When it comes to fast-and-furious rhythm games, although the genre never really took off in the West, there was one huge exception: Guitar Hero. Now, this legendary franchise is set to make a comeback, and it's coming to the mobile platform! However, Activision's announcement has hit a sour note right from the start.
Instead of a trailer or a press release, the announcement was made via an AI-generated promotional image on Instagram. This move has overshadowed the excitement of the franchise's return, especially following another widely-reported instance of AI use in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. The AI art used for Guitar Hero Mobile has been criticized for its poor quality, with some suggesting it wasn't even created using the latest image generators.
As for what Guitar Hero Mobile will look and sound like, details are scarce. The series did come to mobile nearly 20 years ago, as shown below, but fans are hoping for something impressive this time around.
The use of subpar AI art has led many to believe that Guitar Hero Mobile might be dead on arrival, especially with strong competition from games like Space Ape's popular BeatStar.
While the idea of Guitar Hero returning and thriving on mobile is exciting, Activision's choice of announcement method has dampened the enthusiasm. Despite the potential, the company has once again stumbled in its approach.
In the meantime, if you're interested in seeing how other top franchises have fared on smartphones, check out the top 9 Final Fantasy games on mobile.
