Comment Maybe missing the point? (Score 1) 119
I think you're maybe missing the point of the Gamasutra article.
Video games are a unique medium since they can operate on a spectrum, running between cinema (think mgs4) and toys/tools (think sims or rpg maker or the mtv music tracker). Operating inside of this space, I think what Matsuura is getting at, video games can live as interactive art, and what better way to do that than with music?
Parappa at the time was revolutionary because it was one of the first music games allowing you to not only play in time with music, but to add your own elements of creation with the freestyle mode. Which was pretty sweet, but most music games since then have been just derivatives - press the button at the right time and score points.
This is what makes guitar hero rather boring.
Playing a piece of music is exciting not only because of the skill involved, but what kind of feeling the musician puts into playing the piece. It's a very personal thing. Not to mention how fun jamming with friends is. I think Matsuura wants video games to connect with music on a more deeper level. The latest marching band game lets you direct a band, which is another aspect of music, the concept of tempo. This is something that a lot of people are familiar with, but it will be exciting to have a game where it is immediately accessible to anyone that can hold a wiimote.
I'd love to hear what Matsuura thinks of Elektroplankton. I know there's a big divide in people who play it, since most people don't consider it a game. But if you sit down with it with a pair of headphones and actually think for a moment about what is happening, there's a lot of fun there. At least, I think, for people who like making noises.
I think there's a lot of fun to be had in games that bring music to people in unexpected ways. Games that allow people who don't consider themselves musical or have the time to invest into instruments to be able to enjoy an experience closer to what some musicians enjoy. And in that respect, a game like guitar hero is very primitive since it just records hits and misses and gives you a score - the reward for memorizing a song.
Hey, not to say that orchestral soundtracks and catchy hooks don't have their place. They're fitting and moving in the more traditional game experience. I think just that there's a lot of untapped potential in games that you don't see since everyone is so focused on rehashing tired but marketable concepts.
