Acti-Blizz Wants to Sell Subs For User Created Content

[DoctorFinger]

Activision Blizzard looks at the 25,000 user created songs uploaded from Guitar Hero: World Tour in the week since the game's release and sees an opportunity. So says CEO Bobby Kotick:"The ability to offer these songs on a subscription basis may very well result in the newest subscription opportunity in our portfolio"
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"[GHWT] has the potential to be a credible alternatives to iTunes"All of this hinges on what he means by charging for user created content. Would the people who actually create the content get a piece of the action? And even if they do, would someone who makes the most popular song on the service get exactly the same cut as the song that was only downloaded once? Again it's a nice thought in theory, but I think in practise it gets much more complicated. Hopefully Kotick will clarify his comments in the near term.

Source - Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5077581/activision-eyes-subscription-fees-for-guitar-hero-world-tour-user+created-songs).

[DoctorFinger]

ANd if this sounds a little familiar, it should. One of the early bullet points for Xbox Live on the 360 was the potential for users to create items - exemples given were custom cars designs in Forza or skateboards in Tony Hawk - and sell them on the service to other gamers. But Microsoft soon realized that while this sounded cool in theory, the reality was that it would be an unholy legal and technological mess. It sounds like any GHWT sub system would be similarly thorny.

[bean]

If they worked it out with people, this could be pretty neat. I can just see every half-way decent local band everywhere ending their set by saying, "If you liked our show, be sure to pick up a CD on the way out and a flier showing you how to download our song to play yourself on Guitar Hero! Rock on Lubbock!"

[MagGnome]

$$$

Obviously Activision sees the $$$ on the wall. 10 versions of Guitar Hero (or more) and now a subscription as well!

I know there could be a positive side to this for those creating the music, but I'm realistic enough to know that most likely this will benefit Activision and no one else.

[Mike Kelehan]

I downloaded them BECAUSE they were free. Very few GHTunes are worth a dime.

[Kelegacy]

I think I hate Activision more than EA these days. A LOT more.

[Shrinn]

There's no way this could end well and still have Activision charging for user created content.

[Cyndair]

I think I hate Activision more than EA these days. A LOT more.

Agreed. I know that EA is still evil but it feels like they've been making positive strides lately. Activision seems to be going out of their way to be bastards.

[opsin]

I'd been thinking exactly along the lines you were, Kelegacy. They, in every way, seem to be the new EA. If it does wind up being EA who rescues Brutal Legends, it will just go to prove the total switch in their respective ways of being assholes or not.

[TrackZero]

If they worked it out with people, this could be pretty neat. I can just see every half-way decent local band everywhere ending their set by saying, "If you liked our show, be sure to pick up a CD on the way out and a flier showing you how to download our song to play yourself on Guitar Hero! Rock on Lubbock!"

Except there's no lyrics, and the way you design a song is backwards and generally isn't very good in GH:WT. A recent Giant Bomb podcast had Jeff discussing this (as someone who makes music) and it's simply horrible. So I wouldn't jump the gun by in any way making this out to sound "garage band".

[Morangie]

If they worked it out with people, this could be pretty neat. I can just see every half-way decent local band everywhere ending their set by saying, "If you liked our show, be sure to pick up a CD on the way out and a flier showing you how to download our song to play yourself on Guitar Hero! Rock on Lubbock!"

Maybe every half-way decent local band without a vocalist.

[Xydarc]

How would this work without vocal tracks? At least on iTunes, I get the full piece of music, not just 3/4ths.

[Ondo]

ANd if this sounds a little familiar, it should. One of the early bullet points for Xbox Live on the 360 was the potential for users to create items - exemples given were custom cars designs in Forza or skateboards in Tony Hawk - and sell them on the service to other gamers. But Microsoft soon realized that while this sounded cool in theory, the reality was that it would be an unholy legal and technological mess. It sounds like any GHWT sub system would be similarly thorny.
I think you're over-estimating the legal and technical mess - or at least the extent to which it hasn't been dealt with. Microsoft's system to sell user-created games goes live in less than 2 weeks, and content for existing games doesn't seem that different.

[Variable Gear]

Velocity Girl will soon be able to make money in Guitar Hero.

[KingGorilla]

Velocity Girl will soon be able to make money in Guitar Hero.

Ah, VelocityGrl, the Joe the Plumber of Microsoft.

[Sl1pstream]

I'm willing to bet that the users who actually create the content won't be seeing any money if they do go through with this.

[bean]

Maybe every half-way decent local band without a vocalist.
I wasn't aware of this limitation, but I agree with you that I don't think there would be much of a market for incomplete songs.