turned over to Neversoft, followed by the discovery of trademark applications for Guitar Villain and Drum Villain.

So in true Guitar Hero fashion, RedOctane's head of publishing Dusty Welch is providing GameSpot with a week-capping encore in the form of a brief interview on what the Neversoft move means for the series and where RedOctane plans to take the series in the future. Welch was tight-lipped about details on the next game, but he did address some of the most pressing concerns of the series' fans, including the use of original recordings instead of covers, and whether or not Xbox 360 owners will ever be able to play the first game's songs on the system.

GameSpot: Why Neversoft? What does it bring to the table for Guitar Hero?

Dusty Welch: Neversoft's extensive resume of successfully developing blockbuster franchises speaks for itself. Sales of the Tony Hawk franchise exceed more than $1 billion worldwide. With such an amazing track record, we're confident that their team of passionate developers will take Guitar Hero to another level in terms of the overall gameplay experience.

GS: Is Neversoft developing the entire Guitar Hero franchise and all its spin-offs now?

DW: We are not yet ready to announce our plans for upcoming Guitar Hero games. What we've seen thus far regarding Neversoft's capabilities for the franchise is extremely compelling. We're very excited to work with their development team and have full confidence in their ability to bring the Guitar Hero franchise to even greater heights.

GS: What will change with the franchise now that a different team of developers is at the helm?

DW: We can reassure our fans that the core gameplay experience will definitely not change with future iterations of Guitar Hero, as it will always be about fulfilling the fantasy of becoming a rock god! If anything, the overall experience will grow and become even more fun. We have always been fully dedicated to giving the audience exactly what they want and creating the most compelling gaming experience for our fans.

GS: Why isn't Harmonix still developing the Guitar Hero franchise? How much of it is due to Harmonix being bought by MTV?

DW: We have tremendous respect for, and greatly appreciate, everything that Harmonix has done for the Guitar Hero franchise. Their vision has always aligned with ours from the start. In looking toward the future, we believe it was a natural and neutral decision for us to look at other opportunities. We look forward to partnering with Neversoft's development team and can't wait to show our fans what we have in store for them.

GS: How much creative input did Harmonix have in the direction of the first two Guitar Hero games?

DW: Harmonix had a lot of creative input into both iterations of Guitar Hero, though the bottom line is it's all about creating a phenomenal gameplay experience with rocking music that delivers the feeling of being a true rock star!

GS: Has the success of the franchise made it easier or harder (both in negotiations and cost of licensing) to get the rights to popular songs?

DW: Certainly, when you have such a mass-market title that transcends demographics, more and more people are going to hear about it. The word-of-mouth buzz has been incredible, and now you consistently read stories of high-profile celebrities from sports stars to real-life rock gods playing Guitar Hero. Today, we have music labels and artists that want to work with us.

GS: Can we expect the proportion of songs by the original artists in relation to cover versions by sound-alikes to change much in future Guitar Hero games?

DW: As Guitar Hero becomes increasingly integrated into the mass market, definitely more original artists and bands will be receptive of having their music in the game. We are considering that option for future titles.

GS: Will Xbox 360 Guitar Hero II owners ever have access to the songs from the original Guitar Hero?

DW: While the songs that will be available for download through the Xbox Live Marketplace have yet to be confirmed, we can assure our fans that they can likely expect to see these songs. Through the feedback we've received from fans and from reading the message boards and other forums, we know that this is what everyone wants because of the awesome set list from some of the most legendary rock bands and artists ever!

GS: We've seen trademark applications filed for Guitar Villain, Drum Villain, Drum Hero, Band Hero, and Keyboard Hero. When are we going to start seeing the series branch out into new areas?

DW: We have lots of ideas as to what direction we would like to take in the future, though nothing has been confirmed or finalized as of yet. We are making a concerted effort to take a look at every potential opportunity and will eventually decide at a certain point which effort will be best for both our fans and for RedOctane and Activision.

84 Comments

  • fantom_killa

    Posted Mar 30, 2007 9:55 pm PT

    NEVERSOFT WILL BE THE DEETH (FF9) OF GUITAR HERO i reckon too many popular songs (like pop songs) will be put in. of course i REALLY hope this wont happen

  • kick_it_sideway

    Posted Jan 24, 2007 12:48 pm PT

    As long as they use the same guitar and make it for the PS2 (as they should for the huge fan base that made it a hit) i will buy GH3. As long as they stay with the same format i don't think Neversoft can screw it up.

  • whiplash

    Posted Jan 22, 2007 2:49 pm PT

    Neversoft makes that sell out Tony Hawk series. I expect more of the same from them when they take over Guitar Hero. Don't be surprised if you see them using any Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, and Christina Aguilera music that happens to have a guitar in it.

    Psst, Konami... how about another Guitar Freaks?

  • TylerDFC

    Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:52 pm PT

    He's head of publishing. Of course it's going to be marketing/corporate speak. This article is pretty much useless to convey any real information. Next.

  • slife_basic

    Posted Jan 22, 2007 8:47 am PT

    Activision is handing a franchise to a different studio?
    How can they go wrong? *cough*cod3*cough*

  • StaticSnake

    Posted Jan 22, 2007 8:31 am PT

    Neversoft? Now we're going to get a game filled with crappy punk bands and talentless speed metal acts.

  • marcinikj

    Posted Jan 22, 2007 7:20 am PT

    That was some of the worst corp speak tripe I've read in a LONG time. I mean . . . a GH without Harmonix? Right. Good luck with that one. How many games have we seen handed off to another studio and how many of them have been remade successfully? Not many, not many at all.

  • jcloverboy

    Posted Jan 22, 2007 6:30 am PT

    Really really really looking forward to playing Guita Hero on 360.

  • lewser5

    Posted Jan 21, 2007 7:32 pm PT

    Drum hero would be a most likely choice, then my lil brother can really jam. I'll guess we will see come next xmas what it would be. But I hoping for an expansion pack or something like it before then.

  • bobbysbits

    Posted Jan 21, 2007 4:35 pm PT

    all i want is a led zeppelin edition. hopefully Nsoft can pull that off.

  • peterles

    Posted Jan 21, 2007 4:03 pm PT

    this moron in the interview didnt answer one question. he danced around the question, then said over and over that you'll become a rock star. what a moron

  • Kodai_kun

    Posted Jan 21, 2007 12:50 pm PT

    The real question is "Why is Harmonix not doing Guitar Hero anymore? Did they choose to move onto another product, or did Activision decide they didn't want to pay a studio owned by another company and to keep it in-house?"

    And then you press until they answer you completely

  • Impostorzim

    Posted Jan 21, 2007 12:06 pm PT

    Haha, Guitar Hero III, Guitar Villan, Band Hero, and Keyboard Hero....ahhhh they should just stick it really....these games never make too much money anyway. and the dude talking looks like a total loser.

  • Shingo

    Posted Jan 21, 2007 11:18 am PT

    Also, we didn't get a clue WTH is Guitar Villan? I really can't be for or against it until I know what it is. What even could it be?

  • Shingo

    Posted Jan 21, 2007 11:16 am PT

    The guy didn't even awnser the questions. He just vaguely said something relating and then went on to say how pupular guitar hero has become. lame

  • EmptySki

    Posted Jan 21, 2007 8:05 am PT

    That would be cool to download old and new tracks for the 360 version.

  • FrankieLA

    Posted Jan 21, 2007 12:41 am PT

    I wouldn't cry for Harmonix. MTV gave them a nice fat $175 million dollar check a few months ago.

  • AlexRA

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 10:51 pm PT

    SICK cant wait to plat Guitar Hiro on my 360!

  • ketsuatama

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 10:27 pm PT

    I'd forgive him if his mom was named Raquel!

  • Knight-of-God

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 8:52 pm PT

    Arggggggggggggggggggg!

  • megaqwerty

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 8:02 pm PT

    Keytar Hero! Keytar Hero!

    Come on, it would be awesome...

    http://www.dyers.org/images/guitarhero/keytarhero.png

  • Enthasius

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 6:09 pm PT

    This just all sounds like bad news.

    If the interviewee must continuously steer the answers towards "this game's about becoming a rock GOD!!!!" then he's obviously covering his tracks and trying to sate the easily pleased.

    I'm genuinely worried about the series now, and I have absolutely no positive expectations for future versions of the game.

  • xtremeg4m3r

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 4:36 pm PT

    HOLY sh*** 1 billion

  • ragnawave

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 2:10 pm PT

    Has capitalizing on success ever turned out well for consumers? I don't think so.

  • Donkeljohn Site moderator

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 11:12 am PT

    C'mon, make Accordion Hero! They Might Be Giants, Weird Al, Arcade Fire, and others are worthy of inclusion. . . for reals!

  • wildmatt

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 11:02 am PT

    March 1st is the date!!

  • R-Dot-Yung

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 9:50 am PT

    this is gonna blow

  • Soldier_Shadow

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 8:22 am PT

    looks like no more freezepop songs on GH, which is probably the better for me cuz i never liked them, but others might be turned off by this. hopefully, neversoft doesnt screw things up and ruin GH for me.

  • noelveiga

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 8:09 am PT

    Not good news for the franchise. I'm more concerned about this being good news for Harmonix, though. Sucess has destroyed geniuses before. As for Neversoft... well, they're good at what they do. They started a long line of good Spider-Man games before becoming "the Tony Hawk guys". Let's wait and see what they do with this before we bash them. After all, the foundation upon which they're building is rock solid. They should at least be capable of making more or the same. The real danger for Guitar Hero is that Neversoft has more personality than that, and the natural urge to make the game their own could lead them to make unwanted changes.

    As I said, wait and see.

  • Re_ensurer

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 7:55 am PT

    I think Guitar Hero has much more to offer.

  • killroycantkill

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 7:42 am PT

    Wait that dose this mean for Freezepop??? Are there going to be anymore Freezepop songs now???

  • plutoknight

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 7:40 am PT

    I'll say it once and I'll say it again

    GHII on the 360 will be Guitar Hero's peak. After that it'll decline.

    I like the idea of being able to play BATM and Cowboys from Hell with GHII's mechanics though. It'll gimp those songs more than they've already been by harder songs like Misirlou and Jordan >.>

    ......and Guitar Hero III. Under Neversoft. Does Neversoft even know of 40-50 songs that have Guitar in them? All I ever hear in the Tony Hawk games is (c)rap, and Johnny Cash. Add-On: After re-reading that Interview, Welch literally gave the same answer x number of questions, and just twisted words a bit. Just like a politician, lol

    To Killroycantkill (above me): Freezepop is safe still, they'll appear in whatever Harmonix puts out yet, as they have in every other Harmonix game (Frequency and Amplitude!! which btw rock). Who knows, they might appear in more DDR too o.o.

  • kicking222

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 6:58 am PT

    This is such a ludicrously annoying interview. Harmonix is the industry leader in developing fun, innovative music games, and Welch will not simply admit the real reasons that RedOctane dropped Harmonix- the money and politics involved with Activision's purchase of RedOctane and Viacom's purchase of Harmonix- for Neversoft, an Activision-owned studio that hasn't put out a fun, innovative game in over half a decade. Of course, the only reason Welch can't admit it is because Activision now owns his life. Activision, you're garbage. Harmonix is an incredible developer that finally got the praise it deserved with perhaps the two greatest music games of all-time. Whatever Harmonix puts out next, I bet it will be considerably better than "Guitar Hero III".

  • bubblesbarry182

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 6:06 am PT

    this beter be good or im gonna be pissed!!!!

  • apu99992

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 4:14 am PT

    seriously, don't blame redoctane for this mess. Don't blame neversoft either

    This is the fault of ACTIVISION

    I don't want this to become like DDR, a game where the first 2 edition where unique, but the rest of them were crap.

  • chicken_123_pie

    Posted Jan 20, 2007 3:51 am PT

    360 deserves better than this. Please, for the love of god, do not let MS suffer with this title.

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Jan 19, 2007 10:46 pm PT

    Here it comes, the fall of Guitar Hero.

  • ultimate_zero

    Posted Jan 19, 2007 9:22 pm PT

    I wonder how this is gonna stack up in the future.

  • John_of_Fire

    Posted Jan 19, 2007 8:34 pm PT

    Lesson to all OWN YOUR IP. This isn't the first time Activision has done this. I feel bad for Harmonix. They make a great game for Activision and then let them rake in the money on the sequels while Harmonix has to go look for a new project. It's a shame but it's how the game gets played.

  • polsci1503

    Posted Jan 19, 2007 8:19 pm PT

    smells a bit like they shunted Harmonix in order to keep more of the money... "thanks for the tech guys now go find some other way to make money, we'll keep the IP".

  • yonathan25

    Posted Jan 19, 2007 8:12 pm PT

    i didnt know that the trooper was in GH 2 i havent buy it yet i want it in 360 now i cant wait

  • Generic_Dude

    Posted Jan 19, 2007 8:08 pm PT

    Neversoft, huh? Hopefully the games will arrived finished, unlike Tony Hawk's Project 8... nice to have what's more or less confirmation on the GH1 songs. I think I'm gonna ditch the PS2 GH1 I've got while I still can.

    @yonathan25: "The Trooper" by Iron Maiden is in Guitar Hero 2. Merry Belated Christmas.

  • Gmacrusher

    Posted Jan 19, 2007 8:00 pm PT

    RedOctane + Activision= More crazy rock and roll music for all...

    ...man that sounds good!...can't wait for Guitar hero 3 for PS3!

  • yonathan25

    Posted Jan 19, 2007 7:59 pm PT

    i want iron maiden or metallica any song of them (except the metallica songs of 1991-2003 most of them sucks)

  • LoserMike

    Posted Jan 19, 2007 7:57 pm PT

    VixDiesel
    Boooooooooooooo to neversoft.

    Well, it was a good series while it lasted.

    *sigh*

    Check my blog for my anti-neversoft rant.

    Don't blame Neversoft. Blame Activision. Neversoft is owned by Activision, so is Red Octane. Neversoft keeps making Tony Hawk games because Activision pay them to. They're probably tired of making Tony Hawk games but it brings in the $$$$,

  • OfficialBed

    Posted Jan 19, 2007 7:55 pm PT

    neato

  • VixDiesel

    Posted Jan 19, 2007 7:49 pm PT

    Boooooooooooooo to neversoft.

    Well, it was a good series while it lasted.

    *sigh*

    Check my blog for my anti-neversoft rant.

  • DanManX

    Posted Jan 19, 2007 7:41 pm PT

    I don't like the sounds of Guitar Hero being in the hands of any dev team other than Harmonix.

  • d3funkt

    Posted Jan 19, 2007 7:33 pm PT

    Putting all the GH1 songs into the 360 version is probably the best idea I've heard in recent gaming years. This not only gives people (like me) who already own the first 2 games on PS2 a reason to buy it on 360. All the same songs, with the better gameplay of GH2 and graphics/downloadables of the 360.

  • Demon-Draco

    Posted Jan 19, 2007 7:17 pm PT

    Neversoft making a GH game? What improvements are they planning, strings that actually move even though such a feature is pointless and a waste of man hours?

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