Guitar Hero Is Big Hit With Bands

Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "An unlikely but growing group of rock stars are also avid players of Guitar Hero, a PlayStation title that uses a miniature plastic guitar to let gamers pretend to be, well, rock stars, the Wall Street Journal reports. From the article: 'Michael Einziger, the 30-year-old guitarist for the hard-rock band Incubus, says he was "shocked at how hard it was" to play the videogame's version of his song "Stellar." He admits he was handily beaten by his then-14-year-old sister, Ruby Aldridge, when the two of them squared off earlier this year. "It doesn't have anything to do with playing guitar," Mr. Einziger says. "It's all rhythmic." When the four members of the punk-pop band the Donnas got together to play Guitar Hero last week, guitarist Allison Robertson took some good-natured ribbing from her bandmates, says drummer Torry Castellano. That's because Ms. Robertson had a hard time playing along with the band's own song "Take It Off." "Expectations for her are pretty high because she's the guitar player and because she's so good at videogames in general," says Ms. Castellano.'"

ha, the donnas

[know1]

male guitarist often make jokesabout women not being able to play guitar (we know it's not strictly true, it's just about a one to ten ratio in comparison to males) but the donnas couldn't play that song with real instruments anyway so they were bound to be at a disadvantage. (christ girls, there's more to the guitar than power chords)

Re:I Don't Understand

[OptimusPaul]

Guitar Hero is totaly fun to play, that's why you play it. I think that anyone who plays it because they want to learn to play guitar a deluding themselves, It's a game, nothing more. It's kind of like playing DDR to learn to waltz, just not going to happen.

Re:I Don't Understand

[Dr Faustus 60]

I agree. It's like when I bought DDR to learn to dance. No chicks come flocking when I bust my moves on the real dance floor, but I score 100% every time. Weird.

Re:I Don't Understand

[ProppaT]

Asking why you would play guitar hero when you could play a regular guitar instead is kinda stupid.

That's like asking "why masturbate when you can have sex?" Masturbation is easier, cheaper, less time consuming, and addictive. Plus, this is slashdot. Having sex would require effort, something very few of us around here care for.

Re:ha, the donnas

[bunions]

> there's more to the guitar than power chords

that's like saying there's more to a steer than savory, delicious beef - there's also tripe, lips and hooves. I mean, sure it's true, but [i]so what?[/i]

Re:I Don't Understand

[Alzheimers]

I'm an Air Guitarist and personally, I care greatly for Guitar Hero.

I mean, I've already got a PS2 and a HDTV in my living room ... so why play guitar hero? To play with the bands! I want to do that, while jumping off my sofa and falling to my knees like I do when listening to Van Halen MP3s through Winamp.

I find it odd that someone who has an appreciation for powerful guitar music would not enjoy to play an adrenalin-pumping video game. Well, to each their own, I guess. I think amateur guitarists would rather just sit in an empty room playing with themselves than dream of being in a big-name band like Korn...I can't imagine ever getting tired of that.

The funniest thing is, I've got several family members who play guitar. They've tried to teach me, but I have no guitar skills whatsoever. This summary hits it right on the head that you can still feel like a rock god and skip the blisters and the arthritic knuckles and angry neighboors.

Fender Strat = 1399. PS2 + Guitar Hero + 40" DLP HDTV is about the same. Take your choice. I suspect a real Stratocaster would be a great chick magnet ... but it's a far cry from the thrill of finishing Crossroads on expert.

Oh the pain...

[steveo777]

I remember the first time I tried the game. And every other time. I refer to the game by its TRUE moniker, "Carpal Tunnel Hero."

Re:Well duh...

[thewils]

...doesn't mean you can take out Mike Tyson in a real fight...

Agreed, no-one in their right mind would want to do this for obvious reasons, but I wonder how many people who play driving games think that they are getting skills that they can transfer to the road. I've seen quite a few drivers who thought they were still in a video game judging from the way they drive.

Re:Guitar Hero: not about playing guitar

[hal2814]

"It's just DDR played with your fingers."

And DDR is just Simon played with your feet. It seems we've come full circle.

Re:It's a video game, y'know.

[Anonymous Coward]

>GTA won't teach you the skillz to be an archcriminal, and America's Army isn't a replacement for boot camp.
But, Jack Thompson said it would. He wouldn't lie would he?

Re:I Don't Understand

[rAiNsT0rm]

Well, Mr. la-de-freakin-da-know-it-all, I am a world class Jazz Kazooist, have been for the past 62 years, and I for one find Guitar Hero to be complete and utter crap!

The skills and nuances of the Kazoo are leaps and bounds above a silly plastic guitar. I mean when you have the stage lights on you, and the upright bass and cow bell are hitting that sweet spot that makes the ladies swoon, THAT is what it's all about. Not strumming a chintzy red toy!

Get a clue!