Music Games Suck... Or Do They?

The music game is a genre that has been exploited, raped, and milked for all its worth. In 2009 there where no less then seven guitar hero games, including guitar hero: greatest hits which has been called “the very definition of milking it”. Do they suck? Maybe not. Currently there have been 3 games released this year: guitar hero: warriors of rock, DJ hero 2, and rock band 3. gh:war, seems like more of the same, however the other two are something different.

DJ hero 2

DJ hero 2 is unique among the music genre for several reasons. The first is its all most exclusive use of original music, composed of mixes made by such big names as DJ Qbert, Tiësto, Deadmau5, and DJ Shadow. As well as many in house DJs. The game shows that this genre can be used in more then just rock music and with an instrument like the turntable. Although there was the first one before it DJ hero 2 is more “mature” then the first one. It adds more dance and electronic music and tones down the hip hop of the original (akin to guitar hero's branching out of just metal and heavy rock), added competitive DJ battles and cooperative mixing, and adding “freestyle” mode zones. DJ hero shows how much you can do with a music game.

Rock band 3

The rock band series has been known for innovation, by introducing the “full band experience” and expanding the different genres of music in the game, but this one really blows the music game genre away. There are two new features added to it , first a keyboard player, and then pro mode. Now when i tried pro mode i was on keyboard because 1. i play keyboard and 2. they didn't have any other pro controllers. It both pissed me off and blew me away. It blew me away because it is amazing how they managed to make it work, and pissed me off because i was getting my ass handed to me. By making the controllers “real” (they are midi compatible and the guitar can be plugged into a amp and work) they have opened the Pandora's box of amateur musicians. There is just two problems, the price (the keyboard was $80), and the fact they have mostly emphasized guitar and almost forgotten the bass.

So do music games suck? I i don't think so. But only time can tell.