Jack White and Jimmy Page Don't Like Guitar Hero

[m_jim]

Not everyone wants to put in the time and effort to be a rock star. Some people just want to sing some karaoke, bang on a plastic drum, and pretend they are Jimi Hendrix with some buddies before going about their day. To your average Joe, pressing some buttons and making Iron Man blast through the TV is a lot more fun than drilling scales, changing broken strings, getting calluses on your fingers, and being depressingly, God-awful terrible at a real guitar.

the same results with about the same level of investment, both economically and in terms of effort. Within the same period of time, with similar amounts of effort and money, they could have had just as fun, but gained SO much more in the process.

I read your post the first time you put it up there, so I'm going to try this again since you don't seem to be hearing me. A lot of people don't want to make the time commitment to become skilled at an instrument. You can play the game on easy and get the same thrill because it'll play the song and you get to feel cool. On the other hand, some people just don't want to play the real thing. I tried to show my girlfriend some chords on a guitar, and she hated it because it messed up her fingernails. If you give her the controller for Guitar Hero or the drum sticks, we can rock out and not disturb my neighbors.
Last, your argument that instead of playing a game, one should partake in the actual activity could be applied in some respect to almost any game or genre. A video game is, by nature, a simulation of an activity.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Chef Brian will now stab you with a carrot for making such a comment!

Hurhur, the randomness of it all!

Chef Brian is the best argument I can think of for firing squads and genetic manipulation.

What's worse is that people actually think this shit is funny.

I agree. The old ones were charming, but seriously now, wtf? Chef Brian is the worst attempt at humor I have ever seen.

 

[Lexodus]

I think they mean that it's not a bad game in itself, but if it's the only way that kids are actually hearing good music then it's very sad.

 

[ViolentlyHappy91]

The main problem the musicians are having with guitar hero and rock band, is the fact that many beginner guitarists and drummers have stopped learning, because guitar hero and shit is easier.

I play guitar, bass, drums and sing, but I play GH as a warm up before playing guitar to get my timing right, where most people who play GH and RB just play those, and nothing else.

 

[Lonko]

Spoiler: It's all about the first two panels

Spoiler: I think Randall Munroe says it better, really

 

[sanzo]

Spoiler: It's all about the first two panels

Spoiler: I think Randall Munroe says it better, really

Spoiler: Also, this

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Whats that shooting Nazi in a video game, if you had any self respect you would grab a real gun and kill real Nazi's.

One of the few cases where Godwin is relevant and actually funny

 

[Arkengetorix]

whine whine whine, ***** ***** *****, moan moan moan, cry cry cry.

Oh no, I'm so sad, let me just wipe away my tears with this handy hundred dollar bill I have in my wallet.

Honestly if they are so disappointed why don't they go immortalize themselves by dying in a plane crash like all good musicians.

 

[chstens]

These are old musicians, musicians that strated with music becasue they wanted to, not becasue of tremendous amounts of cash, musicians that don't like to sell out, if you think about this, it'll be alot easier to "understand that kind of mentality"

 

[SomeUnregPunk]

http://waxy.org/2008/11/musicians_get_meta/
"There's something satisfyingly self-referential about watching talented musicians try to play their own music in Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Especially when they're worse than you."

yeah, i think Jack white and Jimmy Paige is the minority here.

 

[Daimes2000]

I also don't get it why people with a negative opinion about these games are so seriously concerned about how people come in contact with music, or how those playing the games "think they learn how to play an instrument blabla".

There was a report about Guitar Hero on a german TV show dedicated to IT news a while ago. It featured a professional guitarist (university diploma!) who ranted about how the game doesn't even come close to simulate chords, striking the right strings or the dexterity needed to get a fingering right. He concluded by stating how much of a failure he thinks this program is when you try to learn guitar with it. One word he didn't mention once: Fun.

Breaking News: This is a video game, it's meant to be a fun distraction, something you can enjoy for an hour or two. And to me, these games are a lot of fun (i only started about half year ago and so far bought three games and a couple of DLC songs). Even more fun if you get someone to play together with. I'm listening to Hard & Heavy Music fo many years now, and i have found some really good songs on the Rockband 2 disc which i didn't know before, leading myself to have a closer look at those bands.

In conclusion i can only repeat what some here said already: If you don't like something, that doesn't mean the rest of the world should stop with it in order to make you feel more comfortable.

 

[sarahvait]

It is a little sad that people are discovering music and these great bands via Guitar Hero. But it's also incredibly fun and not supposed to be some perfect simulation of playing instruments.

But is it not better than not discovering them at all?

Aye t'is.

I don't get why it's so bad. Is there some kind of ceremony or specific ritual involved in listening to bands for the first time? Lighted candles and maybe some blood letting, I don't know. Why is hearing new songs through Rock Band or Guitar Hero so much worse then getting it on Zune/Itunes, or from the radio? Or heck, from some fanmade music video of some TV show/movie on youtube (actually guilty of this on several occasions)?

Sorry, I am being sarcastic, but I really don't get why the method you discover music matters. It's not like I only listen to Psychobilly Freakout or Take it Off by playing the games. Good songs are good songs in any setting, not just because you have a plastic controller in your hands. Besides, if the need really arises, I could still just air-guitar. XD

Eh, I don't know how valid my point is, it's 5 in the morning and I need to sleep...

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

It is a little sad that people are discovering music and these great bands via Guitar Hero. But it's also incredibly fun and not supposed to be some perfect simulation of playing instruments.

But is it not better than not discovering them at all?

Aye t'is.

I don't get why it's so bad. Is there some kind of ceremony or specific ritual involved in listening to bands for the first time? Lighted candles and maybe some blood letting, I don't know.

You never undertook the ceremony!? *Gasp*

 

[ygetoff]

I think part of the defensiveness musicians have about Guitar Hero & Rockband is that when you spend years refining your musical talents & become a genuinely brilliant musician, watching your art turned into a colour matching rhythm game kinda degrades all that effort u put into it.

I agree here. It's depressing to spend hours or days getting a song down, and then watching someone nail it on their first try in a videogame. It trivializes the whole thing somewhat. I do like how guitar games expose people to different kinds of music than they may normally listen to, though.

Here's something both sides of this "debate" should consider:
They are just games. Treat them as such.

 

[ygetoff]

Honestly if they are so disappointed why don't they go immortalize themselves by dying in a plane crash like all good musicians.

Sorry, no. Not good... just don't go there.

 

[EzraPound]

Kind of ironic White's saying that, his rock n' roll requires about as much skill to play in relation to classical music as Guitar Hero in relation to rock n' roll.

 

[sarahvait]

It is a little sad that people are discovering music and these great bands via Guitar Hero. But it's also incredibly fun and not supposed to be some perfect simulation of playing instruments.

But is it not better than not discovering them at all?

Aye t'is.

I don't get why it's so bad. Is there some kind of ceremony or specific ritual involved in listening to bands for the first time? Lighted candles and maybe some blood letting, I don't know.

You never undertook the ceremony!? *Gasp*

Oh SNAP! ::bonks self on head:: No wonder I dislike Stairway to Heaven so much! Mucked up the procedure! XD

 

[khululy]

Whats that shooting Nazi in a video game, if you had any self respect you would grab a real gun and kill real Nazi's.

Plastic buttons wont replace muscians anymore than arcade dance machines are going to replace real dancing or microsoft paint making the canvas obselete

Amen.

 

[SenseOfTumour]

To me, it's getting classic and contemporary rock and metal out to a HUGE new audience of people with money to spend on music.

That means more sales, more money flowing into the music industry, and importantly, more people interested in music, hopefully encouraging new acts to try to make it big.

It's an old but fairly valid point, F1 drivers don't tend to ***** about racing games, Jeffery Dahmer didn't complain about the lack of 'Cooking Mama' mini games in 'Manhunt', and builders don't moan that real walls don't disappear when you complete the 4th row of bricks, like in tetris.

We can't all be a legendary musician, but most of us would like to be, and GH/RB lets anyone feel like a legend, while, and here's the fun part for people not playing, looking like an absolute tool...yet not caring!

I can't help but feel some were horrified when the first digital downloads came along too.

Mediums change, the music will live on, and the most successful ones will get their beer and hooker money regardless of the format the music is sold in.

Damn that sounds anti musician, and I'm not, but surely, if you make music and love it, why would you not want it out there being enjoyed by more people? It's an entertainment product, we're not using 'stairway' as backing music for a piles cream tv ad.