"ROCK BAND" = "MOCK BAND"

"One of the must have games of the year."

"payoff isn't visceral or technical; it's emotional"

"Rock Band unquestionably, unequivocally rocks."

"Complicated and engrossing, the rhythmic gymnastics needed to master this (new) percussion system are many and great." 

“practice enough and you'll be wailing away like a true drum god.”

“Rock Band is probably not the right choice for someone who just wants to shred by themselves in the spotlight. While personal glory is great, we like Rock Band's emphasis on collaboration, having a great time with friends and feeling like an actual musician.”

”Rock Band gets you the closest to feeling like a true rock star.”

I don’t think that I’ve ever been bothered by a video game.  But this is probably the closest it gets.  I played “Guitar Hero” a couple years ago, and didn’t care for it much.  I shrugged it off thinking, “oh, it’s just a fun little toy, what harm could it do?” Heck, I even found it mildly entertaining at the time.  

Little did I know that this fun little toy wo uld not only help inspire one of the biggest selling video games over the past several months, (over 1.5 million sold to date) but seemingly cheapen the craft and dedication required to be successful as an artist or musician. 

I don’t need to elaborate much for anyone to really understand the nature or concept of the game.  There's not much to explain.  Most of you have heard of it I’m sure, and a fair number of you have probably even played (or play) the game. 

Anyway, as the name implies, the object of ROCK BAND, (or as I like to call it, MOCK BAND) is to become the ultimate “rock band” by starting your o wn virtual “rock band” from the bottom and work your way to the top.

How do you accomplish this?

By using these little toys with buttons as your instruments, that's how.

These “instruments” or controllers rather, include a cute little fender Stratocaster with 10 multicolored buttons  (5 low, 5 high) designed to represent “frets”, a “drum set” comprised of 4 little pads and a pedal, and a USB microphone. 

You work your way through the game playing various hit songs, that you can even perform together with your friends.  The more accurate you are in synchronizing the various button combinations with the on screen commands, the farther you’ll get.

These on-screen commands are supposed to ‘mimic’ (but mostly rhythmically) the various musical parts of the songs.  But how close can you really get to replicating these parts by merely pressing a button or hitting a pad?

The truth is, you can’t. 

Now maybe I don't expect you to be able to.  How could I?  It is a video game, after all.  But given the extensive detail they've put into this game and all the 'practicing' required by gamers by use of these little toys posing as instruments, my question is, why not just pick up the real thing?

I’ve thought about this.  I’m not knocking video games at all.  I love video games.  I grew up with them and continue to play them to this day.  I've always viewed video games as an ‘escape’.  I enjoy games involving puzzles and strategy but were also fun at the same time. I also enjoy sports simulations, and have had many battles against Nate Campany’s Cleveland Cavaliers in NBA Live.  (most of which I won, go phoenix suns! sorry nate).

But I suppose that when I saw the very nature of ‘Rock Band’, and its affect on gamers, I almost took it personally. 

Maybe I'm being too hard on the game.  In the end, it is just a game and games are meant for fun.  I can see how this game could be a party favorite.  It even was created by musicians (well, probably aspiring musicians turned video game programmers).  I can totally see myself getting sucked into it.  But what message does that send?  I think what worries me are the serious gamers and the young, aspiring rockers that may see this as some kind of virtual substitute.   

I was on youtube the other day, and decided to search for ‘rock band’. The results were overwhelming and almost comical.  There were videos floating around of people playing this video game, and nothing more.  There were videos of serious gamers glued to the screen, so focused and trying so hard to get through a song with these little toy guitars in their hands.  

 They looked like fools.

There were other videos of people bragging about their score that they just achieved, or showing how they can effectively play a song on ‘expert mode’.  But in all reality, after all this work, they haven't learned to play anything other than the game itself.    

The thing is, you can’t take anything you learn in “rock band” and use it in real life situations.  Music doesn’t consist of 5 colored buttons on a faux strat guitar.  And there isn't anything you can do in ‘rock band’ that you can’t do in real life if you have discipline and dedication.   

And maybe that's what irks me the most.  

They're taking something very precious, like the idea of friends getting together to play music, something that I believe is very accessible to almost anyone in this world, and glamorizing it in a watered down fashion.  And in addition to sucking the time out of their days spent playing this game, some gamers will be left with the impression that they can actually play a song, when they really can't.

And that may be one of the greater injustices.

What is the reward in learning these songs in a video game vs. the real thing?

And what incentive does it really give these 'serious' rock band gamers or aspiring rockers to want to try the 'real thing' if they've spent all this time honing their craft into a game?

What if playing this game is all he/she thinks she needs to decide if they want to pursue playing music for real?  

And is 'Rock Band' really an accurate representation?

So, for all the kids out there spending hours upon hours playing ‘Rock Band’ trying to master that ‘solo’’ to get to the next level, i also urge you to pick up a real guitar and do it yourself. 

For all the people out there that can't wait to get home so that they can play 'rock band' with their friends, i also urge you to try forming your own REAL band with your friends.

Find out for yourselves.  Don't take the game's word for it.  

The satisfaction that you can get from doing the real thing far exceeds anything you could ever virtually do in a video game. 

There is no 'closest thing'.  Only the real thing. 

On a side note, I think everyone should watch the following music video of my younger brother’s band, “The Potentials”, performing their song “Next Attraction”, a song that I produced.  My brother directed the video and i found it very entertaining.  See what happens when a real band has to use fake instruments ('rock band' instruments).

 The Potentials Vs. Rock Band

Looks like they found some satisfaction from 'Rock Band'.  ;)