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Post subject: "Guitar Hero": Boom or Bust for Music?
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:59 am
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Aspiring Musician
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In a recent South Park episode, we see Stan and Kyle rocking out to the video game "Guitar Hero" as a roomful of their friends watch, rapt.
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As they're playing, Stan's father walks in, asks, "You kids want to see something really cool?" and starts to play an electric guitar.

For a moment, the room is dead silent. Then, Stan asks, incredulously, "Dad, what are you doing?"

"I can actually play a lot of these songs on a real guitar," the father responds. "Want me to show you boys how?"

Stan spits back, "That's stupid, Dad."

Question is: what does running over a bunch of colored blocks on a racetrack have to do with making music? Do products like "Guitar Hero" merely serve the "Everybody is a star without trying" poser fantasies of Gen Tech or are they a real path to getting into the guitar for real? And does the awful hair-band music represented in the games reinforce the worst of American pop music?


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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:05 am
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I wonder how many hot shot guitar hero players there are out there who think they are really cool because they can play that video game and get a high score. Its fun though my friend has the game and I've played it and I had a lot of fun. Its a video game its not supposed to be like real life. Playing pole position probably isn't much like driving a race car but if people have fun with it I bet the race car drivers don't mind. I heard an funny quote from Tom Morrello on the radio talking about the game where he said something about how he doesn't like playing very much because he always loses out to people playing the audioslave song he wrote thats in the game. Thats funny.


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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:19 am
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The game is just in good fun. Its like playing a football game on Playstation. Just because I can play an undefeated season and win the super bowl on the game doesnt mean I could go walk on as the starting quarterback for a profesional team. I have fun playing guitar hero and rock band but I am not really good at them at all. But my friends that are good at it cant play a note on the guitar and they acknowledge that I can really play. Its just something fun to pass the time with friends and mess around. I have never heard of anyone saying that they are a good guitarist or even say they are a guitarist because they can play good on guitar hero. Its just a game NOT an epidemic that will plague guitarists. If you dont like the game dont play it. Your support will not be missed because its selling millions of copies with or without you.


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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:25 am
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Lighten up, Francis. "Guitar Hero" is a video game, not a musical instrument. The controller is not a guitar, it has nothing to do with playing a guitar, and it doesn't prevent anyone from picking up a guitar (electric guitars are being sold at more outlets in a wider range of prices than at any time since the 60s).

Also, the guys who write "South Park" aren't very bright.


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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:47 am
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Do you think games like this will get more kids interested in playing real guitar?


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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 12:53 pm
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I play real guitar and im getting Rock Band for Christmas. I won't stop playing real guitar.


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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 1:07 pm
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Gravity Jim wrote:
Also, the guys who write "South Park" aren't very bright.


I wouldn't say that...I think SP has a lot more to it that 'omg they killed kenny' and a lot of swearing.


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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:08 pm
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Firstly, we're far more excited about Rock Band than we are Guitar Hero 'round these parts -- one just has to take a look at the game's controllers to figure out why. :-) We've had Rock Band going pretty nonstop here in the offices (after closin' time, of course) for the past several months and I have personally witnessed it inspire at least a handful of complete novices here to the point of getting interested in picking up real guitars and starting to learn some chords. Further, even as a seasoned guitarist I have to say that I myself have found the game incredibly addictive and entertaining. So, while I definitely hear what you're saying, I think it's all good personally.

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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:11 pm
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SO does Rock Band have a career mode for Bassists, unlike that other game built for wanna be wankers? Any chance of a P bass controller? :wink:

Seriously, who wants to be a guitar player anyway?
My drummer has that other game, and he's getting RB as soon as he gets paid this week. Ironically, he has a Strat...can't play that worth a dang, but he's not too shabby at the video games. Which in the end is good, he leaves his Strat with me alot, lol.

D

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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:43 pm
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I think it makes people have more interest in playing the real guitar. A lot of my friends are talking about buying real guitars and taking lessons.


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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:08 pm
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I originally had guitar hero 2 for the 360. I loved thew game and decided I wanted to learn the real thing. I sold all of my video games and sytems and bought a squire strat. I then went after a couple of months and got a HWY 1. I love playing the real thing. Building a real skill and actually making music. Nothing compares to the real thing! I tried to play guitar hero at a friends house and I hate the game now. I couldn't be happier with the fact that I now play guitar and not some wannabe game. I'm a teacher some of my students heard me play and imediatly asked if I could plpay songs they know from GH games. I tried to explain the difference but sadly they don't care. IF the games have done 1 good thing it's expose a new generation to some great music, bad hair bands aside. I not saying the games suck or don't have vaule after all it was the games that made me finally go out and buy the real thing after wanting to for many years.

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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:22 pm
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It's justa bitta fun! It promotes the guitar as a sexy thing to play... and it's gotta be betta than war games...

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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:31 pm
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TheKingofPain wrote:
SO does Rock Band have a career mode for Bassists, unlike that other game built for wanna be wankers? Any chance of a P bass controller? :wink:


Yup, there are career modes for all the instruments. As for a bass controller -- I heard a little rumor that there just might be one in the works. :-)

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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:50 pm
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I played Guitar Hero for the first time last week. It was fun. Even though my wife beat me and I got booed off the stage, it was fun. She wants it for X-mas now. But nothing like the real thing. Actually my nephew, who has GH, wants a real bass for X-mas cause he was over and I let him fool around with my beater. He was super excited from just making loud noises on it.


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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 4:09 pm
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http://msn-cnet.com.com/Is-tomorrow%27s ... &tag=mymsn

Seems that Guitar Hero's popularity has grown enough to rate the opinion of a news writers column.

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