My friend John brought over drums and two guitars last night as well as Rock Band and Rock Band 2. As you know if you follow my blog, I'm not a player of these music games. I think in large part it's because I play instruments, conduct, and sing in my every day work, so these games really seem like work to me rather than play. However, as I'm running the blog, I want to experience as many games as I can of a wide variety, so I'm playing a lot of different things right now.
First off, I have to say that contrary to my usual JRPG games, Rock Band is cool because it's a multiplayer in person game. At a young age this is just a recipe for awesome times together, and at my age, it's a chance to hang out and drink and play video games way older than a person should. The games are fun and I actually knew a couple of the songs on them! I was really terrified because I don't listen to popular music, but there were some hits from my youth (Nirvana) that I recognized. The songs are unquestionably easier to play along with if you've heard them and know them. And that opening video? Bands playing on the hoods of cars as they go down the road?! Wow... I want to be that cool one day!
What I loved about these games were the immediate engagement and graphics that draw you in. It's fun to choose an avatar who might look like you-- or nothing like you in my cases! Also, to hear the audience cheering you on as you perform and the tracks of music light up with flames and colors as you're really doing well is super cool. What would make these games even better would be if somehow they actually taught you to play the instruments as you played the games rather than just teaching you to push buttons on the controllers. Some of the skills are transferable, but obviously, it's a
Things I didn't enjoy about the games: I absolutely suck at the drums. That's so ironic because I played drums in high school and play a little bit when I'm away in the summer. I'm not great by any means-- certainly a much better pianist and singer-- but still, I literally couldn't complete a song playing the drums. I don't know if it's a problem with my setup, but I'm not that bad. John and Vince were able to play them without too much trouble so maybe it was just me... Also, I couldn't stand the fact that if you're screwing up too badly your player just stops. HELLO?! The first rule of performance is that "the show must go on." Yes, real world performances do stop occasionally... but rarely. I don't think I've been a part of a performance that stopped since I was in 6th grade band. As a performer, I can definitively and authoritatively state: if you screw up, you keep going or if you're totally lost, you take a second and then get back to where you should be as fast as possible. Under no circumstances do you just drop out and stop. That's too unrealistic. The game should just give a lower score-- don't stop the song because one person is sucking! Not right. Needs to change. Also, if you play something late or wrong, instead of missing the note, the game should play the wrong note, or sound with you as you try to find the right note, or play the note late with you, not just be a missed note that's left out from the track. Too bad. More realism is needed in these games.
Overall, Rock Band and Rock Band 2 made for a fun night, but these aren't ever games I'm going to love. I get to make live music with my friends, which, even if imperfect, is far more fun and rewarding than playing it in a game. There's not enough chance in these games for expression and individuality. Instead, they're about "getting it right." That misses the key point of music: self-expression. I do understand why these are popular, though. And I love that they get people listening to music more carefully. Just not my cup of tea.
I'm leaving home pretty soon for a couple months with my usual summer work, but John also mentioned that I should play Space Channel 5 part 2, Rez, and DJ Hero before classes resume in the fall... so they're on my agenda for August! What games do you think I should definitely check out before I teach a class on video game music?
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