Guitar Heroism and Rocking Bands Created 15 years ago2008-11-16 11:57:39 UTC by Daubster

Madcow's recent journal revived the question that's been in my head for quite a while now.

Personally, I really can't grasp the point of mastering Guitar Hero, Rock Band or any other music-related game, simulating actual instruments. Even if actually fun, spending excessive ammounts of time on it is, putting it mildly, weird. You could toss in another ~100$ and grab a, say, used guitar for the price of the equipment needed to play those games. You could be learning to play an actual instrument instead grinding the ways of button-mashing and switch-flipping.

In short: If you actually have the time, effort and money, why stick with fake stuff instead of the real thing?

Enlighten me, please. :rly:

You don't understand the complexity behind the plastic. It's actually quite fucking hilarious to beat on a plastic guitar or drum set, and if one has any common instrument knowledge at all, its kinda fun to be able to pretend you're playing your favorite song, even though you're just pressing buttons.

Its a different experience from the real thing-- a different kind of fun.

You don't play Guitar Hero to pretend you're playing a real guitar (I certainly hope you don't... Saw) just like you don't play DDR to learn how to dance. You play it because its fun in its own right.

I happen to be quite skilled on guitar as well as a plastic one. Nothing annoys me more than when people say "LERN REAL GITAR FAGS". They make guitar players look like assholes.

A soldier doesn't see someone playing CoD4, get all pissed of and yell "KIL REAL PPL FAGS!"

The games are just fun. Damn fun.

No WC, i dont =P

A soldier doesn't see someone playing CoD4, get all pissed of and yell "KIL REAL PPL FAGS!"

In my opinion playing video games is about doing things you can't do in real life.
You can kill people in real life, but if you do real people die, and that's not very fun. You also risk dying and you will probably get your clothes dirty, and that's not fun either.
You can however play a guitar in real life without any problems.

I see videos games as what they were designed to be: a form of entertainment. If it's fun to me, I'll play it.

True, these instrument simulation games are great fun with friends.

I believe Daubster's point is, that trying to master these games is pointless, not that playing them is pointless.

I enjoy playing guitar hero, and rock band, but I would much rather pick up my guitar instead of trying to get 100% on a song. For me, it stops being fun if I try to do that.

Then again, perhaps my view is a bit biased, I love music, and above all, I love playing music, for real.

It's actually quite fucking hilarious to beat on a plastic guitar or drum set, and if one has any common instrument knowledge at all, its kinda fun to be able to pretend you're playing your favorite song, even though you're just pressing buttons.

You don't play Guitar Hero to pretend you're playing a real guitar (I certainly hope you don't... Saw) just like you don't play DDR to learn how to dance. You play it because its fun in its own right.

The games are just fun. Damn fun.

Playing games like that casually for fun and grinding them till' you're perfect at everything are two different things. I think the latter is a waste.

I happen to be quite skilled on guitar as well as a plastic one. Nothing annoys me more than when people say "LERN REAL GITAR FAGS". They make guitar players look like assholes.

You were probably pushed to playing GH because of being already good at the real thing. Many actual bands/guitar players nowadays are like that. Having, to some extent, mastered their actual instruments, they just play GH as a fun, music-induced way of passing time where they can utilize some of the skills real playing has taught them.

A soldier doesn't see someone playing CoD4, get all pissed of and yell "KIL REAL PPL FAGS!"

What Potatis said.

Playing games like that casually and grinding them till' you're perfect at everything are two different things. I think the latter is a waste.

As is trying to get perfect aim in FPS,or working on micromanagement for RTS, or grinding levels in an RPG. The only reason people don't bitch about these things is because they've been around so much longer, buts its the same concept.

You have to understand that people who play rhythm action games simply do not want their games to be real-world emulators. They do not see games as alternatives to things we could do, but can't.

Playing games like that casually for fun and grinding them till' you're perfect at everything are two different things. I think the latter is a waste.

Oh you misunderstand the game itself. There's very little grinding involved for normal players who play expert. As you play you get better, and that's designed to be part of the fun.

There are however some people who do grind and play way too much to be better than everyone else, I'd feel like I was wasting my time too.

Still, it's no different than being a hardcore MMORPG player grinding away.

A soldier doesn't see someone playing CoD4, get all pissed of and yell "KIL REAL PPL FAGS!"

That's Because soliders know what it's like to see someone die in front of them, and don't want innocent people to die (unlike terrorists, who would yell that)

That's Because soliders know what it's like to see someone die in front of them, and don't want innocent people to die (unlike terrorists, who would yell that)

I lol'd. Looks like someone completely missed the point of what Blitzkrieg said.

Personally, Guitar Hero, and similiar games, are just a way for people to experience something that would otherwise pose risk, require serious amounts of time and skill to master, or take years to do.

I have quite a number of friends who play Guitar Hero. Though they are really good, they only play every now and then. None of them have grinded endlessly to get where they are, and I have never heard of a case where someone has (in Guitar Hero, that is).

I have never played a guitar game and have no wish to ever play one. Mostly because:
1. I'm not a "music" guy
2. I have no rhythm
3. I can't stand DDR games (see #2)
4. I don't like any of the songs in the games
What I don't understand is why there just can't be one of these games, and they just let you download the new songs. Every time you buy a new "version", you're buying the same game, and filling your house with more useless plastic instruments.

GH doesn't annoy me, but people who get 100% on a song or whatever and instantly think that they'd be awesome at IRL guitar piss me off.

Personally, I'd rather have a real instrument that I can't play then have two (or more) plastic ones lying around, looking extremely stupid. But that's just me.

As is trying to get perfect aim in FPS

honestly, who the fuck trys to get perfect aim in cs? (i'm using cs because you posted it as a comment on moo's journal or whatever)

honestly, name one person who trys to get perfect aim in cs, all you have to do is aim and shoot.

EDIT: why have i not been banned yet, it's been a week since i've joined -.-

Mastering any game is a waste of time.

Video games are for fun.. they are games.

Dont think too much into it.

Yes, it can be annoying to have a bunch of plastic instruments laying around, and people that try to be THE BEST are annoying too, but no one says you have to buy multitudes of plastic instruments. The games DO sell alone, for the most part the instruments ARE compatible with other games, and if you really feel you need a new/different one, tossing or selling the old ones wouldn't be a big deal. It's just like having 1-3 extra controllers so your friends can play.
A big deal is being made over a game, just a video game, like any other video game, only because it has a different type of controller and it's designed to imitate playing an actual instrument to some extent.

I master Tetris, some would say that is a waste of time.

You can't play Tetris in real life, so it's not a waste of time
edit: Maybe you can, after all.

some songs are harder on guitar hero than in real life. true story.

I can second that.