Rock Band As the Costly New MTV? 76
With the announcement of Rock Band, fans of the Guitar Hero series are well and truly pleased. Despite the fact that GH controllers will work with the game, with all the peripherals the game is going to be ridiculously expensive, assuming you want to get an entire band together. "Specifically, the 'Rock Band Wireless Guitar Controller' will retail at $79.99 (40 quid approx), the standard 'Rock Band Guitar Controller' at $59.99 (30 quid approx), the 'Rock Band Drum Set' $79.99 and the 'Rock Band Microphone' at $39.99 (20 quid approx)." Beyond that, though, Kotaku's Brian Crecente takes a look at the game in a broader context, wondering aloud if the game will be a new version of MTV ... or at least, a new version of the way MTV used to be. Introducing new bands, songs, and sounds to consumers via videogames seems like a fairly natural way of trying things.
well.. not specifically (Score:2)
Videogames and interactive media in general are the new MTV, not just one game.
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Videogames and interactive media in general are the new MTV, not just one game.
What I will not agree with:
I don't think this is specific to Guitar Hero.
Explain. From what I have read so far, this is key portions of the GH team, with MTV and EA teaming up, to release a game focused around expanding from just guitars to a full band. Now, if I'm not mistaken, this is KEY PORTIONS OF THE GH TEAM, WITH MTV AND EA TEAMING UP, TO RELEASE A GAME FOCUSED AROUND EXPANDING FRO
Depends... (Score:1, Flamebait)
If it's just another dressed up "Simon" like Guitar Hero is, screw it. If it's more "real", then I'm all there. I do hope they allow midi hookups, though
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Sure, these games are good for the market of people who would normally buy a $50 guitar and never learn... but really...
They're even more pointless than sports games. At least there are physical, social, and weather barriers stopping you from playing real basketball...
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On the other hand, pretending to play an instrument and "is this the new MTV" really are a couple sentiments that belong together.
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2. I can only understand playing fake instrument games if you are the type who wouldn't want to learn the real thing. Inferred from #1.
3. I explicitly pointed out the difference between other games and instrument games.
That was my original post in a nutshell.
If you're going to sit indoors moving your hands on a fake guitar, why not do the real thing? To play paintball or do kung f
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I play the guitar and I play Guitar Hero. It has nothing to do with it being a fake instrument, since it's just a controller. It's about the competition and the cooperation. It's a game, so it's a whole different type of stimulation from playing an instrument. There is actually very little overlap, aside from some manual dexterity requirements. It also happens to be a very good game.
If they made a game about masturbation and it happened to be a good game, I would play i
Why Guitar Hero is fun, from a former musician (Score:4, Insightful)
As someone who knows how to play various instruments (having been in band/orchestra for many years), I will say that playing an instrument when you're good at it, can be a lot of fun. However, there's also the years upon years of experience of practice that it takes. And even then, it's obvious that most folks just won't ever have the talent that rock stars have.
On the other hand, with much less practice, I can play a video game that simulates the skill involved in playing a musical instrument. It's immersive (crowds cheering for me) and I'm playing actual songs that I like (versus "Row row row your boat" for the first few weeks while learning a real instrument). Furthermore, since it's easy for me to pick up and learn, it's probably easy for my friends as well. So, in short time, my buddy and I can get in some awesome, and fun, guitar duos.
Of course Guitar Hero II should not be an actual replacement for learning guitar, but it was never meant to be. Just because it's impractical in that sense, though, doesn't mean it's a stupid idea of a game.
On a personal note, I have noticed that a lot of my fellow former-musician friends also have taken a liking to Guitar Hero. Your comments seem to imply that we'd be the first to realize that a game like Guitar Hero is a waste of time. It's actually the opposite. Since we've all understand how much time and energy it took to master our respective instruments (for myself, it was the violin and the trumpet), we know that it can take months, if not years, to get good enough at the guitar to even come close to playing some of the well-known rock songs. The decision ultimately becomes quite simple. I'll take rocking with Van Halen in only a few hours, thank-you-very-much.
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There was a game a decade or so ago called, I think, Mr Bones? It had 6 or 7 stock riffs that you controlled with the keypad, and you had to hit the buttons in a sequence that was musically 'pleasing' (the tim
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Like some people keep saying "why play guitar hero when you can play guitar" it's one of those "why play gran turismo when you can actually drive" things.
Maybe because it's a game?
Games are fun?
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Like some people keep saying "why play guitar hero when you can play guitar" it's one of those "why play gran turismo when you can actually drive" things.
Maybe because it's a game?
Games are fun?
Well, Guitar Hero is a far cry from a simulation (at the level that games like Flight Sim, Gran Turismo, and the like try to get to) of guitar playing. I'm fine if you want to say "It's a fun game," in the same way that arcade-style racing games are fun. But if someone is playing guitar hero "to get better at guitar" I think they'll likely find very few skills they develop in the game will transfer over.
Also, I'd just like to point out that the difference in cost between "buying a video game + access
Re:Depends... (Score:5, Insightful)
Number one: You KNOW that they're not going to allow midi hookups. Or at least I feel you should know, if you're thinking about it much. Given the history of gaming and peripherals, I'd rate that as VERY wistful thinking.
But on to your other point, of hoping it is more "real"... How "real" is it exactly that you want? That you have to actually play a real instrument well? (Which is what it sounds like you're moving towards?) If you are a person capable of doing that (which it sounds like you are) then you don't NEED THIS as a game.
The purpose of most games is for a chance to pretend that you are something you're not, and act under a different set of rules than normal. Counterstrike, you get to pretend to be a swat-team member or a terrorist. Normally society frowns on people running around with guns and shooting each other. But here's a make-believe way we can try it out and have fun!
Well, guitar hero is for people to pretend that they can play guitars and are rock stars. It serves its purpose remarkably well. It is SQUARELY aimed at people who can't play guitar, but enjoy the fantasy of being on a stage, "wailing" on their "axe". I think it is safe money that "Band" will be similar, allowing some game-mechanic that maps well onto music, so that people can pretend to be playing in a band. (The only toss up is the vocal, which I'm expecting will be sharing a lot of technology from kareoke machines.)
The thing though is... The fact that its not more "real" isn't its weakness, but its strength. It puts a plausible, rock-feeling experience into the hands of a bunch of people who wouldn't otherwise get one.
If you actually ARE one of the people who can play drums and guitar, then you don't NEED this game to be more real. If you want the next level up for reality, then all you have to do is go find a couple of similar people and make a REAL band, which as people seem to never tire of pointing out, is far more rewarding anyway.
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I know midi is way out there - but it would be fun
I'm looking for something that's more like the experience of playing Tekken at an arcade, less the experience of playing it at home. The GH controller is cheesy, but still sorta gets the idea going. Like the duckhunt gun, it gets the job done and it's sorta fun. Playing FPS games with a standard controller is really lame. I just have this dread thinking of the rockband drum kit. What, is it a little controller with 4 or 5
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I have trouble imagining it being much more, maybe something as sophisticated as the Donkey Kong Konga bongos with one little drum as the snare and a couple toms little bass drum. I have a hard time believing it would even resemble a drum kit's true diversity at only $80.
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Now if they did allow extensions or at least a MIDI input, us musicians could plug in and have even more fun!
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Many of us who play guitar still really love Guitar Hero. Yes, it's totally different, but in a ridiculously fun way that allows you to share your hobby with people with no discernible musical talent.
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Real if allowing creation... (Score:3, Interesting)
But if you played earlier games from Harmonix like Frequency, they supported modes that really did let you create music. You had fewer options note-wise than with a full keyboard, but many tracks of instruments - you could come up with some really different stuff that way. That's what I expect to see out of Rock Band, and even if it's fewer notes than you could get out
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Well, today, sure, but, back "in the day"...they actually did play music videos, and they were often pretty trend setting.
Ah...the good old days of "I want my MTV..."
*sigh*
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During much, if not all, of the first five years of MTV, it was not a commercial success, in that advertising revenues did not defray costs. There were also other music video outlets, though the others were weekly programs (90 minutes late Friday nights on NBC) or three hour blocks on Friday and Saturday night (who had Night Flight, was that US Network?). At the time there was this concept of the world premiere video, which really meant that one channel would have it exclusively for a 6-13 week period (the
They're missing the audience controllers though. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:They're missing the audience controllers though (Score:3, Funny)
Re:They're missing the audience controllers though (Score:1)
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/04/04 [penny-arcade.com]
only a matter of time? (Score:2)
Prices are guesses... (Score:5, Insightful)
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I really wish they'd wait until they had solid information before taking people's money. Oh well, that's their business model and it doesn't look to be changing any time soon.
YouRockTube (Score:3, Insightful)
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To qualify as 'new MTV' it would have to retain its self-important focus on a brand that can be sold to the people who listen to pop music. MTV hasn't had anything to do with music itself since
This is a gaming enthusiast's dream... (Score:2, Insightful)
It looks great on paper, really great, but I don't think people are going to spend 2-300 dollars on a video game. Games with one unique peripheral have trouble catching on.
This may be a huge flop.
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Re:This is a gaming enthusiast's dream... (Score:4, Informative)
The Japanese are more gadget oriented than USians, though, and this may explain at least some of the success of the series in the Japanese market as compared with its difficulty here in the USA.
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Guitar Hero, DDR were all very popular (Score:2)
Uhh, what!? Guitar Hero has "one unique peripheral" and it has not had any trouble catching on at all. In fact, it remains one of the most successful games of 2006/2007, despite it's high price tag. Then there's also the whole Dance Dance Revolution series, where the game comes with one dance pad for extra cost. That franchise is popular
Well... (Score:4, Insightful)
Don't think so. (Score:2)
Introducing new bands, songs, and sounds to consumers via videogames seems like a fairly natural way of trying things.
Consumers exist to consume "content", that is, consume it passively. Since we're not talking about customers of Harmonix (i.e. the people buying Guitar Hero games), nor are we talking about gamers in general, we can't assume anything will be able to influence consumers that involve active entertainment.
Never underestimate the apathy of consumers! Your customers, however, are more likely to enjoy learning about new bands they can listen to and perhaps go to concerts of and purchase albums of.
Well... (Score:1)
MySpace == next MTV (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't think it's very likely that Rock Band will include tools of a high enough quality to create serious music, especially since its a console game. Allowing people to upload their own songs requires tons of regulation (for obscenity, copyright infringement). It seems far too early to tout this game as the Next Big Thing for music. It'll be like Guitar Hero, with more instruments.
Personally, I think the new MTV already exists in MySpace (and to a lesser extent YouTube). There have already been numerous artists whose popularity on these sites has landed them record deals. Its a better breeding ground for new bands: there is much more infrastructure for rated and discovering related talent to what you like, especially when you factor in that all the legitimate rock stars have MySpace pages for their bands. New music videos are premiered there. Concerts are announced "secretly" for MySpace fans, with tickets only purchasable via the site. And since MTV (and now MTV2) almost never show music videos any more, this is where people go to see them.
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And many major bands don't actually have MySpace pages - there are a considerable number that were started by fans or such.
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Obvious applications... (Score:4, Funny)
Not a contender for real music (but is MTV?) (Score:2)
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Exactly why this was posted on
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I think your latter point about differing reasons is fair when applied to just Guitar Hero, but the notion of an entire band s
Yes, but not everyone is as talented as you are (Score:2)
Retardiculous (Score:1)
Pfftt. LOOOOL
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Yah, you're an exception. These types of schemes always fail though.
Expensive... until you compare it... (Score:1)
Cheap wireless guitar system: $99 plus the cost of the guitar below.
'Rock Band Guitar Controller' at $59.99 (30 quid approx)
Cheap real guitar: $99
Decent: Several hundred
'Rock Band Drum Set' $79.99
Cheap real drum kit: $200
Decent: Half a grand plus.
'Rock Band Microphone' at $39.99 (20 quid approx)."
Cheap mic: $20
With the exception of the mic, every piece is cheaper than the traditional version.
Total, to put a complete band together,
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Yeah but that's infinitely cheaper than getting real flight lessons and buying an airplane and paying for fuel, storage and upkeep.
That's a wii bit expensive (Score:1)