|
|
 |
 |
|
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
While My Guitar Shaped Controller Gently Weeps
Peter Hartlaub's editorial from the San Francisco Chronicle captures a lot of my thoughts about the popularity of Guitar Hero and the new game Rock Band (although I strongly disagree with his take on "Mississippi Queen," a wonderful song). For someone who enjoyed spotting all the video game references in the latest volume of Scott Pilgrim I get irrationally angry whenever I hear of these games. I actually worked at a place that had Guitar Hero in the break room and enjoyed playing it. I just felt full of shame as soon as put down that fake guitar I fake rocked out on.
My thoughts became a bit more focused when I heard the story on the Guitar Hero/Rock Band rivalry on KCRW's The Business. I learn that the minds behind Guitar Hero "wanted to make playing music easier." WHY? Why take away the satisfaction and learned experience of actually putting in effort to develop musical skill? People aren't actually playing music anyway, so the creators failed in their quest. But now kids can simulate all the feeling of playing a garage band classic like "Sunshine of Your Love" served to them by just following colored dots on a TV screen. Some things are too convenient these days.
That same episode of The Business started with a piece from Rob Long that, in explaining his take on the current WGA strike, compared the Internet to Wal-Mart. Everything's there, everything's cheap (or free) and most of it is crap. That got me thinking about how the '00s in the United States is basically "the Age of Wal-Mart." Even if you live in a city such as San Francisco that doesn't allow Wal-Mart to build within its borders there is still that megastore psychology infecting the culture. Since you can get everything you want why should you care about anything? That's why Guitar Hero and Rock Star bother me so much. Now there's nothing special about learning the mighty riff of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man," which was a moment of true joy for my 13-year-old self. Learning to play rock 'n' roll has lost its value. So much of what was great about popular entertainment has been devalued by machines and consumers quite happy to be lazy chumps.
Le sigh...I'm just ranting because I always feel this way after coming back from the Southern California suburbs where I visit my family. I step outside the bubble that is SF and I get a nice slab of mainstream America put on my plate. Seeing the boorishness and the ignorance of the vast majority of these Humvee driving, Wal-Mart shopping dolts I have to share this country with fills me with ire. These games probably aren't stopping anyone who is already interested playing music, although I don't think they're going to inspire anyone either. They will expose kids to quality rock 'n' roll bands like The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Clash and, yes Mr. Hartraub, Mountain.
Don't mind me, I think everything went to Hell when we switched from vinyl to CD's. I'm 24 by the way.
Permanent Link: 6:11 PM |
1 comments
Comments:
I don't think anyone halfway intelligent doesn't know "real is better."
I pretty strongly disagree with sentiments like this, and I've seen it popping up in a lot of places. I enjoy the games because, you know, it's fun to play with my friends and get that rush. I do not know nor will I ever think I'm anything approaching a real musician -- I already had a love-hate affair with a bass in my teenage years, so I have an inkling of how complex actual musical skill is -- and I don't think I'm getting a cheap thrill in place of the "real deal."
Here's my main disagreement: Do you or any person who's written any of these articles really think that someone with actual musical talent and drive will be satisfied with GH or Rock Band? That those games will be enough for them, and future generations will be denied the next Hendrix or Plant? No, that idea is patently ridiculous; having the urge to create and try new things is part and parcel with being an artist. No simulation will ever be enough, just as Choose Your Own Adventure books wouldn't satisfy nascent writers.
For those of us who DO play and are fully aware we do NOT possess the skill (or time, or energy) to learn and play actual instruments? What's wrong with us just having a fun Friday night with friends?
# posted by Ken Lowery : 12:46 PM
-- Home
|
|
