guitar heroes video game
By George Dickson
The crowd is going nuts, the drums are driving the rhythm, and
you’re unleashing hell on the guitar. The average person doesn’t
get to experience this—unless they’re playing Guitar Hero.
This innovative game gives players a chance to glimpse rock
superstardom. Even simple things like the game’s guitar-inspired
controller help to immerse a gamer in the rock star mentality
(minus the gratuitous sex, money, and drugs). The soundtrack of
hard-hitting rock songs spans several generations, making it fun
for almost any age group. Music and video game fans all over the
world have fallen in love with Guitar Hero, and a host of
similar rhythm games. Their popularity is spreading like
American obesity, and isn’t showing any signs of abating either.
There have even been several Guitar Hero contests, the winners
receiving small amounts of cash and fame. Yes, there are some
people that practice diligently with a plastic guitar, and in
return they sometimes experience the same skill-related perks
that a real guitar expert might. Both guitar players and guitar
heroes play in front of a crowd and are given recognition for
exemplary achievements. There’s also the crazy sex appeal. So
what is it that actually separates a guitar player from a guitar
hero? Ask someone who plays.
Many guitarists feel that the artistic merits of their
instrument are cheapened by Guitar Hero, and hate the game with
an unearthly passion. Why is this? Are they simply frustrated at
their lack of skill at a guitar-centered game? Is the irony of
that too inescapable? Speaking of cheapening, it might have
something to do with the plastic guitar/controller. Maybe the
real-life guitarist prefers playing original tunes over playing
covers. The frustration could lie in the fact that it only takes
a few weeks to start getting good at Guitar Hero. If anyone can
practice for a few days and then stand up and play big
gut-wrenching solos, what’s the point of spending years
practicing a real instrument? Practicing the real guitar will
only make you worse at Guitar Hero anyway.
The game’s interface can be counter-intuitive for someone with a
carefully ingrained knowledge of guitar chords and finger
positions. A practiced guitarist might reach for a note that
exists on a fret board, but doesn’t on a controller. To their
horror, the guitar hero standing beside them just whooped them
with a perfect score on hard, click—click—click—clicking their
way to victory. This makes most guitarists furious, because the
guitar hero has never even touched anything but that stupid
plastic controller!
The feud may never end. The guitarists will continue to call
foul on the guitar heroes. The guitar heroes will play on,
unperturbed. The guitarists will tell the guitar heroes to get a
real instrument, and the guitar heroes will tell the guitarists
to let go of their prejudices. No matter the outcome of this
ongoing battle, the game is probably here to stay.
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