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 Digg.com Facebook Google Bookmarks N4G Gamerblips del.icio.us Reddit Slashdot.org StumbleUpon I find I'm much more rhythmic after playing Guitar Hero 2 for a stupid amount of days. Luckily my addiction has ceased but the side effect still remains. I've definately thought about taking up an instrument since having played GH as well. Still, they cost money which I'd rather spend on games! I personally have never had any inkling (maybe when i first played but it died quickly) to pick up a real instrument, i just play for fun with friends/Girlfriend etc, but friends i know have and spent lot of money on drums, guitars etc and trying to create their own stuff. Ha! Take that Chad Kroeger you shit talaentless rectal belch Can't beat playing a real instrument... If you have a moducum of talent of course. Don't want make people ears bleed if you can't play a note :) It's funny how we're 'yay, music games make people want to play real instruments' and yet when stories come out saying 'violent games make people violent' we all moan at how baseless the argument is...
Just thought it was interesting is all... I don't believe it for a minute. And I am pretty sure I get more pleasure out of playing Sweet Child Of Mine on my Strat, than some plastic guitar with a few coloured buttons.
Guitar Hero is either for lazy, talentless wish-they-coulds or people who just want to play for fun. There is no benefit musically whatsoever. After a song on guitar hero, does anyone else have that strange 'everything you look at moves weird' effect afterwards? I'm inclined to agree that it wouldn't really benefit anyone that is learning to play (there's no real comparison), but I do believe that it gets people into wanting to play the guitar for real.
I'm from the complete opposite - I've been playing for years and I just think that GH is a good game...I do know a few people that have started playing (or showing an interest) since RB or GH.
:) Maybe not with the guitars, but do you not feel there are definite similarities between real drums and Rock Band/Guitar Hero drums...
People that get angry about these sort of games make as much sense to me as people that get angry because 'Gran Turismo isn't like driving a real car' or 'Call of Duty isn't like shooting real people in the head then teabagging them'.
Why does a game like this bother musicians? I'll never understand. I've never understood that either. I don't think that either GH or RB claims to be an authentic experience or that they require the same level of skill as playing a real instrument.
I think it's just that real musicians feel that those that play these games truly believe that they are as good as playing the real thing - which is simply not true.
Don't get me wrong - you will always have the odd nutjob that can complete 'Through the Fire and Flames' on expert, so he instantly thinks he's the next Eddie Van Halen....but, that's not the fault of the game.
It's all just good fun people.
:) It doesn't bother me when people have fun with these games, but I certainly wouldn't claim to be a good racing driver if I had the top time on GT's Laguna Seca track.
Playing guitar doesn't just require manual dexterity, but patience and desire. Most people who have played Guitar Hero may get a guitar (or other instrument) eventually, but I can guarantee that most of those people will put it to one side when they realise how difficult it is to learn.
I know this as fact because I have tried to teach a girl at work how to play guitar. She loves guitar hero and thought she could pick it up quickly. My god, was she wrong! Let's just say that I now own a few more grey hairs! But what about drums? There are distinct similarities (it seems) between these two. Surely being able to complete crazy hard songs on Expert Drums is indicitive of some drumming talent, no? Erm, you are comparing plastic pads to a set of drums?
It's funny because every musician thinks they can play the drums! You need a massive amount of stamina and tremendous manual dexterity to be a good drummer. I am sure you could play the drumbeat to postman pats theme tune after a few sessions of Rockstar, but Phil Collins (yes, he is a good drummer!) you will be not! I must admit - I always thought I'd be a good drummer....until I finally sat behind a drum-kit.
For some reason, just having the sticks in my hand and the kit in front of me sapped every single ounce of strength in my body and rendered me as weak as a kitten. I still have the same problem every time I encounter a kit.
Also, it's very hard - as a guitarist - to get your hands working independently like that.
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I'm exactly the same. Mind you, we took on a new drummer once and he didn't even know what a 4.4 beat was! I asked him to count the number of beats in a song that we were learning, and after about 30 seconds we stopped and asked him what he had counted and he said 67! Not even an even number FFS! Apparently he was counting every hit, including cymbals and hi-hats! How we laughed!... Yes, I am. Because, while there are many more drums on a real set, as well as the drums being larger and reacting differently as the stick 'bounces' off the skin, the theory behind what you are doing is the same.
You operate a foot pedal (ala bass drum), and your hands are doing independant things to each other and your feet. I realise that real drums would be vastly more complex, but playing Rock Band/Guitar Hero drums is a lot similar to real drums than a Guitar Hero guitar is to a real guitar... That shut them up! I'll give you that, Marty. But, you did touch upon one of the problems of playing the drums for real, compared to the pads. There is an art in controlling the 'bounce' of the sticks on the skins. And the fact that an average drumkit has several more things to hit. Honestly, you should try it, it will make a man of you. Or turn you into a gibbering wreck. Oh, and your calf muscle will feel like Thor has walloped it with his hammer after a few minutes! I'm pretty heavily against this comment. As someone who plays the guitar regularly, I find that it's far too easy to feel satisfaction upon completing games, rather than advancing in music, or anything else for that matter.
The fact is, there is nothing worse than demotivation in the early stages of playing, which is pretty much guaranteed given that you have an ounce of ambition.
I even feel it now. Would I rather sit in front of this screen, try and fail to play some seriously difficult pieces on the guitar, having to slow my speed down to maybe half or even a quarter, or whack on TF2 and feel good whenever the game gives me a crit rocket to blow someone up?
The same applies for the rhythm action games, but even more so. I totally agree and feel strongly that ,if anything, Guitar Hero will stop 'more' people from picking up a real guitar than it will inspire to do so. Yeah, I as a guitarist (or at least a wannabe rockstar) don't get offended by the whole concept, I just think it will take a lot of young/beginners' guitars off them when they see how easy it is to satisfy themselves (roughly to the same effect) by mashing colourful buttons on a plastic guitar.
Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy playing a bit of Guitar Hero, but I can see the concern that arises when it comes to games like this getting bigger and bigger. It was pretty scary how fun the whole thing actually was, and how hard it was to start practising songs at quarter speed on a real guitar that I just 5*'d on expert one or two days beforehand.
If it gets people into good music, that's fine, but I wouldn't say it's saving or helping the whole musician situation in any manner at all. I'm not too sure about that. There will be plenty that will pick up a guitar, realise it's actually fairly difficult and then give up - but, people have always been doing that...plenty of my friends have, long before GH or RB.
I still think that most can tell the difference between what they do in the game and what is required on a real guitar...whether they actually put the time required into the instrument really depends on the person.
:) I get the same from Rock Band sessions too. The word 'ouch' doesn't quite do it justice.
And as I say Mark, I totally get that they are different, really I do - otherwise hardly anyone would be able to play the drums on these games due to complexities, however, the similarities can't really be denied.
As for try it - I have to say that Rock Band very nearly encouraged me into giving it a go. Unfortunately, I don't think I know anyone who owns a drum kit, and I'm not sure my lady would appreciate me turning up one even with a set of drums... I would definitely love to give it a go though. I have some natural rythmn, which is, at least, part of the battle.
I'm quite surprised some of you think that this would have the opposite effect though. While you may not be influenced by it, there may be others out there that are. Everyone's different, after all, and different things motivate differant people.
Take Lips - if you were at a party, with 20+ at, and 'had a go' on Lips, and was complimented by everyone on what a grand job you did, would you not be tempted to try it, given the opportunity? I've had friends do that with these games too - it's not exclusive to real instruments :) At the end of the day, Fender are not going to be arsed because they are making money off the plastic guitars anyway. Even the music industry benefits from these games through the copyright of songs.
Just don't come crying to me when kids are still playing the same songs in 50 years time because nobody could be arsed writing a new rock tune - as they were too busy trying to complete Rock Band Universal Tour. Hmmm. Say you're a beginner guitarist. You can't play anything, you struggle to play clearly and your favourite tunes seem like a million miles away. You sit next to a metronome set to quarter speed and play one. note. at. a. time.
Your friends all get you on GH and you play an Iron Maiden solo all the way through, your friends cheering you on and the star power blazing around.
Which do you have a better time doing? I can see the opposite argument, but I think this perspective gives a more realistic look on the whole "false satisfaction" and all that jazz. I can see what you mean, but I really don't think it would happen in a widespread way. There will be the odd person quitting guitar and just playing GH and RB, but I don't think that can be considered 'musics loss' if that is the sum of their dedication....chances are they wouldn't have taken it far, with or without GH.
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