10. Harmonix Brings Weekly Rock Band DLC To A Close, Ending The Music Instrument Peripheral Craze
Even though it started out on the PS2, Guitar Hero and Rock Band were very much a part of the 7th generation of gaming. For the early part of the PS3/Xbox 360 era, playing fake musical instruments within a video game setting not only showcased to your friends a certain level of “skill,” but was one of the few ways to play games together in a quickly-growing world of online multiplayer gaming.
Harmonix kept the focus on growing not only the size and scope of the band, but maintained a non-stop onslaught of downloadable songs for 280 straight weeks. On April 2, they finally released their last weekly DLC song, “American Pie.” What became a mainstay has since become a niche gaming market; music games to this extent were no longer profitable, as widespread interest had quickly faded. It was the day that music (gaming) died.