Face Off 11.11.08: Wherein Mike and Brandy Discuss the Globally Destablizing Effect of the Rhythm Game Genre

Posted by Michael Adler on 11.11.2008

Is Guitar Hero killing the rock star? Brandy and I discuss.




Brandy begins: Hello and welcome to another edition of Face Off where Michael and myself will duke it out over today's hot topics. We thought last week's edition was a pretty awesome, and we'd like to thank everyone who read it. Hopefully we can top it this week.




This week isn't only about music but games as well: Are Rock Band and Guitar Hero deteriorating musicians today? You must be living under a rock if you've never heard of Rock Band or Guitar Hero. Just in case you don't, here is the general idea of the games; in rock band you create a band and seek worldwide rock stardom while learning to master guitar, bass, drums and vocals. While Guitar Hero is where you similarly play a guitar shaped controller in time with many popular tracks. So while these games are crazy popular and the latest must-haves with different versions coming out all the time, the question still remains; Do these games deteriorate musicians and music today?

I think this is a real possibility. Sure you get to hear great songs from some of the older musicians of Rock and Roll, such as Aerosmith, and even Kiss, and it gets people to listen to songs they might not have listened to before, but in retrospect it's all based off a game where you get to pretend you're in this band/playing the guitar. Yet there are times that the song you hear in Guitar Hero or Rock Band isn't the same song you hear on the Artist's c.d. Look at Metallica for example, where people were complaining that their song sounded BETTER on the video games than when they bought the c.d.

I just think that while it's great that people are getting introduced to music they might not normally listen to, especially the older stuff like Aerosmith, that it's just a short burst for the musicians to get people to buy their music. I mean soon enough this craze is going to end. I know in today's economy that any way to earn some money is a good thing, but I don't know how long this is going to last in the long run.

Michael, you take?

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Mike responds:



Thanks Brandy.

I'll start from the end and work my way up: I should point out that regardless of the state of the economy any company is going to want to earn money. There's a baseline greed factor there, and these music based video games are the proverbial cash cow. How long will this last? A long time. Out of all the art forms, music is by its nature the most interactive. You can dance to it, sing along, play air guitar, etc. Rockband, Guitar Hero, et. al. simply take this idea to the next level with interactivity eg. pretty colors, and bonus points. People love music, and people love video games: the two form an unbeatable synergy, going not just back to the first Guitar Hero, but further even to something such as Dance Dance Revolution.

Now, does this dilute the music? On the average, no. Sure there'll always be a few people who think pressing the buttons on the guitar mean making music is really easy, but if you go in with the knowledge that it's not quite the same thing, it might give you a deeper appreciation. These games will certainly improve finger dexterity and strength which are certainly factors in quality guitar playing.

Guitar aside, the drum parts on Rockband are accurate, and do teach you to play the drums to a certain extent-obviously the feel of a real drum set will be different, but it gives you a deeper appreciation for the rhythm and coordination dynamics that go into playing drums. The vocal parts of the game can improve your ability to maintain pitch.

You could also look at it as an inspiration to learn a real instrument. I used my economic stimulus check to stimulate the economy, and purchased a bass guitar-mostly as a hobby, and in response to the fun of playing along on Rockband, but perhaps also in response to some of the constant background clamor by a few people-"Learn a real instrument!" In any event, Rockband might be slightly more gratifying.

Does it deteriorate the stars? Again, no. It's a great bit of exposure for them. It's been said that Guitar Hero helped Rock music mount a come back in the '00s, and I'd believe this. In addition to bringing the genre to the forefront of mainstream music again, it's also introduced a younger generation to a lot of classic rock acts such as Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, etc. Now as far as your example about Metallica, I would take issue with that and say that's more of a studio production factor. It's the way the album was originally recorded. You certainly can't blame the music video game genre for that one.

Back to you:

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Brandy re-responds:


Michael you make a lot of good points. Also, you're right that you can't blame the game for a studio defect in sound. I agree that video games and music kind of just flow together, and never seem to be overpriced no matter how little money anyone has. Also, I agree that it's great that they've helped get the older rock acts out to the younger generations, it just seems there should be a better way to do this, but then I guess the only way to really reach them is through what they know.



I agree that these games do help to learn a real instrument, but to me it seems that it's almost a cop out for the parents. Like instead of listening to the "noise" that they cause, they just buy them the game and say okay we're even. I just think sometimes there are to many video games out there and not enough getting up and doing something, though that is something I like about the Wii. I just don't know. Sure it seems like a win for everyone because the record sales for the classic rock artists are going up. Yet it just still seems like there is too much hype around video games, and trust me we're a video game family and I still don't get it sometimes. I just see them as way too addictive.....but then again what isn't in todays' world?



Michael any final thoughts?

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Mike re-re-responds: Well, I don't think tofu's terribly addictive. But sure, video games are addictive. It's electronic heroin; more so when it lets you pretend to be a rock star...ironically enough. Too much hype? I don't know about that. I think they're a prevalent technology in our society, and a huge source of revenue.

Speaking of revenue, I take issue that they're not overpriced. Music and video games are massively overpriced. I buy all my cds used if I can, or I get them from Best Buy in the first week of release. 20 dollars for a cd; 60 dollars for a video game is a bit on the pricey side. But they are luxuries. Basically video games allow you to live out your dreams whether it be rocking out to Molly Hatchet or killing zombies.

And finally, thinking about it, I find it to be a perfectly acceptable way to introduce a new generation to older music. As I've said, music is a highly interactive experience as are video games, so it sure beats sitting the kids down and lecturing them on what they should be listening to.

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Activision CEO Bobby Kotick says play this one out: This week it looks like Brandy and Mike disagree with how insidious music based video games are. Brandy thinks its possibly they could kill the rock star, while Mike says it's harmlessly exposing a new generation to new music.