Activision was apparently working on an ambitious-sounding Guitar Hero MMO before it was ultimately canceled as part of the company’s decision to halt all “Hero” game development in 2011.

This information comes from Unseen64‘s latest video, which has the story on the game’s genesis, its features and ambitions, and why it ultimately didn’t happen.

As explained, the game–Hero World–would have been essentially a platform accessible by web browsers that tied together all of Activision’s “Hero” games. It was conceived by DJ Hero developer FreeStyle Games, but work on the project was done by Amsterdam-based Virtual Fairgrounds, which had experience in the free-to-play MMO space with the game Club Galactik.

Hero World was described as being ahead of its time, capable of rendering appealing visuals even on lower-spec machines. The game also would have automatically purchased extra servers during peak times and shut them off when not in use. It would have been efficient and cost effective, the video says.

In Hero World, players would have imported characters from the Guitar Hero and DJ Hero console games, or make new ones, and then embark on a journey to “musical stardom.” There would have been some kind of story, and you would have done battle in turn-based dance-offs.

A complementary Facebook app for Hero World was also in the works, apparently. It would have allowed players to customize their own venues; there was even talk of the possibility for music labels and bands to sponsor in-game content.

The gameplay loop would have involved building a venue in Hero World and then “hiring” console gamers to play shows there. Console players would have been rewarded for doing so with large in-game payouts that they could spend on other items. Another interesting thing to note is that the plan, according to the video, was for Hero World to be fully cross-platform compatible, working with the popular consoles at the time: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii.

It’s mentioned in the video that pitches to Activision went well and Hero World was planned for release (though the Facebook app never left the pages of the design document), but it was not meant to be. Due to other factors, Activision’s Hero brand became too much of a financial burden, according to the video, and in February 2011, Activision put the franchise on hiatus.

Guitar Hero returned in 2015 with the FreeStyle-developed Guitar Hero Live, but the franchise’s revival was not what Activision would have wanted, as the game failed to meet expectations.

Would you have been interested in Hero World? Let us know in the comments below!