Press ‘START': For those about to rock
If you are one of the few people left who has never played Rock Band, why not? It is available for the PlayStation 3, the Xbox and the Wii. It is now available for hand-held devices like the PSP and iPhone, too. It is not about musical ability — you don't need any. Often, it isn't even about hand-eye co-ordination, since you can still pull off excellent scores while you are under the influence. In fact, Rock Band is an excellent party game, and if there are enough people around, you can create a private Battle of the Bands in your own living room.
Who hasn't heard a tune they liked and tapped a foot or strummed the air? The appeal of Rock Band (and Guitar Hero) is not that you can be a rock star: it is that you can play air guitar and still listen to great riffs. With Rock Band you can also sing (like you are in the shower) and play the drums (like you do on your books in the D-Block cafeteria) and through the magic of technology, you are creating “music.”
Guitar Hero was the first on the market; however the company that now makes Rock Band and the company that now makes Guitar Hero were in fact collaborators on the original Guitar Hero games. Red Octane and Harmonix had a difference of opinion — one of which was the addition of vocals and percussion — and Harmonix set out on its own to create Rock Band. Rock Band makes good use of consoles' networking ability to offer new content quite often, while Guitar Hero makes new content available in packages such as the Aerosmith and Beatles collections. Both are great fun to play, however Rock Band does beat out Guitar Hero on a number of things. Rock Band does not require you to switch discs to play different songs; all songs are part of the Rock Band library. Rock Band has the drum kit and microphone. Rock Band allows you to buy only the music you want, as well as offering “albums.” Rock Band has the ability to make avatars that represent YOU, rather than a short-list of characters. Lastly, you can show off these avatars because Rock Band allows you to play online.
What is truly amazing is how both of these games have proliferated. You can play Guitar Hero and Rock Band on almost every console — Sony's Playstation 3 and Playstation 2, Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360, Nintendo's Wii and now on the portables including Nintendo DS, Sony PSP and even the iPhone. Just recently two people were spotted in B-Block playing head to head using their iPhones, and it looked like fun. So many songs are available to play that one may wonder if the radio is tuned to the “Rock Band” station.
Most of the songs for both of these games are actually performed by cover bands although it is hard for even the most discerning ear to be able to tell the difference. Even songs that you may not like are often fun to play. The reason is that the songs are chosen for their playability, not [just] their popularity. That is likely the reason that the makers of Rock Band made available three songs from Jimmy Buffett: he “digs the game,” and picked three songs that are popular and playable. No, seriously, people do buy them and do play them.
Although many jokes have been made, there is a real market out there for other-than-rock music where people can “play” guitar, drums and sing. There is a real market for country — especially modern country — and there is already a “House” version in DJ Hero by Activision (they own Guitar Hero now). Who isn't waiting for Brass Band and Woodwind Quartet Hero?
Who hasn't heard a tune they liked and tapped a foot or strummed the air? The appeal of Rock Band (and Guitar Hero) is not that you can be a rock star: it is that you can play air guitar and still listen to great riffs. With Rock Band you can also sing (like you are in the shower) and play the drums (like you do on your books in the D-Block cafeteria) and through the magic of technology, you are creating “music.”
Guitar Hero was the first on the market; however the company that now makes Rock Band and the company that now makes Guitar Hero were in fact collaborators on the original Guitar Hero games. Red Octane and Harmonix had a difference of opinion — one of which was the addition of vocals and percussion — and Harmonix set out on its own to create Rock Band. Rock Band makes good use of consoles' networking ability to offer new content quite often, while Guitar Hero makes new content available in packages such as the Aerosmith and Beatles collections. Both are great fun to play, however Rock Band does beat out Guitar Hero on a number of things. Rock Band does not require you to switch discs to play different songs; all songs are part of the Rock Band library. Rock Band has the drum kit and microphone. Rock Band allows you to buy only the music you want, as well as offering “albums.” Rock Band has the ability to make avatars that represent YOU, rather than a short-list of characters. Lastly, you can show off these avatars because Rock Band allows you to play online.
What is truly amazing is how both of these games have proliferated. You can play Guitar Hero and Rock Band on almost every console — Sony's Playstation 3 and Playstation 2, Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360, Nintendo's Wii and now on the portables including Nintendo DS, Sony PSP and even the iPhone. Just recently two people were spotted in B-Block playing head to head using their iPhones, and it looked like fun. So many songs are available to play that one may wonder if the radio is tuned to the “Rock Band” station.
Most of the songs for both of these games are actually performed by cover bands although it is hard for even the most discerning ear to be able to tell the difference. Even songs that you may not like are often fun to play. The reason is that the songs are chosen for their playability, not [just] their popularity. That is likely the reason that the makers of Rock Band made available three songs from Jimmy Buffett: he “digs the game,” and picked three songs that are popular and playable. No, seriously, people do buy them and do play them.
Although many jokes have been made, there is a real market out there for other-than-rock music where people can “play” guitar, drums and sing. There is a real market for country — especially modern country — and there is already a “House” version in DJ Hero by Activision (they own Guitar Hero now). Who isn't waiting for Brass Band and Woodwind Quartet Hero?
