Every man has his opinion I don't like it because i think its redicule. If it sells and makes people happy its cool for them

quote to Wander*

The music rhythm games such as Guitar Hero or Rock Band aren't meant to replace actual instruments. Think of it as the at-home, instrument-based equivalent of karaoke. Bars have karaoke nights every week, but you don't see cover bands forming without singers because of some "epidemic" that karaoke is causing. GH and RB are a good release for those who don't have much musical talent, or much interest in the musical arts, and are more intrigued by participating in some way with their favorite tunes. With its simplified approach to playing music and easy learning curve, almost anyone can play, and it allows for friends of different skill levels to just chill out and play the game.

Games:
1) Ease of use, not too hard to master
2) Relatively inexpensive, but limited choice of Playskool-like items to buy
3) To play with others, you just need enough controllers and some friends. Online play is also an option.
4) In the end...cool tunes, chilling out, a way to look potentially awkward.

Reality:
1) Tough to master, builds determination
2) Expensive, but a lot of cool sounding stuff to choose from
3) To play with others, you just need some friends who have the gear, the ability to jam, the love of music, and a practice space. Reality not enabled for online.
3) In the end...self-expression, respect, a way to make the ladies swoon.

GH and RB games have nothing to do with playing real guitar. Idiots may think so, but that's just the same as with people who think they are good soldiers, cause they kick ass in Counter Strike. These games are JUST FUN. The same way as first person shooters are just fun.

That felt like it needed emphasis. xD Im glad someone else sees it too

At the end of the day, not everyone has musical ablity, or the money, time, patience, whatever to learn either. So don't go so hard on some people that can like to pretend they can be a rockstar for awhile. It is NO different from pretending to be a zombie slayer for a few hours, or fighting in World War 2 simulate games. I would seriously love to be able to play real guitar, but I'm a musical leper.

I don't know why people get themselves in such a twist over it. At the end of the day, its just more money to the musicans who agree to put their tracks on it, and its quite a cool, engaging thing for fans to do too.

So please Dev, if you can I would LOVE to see some songs on there! =D

It's no different from playing sports games (instead of playing sports) or playing war games (instead of joining the army) or playing Monopoly (instead of buying real estate) or playing chess (instead of becoming king of a sovereign nation and commanding a very tiny army against your black twin brother... at least I think that's the plot of chess).

All games are simplified little microcosms of the real world. They're fun because they're both challenging and controllable, whereas the real world tends to be either dull or insurmountable. Don't think of Rock Band as a crippled version of actually playing instruments... the two have very different purposes, they only share a superficial aesthetic.

Playing Rockband/Guitar Hero and playing real instruments are not mutually exclusive.
I love these games, and so do all of my guitar and bass playing friends.

They're entertaining to play, and have very little to do with the real thing. (That said, I suppose it could help you work on your timing on the higher difficulties)

"Why play rockband when you could play a real guitar in a studio" is like saying "why play guitar when you could drink beer?" the two have very little to do with each other, are both enjoyable activities, and enjoying one of them doesn't preclude enjoying the other.

What i mean is instead of spending so much time on a plastic guitar and pretend your a guitarplayer, buy a real ans cheep guitar and learn to play guitar.
100$ to pretend to be a guitarplayer
100$ to learn be a guitarplayer
Thats my opinion. And as i said i think it can be funny to play GH/RB and i understand why people play it. I respect it, its your choise whatever you want to spend your time with.

Liking RockBand/Guitar Hero doesn't imply that you play it all day, spend a large amount of time doing it. I enjoy these games immensely, but haven't played them for over a year.

IMO it's silly to suggest that people should play real instruments instead of these games, as they're two completely different things. I don't think most people play these games because they want to make music. When I play these games, I'm satisfying completely different urges from when I play guitar or write music.

I do kind of agree with you though, I think it's generally better to spend time doing things that are more constructive than playing video games. If you spend most of your spare time learning an instrument, then you're developing a real skill that can be extremely rewarding, if you spend most of your spare time playing video games, then that time, while enjoyable, is completely wasted because you don't get anything useful out of it in the long term.

IMO it's silly to suggest that people should play real instruments instead of these games

They are two different things. And people can do whatever they want. But its just so much cooler and more statisfying to play real instruments (I think).
To me when i see a person that plays guitar hero banging his head in front of the TV with a plastic guitar. Its just like pretending beeing a rockstar or a guitarplayer. It can be both stupid and good. For people who mabye doesn't want to spent so much time on music to be famous and play GH instead . There is good things and bad things about it. Personaly i can see more bad things.
I don't wanna drag this to far. I can smell hate in here as there are people who really spend soo much time on these games. If you like it i respect it and i think everybody should. My part in this topic is done.
A.

Its just like pretending beeing a rockstar or a guitarplayer. It can be both stupid and good.

But I thought being a "rockstar" means that one is truly pretending to be a guitar player?

Also, people who play GH/RB don't normally headbang in front of their TV sets...they can't see what they're supposed to be playing if they do that.

Also also, if a person wants to spend all of their time playing a music video game, maybe they just weren't cut out to be a true instrumentalist. If they want to pick up a guitar or the drums, nothing is really stopping them (aside from saving up for whatever they have their eye on). But a person who really and truly wants to play only really needs that drive or something to light the fire under their ass to get them to buy or borrow that first axe...and GH and RB might just be that very thing that inspires them to do so.

I'm a drummer and guitar player, and have been for over 4 years now. I still love and play rock band all the time. The two are completely different for me actually. Play real instruments is about expression for me and making songs. Rock band is more of a fun thing to just turn on and wind down with for me. Like everyone else says, its just a game and no different than any other shooter/sports game.

Plus, I use it to practice drumming when I can't play my kit. Last year I lived in the dorms at my college and couldn't play my set. I practiced every day by playing rock band to make sure I'd keep up to speed on drums, and it worked.

...and its pretty cool to play drums to Behemoth - Conquer All on drums with the actual master tracks playing along with you

I remember asking Tracey if Dev ever played Guitar Hero, and she told me that he did. I wonder if Dev would be able to play his solos and what not on Rock Band lol