The Guardian wants a re-design of the guitar.

[Philly Q]

And why is it only music games that provoke this kind of navel-gazing "is it the same as the real thing" article? Nobody at the Grauniad is writing articles about how they should get a tryout for Man Utd because they're unbeatable on FIFA '09, are they?

True, but if you read things like the BBC 606 forums there really are people who think they know better than Ferguson, Wenger etc because they do so well on Championship Manager (or whatever the hell it's called).  :roll:

[Brow]

Guitar Hero was 1 of those things that I never really had an interest in, mainly, because it was too expensive. I managed to pick up a copy of Guitar Hero 3 with a wireless Les Paul controller for £30 and thought it was worth a shot.

I started playing it on the easiest level (uses 3 fret buttons of the 5 available) and sucked at it for the 1st few days. Yes, even on the lowest level  :lol:

I worked out that it was my mindset that was messing me up. I found that on songs I know on a real guitar, my hand kept wanting to change 'note' intime with the music, not necessarilly when I was s'ppsoed to by following the screen. As soon as I got this sorted, I got alot better. I tried the Medium level next after completing the career on Easy and I now suck at Medium level  :lol:

I got myself the Guitar Hero World Tour set for christmas and on Medium level, the guitar stuff is easier than the medium level on GH3, it's quite odd. Doing ok on the Guitar, but it's now the Drums that are messing me up!  8)

I don't take it overly seriously, and know it'll never take precedent over a real guitar, it's good for a laugh. It's when I see these guys on YouTube uploading videos of them nailing DragonForce on Expert level that I think they should spend their time doing something a bit more productive ;)

[Spitfire]

15th Century??

I was unaware Leo Fender, Les Paul and Seth Lover were kicking about in the 1400s with Da Vinci

[mecca777]

And why is it only music games that provoke this kind of navel-gazing "is it the same as the real thing" article? Nobody at the Grauniad is writing articles about how they should get a tryout for Man Utd because they're unbeatable on FIFA '09, are they?

True, but if you read things like the BBC 606 forums there really are people who think they know better than Ferguson, Wenger etc because they do so well on Championship Manager (or whatever the hell it's called).  :roll:

I think that's more of a problem with (a percentage of) sports fans in general than videogamers in particular. I've looked at 606 a few times, and it's like a terrifying glimpse into a world where people say the first thing that comes into their head without modulating it through intelligence, reflection, understanding or grammar. :)

[headtheball]

The author used to write for the NME. Nuff said, really.

[dave_mc]

:lol:

back to the main topic- my big concern with guitar hero is that it might mess me up for real guitar. not really willing to risk that. plus i don't have a console which can play it, so i'm not spending several hundred quid to play it when i'd rather just buy a new guitar/amp/pedal etc.

[Philly Q]

back to the main topic- my big concern with guitar hero is that it might mess me up for real guitar.

The thing is, it probably makes kids want to play real guitar, but it's really nothing like playing guitar, except the "keeping time" aspect.  You're not playing any kind of melody, just hitting buttons at the right moment.   It's a shame it doesn't teach a skill which you could carry over to a real instrument.

My brother and some of his friends are into Rock Band, they actually get together and have band practice sessions.  One of them even has a set of Roland V-Drums which they use with it - but he's not the drummer in the "band".   Can't help thinking they might as well just put together a real band!

(They're all in their 30s, by the way...  :? )

[dave_mc]

yeah, that's my concern- it's just close enough to real guitar to possibly put you off (if you already play, that is), but if you don't play guitar, it might make you think you'd like it when in reality you may not.

i used to play a bit of tennis and badminton, and that was a similar problem, you didn't want to play one immediately after the other as it would take you a while to adjust. and, for example, golf computer games (the old ones anyway, where you just used a mouse to click a couple of times) wouldn't have put you off real golf, at all. not that i was good enough at golf for it really to matter anyway... :lol:

i guess that's the problem with modern technology trying to make things more realistic... or, at least, give the appearance that it's more realistic.