Opinion BY Armin

Guitar Hero Grows Up

It’s easy to boast when making utopian pronouncements, but I can so guarantee that, if I were playing video games today with the same fanatical fervor as I did in my teenage years (homework and tests be damned), I would be a master at these newfangled games of faking an actual talent — after all, I killed in Madden and NHL without ever catching a football or hitting a puck in real life — and I would be playing the guitar like a Rock God that can press buttons really, really fast. Seriously I would. But, alas, Guitar Hero, or its competitor Rock Band, are two or three generations removed from my free time. Now, instead of being excited about a video game release and getting in line at the crack of dawn, I’m giddy about its logo. Pentagram partner Michael Bierut, designers Joe Marianek and Kai Salmela, along with a cadre of image-makers have revamped Guitar Hero to rockin’ heights.

Guitar Hero 5 packaging.

Disclosure: Yes, I worked for Michael and yes, Joe, Kai and I shared working bays and, yes, there are conflicts of interest at stake so the upcoming praise may be questionable. Whatever. When colleagues and ex-bosses do good work, there is no shame in recognizing it. Plus, we can get some additional images that haven’t popped up anywhere else.

The family of Hero logos.

If you are unfamiliar with Guitar Hero, the premise is fairly simple: Introduced by Activision in 2005, Guitar Hero gives gamers the opportunity to match songs note-by-note using a kooky guitar with buttons. Over the years, Guitar Hero has grown into a million-copy-selling, billion-dollar enterprise and has spawned versions featuring high profile acts like Metallica and Aerosmith — although neither a coup as big as its competitor’s, Rock Band, partnership with the digitally-averse Beatles. On September 1, Guitar Hero 5 was released and by the end of the year two spin-offs, Band Hero and DJ Hero will hit shelves as well. To help usher in a new era of cross-platform and multiple media applications, Pentagram has introduced a cohesive identity that retains the thrashing attitude of its predecessors.

B- and C-list celebrities at the launch of DJ Hero at the Wiltern Theatre on June 1, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.

Guitar Hero purists might argue there is nothing wrong with the old logo and, in essence, there isn’t: It’s spiky and it’s spelled correctly. But if you look at the details, the lettering in the old logo was all over the place, with big and fat “G”, “H” and “O”, a diminutive “I” and a range of other weights and widths. The gear-like precision with which the letters came together was interesting, but when scaled down it just became messy.

A custom alphabet, Hero, by Kai and some executions with Joe.

The new lettering preserves its spikiness and now has more room to breathe without sacrificing the hardcore feel. The letters are evenly weighed and the interaction between the counterforms of the letters and the words is quite energetic. As a black-and-white work, this is strong enough, but where the solid and smart structure of the logos really shines is in their proficiency to take on a multitude of hard rockin’ effects and Pentagram worked with some of the best in the business — Rick Valicenti, Adam Larson and Steve Wilson — to bring the identity to life and show how it can be implemented in a variety of ways while using the same backbone.

Guitar Hero imagery by Rick Valicenti/3st. Additional explorations by 3st.

DJ Hero imagery by Steve Wilson (first two) and Rick Valicenti/3st (above).

Band Hero imagery by Adam Larson/Adam + Company.

I doubt I’m letting my personal allegiances sway me, because as a has-been gamer and once-mullet-toting heavy metal enthusiast I had an immediate, pleasurable gut reaction to the whole scope of this identity. Now where did I stash my Sega Genesis?

DATE: Sep.03.2009CATEGORY: Entertainment 83 COMMENTS

josh’s comment is:

I love Pentagram and their work but not to jazzed about this redesign. I feel like they took a typographers approach to something that should be more reminiscent of the DYI rock flyers. It just seems a little more "corporate" than it should be. It's an interesting mark for sure but I like the freeform organic feel of the previous. I think Activision should have hired this guy.

On Sep.03.2009 at 07:58 AM

Rodrok’s comment is:

Definitely this type opens the doors for new products that have a constant look and feel (in the rock lineup), the last version was too detailed to do this, maybe overly saturated.

The 3 products look cohesive and part of the same family, although I'm not sure about the "DJ Hero" approach, not sure if the "gothic rock font" relates to DJ music. When I see "DJ" the last thing I think about is Rock and rock not precisely the type of music you go to listen at a club with a DJ.

Overall the font is clean, rebel, commercial.

On Sep.03.2009 at 08:02 AM

Nathan McKinney’s comment is:

Sorry, but I'm not a huge fan of the redesign here.

Yes the old logo was a bit off kilter, but that lent a air of hand rendered tattoo look to the logo that I thought was very appropriate. I'm not usually a fan of outlined text in logos either, but in this case, the non outlined redesign looks flat and boring. It's computer rendered perfection actually makes some details annoying to me... like the mismatching of certain letters vertically stacked on other letters such as the "N" in Band over the "R" in Hero.

Much of the flavor is lost here. It's especially evident in the ad with the new logo etched on the guitar case. Is it just me or does that look like an ad from the eighties? It's not exciting at all.

The new digital renderings of the logo at the bottom of the post are interesting, but frankly look a little overdone to me. The look isn't held consistent enough by the typography alone any more. Maybe that's appropriate for the different games, being themed differently. Here as a group though, I think they look kinda cheap. It's hit and miss. I like some, like the laser-lined "DJ Hero", but think others are a little overly photoshopped like the last one.

On Sep.03.2009 at 08:11 AM

Dale Harris’s comment is:

The five looks almost exactly like an afterthought ;)

On Sep.03.2009 at 08:11 AM

Nathan McKinney’s comment is:

Also, were they just too busy to design a "5" to match the rest of the type in the logo on "Guitar Hero 5"?

On Sep.03.2009 at 08:15 AM

Chris Thorpe’s comment is:

I really like it. This update retains the old-school rock flavour, but just cleans it up a little bit, giving it a more professional feel and reflects its now mainstream status. If only all videogame designs were done by Pentagram! One of my pet hates is how ugly most game design is—this is still ugly, particularly some of the image applications, but for some reason it works.

Perhaps it's ugly in just the right way?

On Sep.03.2009 at 08:16 AM

Molly O'Riordon’s comment is:

I think the new typeface design is a huge improvement. Less detail, more refined - more of a clean/refined edgy than the previous look, which seemed thorny and overdone. Thumbs up.

On Sep.03.2009 at 08:17 AM

jules’s comment is:

i feel like pentagram totally dropped the ball on this one. i do not like the machine like precision of the type. it goes against the feeling of garage rock and roll. the executions are hideous imo. all the executions just like someone had fun with some new filters. oooh chrome! oooh smoke! sorry to be down on it but i expect a lot more from pentagram. the dj one is the furthest thing from a dj. unless you are dj-ing in punky brewster's closet circa 1984. .

On Sep.03.2009 at 08:24 AM

David H’s comment is:

Usually I like refinements such as these, but in this case, I think I prefer the sloppier original version. It feels better suited to the source material.

I type this seeing the two logos side-by-side, but when I saw the package in the store, I didn't notice the redesign of the logo. I suppose that means it's a success.

On Sep.03.2009 at 08:25 AM

ScottyM’s comment is:

... "retains the thrashing attitude of its predecessors"

Thrashing defined as, what, the band "White Lion" maybe? It feels as though in the process of this redesign, the guys at Pentagram listened to more Firehouse than Motley Crue. More Michael Bolton than G 'n R. That's a shame.

It does have more air to the design, I'll give it that. More opportunity for "expansion" across sub-brands. But it's not nearly as organic as before. Seriously, it's like it went from hard rock \m/ to pop rock.

One word for that, folks: "posers"

On Sep.03.2009 at 08:27 AM

jonathan’s comment is:

Tough assignment here... Not exactly an amazing mark, but the brand is already so well established, its hard to push too far. Only pick I really have is with the G, I think it reads a little like a C. Besides that, I think the guys did a good job of refining the mark, and preparing the brand to expand to new levels.

On Sep.03.2009 at 08:46 AM

Armin’s comment is:

For what it's worth: Guitar Hero is a billion dollar enterprise, not some underground indie rock band playing at The Troubadour in the 1980s. To treat it as the latter is simply unfeasible to maintain it as a global brand.

On Sep.03.2009 at 08:46 AM

Kevin Zwirble’s comment is:

Simply put, I like this. I think they executed locking the type on two lines perfectly. I think simplifying it will allow it to go across many different looks and genres as shown in the mock-ups.

Although I'm a big fan of Adam Larson and Rick Valicenti I have to say the imagery isn't really doing it for me.

Also, I like Armin pointing out the B- and C-list celebrities, nice touch.

On Sep.03.2009 at 08:50 AM

Matt’s comment is:

I would simply state that it grew to a billion dollar enterprise on the back of the previous mark. I wouldn't exactly say the "indie rock band" look held them back, so I don't agree with that as a dismissal of these critiques.

I personally can appreciate the skill that went into developing the entire system and it is very cohesive, but I miss the character of the original.

On Sep.03.2009 at 08:54 AM

frymesome’s comment is:

"Guitar Hero is a billion dollar enterprise, not some underground indie rock band playing at The Troubadour in the 1980s"

Good point, but the GH Brand is all about joe-nobody being able to have that very experience. The rough edged, non-polished kooky-ness was all part of that. It will be interesting to see how this really comes to life.

On Sep.03.2009 at 09:04 AM

marnie’s comment is:

Oh, dear, maybe I'm an old lady, but I cannot read that Guitar Hero, hardly at all. It looks like it says Cutter Hero to me, and over the flame background Ouiter Hero. Otherwise I quite like the font, and I like the other iterations, Band and DJ, but I think that G needs some work to be legible.

On Sep.03.2009 at 09:06 AM

i2h’s comment is:

the original logo reminded me of a tattoo you got on the spur of the moment that came out rough and imperfect, but pretty solid. the revised typography looks like a tattoo you pick out of a book.

On Sep.03.2009 at 09:09 AM

John Nguyen’s comment is:

"Introduced by Activision in 2005, Guitar Hero..."

Guitar Hero was not introduced by Activision. They bought the series and its publisher (Red Octane) in 2006.

On Sep.03.2009 at 09:24 AM

Santa’s comment is:

I didn't think there was anything wrong with the original. It served well for it's purpose: a video game. Why change something that has not even been around that long?

On Sep.03.2009 at 09:47 AM

Gage Mitchell’s comment is:

I'm not the person to judge the appropriateness of the re-design of the Rock Band logo, because I'm neither a gamer nor a die-hard rock fan, but I can say I'm half-and-half on the design in general.

The G on Guitar isn't very legible, especially when rendered in stone and back lit with flames like above. Does seem a little C like. For some reason I keep reading HERO as NERD as well when I quickly glance at the 3-D renderings. I think the hard edges on the O throw me off. Although, the NERD misread isn't all the inappropriate since these are fanatical rock lovers. Much like I call myself a design and beer nerd (or geek).

I can also say that while the rockness seems appropriate (as far as I know) in the Rock Band logo, it is completely off base on the DJ and BAND logos. I understand that the designers were going for a consistent family of logos, but they could have done that with the general feel of the logos and by making sure they all lock together with gear-like precision. For example, the DJ logo could have easily been turned into graffiti-like type that locks together. The band logo wouldn't be as obvious, but would work with almost the same type, just without the rockin' barbs sticking out all over the place. In other words, I think they spent more time making cool 3-D renderings of the Rock Band logo than they did thinking about all the other logos combined. And I agree that the 5 under Rock Band looks like it was stuck in there by the intern at the last minute.

To be fair, I think the execution and presentation are both great and if the idea behind the other logos was on target, this would be a success. The logos are all very consistent and do look like a family – the problem is that they are too much a family for how different the siblings really are.

Regards,
Gage Mitchell, AIGA

:: Graphic Designer
:: GageMitchell.com

On Sep.03.2009 at 09:49 AM

Camryn Brown’s comment is:

I'm positive overall but turned off by that mismatched 5.

On Sep.03.2009 at 09:55 AM

Jared Ray Scott Ramey’s comment is:

i like it. i like it a lot. but mainly the white version reversed out on black. the best thing that i have seen so far was the logo spray painted on the side of the hard case in the very first example. that kinda stuff is what gets me the most excited, and not so much on the crazy, wild, fire-breathing graphics that followed it. simple is better, my friend.

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:20 AM

Jeffry Pilcher’s comment is:

There was nothing wrong with the old one.
There is nothing particularly right about the new one.

There is no objective case that can be made for this change. Any argument is purely subjective -- more so on this than most logo changes. Logos should only be changed for business reasons, not purely aesthetic and subjective reasons.

Was the old one dated? Hard to read? Confused with another brand? Inappropriate for the category?

How did the old one hold the brand back? How many more units could the brand have sold with a different logo?

Armin, if you're asserting that this redesign was a vital part of GH remaining a global brand, I will heartily disagree.

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:21 AM

Matt2’s comment is:

"the original logo reminded me of a tattoo you got on the spur of the moment that came out rough and imperfect, but pretty solid. the revised typography looks like a tattoo you pick out of a book."

Or as I thought of it, the original looked like something a kid doodled in a notebook while sitting in history class, while the new one looks like something that was designed for the band after it band "sold out".

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:26 AM

ocelot’s comment is:

looks like the da vinci code ambigrams...

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:26 AM

Craig Clark’s comment is:

The type experiments and visuals are really cool and all, but why didn't they have any influence on the packaging/marketing? And will these interesting type experiments be seen anywhere besides design blogs?

This is the dullest of all the guitar hero covers, with such an intense vision being showcased by a guitar amp with the name stickered onto it, and the 5 is oddly placed, like someone else said, a complete afterthought.

I approve of the new look, but not of it's application.

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:27 AM

Pedro’s comment is:

The negative space between the two words on all the logos is so well thought and well executed it really makes it pleasant to look at. I'm not sure if I agree with the placement of the "5" in the second and third images though, but still it's a great and really well done work. It's very good to see real good designers at work, and companies that care about good design.

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:28 AM

soully’s comment is:

The type definitely looks tidier and comparing the two close-up I see the reasoning behind most of the changes, I'm just in two minds whether or not I prefer the more rough-and-ready original.

I also have to join in with the crowd disliking the 5 and the imagery, which have that cheap photoshop filter feel to them.

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:30 AM

Matt2’s comment is:

Oh, and why didn't they bother to contour the G and U with the H like they did with all the other letters.

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:32 AM

Bill Dawson (XK9)’s comment is:

Pentagram? Pentagram did this? If "Pentagram" had a death-metal-type division that actually used a pentagram for its brand mark, I might understand this. But it truly is an odd choice of studio for a re-design of this product line. C'mon, will someone throw Margo Chase a bone here? A real typographer who understands goth and the music business. And YES, I know goth and metal are quite different. But Ms Chase & company or any number of other rockin' design firms would have been better suited.

That said, it's a decent job.

Yet, P-gram has leeched some of the over-the-top-comic goodness from GH in favor of something a bit more standardized....

It's funny. As I'm typing I'm realizing that I think this may be a FAIL. Yes, this is more uniform and systematic and corporate.... I know. Iit's hardly Rock & Roll- I don't like it, like it, no-I-don't.

I have a 3.5 year-old Rock & Roll barometer; I need to get his take on this. My good friend Tucker is very opinionated about what is and is not Rock & Roll. AC/DC, Green Day and Prince are VERY Rock & Roll (according to Tucker). CCR & Neil Young, not-so-much.

Stay tuned for the Tucker report.

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:40 AM

Bill Dawson (XK9)’s comment is:

Yo, @Gage Against the Machine. Chill dude. Sometimes it's just fun.

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:41 AM

Edwin Tofslie’s comment is:

It is a solid revamp of their brand and provides great flexibility.

I am not too stoked about the artists rendition of the alternate treatment possibilities. They seem a bit low rent compared to the quality of the logo.

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:45 AM

Gabriele’s comment is:

Good work, but I still don't like it.
The 3d versions with hardrock/disco effects are horrible.

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:46 AM

Bill Dawson (XK9)’s comment is:

@Armin

Indie rock bands would have played the Roxy or the Whiskey in the 80s, probably not The Troubadour. I know, time for me to chill.

I've seen a lot of great shows at that place in my 20 years in LA. I'm going to The Troubadour in two weeks to see Sea Wolf. Then to the Hollywood Bowl for Pink Martini on that Saturday. Austin rocks, but you can't beat LA for musical choices.

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:50 AM

Randy’s comment is:

Honestly, I like it.

I think a bunch of you are looking into this way too deeply. Remember, this is supposed to be a brand that appeals to a mass audience, not just the DJ crowd, the black metal crowd, et cetera.

I think it's wildly successful, and that it does look more "evolved" than the previous version.

However, I hate hate HATE the final "Band Hero" image with the chrome. It looks poorly executed and too bubbly.

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:55 AM

nicholas’s comment is:

Completely appropriate update for the brand's repositioning, but the concept and execution does not translate to the two sub-brands (which I'm sure were a big reason for an update.

While the DJ hero logo does not have a DJ feel, I could do completely without the Band Hero sub-brand.
Band Hero reminds me of a t-shirt from engrish.com. The name feels like clumsy English, and the logo itself doesn't lock up as well with the D in "BAND"

Pentagram and Activision can prove me wrong and win my heart with the release of more obscure musical spin-offs: Zydeco Hero? Cello Hero?

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:57 AM

Fish’s comment is:

Rockin’ logo! I wish the "5" had a little more edginess to it like the rest of the typography. Not a fan of the 3D executions/disco effects... at all, yuck!

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:58 AM

Dave Werner’s comment is:

I think they're great. A lot of gamers have recently been suffering from Guitar Hero fatigue - Activision has been racing through releases and making band-specific versions (Metallica, Aerosmith, etc.) - so something needed to change. The old version was a little too cartoony - which has been part of Guitar Hero's charm in the past, but in extending the "Hero" brand they seem to be stepping up to something a little more realistic.

As a game, I still prefer Rock Band, which is developed by the original Guitar Hero devs, Harmonix. The typography and design of the GUI in Rock Band 2 is beyond awesome.

On Sep.03.2009 at 11:02 AM

Steven Hoober’s comment is:

I don't like it one bit. The letters are /too/ equally weighted, which bugs me not just for the style trying to be expressed (as someone said above, hand-rendered tattoo style) but for readability. I find I get lost in the repeated zig-zag between lines, and other overly-similar elements.

The 5 is also sad and doesn't match at all.

The treatments are so over the top I often cannot read them, but I could be old, or some could be subtle on purpose, like for use in backgrounds. But some of them, like that last chromed one, also point out additional flaws in the letterforms. Look at the various small areas in the R for example. There's no enough room to do some of these 3D effects convincingly.

If I was art directing this, that's the feedback I'd give. I love the direction it's going, but it needs to work better with the planned treatments, and needs some more legibility and life to the basic outlines.

On Sep.03.2009 at 11:02 AM

J.B. Chaykowsky’s comment is:

I like the Guitar Hero and Band Hero versions because it relates to the rock culture atleast in someway, but as someone who loves electronic music and spinning DJs... DJ Hero is off.

It has nothing to do with the culture. And being that DJing is bigger overseas (they are looked at like professional baseball players here in the States) this could affect sales in europe.

Overall I like it. It's not ground breaking but its a lot more organized than the previous. A natural progression.

On Sep.03.2009 at 11:39 AM

Brad Thomas’s comment is:

Well, I enjoy playing Guitar Hero as much as the next guy, but this redesign falls short for me. I do like the simple black & white logo design, but the peripheral designs fall way too short. If you have ever taken the time to watch some of the animated cartoons during the loading process of the game, I think that would be a step in the right direction with this. There is a huge story to be told here. An epic saga of sorts, with the main character being the "Guitar Hero" (think Foreigner's Jukebox Hero lyrics). People want to be a part of the Rock n' Roll story. Throwing down a few Photoshop filters on top of the logo is not getting it done. Somebody needs to unleash this thing and let it out of it's cage.

On Sep.03.2009 at 12:28 PM

Ryan Paul’s comment is:

As far as the big picture is concerned, great job. The typography is consistent and the logo achieves a nice sense of balance when the version number (5) is nestled beneath (I actually prefer it with the number). It's practical, highly functional, and this logo system will serve them for years to come.

But I can't help feeling a little pang of regret. It suddenly feels a bit too grown up. I wish it felt a tad more "heavy metal" – but only a smidge.

Sort of reminds me of the mid-nineties, when Metallica updated their logo (1995–2003 version):

Metallica logos 1981 – 1995, 1995 – 2003 and 2003 – 2008.

On Sep.03.2009 at 12:32 PM

ScottyM’s comment is:

BTW, that era you're talking about ^^^ is when Metallica was TERRIBLE.

And it shows in the logo. Pentagram has not solved the issue of the sub-brands here. The more I review this, the more I think they totally botched this ... "Band" doesn't fit, and "DJ" is horrifically off. They've lost some of the feel of the culture all across the board.

One more analogy ... what had a fun, metal Tenacious D feel, now feels all Metallica '98 :)

Booo. There's no bones about it. This work does NOT rock.

On Sep.03.2009 at 12:55 PM

Folk Modern’s comment is:

This redesign works because it is not just about rock!

Remember that this new logos will represent a huge range of music:
Grandmaster Flash, Jay-Z, Jurassic 5, Beck, Coldplay, Kurt Cobain.
Here are the artist lists for DJ Hero and Guitar Hero 5.

Look at the new DJ Hero peripheral it's a turntable.

On Sep.03.2009 at 01:36 PM

Dan’s comment is:

This sh*t makes me want to vomit.

On Sep.03.2009 at 02:42 PM

felix sockwell’s comment is:

i kinda miss the swooping G in Guitar (adds proper wt distribution to the R) but this is totally well done. Its a little more tame, sure. But quite sturdy. Well done.

On Sep.03.2009 at 03:02 PM

Panos’s comment is:

I wasn't really expecting this from Pentagram. Although an obvious approach, it could be the chance of making something amazing and bringing good design closer to everyone.

On Sep.03.2009 at 03:59 PM

Lauren B’s comment is:

I thoroughly enjoy the clean look to the new logo--it still retains the overall style of the first one yet the new one lets the viewer breathe. The way it can easily be transformed from a b+w mark to a moving, breathing design adds to it's aesthetic functionality. I appreciate the inside look on this re-branding!

On Sep.03.2009 at 04:06 PM

Mog’s comment is:

A nice refinement, though it does bring the GH logo just a bit closer to competitor Rock Band's logo.

It feels a little rough around the edges (and not in a good way), though: the 5, as many users have pointed out, looks mismatched. There's a lovely zig-zag interplay between the two lines of text but that's strangely absent between the G and the H; a little more work could really bring that out and make it shine.

Also, it's not really related to the logo, per se, but it is to the brand: With at least nine (count 'em!) Hero-branded games hitting store shelves in 2009 alone, Activision/Neversoft really is over-extending the franchise (and the brand). Sales have dropped for all the installments this year; I hope they don't take the entire music genre down with them, hurting Harmonix, the studio that invented Guitar Hero in the first place (they now make Rock Band).

I'm a huge game but I *still* have no idea what "Band Hero" is supposed to be, for example - Guitar Hero has supported full-band gameplay since last year's "World Tour" installment. Some sort of Wii-ified, casual-friendly Guitar Hero, perhaps? But Guitar Hero already is a massive casual gaming success. The "brand story" really isn't clear at all.

Of course, the plethora of GH games should come as no surprise, since Activision gave the series to Neversoft, a studio that practically specializes in running popular series into the ground with too many installments (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, anyone?).

On Sep.03.2009 at 04:15 PM

JKreutz’s comment is:

Overall, it's a solid job on this project. This is exactly what I'd expect from Pentagram, even though I wouldn't expect Pentagram to work on something like this. I would agree, that I wish someone like Margo Chases could have worked this. If I had to nitpick, I would say the 'G' still needs to be defined more, especially from a distance. Also, I was a little disappointed that the new typeface wasn't expanded to numbers, so that the 5 didn't look so disjointed.

On Sep.03.2009 at 04:29 PM

Zach’s comment is:

Why change a successful design?

The new version lacks soul, and turning a LOGO into a FONT is just a useless masturbatory exercise in typography since nobody will ever end up using it as a real font.

Another expensive flop from Pentagram.

On Sep.03.2009 at 05:16 PM

Mark’s comment is:

It is a great improvement but I'm sorry, that five looks way out of place.

On Sep.03.2009 at 05:56 PM

Johnny’s comment is:

Spin Doctors are going to earn their pay justifying that 5.

Shame on the designer. Lazy.

On Sep.03.2009 at 07:00 PM

Lucy’s comment is:

I thought the original logo was fine, but you're right, the new logo does look great! Love the typface. And it works for all three game titles. Not too "metal-looking" for DJ Hero (wtever the eff that is).

But yikes...that 5...it needs to change.

On Sep.03.2009 at 07:26 PM

Sean’s comment is:

Much better - but that 5 - why didn't they just stick to Roman Numerals.
Just ask any of my III teenage sons - Roman Numerals are so rock'n'roll.

On Sep.03.2009 at 09:23 PM

Mike’s comment is:

The new type, although well executed, is, well, too well executed! The organic artistic and custom feel of the original has been lost. Maybe that was a part of brief? Clean it up and "corporatize" it?

I quite like the treatments, especially the first two "DJ" ones (except for the drop shadow - eurgh).

On Sep.03.2009 at 10:31 PM

Quique’s comment is:

Although I am a big fan of Pentagram and their work, I have to say this redesign does'nt do it for me.
I do think the original logo needed a redesign but the new ones look way too stiff and corporate.
I agree, Margo Chase would have done an interesting redesign, although her logos are more gothic/sexy. I strongly believe this would have been a perfect job for the people at House Industries.

The "hard rockin' effects" are too techie/glossy for the ROCK version, I'm missing the dirt, the sweat, the smell of beer that make rock and roll RAWK!. They work great on the DJ version though.

On Sep.04.2009 at 12:38 AM

Ole Marius Pettersen’s comment is:

Nah, I feel this redesign fails, especially the guitar hero one… It feels like Chris Cornell's latest album.

"Hey - let's try something new and modern!"

- Oohps, it sucked

On Sep.04.2009 at 03:10 AM

Ivan’s comment is:

erm...I smell some PR here, correct me if I'm wrong, Armin - or you're just too much into this type of gaming.

On Sep.04.2009 at 05:32 AM

Ryan’s comment is:

Definitely prefer the old version, for the reasons already mentioned above (the new crushes the DIY personality). A logo is a logo – i.e., pretty much anything but DIY – but this redesign seems unnecessary, especially considering Michael Bierut's recent post on Design Observer ("do we really need this logo?").

On Sep.04.2009 at 05:46 AM

Armin’s comment is:

If anyone's interested, there are a few additional Guitar and DJ Hero explorations by 3st here.

On Sep.04.2009 at 06:11 AM

Armin’s comment is:

> The type experiments and visuals are really cool and all, but why didn't they have any influence on the packaging/marketing? And will these interesting type experiments be seen anywhere besides design blogs?

When you do work for big brands, a lot of the time you are just providing "proof of concept" work, showing what can be done with the identity; sometimes this work doesn't go beyond a presentation PDF, sometimes it becomes the cornerstone of an identity. This kind of stuff usually serves to get buy-in from people and get them excited about the potential. As was the case here, the packaging was done by someone else and it's too bad there was no reference to this work, maybe in future iterations.

On Sep.04.2009 at 06:15 AM

Adam Bestwick’s comment is:

Don't want to repeat what has already been covered above, but I do agree that the rationalising of the typography does make for an easier transition across the other 'hero' brands, although it has lost some of it's personality.

Nice job.

As for the 3-D renders of the brands - they're hideous - not a fan.

I thought DJs were meant to 'superstar' in the cool Ibizia-esque god mould.
Judging by the multi-coloured execution, this DJ Hero would be playing 'the birdy song' on a deck set-up akin to a 70s wedding party!

Poor job.

On Sep.04.2009 at 06:45 AM

Jens’s comment is:

Don't forget that Metalica isn't the only band featured on Guitar Hero. If anything the logo could have been more universal to accomodate the full range of music genres which this game covers. Guitar Hero's real precursor is as much MTV as Chicago (which was mentioned in the Eye magazine blog as part of the inspiration for this identity). In my opinion this identity system is a good balance between a more universal approach and staying true to the brand's roots. (Yes "BRAND" not "BAND"). Let's not foul ourselves about what this thing actually is. Calls for DIY, nitty gritty, ultra-personalize garage band logos seems absurd to me. What's nice about this approach is that the logo is basic enough to allow for these specialized treatments as opposed to what GH previously did which was to create customized but inconsistent logos for every new special-edition version of the game. For those people who really want a logo that feels like it was sketched on the back of a wide-rule notebook with a bic-pen so that they can feel the adrenalin of being in a garage band in its infancy, I would suggest putting down the plastic and picking up the real thing. Then, once you have you've written enough songs to play a show at a real dive-bar, you can sketch out a DIY logo for yourself on the back of a napkin.

On Sep.04.2009 at 08:52 AM

Harris’s comment is:

What's Cuitar Hero? The G and H are both terrible. The U is nothing to write home about either.

On Sep.04.2009 at 09:49 AM

Mog’s comment is:

Sean wrote:

"Much better - but that 5 - why didn't they just stick to Roman Numerals.
Just ask any of my III teenage sons - Roman Numerals are so rock'n'roll."

The reason they didn't stick to Roman numerals is probably the same reason they dropped the numerals entirely for installment number "IV" - people don't know how to read Roman numerals after "III."

I used to work in a games store - you would not believe how many people we had asking for "Grand Theft Auto Eye Vee."

It's depressing, but it's true.

On Sep.04.2009 at 11:42 AM

Mike’s comment is:

I don't see why they had to change the logo in the first place, but the changes were so minor that I hardly feel it was worth it. And to repeat what everyone else has said, that "5" is kinda stupid. Using a numeral's fine, but they should have made it huge, not tiny.

On Sep.04.2009 at 08:39 PM

Clinton’s comment is:

So, let me get this straight;

The typography was drawn, then outsourced to make into a font.

The photoshop treatments were outsourced.

It seems Pentagram's main responsibilty was project management and post project PR.

When you clarify Pentagram's contribution, it appears they did a very good job.

On Sep.05.2009 at 03:30 AM

decksnap’s comment is:

The old one actually had character. The new one is pretty bad. As a technical exercise I would use words like precise, symmetrical... but it has no spirit. The negative space between the 'guitar' and 'hero' really bugs me as well. I don't know. It's like when I look at it, my eyes don't want to read it. Or, should I say, it hurts my eyes to read it. They really sucked the soul out of this one.

Treating DJ Hero with the same typeface treatment is just ridiculous as well. Nothing says 'DJ' like overworked heavy metal lettering!

On Sep.05.2009 at 06:14 PM

decksnap’s comment is:

also... sorry...are you guys high? The 3d renderings are awful...awful...

What does the 'custom alphabet' have to do with the logo? It doesn't even use the same letterforms.

On Sep.05.2009 at 06:23 PM

olaf’s comment is:

@decksnap
You are critical of the guitar hero logo because it isn't faux heavy metal enough, but then criticize the DJ Hero logo because it's too heavy metal. My understanding is that this was a "brand architecture" problem from the beginning. Guitar Hero wanted to expand from a niche heavy metal rocker game into something more universal, yet without turning its back on its "niche" roots. If you were to solve this problem what would you do? Force DJ Hero and Band Hero to take on the goofy heavy metal style of the original guitar hero logo? Or create a brand architecture that is more universal (or in your words "soul sucking") enough to accommodate the full spectrum of music that this video game empire is trying to cover? Or would you have forgone any brand consistency whatsoever and proposed creating customized, ultra-specific identities for each new iteration of the game (in other words ignoring the brand architecture problem entirely). Seriously. I'm interested to hear your solution.

I see Pentagram's solution as equal parts niche and universal. It's impossible to be both simultaneously, so as a compromise Pentagram made it a little bit of each; which invites easy criticism from both sides. But none of the critics have suggested a plausible alternative, and that's because its not a problem that has a pure solution. If GH sticks to its roots, then it forces the heavy metal aesthetic on all other music genres. If attempts to appear relevant (or at least acceptable) to ALL genres, then it risks appearing too generic and impersonal. If neither direction is acceptable, then the third option is a compromise between the universality that Activision seeks economically, and the niche image it wants to project to its customers (and which its customers whole-heartedly yearn to consume without having to consider the economic realities behind an experience that to them feels unique, individualized, and creative despite the fact that it is actually mass produced, prescribed, and uncreative.) A beautifully bastardized musical experience deserves beautifully bastardized blackletter typography.

I find this to be a profoundly appropriate redesign. And I don't mean that in a cynical way. It's honest about what it represents. It's fun but not deceptive. It's serious but not overly corporate. It acknowledges the original, blackletter-inspired logo but makes it a little more grown up. Yet is also keeps its distances from blackletter's truly hardcore musical roots (which might be inappropriate for the younger demographic) which has even deeper roots in radical, post-WWII right-wing politics. Just one example of where multinational corporations run into problems when they are too niche. Things don't read the same way in Boston or Kansas City as they do in Leipzig or Krakow.

On Sep.06.2009 at 04:00 AM

Alice Baldwin’s comment is:

I think the word mark itself is beautiful.

On Sep.06.2009 at 03:34 PM

JN’s comment is:

I think the G is absolutely terrible. the flat bottom and the inside resemble a C more than anything else

I saw the packaging in the store today (next to the old stuff). Downgrade...

On Sep.07.2009 at 03:15 PM

decksnap’s comment is:

@Olaf -

To be clear, I didn't say it wasn't 'faux metal' enough, I was saying it lost all of its character. And, if it did retain any, it sure doesn't apply to 'DJ Hero'.

In answer to your question, I would probably at least try (and maybe they did) an execution based around a standardized 'Hero' word mark, with the title words and treatments themed toward the genre.

On Sep.07.2009 at 05:39 PM

John Mindiola III’s comment is:

Yeah . . . I always want to tell myself that the folks at Pentagram and other design superhouses know more than I do about design, but then I see how they VH1ed my MTV.

On Sep.07.2009 at 07:59 PM

GoldenApples’s comment is:

I guess I disagree with just about everyone here when I say that just about the only ones of these treatments I actually like are the three "DJ Hero" treatments. Those type treatments actually feel creative in bastardizing the brand while still referencing specific moments in urban nightlife culture. The GH and BH treatments just feel to me like 15-minute photoshop exercises that don't connect to any real culture, and only accentuate the ugliness of the letterforms themselves....

Something like John Langdon's Typedia logo is a brilliant example of a mark that takes inspiration from a huge range of sources, but still works as communication. There was certainly room to take that kind of approach with this brand... Much as I love the work of the people involved in this, I can't help feeling like it fails on a lot of levels...

On Sep.07.2009 at 10:28 PM

Chris’s comment is:

Seems like most of the commenters here have it right -- the old logo felt more 'alive', the new one looks like the victim of unnecessary corporate streamlining.

Makes sense, though, given that Guitar Hero itself has gone from a brilliant idea to a Madden-esque yearly retread.

On Sep.09.2009 at 11:59 AM

john.q’s comment is:

well said olaf. in my eyes, these are great.

On Sep.10.2009 at 10:34 AM

Aniko Hill’s comment is:

I think they did a nice job of cleaning this up while still maintaining the soul of the original - not an easy thing to do! The more simplified evolution also lends itself better to the brand extensions, which also work nicely. Overall I think this is a much more sophisticated look for Guitar Hero.

On Sep.10.2009 at 01:53 PM

Angie’s comment is:

I think it's nice, but mostly, I just wanted to laugh about how you specified that the celebrities in the picture are B- and C-list celebrities! Don't think I'm knocking you -- always enjoy the posts.

On Sep.10.2009 at 05:20 PM

Jensonb’s comment is:

As an avid gamer, I first saw this as soon as Activision-Blizzard started showing it. And it was immediately jarring to me. I physically can't look at the new Guitar Hero logo without recoiling in some way (Whether mentally or physically). It just looks wrong. I think it's just too perfect. Rock styling and machine-precision don't go together. Aside fro that, it's just not attractive. The bottom of "Guitar" half-heartedly matches the top of "Hero" (Ditto "Band" and "DJ"), which makes it all the more jarring that none of them match completely. It's either ALL the letters play off eachother or none (Or at most the minority) of them do. There's something about having most but all of the letters play off eachother that does not work for me.

I also think it's too damn simple. The older logo was cool whether stylized or stenciled, it had a certain dynamism to it even in silhouette (Though especially when fully rendered). The new one looks flat and feels dully static. A total mis-fire.

Pentagram also completely screwed the pooch on the 5. I can't look at that "5". It's annoying enough to me that Activision-Blizzard allowed Neversoft to let it out the door under that monicker (With the first sequels called II and III, it should be V if you want to go back to numerically naming them - but I don't think THAT is wise either, after World Tour), but for Pentagram to then represent it in such a boring way is, again, visually jarring to me.

It's in a non-matching font that somehow manages to be uglier than the the already horrendous "Hero" typeface. It probably wouldn't be so ugly if it wasn't being used in conjunction with Hero, but it doesn't matter. The logo stinks out loud.

On Sep.20.2009 at 12:53 PM

nintendo dsi r4’s comment is:

What's nice about this approach is that the logo is basic enough to allow for these specialised treatments as opposed to what GH previously did which was to create customised but nice logos for every new special-edition version of the game.

On Dec.28.2009 at 12:58 AM

Taryn Achzet’s comment is:

Hmmm interesting stuff

On Jan.28.2010 at 10:55 PM