Chinese Democracy is terrilble, terrible, terrible. I'd sooner download Toby Keith.
And I probably will! If the note charts are fun, gotta check those out.
I actually downloaded How Do You Like Me Now and Beer for My Horses out of that pack. Beer for My Horses was pretty standard fare, but HDYLMN is actually fairly tricky. It's also got a fun solo.
The chord progression is basically Em-G-D-A, over and over, with Oasis mixing it up with some 7's and sus's, and Green Day overlaying really loud power chords. Its not exactly a unique chord progression or anything, and it isn't surprising in any way to find two songs that share it. You could probably find hundreds more with the same chord progression if it was worth the time to look. The video is funny, but as Santa pointed out, it doesn't really carry much weight.
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KorKnown to detonate from time to timeRegistered Userregular
edited April 2009
Does anyone know if the PAX pack purchase still donates to child's play? or was that a limited time thing?
April 3, 2009 - In February 2008, NanaOn-Sha CEO and PaRappa the Rapper creator Masaya Matsuura stepped onto the stage of the D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas, Nev., and issued a polite but harsh challenge to videogame developers: Stop wasting your talents and the world's music with licensed play-along games.
His exhortation for change couldn't have come at a more fitting time. Between 2007 and today, the videogame industry has produced nearly 20 separate music games for multiple platforms. That's seven Guitar Hero games, three retail Rock Band games (with two more on the way), Wii music, Rock Revolution, Lips, Sing Star, Karaoke Revolution and its many incarnations, and more Disney sing-along tie-ins than IGN's database can handle. And we haven't even gotten to the two separate DJ games that are on the way this year.
Matsuura's argument is that, while games like these are fun, they have proliferated so quickly that the genre has become oversaturated and stale, focusing mainly on music as a commodity rather than integrating it into games in new and exciting ways. I couldn't agree more.
It happened late last year. I can't put a finger on an exact date, but it was likely around the time I was previewing the AC/DC Live: Rock Band standalone game from Harmonix and MTV Games. I hit the wall with play-along music games. I was done. I'd lived the fantasy and acted like a rocker with my friends. I'd downloaded songs, played the fake drums and stayed up far too late singing along to Police songs while my fake band mates humored me. Then, one day I just woke up, looked around at all the plastic peripherals and realized I was done. No other gaming genre has lost its luster for me quicker than the Rock Band/Guitar Hero/Sing Star fantasy fest.
Like a mediocre college band's hastily arranged tour of the Mid-Atlantic states, I soon realized that I wasn't in it for the long haul and that I had better things to do with my time and money than play rock star. Was it fun while it lasted? Absolutely. But now it's time to move on.
Games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero have done some great things for gaming, including opening up the floodgates on downloadable content. The Rock Band franchise has sold more than 40 million downloadable tracks to date, which is a number so ridiculous that it looks like a typographical error (it's not). Harmonix has now become the world's largest manufacturer of drumsticks. I'm not making that up. That success has woken the industry up to the potential of games as a platform for content delivery, and that's a good thing for consumers, as long as they remember to vote with their wallets.
They've also helped turn an entirely new segment of the population into gamers. Despite the proliferation of the two labels, there's no concrete distinction between hardcore and casual gaming. Like most social pursuits, gaming exists on a continuum, and many non-gamers were brought into the fold by Rock Band, Wii Music and Karaoke Revolution. And when more people are introduced to games, everybody wins.
But titles like these barely scratch the surface of what could be done with music in videogames. Hopefully the next phase will be the incorporation of great music into the traditional videogame experience or -- even better -- an exploration of new genres that blend music with gameplay. We've already seen glimpses of such a future with games like Tim Schafer and Double Fine's upcoming action/adventure game Brutal Legend.
Schafer and friends have a history of creating smart, innovative games that critics adore and cash registers ignore. This one stars Jack Black as Eddie Riggs, a roadie who's transported to a magical world of metal music. It's funny, it's sharp, it's full of classic interactive metal tracks and hopefully it will be good enough to cause more than a tiny blip on the NPD sales charts.
Projects like Brutal Legend make me wonder about all the other amazing things that could happen at the intersection of music and games. In the last 10 years, the music industry has gone through cataclysmic change as digital download services like iTunes (and other, less legal means) have killed record stores and upended the traditional retail model. As a result, independent bands and solo artists have turned to Internet self-publishing and even television commercials to reach listeners. How many times has your favorite obscure indie band popped up in a pregnancy test commercial? Wouldn't it be cooler to hear them in the next Gearbox game instead?
There are a number of extremely talented composers working in videogame music today. Legends like Nobuo Uematsu, Marty O'Donnell, Koji Kondo and Masami Ueda proved early on that game soundtracks can easily rival the quality and depth of film scores. And relative newcomers like Jesper Kyd, Chris Tilton and Wataru Hokoyama are taking game scores further and further with every release. But original soundtracks are just the tip of the musical iceberg. Why aren't licensed tracks used to punctuate emotional moments in games more often?
When songs by established artists are used in games, they're usually incorporated as background music (sports games) or aural scenery (the radio in GTA IV). Those are both excellent uses of music by established artists, but does it have to end there? Sure, it costs money to license songs from record labels, but publishers and developers haven't shied away from spending millions to buy songs for play-along games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero.
Why can't the next Splinter Cell game open with a cool new track from an up-and-coming indie band? Or more games could follow the Portal model and use a talented but underappreciated pop artist to pen a unique credits anthem. Music is now a massive part of gaming, and it's time the industry woke up to its potential beyond plastic guitars and glittery microphones.
I'm sure the Rock Band and Guitar Hero franchises will be around for years to come, and that's OK by me. There's plenty of room in the videogame marketplace for the rock star fantasy. But how much of the world's closet space must be taken up by game controllers disguised as drums, guitars, microphones and DJ turntables before the whole genre just collapses in on itself like a dying star?
Hopefully before that happens the developers at places like Harmonix, Neversoft and others who clearly have a passion for both music and games will bring us something new and different, even if it's risky. After all, it's better to burn out than to fade away.
It looks like a waste of 1100 words to say 'I'm bored with music rhythm games and so I'm trying to get ahead of the curve in hating on it.'
I guess if his inspiration for writing this came from a designer who's just as jaded about game design as he's arguing against, then I guess I can ignore all his future blog posts.
At the least, it's an interesting point he raises about how the industry really should attempt to use music in more creative ways, rather than Simon Says gameplay. But it's almost like he's a forum poster declaring that HMX or Neversoft should license Led Zepplin or something because that's what people want. As if it was easy to license music in the first place.
However, he really comes off a bit petulant against a genre because the industry isn't doing something he'd like to see. Kind of like bitching at HMX for not releasing a song 'everybody' wants.
Does anyone know if the PAX pack purchase still donates to child's play? or was that a limited time thing?
Here's a link to the announcement. It doesn't say anything about a time limit on the donations.
I distinctly remember it being said somewhere that all proceeds up until December 31st of the year would be donated to Child's Play. Nothing was said of what would happen AFTER that.
Does anyone know if the PAX pack purchase still donates to child's play? or was that a limited time thing?
Here's a link to the announcement. It doesn't say anything about a time limit on the donations.
I distinctly remember it being said somewhere that all proceeds up until December 31st of the year would be donated to Child's Play. Nothing was said of what would happen AFTER that.
Used to purchase Khoo more objects made of pure Lootonium.
Also, if that's not a dude in your sig, I approve. Moreover, who is that?
it might be like the stride contest. I entered way after they announced it and I was still able to get a code.
As for your earlier quesiton, if you haven't gotten Time Bomb by the Old 97s, I would totally nab that. The fact that its a live version makes the vocals a little weird, but the other parts are pretty fun.
Does anyone know if the PAX pack purchase still donates to child's play? or was that a limited time thing?
Here's a link to the announcement. It doesn't say anything about a time limit on the donations.
I distinctly remember it being said somewhere that all proceeds up until December 31st of the year would be donated to Child's Play. Nothing was said of what would happen AFTER that.
Used to purchase Khoo more objects made of pure Lootonium.
Also, if that's not a dude in your sig, I approve. Moreover, who is that?
It's a nude female model wearing some stockings and an Optimus Prime mask. What more do you need to know?
LegacyStuck Somewhere In CyberspaceThe Grid(Seattle)Registered User, ClubPAregular
edited April 2009
Finally went out to go buy new drums for my 360. Found some Cymbols, the pads that are good, a new speaker system that has a bass knob...and then I couldn't find ANY RB2 Wireless 360 Drums. Ugh. Everyone seems to be out of them for some reason...
On the plus side, I did find a set of RB1 drums at Target for $29...Not too bad...
Legacy on
Can we get the chemicals in. 'Cause anything's better than this.
Finally went out to go buy new drums for my 360. Found some Cymbols, the pads that are good, a new speaker system that has a bass knob...and then I couldn't find ANY RB2 Wireless 360 Drums. Ugh. Everyone seems to be out of them for some reason...
On the plus side, I did find a set of RB1 drums at Target for $29...Not too bad...
Yeah I went through this a few weeks ago. I had to go to a Virgin Megastore in NYC to find one. (They only had 3)
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LegacyStuck Somewhere In CyberspaceThe Grid(Seattle)Registered User, ClubPAregular
Finally went out to go buy new drums for my 360. Found some Cymbols, the pads that are good, a new speaker system that has a bass knob...and then I couldn't find ANY RB2 Wireless 360 Drums. Ugh. Everyone seems to be out of them for some reason...
On the plus side, I did find a set of RB1 drums at Target for $29...Not too bad...
Yeah I went through this a few weeks ago. I had to go to a Virgin Megastore in NYC to find one. (They only had 3)
Oy. Opened them up and they're EL. Which are balls. Oh well. Have a new reciept that I can use to start throwing the broken kits back at EA until they give me a good set, I guess. Yay.
Until I can find RB2 drums, I guess.
Legacy on
Can we get the chemicals in. 'Cause anything's better than this.
Finally went out to go buy new drums for my 360. Found some Cymbols, the pads that are good, a new speaker system that has a bass knob...and then I couldn't find ANY RB2 Wireless 360 Drums. Ugh. Everyone seems to be out of them for some reason...
On the plus side, I did find a set of RB1 drums at Target for $29...Not too bad...
Yeah I went through this a few weeks ago. I had to go to a Virgin Megastore in NYC to find one. (They only had 3)
Oy. Opened them up and they're EL. Which are balls. Oh well. Have a new reciept that I can use to start throwing the broken kits back at EA until they give me a good set, I guess. Yay.
Until I can find RB2 drums, I guess.
It is really odd that 360 RB2 standalone drums are hard to find (I drove 30 miles for mine and made the store owner promise to stay open 10 minutes past closing time). It was so worth it though--I can't even express how much of an improvement my RB2 set is over my RB1 EL kit. I went from barely being able to beat the expert career in RB1 to being able to gold star a fair amount of songs, as well as a recent 5-star on Dead on Arrival (which was a BITCH the first time I played it). Extra bounce, much quieter, reinforced pedal, and the cymbal expansions are awesome.
I know of someone who bought the RB2 drums after their GHWT drums were crap out of the box. I wouldn't be surprised if more people did this to bring down the availability of the RB2 drums in certain areas.
Ok, so I returned an RB2 strat using the replacement plan my mom got for me when she bought it for my birthday late last year. The yellow fret barely worked, and there were lots of other problems. The Best Buy I went to was out of stock so they gave me a gift card worth the total amount + tax. Well, I wound up getting the Mad Catz Fender P-Bass instead, as it was actually two bucks cheaper, my wife always plays bass, and the original RB2 strat I bought works just fine other than two or three of the solo frets don't work (which I so don't care about).
GOD. FUCKING. DAMN.
That Bass guitar is the SHIT. The frets are so super responsive! You have to push them maybe a fraction of what it takes to trigger the Strat frets. The split strummers are tighter, which kinda makes it feel a bit more like playing a real bass. The strap it comes with is extremely comfortable compared to the Strat (not that the Strat strap is uncomfortable). I played a good four hours when I first got it home on Friday, both Bass and Guitar. First off, it [strike]might be[/strike] is a better guitar than the Strat. Those frets are gold when it comes to fast solo HOPO's. Second, the double strumming for Bass is HARD AS HELL but extremely fun.
The only negative is the lack of a whammy bar, which makes getting OD fillups harder (I'm still learning where to reach to twist that knob). Beyond that, the wired vs. wireless thing is a matter of give and take: you won't go through batteries, but you can't go very far away from the 360. That's a wash.
Bottom line: this is my choice for best guitar for use in RB2, hands down. I love my RB2 strat, but the P-Bass takes the edge because of those silky smooth frets.
I love my P-Bass. I had a bit of buyer's remorse as I was bringing it home, but once I played a few songs with it, the purchase was totally justified. It's actually fairly useable as a regular guitar if you want to alt-strum with one of the little strummers, though obviously not as comfortable as the regular-sized strummer. Still, the action on the strummer is nice and tight, what I expect the regular RB2 strat to feel like.
So who wants to point and laugh? While surfing through the upcoming new releases at Gamespot, I stumbled onto something called Rolling Stones: Drum King. It's being made by 505 Games, proud makers of a bunch of Discovery Kids games and Diva Girls: Diva Dancers. Though it's coming out in May, pretty much all the game sites are ignoring it.
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The problem with most power metal bands being in Rock Band would, in my opinion, be how it would basically require you to have a second drum pedal.
Like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84qzMBgTDd0
Mirror Mirror
When Sorrow Sang
And heck, there's plenty for a second track pack.
Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)
Time What Is Time
Even if I would never pass these songs on drums, I would buy them so hard.
And I probably will! If the note charts are fun, gotta check those out.
I actually downloaded How Do You Like Me Now and Beer for My Horses out of that pack. Beer for My Horses was pretty standard fare, but HDYLMN is actually fairly tricky. It's also got a fun solo.
I have never realized until right now, as he plays some hits live on the show,
I would kill for some James Taylor.
The chord progression is basically Em-G-D-A, over and over, with Oasis mixing it up with some 7's and sus's, and Green Day overlaying really loud power chords. Its not exactly a unique chord progression or anything, and it isn't surprising in any way to find two songs that share it. You could probably find hundreds more with the same chord progression if it was worth the time to look. The video is funny, but as Santa pointed out, it doesn't really carry much weight.
Pokemon Safari - Sneasel, Pawniard, ????
Here's a link to the announcement. It doesn't say anything about a time limit on the donations.
So I won a Star Trek code. Any suggestions?
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
I guess if his inspiration for writing this came from a designer who's just as jaded about game design as he's arguing against, then I guess I can ignore all his future blog posts.
However, he really comes off a bit petulant against a genre because the industry isn't doing something he'd like to see. Kind of like bitching at HMX for not releasing a song 'everybody' wants.
I distinctly remember it being said somewhere that all proceeds up until December 31st of the year would be donated to Child's Play. Nothing was said of what would happen AFTER that.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
Used to purchase Khoo more objects made of pure Lootonium.
Also, if that's not a dude in your sig, I approve. Moreover, who is that?
Looks like his prayers might finally be answered
I have 549 Rock Band Drum and 305 Pro Drum FC's
REFS REFS REFS REFS REFS REFS REFS REFS
!!!!
I had assumed the codes would be region locked, as that competition is (allegedly) US only. Sounds like I'll have to start entering.
Wait, you can still enter? I have several email addresses...
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
As for your earlier quesiton, if you haven't gotten Time Bomb by the Old 97s, I would totally nab that. The fact that its a live version makes the vocals a little weird, but the other parts are pretty fun.
PS3 Trophies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ostH08vhD6I
WHAT THE FUCK? I know it's a cover, but DAMN. DAMN. I would kill for that.
It's a nude female model wearing some stockings and an Optimus Prime mask. What more do you need to know?
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
On the plus side, I did find a set of RB1 drums at Target for $29...Not too bad...
Blockbusters seem to be having clearance sales. Rock Band 2 new is $30, Rock Band 1 new is $10.
$40 for 130+ songs.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
Yeah I went through this a few weeks ago. I had to go to a Virgin Megastore in NYC to find one. (They only had 3)
Oy. Opened them up and they're EL. Which are balls. Oh well. Have a new reciept that I can use to start throwing the broken kits back at EA until they give me a good set, I guess. Yay.
Until I can find RB2 drums, I guess.
I will definitely be buying that.
It is really odd that 360 RB2 standalone drums are hard to find (I drove 30 miles for mine and made the store owner promise to stay open 10 minutes past closing time). It was so worth it though--I can't even express how much of an improvement my RB2 set is over my RB1 EL kit. I went from barely being able to beat the expert career in RB1 to being able to gold star a fair amount of songs, as well as a recent 5-star on Dead on Arrival (which was a BITCH the first time I played it). Extra bounce, much quieter, reinforced pedal, and the cymbal expansions are awesome.
GOD. FUCKING. DAMN.
That Bass guitar is the SHIT. The frets are so super responsive! You have to push them maybe a fraction of what it takes to trigger the Strat frets. The split strummers are tighter, which kinda makes it feel a bit more like playing a real bass. The strap it comes with is extremely comfortable compared to the Strat (not that the Strat strap is uncomfortable). I played a good four hours when I first got it home on Friday, both Bass and Guitar. First off, it [strike]might be[/strike] is a better guitar than the Strat. Those frets are gold when it comes to fast solo HOPO's. Second, the double strumming for Bass is HARD AS HELL but extremely fun.
The only negative is the lack of a whammy bar, which makes getting OD fillups harder (I'm still learning where to reach to twist that knob). Beyond that, the wired vs. wireless thing is a matter of give and take: you won't go through batteries, but you can't go very far away from the 360. That's a wash.
Bottom line: this is my choice for best guitar for use in RB2, hands down. I love my RB2 strat, but the P-Bass takes the edge because of those silky smooth frets.
So how bad will it be? So bad:
Gay bar, and Synthesizer would be awesome additions to this game.
That's the first thought that came to my mind. How the hell is that going to work?
PS3 Trophies