Guitar Hero/Rock Band the Future of Music?

[king]

I never thought I would say it but with the economy taking a plunge video games seem to be a great way for the failing record industries to cash in on a quick buck. Perhaps making titles such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero is the one thing that could save their A$$. Hey, I didn't want to admit it either but think about this......  I'm posting a story from a news feed from Rolling Stone about Aerosmith. Here is the sentence that will bring about the Music Industry Apocalypse: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith ended up selling more copies in its debut week than any other Aerosmith album.

That's right! If you can believe it this game sold more copies in its debut than ANY....OTHER.....ALBUM! And people were spending at least $30-40 bucks for this game. That's a  pretty large mark up from an 8-track,tape cassette, record or CD(remember,they've been around since the 70's). And it still beat em out! With other bands like Metallica following suit don't be surprised to see more of these band themed games popping up everywhere as the video game craze continues. They sell more copies, make more money, and no one can steal or pirate the video game.....yet. So in all actuality it makes perfect sense. Pretty soon it will be like i tunes, you'll go online with your gaming platform and buy/download all the newest game tracks to play along to in your library. This is what the biz is turning into.....what do you guys think?

[kyle7863]

I've actually been annoyed lately by the guitar hero craze.

I mean at first i was really into it, i thought it was a fun game and all. but now its kind of annoying. i mean, many people talk about guitar hero like its actually a musical instrument. I mean, I've seen people act like playing guitar hero drums or guitar or bass is just like the real thing. Some people think that it would be harder than the real thing.

I dont know, i guess i just feel its demeaning to the musicians out there. And maybe its just because the players want to feel like musicians, but i mean hey. The time and money they put into those games could be put into starting a musical experiance.


Thats really my opinion of it, srry if yours is different.

[king]

I think if people approached music with the same passion as video games we'd have a lot more REAL musicians out there. I will say this .....it can help you improve your rhythm and give you a respect and understanding of an instrument. BUT it doesn't come close to the real thing. I watched a Steve Jordan DVD and he suggested that playing other instruments makes you a better musician because it gives you an insight of what to look for in a guitar/bass player. I'm not gonna lie, Best Buy had the Aerosmith edition with guitar for only $40 bucks....I had to get it I've always been a wanna-be guitar player since I was 3 (I think we all were at one point) but I AM NOT taking the time to really learn it. I just don't gravitate towards guitar like I did the drums so I know I don't have a passion to really learn it, but the Guitar Hero does help, kinda......that's not selling out is it?

[daniel mariano]

When the first couple guitar heroes came out it was really cool. Playing famous songs on a plastic guitar really makes you feel like a rockstar. Now it's being taken a bit too serious. I was at best buy the other day and they had stands, straps, sticks, a fog machine/strobe kit. It's getting a little bit out of hand but pretty soon you'll load up the xbox marketplace or playstation(I don't know if they have anything like it but they will) and buy albums to play on guitar hero on the release date of the album.

[Hawkeyes83]

I hate to admit it, but rockband is what helped me get my foot in the door to the drumming world. 

I've always been a musician and when I first saw Guitar Hero come out I was a BIG hater.  I thought it was so stupid.  Just put in the same energy and time (and money) to learning to play a real guitar and you'd probably get to be pretty decent.  It's not that hard to learn the basics on the guitar, almost anyone can do it (only the basics that is, advanced stuff is hard, no offense to guitarists!). 

Then a buddy of mine bought guitar hero and then rockband, so I gave it a try.  After playing the "drums" on rockband for three weeks, I sat down on a real kit and was amazed at what I could do.  I'd never been able to even produce your most basic rock beat with any type of consitency or timing at all.  And believe me, I'd try at all of my old band practices.  Then, I sit down after playing rockband and I'm busting out nice, consistent beats, little basic fills, I even jammed with my buddies for a good hour that day.  We played old school rock like the beatles and ACDC, and I was able to do all of the basics.  I had a moment where I felt like Neo in the Matrix..."I know kung fu."  Pretty stupid, but it's true. 

Now I don't even play rockband anymore, I'm too obessed with the real deal.  But for what they are, rockband and guitar hero do their job well and are doing well to promote some musical appreciation in the youngsters.

Rockband won't make you the next Bonzo or Buddy Rich or anything, but it has it's ups.

[king]

I think it will help you to play drums before the guitar and bass just because you can actually apply the rhythms you play to an actual song, the guitar however does give my left fingers a good work out without thinking about it, which in turn helps my left hand stick control. I'll stay up till 3am playing guitar hero vs pissing off my neighbors at that hour with my drum pad. I'm glad it placed you on the path to being a drummer. I've been playing for 20yrs and I STILL get booed off the stage on video game drums.

[king]

WOW.....like I said, everybody's jumping on the Guitar Hero/Rock Band bandwagon. I just recently read about the Beatles having their own game to be released this September. First Aerosmith, then Metallica,now the Beatles, who's next? I figure Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones will be in the works by Christmas or the New Year. What do you guys think? Which band would you like to see score a gaming contract? I would love to play a Guitar Hero by STP or Alice In Chains. How about just a game centered around the whole grunge era. Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, AIC...you know what I'm saying!

[sticksofury989]

personally i think the guitar hero games were pretty fun. GH1 and 2 rather. but the series should have quit after about the 3rd or 4th title. i agree with king a little bit tho. it can help your timing and consistency but that's about it. i think GH and RB are fun and they may be inspiring to some people to actually go out and learn a real instrument, but that's about it. for guitarist it can help strengthen your fingers a little bit, but not much. other than that. I think the first few GH's were great. but now they've taken it to the point of "holy crap when will they cease to milk this cow of shame?"
my opinion. waddya think?

[king]

Yup, they're gonna milk it till it runs dry. Sad thing is that the kids today love it and with The Beatles game coming out there will definitely be more versions of it in the coming years. I don't think the game is going anywhere for a while. What will probably happen is the game will evolve to the point where you might as well just play the real thing.