Guitar Hero vs Real Life

[Mus!kBox]

I read this article in Newsweek once about Guitar Hero, and how despite it was a great game, it is still a game. The author argues that GH blurs the line between simulation and realism (somewhere along the lines of such argument; i can't remember exactly) and how a solo that should take 1+ year of practice can be mastered in days. He also says that as these kinds of games become more popular, people will start to lean towards the easy way out instead of learning the real thing.
I say thats BS, mainly because GH sparked the interest in learning guitar in me.
This is referring to music games in general, but what do you guys think?

[BemaniAK]

guitar hero=having shameless, harmless, fun.
real guitar=being cool, trying to get girls, stressful if you get really popular...

I.E: don't listen to anyone talking about it unless they've done both.
I gotta tell you I had 473894 times more fun the first time I picked up guitar hero than when I first picked up a guitar.

[Launchpad08]

this just sounds like the standard, "learn how to play real guitar, not this stupid game" argument. when in reality everyone that plays knows its a game. also, like myself, there are plenty of people that play both... Arguments like this will never stop because for some reason people think gamers dont know the difference between game and reality, which is stupid

[dickrazor]

If people out there seriously think that they can play guitar after playing Guitar Hero, they need to be sterilized.

[Kσn]

I call BS.

[BemaniAK]

video

my comparison of GH/RB and real life.

[WEABOO]

Originally Posted by deathrazor

If people out there seriously think that they can play guitar after playing Guitar Hero, they need to be sterilized.

5char

[tornupsock]

OH, god. (Inhales)

The reason people really fuss about this, I think, can be described by a study of semiotics (essentially, signs and thier meanings).

As early as the thirties, researchers began looking for effects of media (mainly then, radio), and the "line" between reality and fiction is one of those main topics. One of the biggest questions that falls within it is "does media have to portray real life exactly how it is?"

Essentially, no. Media is only a representation of real life when the authors choose to do so. It would take forever to portray life exactly how it is, and would be easier to step outside and see for yourself. To complicate things, because it is a representation, it may be horribly skewed (which it most often is). I mean, who gets to decide what parts of life are worth mentioning and which are forgotten? Thank the gods (if I believed in them) that internet is making representation a whole lot more varied. The way that Rock band represents a... rock band... depends on the creators. It will not be exact; by definition, it cannot be exact. But, judging its popularity, the creators did a good job. (Same for Guitar Hero)

Strictly speaking, music games aren't meant to be real. They are meant to be fun.
(Read: shut the fuck up and play. Or not- either way, shut up.)

Unfortunately, our generation (specifically speaking, though, white upper and middle class people) are not as apt to question the validity of media content that exists in our lives. Note: this is comment by studies and experiments done as of early 2000s, and not indicative of everyone, or the current thought processes. So, there is that concern that we will, eventually, cease to make a distinction between media and real life in all aspects. That can go SO much further, but I am chosing not to delve anymore.

So, there are some that may not see the distinction. It is up to the person to make that distinction. Blame the parents/officials/teachers/ etc. for not teaching thier "children" how to make distinctions, not the source material.

That, in my opinion, is a sign that there are too many of us. The social collective mind is to stretched out (read: too many people= more chances for social retards.)

(ouch).

[Launchpad08]

could have just went with it was meant to be fun, not real... im not trying to argue cause i think thats right, but its obvious that the media doesnt portray real life so we dont need to have a study tell us that... and for the distinction between guitar hero/rock band and real life, its easier to tell the difference between those two than it is for other video games because there is war and violence today as well as in the games, but show a kid real instruments and game ones and i dont think theyll have much of a problem figuring it out... there are toys kids have been using that are meant to simulate instruments for a while and they arent video games at all, yet they are just for the kid to have fun, they will figure out that its not real soon enough

[Heavy Metal Hero]

Originally Posted by !DayBreaker!

I say thats BS, mainly because GH sparked the interest in learning guitar in me.

This is true for me as well. I used to think, "jesus christ, I'll never play an instrument, I don't have the time, fortitude or interest to practice something for hours on end to get it right." Then my hand cramped, I looked at the clocks, and I realized I had been trying to perfect the hard part of the solo from Free Bird for forty-five fucking minutes so I could pass the song, and lo and behold, I was still enjoying it.

Not everyone who plays is going to say, "hells yeah rock band is fun lets go buy a $1500 drum kit" but it is a reasonable way to generate interest in music.

Originally Posted by animekid3515

video

my comparison of GH/RB and real life.

This is hilarious to be honest, and it's an accurate representation of the kind of douchebag who yells about this shit.

Originally Posted by Launchpad08

could have just went with it was meant to be fun, not real... im not trying to argue cause i think thats right, but its obvious that the media doesnt portray real life so we dont need to have a study tell us that... and for the distinction between guitar hero/rock band and real life, its easier to tell the difference between those two than it is for other video games because there is war and violence today as well as in the games, but show a kid real instruments and game ones and i dont think theyll have much of a problem figuring it out... there are toys kids have been using that are meant to simulate instruments for a while and they arent video games at all, yet they are just for the kid to have fun, they will figure out that its not real soon enough

wat

[Oni-91]

I'm a bit weird, as music game/real life musician goes. I started off on guitar, then moved onto drums, discovered GH, and that got me the impetus to get back into guitar again. I'm not that good, but I never expected myself to be. I'm only taking it up for fun...and a little bit of skill in songwriting.

I'm not really fussed about people playing GH instead of taking up the guitar. It's only when they think that they can pick up the guitar and nail the solo from Free Bird in 15 minutes after clearing said song on Medium in GH, it pisses me off.

[Irob]

Originally Posted by tornupsock

OH, god. (Inhales)

The reason people really fuss about this, I think, can be described by a study of semiotics (essentially, signs and thier meanings).

As early as the thirties, researchers began looking for effects of media (mainly then, radio), and the "line" between reality and fiction is one of those main topics. One of the biggest questions that falls within it is "does media have to portray real life exactly how it is?"

Essentially, no. Media is only a representation of real life when the authors choose to do so. It would take forever to portray life exactly how it is, and would be easier to step outside and see for yourself. To complicate things, because it is a representation, it may be horribly skewed (which it most often is). I mean, who gets to decide what parts of life are worth mentioning and which are forgotten? Thank the gods (if I believed in them) that internet is making representation a whole lot more varied. The way that Rock band represents a... rock band... depends on the creators. It will not be exact; by definition, it cannot be exact. But, judging its popularity, the creators did a good job. (Same for Guitar Hero)

Strictly speaking, music games aren't meant to be real. They are meant to be fun.
(Read: shut the fuck up and play. Or not- either way, shut up.)

Unfortunately, our generation (specifically speaking, though, white upper and middle class people) are not as apt to question the validity of media content that exists in our lives. Note: this is comment by studies and experiments done as of early 2000s, and not indicative of everyone, or the current thought processes. So, there is that concern that we will, eventually, cease to make a distinction between media and real life in all aspects. That can go SO much further, but I am chosing not to delve anymore.

So, there are some that may not see the distinction. It is up to the person to make that distinction. Blame the parents/officials/teachers/ etc. for not teaching thier "children" how to make distinctions, not the source material.

That, in my opinion, is a sign that there are too many of us. The social collective mind is to stretched out (read: too many people= more chances for social retards.)

(ouch).

This is my opinion:

You are a homo.

[Mus!kBox]

Originally Posted by Oni-91

I'm not really fussed about people playing GH instead of taking up the guitar. It's only when they think that they can pick up the guitar and nail the solo from Free Bird in 15 minutes after clearing said song on Medium in GH, it pisses me off.

those are the people that can't tell between game and real life, and it is a reason why videogames are seen as a sub-par entertainment.

[BemaniAK]

you know what's worse?
me loving guitar hero, talking about it on forums, and immediately having idiots going "you can't play real guitar! it's just a stupid game!"
automatically assuming I am like an 8 year old that thinks being good at guitar hero is equal to being good at real guitar.
it pisses me off since one of my friends says that to me all the time, yet can't stop playing maximum tune at the arcade.
I remember that time I said "you can't really street race you nerd! it's just stupid plastic!"

[MUSCLES]

If you've spent more money on Guitar Hero than you have on real guitars, you've lost.
In my opinion.