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Editorials

YOU KNOW WHAT’S EVEN COOLER THAN “GUITAR HERO”? PLAYING A REAL GUITAR!!

 Wednesday, December 5th, 2007 at 12:58pm by

guitar girl

Before I go any further, I need to admit right off the bat that I have never played any of the Guitar Hero games. So while I am offering up my preconceived notions for attack and debate, please let it be known that I am well aware that these opinions are preconceived, and I am considering this my “before” post. If and when I do ever play Geettaar Hero 1, 2, or 3, I pledge to write an “after” post that honestly outlines my excitement or yawns, my expertise or ineptitude…

That said, I have to ask as one of the uninitiated, what’s the big fucking deal??? You play guitar…with a controller that has four buttons? Okay, sure — if I was not a musically inclined lad with a strong understanding of how the fretboard of a guitar works, I have to imagine that I would be overjoyed to feel like I was “rocking out” via any means necessary. But I have rocked out, for real, and I strongly suspect that that sensation cannot be recreated through a frickin video game.

guitar hero

I respect that I could be wrong — I’ve been wrong before, once, in the mid 90s, and I gladly recognized it then too. I’m totally open to being convinced otherwise, but I guess until I experience Guitar Hero for myself, I’m stuck thinking that it’s kinda silly.

Although I’m definitely a fan of that commercial where Slash comes out of the dude’s head. The power of the non-non-Jewish former members of G N’ R is infinite.

-KW

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  • Fink

    First off, I don’t play guitar, but I am also thoroughly convinced that rocking out for real beats the hell out of Guitar Hero.

    That said, I believe the appeal of Guitar Hero lies in providing a similar yet far more instantly-gratifying experience. I picked up a Guitar Hero guitar controller, and within an hour or so I was playing All That Remains’ Six. As much as I’d love to believe I would just be THAT good if I picked up a real guitar right now, I highly doubt I could pull it off.

  • Sammy

    My kids play GH and it’s basically Dance Dance Revolution for your fingers. I do play guitar, and GH is nothing like that. It’s actually harder, in some respects. But they seem to like it a lot, so I’m cool with it.

    I play Madden. That too is not like playing real football.

  • http://www.myspace.com/mismo Nick

    I agree, the appeal is (as a guitar player) that it’s harder and almost ridiculous at times…the logic (as well as the FIFTH button if you’re playing on hard or expert) is complete ludicrous, but at the same time, you just have to master each song (even the ones you hate…not a big fan Cherry Pie). It’s basically this generation’s “Simon”.

  • Jonathon

    I don’t understand why the idea of playing a real guitar comes up in guitar hero. They are, in many ways, completely unrelated.

    Look, I’m a hardcore video-game nerd. World of Warcraft, Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow Six, etc. This is the very logic I have been fighting against for years.

    In the same way that playing guitar hero is wholly different from playing guitar is the same way that playing Rainbow Six does not make me Spec Ops.

    I think the problem that most people have with guitar hero is that it recreates the feeling of being in a band without the years of practice and balls to play in front of a crowd. Those that actually play guitar feel cheated by the experience being redone right in front of them. And that’s fine. I certainly wouldn’t blame a WWII veteran for being pissed at me playing Call of Duty. But in the same sense, the group of kids playing guitar hero are just playing a game. It’s fun.

    Just like any video-game.

  • TJ

    I think the main appeal in GH lies in Fink’s comment.

    I can plug in GH and rip off some Maiden or Metallica after only playing the game for a few hours.

    Pick up a real guitar, and you’ll be lucky to come close to playing some Maiden and Metallica after 6 months of lessons. It’s the instant gratification in this ADD-world.

  • Ryd1ZZ

    I don’t know why this game is compared to it’s “real life” counter part when ALL other games seem to be looked at for what they are…GAMES. No one shouts foul when a dude gets all pumped about making it to the super bowl in Madden. No one tells all the kids that play Americas Army (or any other war game) to go join the military and kill REAL people.

    The game is just plain fun. If you enjoy music, you should give it a shot. Seriously Kip, consume some tasty greens (you know the good stuff is plentiful this time of year) and give GH a shot! \m/

  • http://www.metalsucks.net Kip Wingerschmidt

    All right – I can’t argue with Ryd1ZZ’s logic…I enjoy music and have been known to play a game or two from time to time, on or off the tasty greens (mostly on). It may just be this midday whiskey talkin’, but I think I’m DOWN…

    Only thing is — where the hell does one give GH a shot?!?

  • http://last.fm/user/cooperaa Aaron Cooper

    This is why Guitar Hero is awesome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV0qM6-HLuk

    I can’t do that in real life… and probably never will be able to!

  • Ryd1ZZ

    Well Kip, what about your fellow Metalsucks writers. I got the impression either Axl or Vince was into the game (I thought both), there have been a few posts on the game and I remember reading something about them trying to beat D-Force on expert (FUCKING Difficult!)

    BTW, if you anyone has XBOX live and wants to jam or do some pro face-off send me a friend invite, my gamertag is Ryd1ZZ.

  • Tom

    i love the rock band/ guitar hero series just because they are fun and do at least improve one’s sense of rhythm. When are you guys going to have a contest to win a guitar?!

  • Tag

    I’ve been playin guitar from a while now, and I got into the whole guitar hero thing for 1 and 2 (and the 80′s game too.) They were fun…hell, a lot of fun! But now, I didn’t even think about buying guitar hero 3….I just figured every time that I go to play guitar hero I’d rather be playing real guitar.

    That’s pretty much true for all video games…and activities. Unless they involve girls or getting fucked up…and maybe even that too

  • NuMallCore Pwns YoMama

    I watched the YouTube video and I don’t get what the big deal is. Granted, I’ve never been that big into video games, but… yeah, I just don’t get the fascination.

  • Hegster90

    “I’m stuck thinking that it’s kinda silly.”

    Well that’s the idea, it’s not meant to entitle you as ROCK GOD. You get the idea from Rid1ZZ’s coment. I do play real guitar, and although GH is nowhere near as gratifying, its fun to just party with a few of your friends who in reality are musically inept (and then they kick your ass until you learn you can’t play the thing like a REAL guitar). it’s just all meant for fun. hell, it even pokes fun at rock culture all over the place…3 teaches you the dangers of success. You might hate it at first, but once you get a feel for it you won’t be able to put it down (until you try beating it on expert and throw your controller at the screen in a fit of rage, storm off to your REAL rig and play “Laid to Rest” just to prove you fucking can).

  • TTquick

    I love the game if only for the simple fact that I get a huge heart thumping, sweaty balls fucking rush out of playing Shout At The Devil. Complete with full on metal lead guitar stance, and guitar slunk way down low. I’m a metal god in my mind.

    But nothing beats Madden.

  • Benguin

    Like several of the posters before me, I play guitar, just not nearly as well as I play Guitar Hero. I just have a lot of fun playing it and at least pretending to be able to do some of the things I can’t in real life. I love playing on the demo stations at Best Buy and whatnot and showing off; acting out my inner rockstar without needing the actual talent.

    What I don’t really agree get though are the purely score-oriented players. They take all the fun out of it. It’s purely mechanical with them. Last time I was at Best Buy, me and some other guy had played the same song on the same difficulty right after one another. He was just as good as me (maybe even a little better, I’ll admit), but I while I was entertaining and drew a crowd, nobody really cared about what he was doing. I got into it put on a bit of a show (trying my best not to go into full-on spaz mode at least), but he just stood there looking robotic.

  • http://countshockula.blogspot.com ezra

    dorks

  • Pingback: WATCH THIS BUTT-DUMPLING PLAY DRAGONFORCE ON GUITAR HERO III | MetalSucks

  • Factor

    I have an Xbox 360 with only one game, and it GH2. It’s just a lot of fun. I grew up playing drums and I recently tried Rock Band, which was even more fun.

  • ughhhh

    They should call it “guitar simulator but much more like piano hero”. Any piano player I have seen play this games totally destroys it. Sight reading and pressing keys that in no way resemble the mechanics of playing on strings.
    Granted it is a fun game…but the novelty wears off fast.

  • http://www.IKILLYA.com jasonfromIKILLYA

    Gotta tell ya. It’s fun drunk. that’s all

  • Jason

    I slay dragons and save princesses in real life but I don’t claim that Dungeons and Dragons is retarded because it doesn’t accrurately represent being a hero.