The AbyssThe Abyss

Posted on Aug 25th 2008 at 03:13:09 AM by (TraderJake)
Posted under Cynical Gamer, Feature, Rhythm Games, Guitar Hero


You know, coding a game progress tracker is a lot of work. God knows when it will be finished, but to keep myself from going crazy, I like to play Guitar Hero. See, I like rhythm games. In fact, I like them a lot! They might form my favorite genre, and I wholeheartedly look forward to future releases like Samba De Amigo and Guitar Hero: World Tour. I don’t know what it is about rhythm games, but I find them utterly addictive and extremely enjoyable. Perhaps you hold the same opinion, or maybe you don’t. The latter is cool, except that some people in that group take their reasoning to the extreme, and it makes me angry.

See, I used to be a musician. A band geek, so to speak. In addition to being a band geek, I also wore broken plastic glasses, a monochrome short-sleeved shirt, and a pocket protector in the shirt pocket. Just ask the Black Perl, he’d vouch for that. You know, we band geeks are horribly nerdy. That must have been why the jocks always beat the crap out of me and my friends. But, aside from being an über nerd, being a musician gave me a love for all things musical. Can I still play a saxophone or clarinet? Hell if I know, but I can still play my recorder. But, it was a good time, and being a musician gave me some skill sets that others just don’t have.

So, I was a musician, marching in Ohio’s Finest (Only) All-Male Marching Band. I am proficient in reading music sheets, and if I practiced (and I don’t), I could probably become a decent musician once more. I really enjoy my musical prowess to a certain extent, but that certainly doesn’t exclude me from liking things that bastardize music. What could possibly bastardize music? Why, rhythm games, of course, and this bastardization make some of you very unhappy.



See, some people complain that “Unnamed Rhythm Game A” is so different from the real thing, that it’s just unbearable to play, and that we should all learn to play the real thing. Well, I’ll tell you what. I’ll learn to play your instrument on one condition, you learn to play mine. See, I didn’t get to be a decent saxophone player just by sitting on my ass, no, no. I played that instrument for eight long years, and in the end, I was only decent. What’s that? Not great? Yeah that’s right, after eight years I was only decent. I didn’t look to become the best damn saxophonist in the land, I just wanted to have fun, and that’s what I did.

Now, I imagine that if I attempted to learn how to play “Unnamed Instrument A”, it would take several years for me to be good at said instrument. That’s really unfortunate, because I don’t know if I have the time or desire to make such a commitment. I just want to have fun, and I like having fun in a way that’s easy to pick up and play.

That’s the beauty of the rhythm games I know and love. They often aren’t like whatever they are trying to imitate, and in doing so it makes it an enjoyable experience for people like me, who just want to rock out to Carry On Wayward Son in Guitar Hero II. I don’t really care if it’s not just like the real experience, I only care that I am having fun.

Some of you want to ruin that fun by complaining how a game like Guitar Hero is nothing like playing a real guitar. See, the thing is, we know. We get it, and honestly, we don’t care. Do you wish not to play the game and just play your poor rendition of Mary Had a Little Lamb on guitar? Go right ahead. We’ll stick with Guitar Hero, Rock Band, whatever. You can hate the Guitar games as much as you want, but just do us one thing - quit your bitching.



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Comments
 
Hallelujah!! Someone makes a rant on this that is actually civilized!! Smiley

I agree with you 100%, and aren't us band geeks just so awesome?! Cheesy
 
Audiosurf is the only one I've ever liked.
 
TJ, aren't you still horribly nerdy? Wink Tongue Just kidding.

You're right though, people should enjoy these games without worrying about the real instruments, that's what the games are for (=instant fun without having to practice alot)

Just aslong as certain individuals don't brag about being good at the rythm game so much they're making it look like the real deal. Some of those guys who can't resist to put their "perfect riffs" on YouTube should be given a real guitar so they realize they aren't God among men.
 
Well said! The fun-factor cannot be stressed enough. And I don't want to have to learn any instrument just go be able to play what would amount to "Nursery Rhymes Hero".  ["Mary Had a Little Lamb"...I LOL'd Smiley]

I've tried several musical instruments in my life and didn't have the patience for ANY of them! Yes, I wish I would've stayed with one of them and had some skill at it. But oh well. Live and learn.

And as someone who also enjoys rhythm games for the fun of it, I know that even if I didn't play GH or Rock Band for awhile, I could pick them back up and play them a hell of a lot quicker than I would a real musical instrument.

Also, with the success of GH and RB, lately more people are getting together to play them in contests at local bars and other venues.
 
I have to agree.  Having tried to be good at the trumbone for 3 years, it's an easy insterment to play but that doesnt mean you play it well.  Playing to have fun is a different story then playing to be the best though.
 
Gotta love rhythm games.

I actually hate those that play a real instrument and keep posting about it on RB/GH youtube videos! It's like putting a video up of a boxing game you played and having a boxer say "yeah?! well do it for real and then think you're good at it!!!". It's just an odd thing to say and plain and simple snobbery.

I can't play very hard difficulty levels at rhythm games so sometimes I like to see videos of people doing well at them. I think of it the same way as someone doing well at any other computer game genre!
 
@y2richie: Well said.
 

Reminds me of a xkcd strip from a while ago
//xkcd.com/359/

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