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'Rock Band'/ 'Guitar Hero' Rivalry Heats Up, Gamers Lose?

vh1.com — Battle between music games presents obstacles for gamers.

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  • GrandmasterB, on 06/24/2008, -26/+56I've played both and I've gotta say Rock Band is much better...in regards to the guitar play.
    • solidus636, on 06/24/2008, -8/+10Same here. I easily got bored with GH3, but I bought Rock Band a little while ago, and it's just a lot more fun.
    • Muncher, on 06/24/2008, -15/+61The Rock Band guitar is horrible. Everything else about it is better, though. Like the drums, and the excellent DLC.
      • mdaize, on 06/25/2008, -7/+14The Rock Band guitar is far more responsive, and the clicking w/ the GH guitar is SO annoying
        • Muncher, on 06/25/2008, -2/+12I have to agree with you about the clicking.
        • Syphon8, on 06/25/2008, -3/+12Clicking helps you stay on time. The only people who prefer the strat to any GH controller that isn't the Kramer aren't very good at the game.
        • Tyrghast, on 06/25/2008, -9/+4@Sypher

          Um, no I've met people complete about 95% on expert in GH and Rock Band and all of them prefer the Rock Band controller. It's more responsive and feels better in your hand.
        • rednaxela825, on 06/25/2008, -1/+4Guitar may be better, but not the guitar gameplay.
        • efitz11, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4i love the clicking and i have 26 gh3 perfects, not just 95%s, but i guess its just whatever floats your boat. i find it impossible to stay in perfect rhythm with the strat
        • UltamateAddict, on 06/25/2008, -0/+6Adding to Syphon8, When you strum a real guitar, it clicks, makes noise, and not just the humming sound, it makes like, a click. It DOES help you keep time. I think that clicking is good, but i think the solo part pwns.
        • Syphon8, on 06/25/2008, -0/+295% isn't very impressive, at any rate. I don't see iamchris4life or hellashes using a strat.
        • fadetoone, on 06/25/2008, -1/+4The rock band guitar is a piece of trash, hands down.
        • Andrwmorph, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I can use either but I prefer a clicking strum bar.
      • brstilson, on 06/25/2008, -7/+5You can use the guitar hero guitar with rock band you know.
        • ThePenrod, on 06/25/2008, -0/+22Only if you have a 360, it doesn't work on the PS3 or Wii builds.
        • bratterscain, on 06/25/2008, -0/+6I'm all for a universal guitar that will be just as compatible as the console's controller. But then again, I don't play them on console. But I do play Frets on Fire on the PC. Fun game, free, and can even use Guitar Hero songs on it.
        • dagamer34, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5Pfft. Activision has gotten greedy with money over selling proprietary peripherals. This is the same kind of greed that turned the well received Tony Hawk Pro Skater series into a yearly ***** resembling an EA product.
        • BearinG, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I've only played Rock Band with the Les Paul 360 GH3... I have to say that Rock Band is nice in all aspects.. just having the whole band.. but I prefer the included songs in GH3 (for my taste). Rock band as better DLC though.

          I find Guitar Hero to be WAY more challenging than Rock band... on the Guitar at least. I'd been playing Rock Band on medium and hard and was alright (90%+ usually). I had a real hard time finishing GH3 on medium (or Dragonforce on easy).

          It depends on the songs but I just find GH3 to be harder in general (which i like).
      • john.furlong, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2It's a matter of what you're accustomed to. I played Rock Band first and learned with that guitar. Later, we bought a GH guitar for my wife to use, and she learned on that. Neither of us can stand the other's instrument.
    • charm803, on 06/25/2008, -9/+1I love Rock Band because I feel like a rockstar even though my musical talent sucks worse than American Idol.

      I got pretty bored of Guitar Hero pretty quickly (if by quickly I mean after playing for 2 weeks everyday after work.....)

      But on the sad side, it is Rock Band that has given false hope to American Idol tryouts everywhere with their lack of singing talent and that's why we have yet ANOTHER season of A.I. on tv.

      Damn vicious cycle.....
      • avatar28, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2Sure, I'm sure Rock Band is to blame for the fact that American Idol is almost certainly coming back again and it has NOTHING to do with the fact that it's like the highest rated show on TV the last few years.
        • sodade, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4American Idol is the highest rated show? That is so ***** sad.
    • Jokermx, on 06/25/2008, -3/+10While I'm certainly no masochist, I did enjoy Guitar Hero 3's guitar playing a lot more than I did with Rock Band. Rock Band's was, dare I say, too easy.
      • MagMan68Classic, on 06/25/2008, -0/+6RB is easier in some parts, but at the same time is more realistic...
        I can barely play a guitar, but when the video game is harder than an actual guitar then something is wrong and I noticed that in GH compared to RB
        • Spyke72, on 06/25/2008, -3/+2I'm not sure how anyone can claim playing guitar hero is harder than playing an actual guitar...
        • LoopyChew, on 06/25/2008, -1/+6Oh, well easily. Guitars aren't about rote memorization of location on fretboards. You don't have to try to follow the timing of a guitar solo if you don't want to, you can create your own guitar solo. If you miss a note, you can make up for it. If you play slightly off-beat, a computer won't penalize you, and normally bands try to compensate.

          Guitar is neither more or less difficult than GH/RB games. Just different.
        • MagMan68Classic, on 06/26/2008, -1/+1but some parts are more difficult
        • Spyke72, on 07/30/2008, -0/+1er have to disagree again. I can play Through the Fire and Flames on Expert on guitar hero, but will never achieve that kind of skill on an actual guitar. Though I'm trying.
    • shadus, on 06/25/2008, -0/+11The reality is both games have their place, the guitar hero 3 notes tend towards a "wall of notes" effect that isn't much fun but is far more difficult to play for an expert, the rock band notes tend to stay more in time with the music which I personally feel helps immersion. Which is what is more important to me.

      The problem I'm having with the upcoming generation of "rock band" games is simple: There has to be some universal controllers soon.

      The Konami drum troller is 7, rock band is currently a 5, and guitar hero's new one is 6... there is no reason the industry can't get together and say "key 1 is this code, key 2 is this code, key 3 is this code, key 4 is this code, etc" right up to key 128. It won't add extra pads or anything but at least you can use it. People are going to start getting slightly upset if they've got to spend 600$ just to own the 3 games and controllers to use them... thats kinda silly.
      • beware001, on 06/25/2008, -3/+2the guitar heros wall of notes were much more fun then the long boring 2 note chords for an entire song (about 75% of the songs). and both games followed exact timing of the song you were playing, and you played a note when the note was played in the game. its not just difficult, for anyone who can play it its extremely fun.
    • shondell, on 06/25/2008, -7/+6I just plead everyone to not purchase any more Activision musical games, especially GH World Tour. Activision is just about making money and that's it. They could care less about us consumers and it showed in GH 3 and is going to show in GH Aerosmith. Harmonix knows what gamers want and they are always listening to our comments. They produce weekly DLC and albums monthly. GH just sucks.
      • Slade605, on 06/25/2008, -2/+6Holy crap batman, a company is out to make money!
      • Spyke72, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3I want metal and extremely difficult songs. Clearly, if Harmonix knows what i want they are not giving it to me. However, Activision does and that's why I love Guitar Hero.
      • shinythingy, on 06/25/2008, -1/+4STFU, Harmonix want one thing and one thing only - money. Just because they are nice guys doesn't change that they will ***** on you the first chance they get. If i decide to get any of these it will be GH World Tour because right now Activision are doing it right. The releases for EU and NA are a week apart, and not console exclusive yet. The Customs Songs feature is also pretty amazing.
      • BearinG, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Spyke: There are some pretty difficult downloadable songs on Rock Band.. I know, they are not "part" of the game (i don't buy much DLC ever).

    • nicko68, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1The guitar parts on Rock Band are kinda simple. Hard gave me no real challenge at all, whereas on Guitar Hero III there are a couple of songs I still can't even *pass* on hard.
  • casspa, on 06/24/2008, -5/+130I'd say Rock Band is the superior game, with more downloadable content and the inclusion of multiple instruments. However, Guitar Hero is more challenging and the guitar play is more fun IMO
    • WorldLeader, on 06/25/2008, -2/+21Psh, Oboe Hero® is where it is at! You haven't even seen challenging until you have to play the infinite set list at Carnegie; 10 hours straight!!

    • shadus, on 06/25/2008, -2/+15I think guitar hero made the mistake of doing walls of notes that aren't really in place though to raise difficulty level... and I don't like that. Rock Band actually feels like I'm playing the songs when I play expert, the notes are where they should be when I'm playing, guitar hero feels like they're throwing in stuff just to increase difficulty and that isn't fun for me.
      • SpongeBob88, on 06/25/2008, -3/+2I've played guitar hero much more than rock band so I can't speak for all the songs, but I like the guitar hero note charts better. And I have never noticed a note in guitar hero that shouldn't have been there. I agree it doesn't seem so at first but the guitar hero 3 note charts are very well done
    • Osmose1000, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4My biggest pet peeve with Rock Band is that the hammer-ons/pull-offs are severely gimped just because they want to encourage people to use the Rock Band controller's solo buttons to make them manageable (And even then only during a solo block!).
      • jermm, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4In GH3 they made the hammer-ons where you just need to hold the button when the note comes up (and is much more forgiving because of that).
        Rock Band's hammer-ons are more like GH2.
    • TheInimitable, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2I gotta say I love both, though for different reasons. Rock Band feels right to me; no extra notes, no wankery going on for no reason, etc. I love GH3 as well, though, because it offers me a challenge much more often than RB does - even if the challenge is somewhat artificially created.
    • wideawakewesley, on 06/25/2008, -4/+1Rock Band and is superior because it has multiple instruments? So you didn't read the story then, which talks about the next Guitar Hero game, which has multiple instruments.
    • coyote1284, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Real metalheads play Mosh Mosh Revolution!
  • FuryOfThor, on 06/24/2008, -21/+14Neither is anywhere near as cool as actually being in a rock band.
    • solidus636, on 06/24/2008, -4/+10Not that you would know.
      • FuryOfThor, on 06/24/2008, -6/+3Good guess. But something about dropping a couple hundred dollars on plastic toys that work with only one set of games never really seemed that appealing.
        • mooseofshadows, on 06/25/2008, -1/+11Yeah, fun never really appealed to me either.
        • evilesttoast, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Says guy who cant afford GH or RB
    • logicalnoise, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3I actually produce my own music and both are extremely fun and rewarding.
    • suttercain, on 06/25/2008, -1/+4Depends on which Rock Band you're in. If you're in Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam or Tool, I'd say you're in a better band than a virtual one. Now if you're in a band like Hanson, I'd rather play Rock Band.

      Hmmm bop bitch... hmmm bop.
    • dagger89, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Cooler? No. Playing Rock Band is no where near as "cool" as playing in a real band.
      More fun? Yes. I have a couple of friends in a band, and honestly, it seems like work at times instead of fun. It's great when you just rent a booth and start jamming away, but actually practicing for a gig takes a lot of time to get everything down right- from equipment to timing and sound quality, it's a lot of work.
  • msaleem, on 06/24/2008, -5/+35I must admit I am really looking forward to Guitar Rising.
    • mondoman89, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3I can't wait for it too. But they haven't updated their website since they announced it. I wonder when it will come out.
    • doshindude, on 06/25/2008, -3/+1Isn't that the real guitar game? that's just retarded, if you're going to be that elitist, just play the real ***** thing.
    • cnot3, on 06/25/2008, -1/+12Whatever, I can't wait for Tambourine Hero.
    • redfred18t, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3Cowbell Hero will always be greater than Tambourine Hero

      :D
  • WaxenPith, on 06/24/2008, -13/+4In b4 Rock Band vs Guitar Hero.

    It's all about the music for me...
    • artofficial, on 06/25/2008, -0/+12wow bro, you're just so....pure.
    • Swordman554, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2Just like all of the other artists that are suddenly saying this...
  • tjClassic82, on 06/24/2008, -16/+8If you are going to go as far as 4 or 5 people all getting together to play instruments and sing... Why not get the real thing?

    Although I am guilty of playing online scrabble with the person I was sitting in the room with..... With the physical scrabble board within grabbing distance... This has become our world of technology woot!
    • FurtThePirate, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5I prefer the real board games myself...

      (They're easier to cheat on.)
      • carpespasm, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Hell yeah. Half the point of monopoly and other board games is the subtle (or sometimes ballsy) cheating one can perform. It's especially fun when you add unofficial rules like cheating shooters. If you're playing monopoly and someone's caught cheating they take a shot and pay $n to the person who caught them.
    • Zipko, on 06/25/2008, -3/+12Because that takes talent.

      I'm pretty good at rock band and people always ask me if I play drums for real, but I know if I ever tried I'd probably suck at it. These games are far less technical and much more forgiving than a real instrument. Think about it, when you miss a note in Rock Band it doesn't really do anything, you just don't hear the note that should have been there. With a real drum kit it's pretty obvious when you hit the wrong thing. I think it would be nice though if they made mistakes more apparent the way they do in guitar hero. Maybe it'd be distracting to everyone else playing, but I think if you screw up everyone should be able to know it.
      • ZannaDiosa, on 06/25/2008, -2/+3You'll never know if you never try. :)
    • EssPii, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Drums are the one thing that actually transfer over to its real life counterpart quite well, aside from the cost of a drum kit.
    • shadus, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Because-

      I can play rock band 4-5 hours a week and be "damn good" at the game and have a lot of fun.
      I need to play an instrument a couple hours a day to be "good" and not have much fun at all most of the time.
    • boombume, on 06/25/2008, -0/+6Great idea.. im going to start a band and go on tour instead of playing Rock Band. While I'm at it, i'll join the NFL instead of playing Madden, sign up for the rebellion and participate in intergalactic civil war instead of playing The Force Unleashed, and get caught up in organized crime instead of playing Grand Theft Auto.
      • Gregus1032, on 06/25/2008, -1/+4and ill go out and save the world dressed up as a hello kitty instead of playing hello kitty island adventure!
  • ocharry, on 06/25/2008, -1/+37I just hope they don't license sucky pop songs just to kill the competition.
    • logicalnoise, on 06/25/2008, -1/+10points to Guitar hero :aerosmith....too late.
  • LightSpeed4, on 06/25/2008, -19/+1Both games are made by Harmonix studios, there is no rivalry.
    • brstilson, on 06/25/2008, -1/+8Actually Guitar Hero III was not developed by Harmonix. It was developed by Neversoft.
    • woofers07, on 06/25/2008, -7/+1no harmonix is a company they both work with
    • ocharry, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2Actually Harmonix split up with RedOctane after Guitar Hero II. Harmonix developed Rock Band which was published by MTV and Neversoft developed Guitar Hero III which was published by RedOctane with Activision.
    • tibbon, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3LightSpeed4- You're wrong. They are not both made by Harmonix if you are considering Guitar Hero III vs Rockband. I work across the street from Harmonix and can see into their offices from our office window. Hell, the first time I played Rockband was in their offices.

      Guitar Hero I & II were made by Harmonix. There was a bunch of stuff that happened and Activision ended up with the rights to the Guitar Hero franchise. You can look up exact business details online surely. MTV acquired Harmonix. Guitar Hero III was made by Activision. Rock Band was made by Harmonix.

      You can be damn sure that Rock Band and Guitar Hero are competing.

      Also, anyone trashing the fact that these games are fun simply hasn't tried them. They are fun, and this is coming from a fairly serious musician with years of classical and contemporary music training/schooling.
    • ZannaDiosa, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1Anti-true, Red Octane and Harmonix made the guitar and software respectively for GH 1/2, then Red Octane got bought by Activision, and kept the rights, with Harmonix's consent I believe. Activision owns Neversoft, so they had them develop new Guitar Hero games. Meanwhile Harmonix was scooped up by MTV later and soldiered on with their newly branded Rock Band.
    • LightSpeed4, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1THE TITLE DOESNT SAY GUITAR HERO 3, YOU'RE ALL WRONG
      • thbirdman, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2though, one would assume that that the rivalry would be between rock band and gh3 onwards, not 1 and 2, since rock band came out after GH3, when harmonix had nothing to do with GH.
      • SteveMax, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL!
      • coyote1284, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1V-TEC JUST KICKED IN YO!
  • Equinox1, on 06/25/2008, -1/+5I've got em both, have the party pick the game when you're throwing one. They're both good, different music. In regards to Rock Band's songs being easy, yeah, very true. However, Thrasher anyone? Dear god.
    • carpespasm, on 06/25/2008, -0/+6Maybe on guitar it's easier, but I've yet to find someone who can consistently play on expert with vocals and I've seen people who play real drums pour sweat after a fast paced 3 show in rock band. I just like the way Rock Band is so much more polished and clean looking though. The added camaraderie from the extra controllers are great but even if it were just guitar vs guitar Rock Band would win hands down in almost all categories.
    • logicalnoise, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5as far as guitar note charts your mostly correct the 9th and tenth tiers rival the hardest songs in Guitar hero 3. For example play Blackned or ride the lighting by metalica or try any of teh thrash pack songs. ANd if you transplanted any songs from GH3 to Rock band those songs would be mic harder to finish with teh rock band engine.
      • fadetoone, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2They'd only be harder on Rock Band because the hammer ons aren't quite as restrictive on GH.

        I didn't have much of a problem with Blackened on expert, but I have yet to beat Ride the Lightning. Haven't really tried it much though.

        One day I plan to beat Raining Blood though. Got all the way to 92% on expert and cried when I blew it.
  • HappyScrappy, on 06/25/2008, -6/+21Guitar Hero doesn't measure up. There's no competition. My only hope is that Activision doesn't buy exclusivity on songs and screw Rock Band.
    • Cnat, on 06/25/2008, -1/+10Exclusivity is usually right up EA's alley anyway.
      • HappyScrappy, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2Neither game is by EA. MTV Games makes Rock Band. EA just distributes it. There are rumors of an EA game in this genre.
    • Bith8654, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I'm sure they will at one point, assuming they haven't started doing that already. Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden on GH3 is a master track I believe, whereas the version you can download on Rock Band is a cover that I think doesn't sound nearly as good. Now there may be other reasons as to why this is besides one side buying exclusivity, but I don't know. It seems pretty strange though since Reptilia is a master track on both games.
    • Spyke72, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1I sincerely hope they do this. Then we'll get a good game (guitar hero) with more DLC (rock band) and everything will be good.
    • shinythingy, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Come on, you are comparing a game which focuses on guitar only to a game which covers everything
      • HappyScrappy, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1I really only play the guitar in RB. So it's not unfair at all.
      • coyote1284, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1That will not be an issue with the next GH
  • DaDrake, on 06/25/2008, -0/+35And to think... this is the major conflict our youth face today. In the past it was world wars and dictators.... now its fanboyism. Oh the humanity!
    • drdave1114, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1There has been fanboyism since the beginning of time (where do you think we got the songs in these games from? MTV showed the actual bands at a time after all), not all of us enjoy talking about politics all the time, mindless arguments on the internet keep me sane, and I will continue to participate in them for as long as I will be able to type.
  • mooseofshadows, on 06/25/2008, -0/+10I think there's a reason that all the games are taking cues from rock band for their next games. I too prefer rock band, I think it has a better song list and far better co-operative mode. It may not feel like playing the instrument, but playing the game does create somewhat of a band dynamic between the band.
  • follower64, on 06/25/2008, -3/+14I'm just glad they released Rock Band for the Wii.
    • Equinox1, on 06/25/2008, -2/+19I'm just sorry there's no downloadable content.
      • follower64, on 06/25/2008, -0/+7Me too :(
      • logicalnoise, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4they will release periodic DLC expansion packs(they are releasing one for ps2 very soon). Not a real solution but not leaving you guys out in the cold either.
      • MikeSetera, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5or Online at all.... the bastards. I can't wait til Guitar Hero: On Tour is released for the Wii in October. 8 player online, a better drumset, DLC, etc. It's Rock Band on steroids.
    • zmanvii, on 06/25/2008, -2/+4While I am glad it was finally released for the Wii, I agree with what was said in the article:

      "His top reason for not purchasing "Rock Band"? It's incompatible with the "Guitar Hero III" guitar he already owns."

      This is THE only reason that I am not buying Rock Band for my Wii, which is disappointing. I am sad :(
      • ChildeRoland420, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2*****, I was seriously considering buying GH3 for my PS3 now and then Rock Band later. That way I could spread out the cost/enjoyment, have songs from both games, and 2 controllers for Rock Band at least. It's a shame that Activision squashed that idea by not allowing compatibility. They think they are making money, but they are really saying "You want a second controller for RB? Don't buy our game, it'll be useless, you might as well give another $60 to Harmonix instead of buying our $100 bundle, then spend the remaining $40 buying RB's DLC."
        • sneakerelph, on 06/25/2008, -2/+1the GH3 guitar works for Rock Band on 360. I don't know if that's the case for PS3
        • ChildeRoland420, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1It is not the case for the PS3, PS2, or Wii. RB tried to release a patch for the PS3 to make them compatible, but like I said Activision blocked the release of that patch.
    • mav451, on 06/25/2008, -2/+6Lol the Wii got screwed with a half-assed PS2 port. It's not a release.

      It's a port and I'll treat it like I treat any port - I won't buy it.
      • Twee, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1I won't be buying it either, mainly because of the developer's laziness and greediness. AFAIK Rock Band for the Wii makes you buy that expensive as hell bundle, the drum kit of which I don't think is necessary on the Wii. They could have made a music game that took advantage of the Wiimote's capabilities for a nice Wiimote+Nunchuck drumming feature, but chose not to. That fact alone, has made me against it.
  • svensko, on 06/25/2008, -20/+2Both are terrible. There, it's settled.
  • Ellipsys, on 06/25/2008, -5/+9Whomever starts allowing import soundtracks and DLC will get my vote. I have no interest in the latest whiny emocore crap churned out by MTV today. How about some J-rock? Give me some tracks by The Pillows, and I'll buy your game.
    • logicalnoise, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5I'd look to konami's game but based on the US version of beatmania I'd say konami will fill it with crap covers and maybe a few decent tracks.
    • MidnightRealism, on 06/25/2008, -2/+2Japanese rock music is uniformly garbage, and there's little to no "whiny emocore crap" in either GH or RB. You're an idiot, and what's worse is that you're an idiot with crap taste.
      • boombye, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2Actually you're an idiot. The Japanese do two things right. It's rocking out, and a decent underground hip hop scene that hasn't been replaced by mainstream rap like it has here, turntablism still making the rounds there. Here on the other hand, our mainstream rap crap has taken over the hip hop genre and dominates the air-waves, and the radio stations and music video channels all show crappy emo ***** like fallout boy or my chemical romance or other stupid mtv bands. At least over there they don't do that whole emo *****, they still got a lot of ***** that sounds like Dragonforce or Avenged Sevenfold there in Japan, in fact whenever I hear Dragonforce I can't stop thinking of J-Rock. I suggest that Ellipsys get Rock Band and GH3 because there is almost no emo *****, except for the one or two fallout boy songs. I would say the developers Harmonix have had more of a say so at what music they want to see in the game rather than MTV telling them what to put on their game. Anyways The Pillows are good for a Japanese band, but I can't think of many others, but the example given is a good one. You shouldn't insult his tastes when you have no clue how the band even sounds like, you assume it sounds like mainstream japanese rock, which much like our mainstream rock, sucks balls.
        • MidnightRealism, on 06/27/2008, -0/+1If "a lot" of Japanese music sounds like Dragonforce or Avenged Sevenfold then it's pretty obvious I'm in the right when I say it sucks. The Pillows are awful, by the way.
        • boombye, on 06/27/2008, -0/+1Well I named the last two bands I had played on GH3. In fact I think those bands are noobs compared to some of the japanese ***** I've heard. The one thing about Japan that one can always appreciate, is their love for music, there's not a day where you can't find some live performances from awesome jazz to great turntablism to amazing outdoor metal. I'd say most of the music these kids listen to these days in American or in the UK like Coldplay or My Chemical Romance or all that other crap sucks giant donkey balls. At least the Japanese haven't had an emo period where everything sucks. There are those hidden gems out there. I hope you can appreciate your emo music without complaints, best regards.
    • coyote1284, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Ride on Shooting Star!
  • chrisinsocalif, on 06/25/2008, -8/+11I thought both games would be Gay until i played them. When I hada bunch of friends over, I started playing Rock Band and it was damn fun! Throw in some good food and alcohol, you got yourself a party. I prefer Rock Band over Guitar Hero due to the different types of instruments your friends can play.
    • dagamer34, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3Rock Band + alcohol is not a good idea. I tipped over once and broke a TV after a Rock Band session.
  • JRjJ106, on 06/25/2008, -6/+24***** Rock Band.

    ***** Guitar Hero.

    Bring on Disney's Ultimate Band!
    • KillsTheWeak, on 06/25/2008, -11/+0***** em all. Unless someone makes a real guitar, with a midi pickup that transforms string hits to key presses to be sent to the game, than its all lame. Hitting 5 buttons aint nothing like a real guitar. Also why is the keyboard player left out.
      • colincattral, on 06/25/2008, -0/+11. They already make USB guitars that you can use as midi controllers, and I think they make software for them that teaches you how to play (Or you can buy a midi pickup for any guitar and tun it into a midi controller). Unfortunately they haven't successfully found a way to make fun educational games.

        2. Why would you want a 5 button version of a keyboard?

        I play Sax, EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument) and make music on my computer. In the long run it will benefit me much more in than playing rock band, which I just bought last week.

        I used to have the same attitude as you, and thought that rhythm based music games cheapened the experience. However, I've realized that they have an addictive quality that you don't appreciate until you've given it a fair try, and most people don't have the money, time, talent, or desire to play real instruments, but enjoy a musical experience and the instant gratification that comes with playing a game.

        Now the only problem I have with these games is how the top players are idolized almost like the musicians that wrote the songs found in the games. I don't care if someone can play a song 100% in expert, they are playing a game. Whenever I've seen videos of people playing I think great, but I wonder what they could do if they had invested the time they put in the game into learning a real instrument. Unfortunately, that question is impossible to answer.
    • UNDERSTAR, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2As ridiculous as it sounds, this may work people!!!
    • Twee, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1I totally agree. I think the forced peripherals for Rock Band and Guitar Hero is B.S, especially on the Wii. The reason I like the Wii is that it allows for arcade experiences without having to buy expensive accessories, as Ghost Squad and House of the Dead demonstrate, and soon to join that will be Samba De Amigo -- all Sega games. I would pay $60 for a game if the developers took advantage of the Wii remote instead of making me buy an expensive accessory.
  • kenvsryu, on 06/25/2008, -1/+842010 you will have 6 drum sets in your living room.
    • higgy345, on 06/25/2008, -0/+128 guitars, 4 microphones, and a cowbell also
      • ChildeRoland420, on 06/25/2008, -1/+7I think you mean a cowbell controller. I've already got a cowbell in my living room for when there are 4 people wanting to get in on Rock Band. Analog is sometimes better.
        • Twee, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1I think the Wii remote would be awesome for the cow bell because it can make the actual noise from its speaker.
      • twrife, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Needs more cowbell.
      • skidooer, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3Cowbell Hero FTW
  • Narrwald, on 06/25/2008, -0/+8Rock Revolution? I haven't even scraped up the cash to try Rock Band yet...
  • xDemosthenes, on 06/25/2008, -7/+0Rock Band really isn't that much better than guitar hero at all.
  • Shootfast, on 06/25/2008, -0/+15Well Rock Band is still not out here in Australia.

    /grumble
    • Latigoliath, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2Hello mate!
    • estvir, on 06/25/2008, -0/+8And if or when it's available here it'll be ridiculously overpriced.

      They'll probably partner with a few banks and have a special loan for Rock Band.
    • speakafreaka, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Its ridiculous.. they should at least release the game so you can use the guitar hero 3 controllers with it.

      also they should release guitar hero 1, 2 and the 80s songs as DLC for ps3 because i dont want to have to buy a puss two to play them
    • Timmyftw, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Obviously MTV could give two ***** about australia. i have been so excited to play rock band since last year and now that guitar hero will be out only a couple months after Rock band is finally released Im tempted to give Rock band the big ***** You and just wait for GH. Its a shame i was happy to get behind rock band but it seems once again Australia is just some country on the ass end of the world.
    • UNDERSTAR, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1A Dingo ate my baby!
    • TastyLamp, on 06/25/2008, -0/+0I think MTV has probably left it too late for RB In Australia. GH4 is coming in Spring, and there's still no news on when or if we'll get RB.
  • DefaultGen, on 06/25/2008, -0/+7At least we know, considering Konami's track record of releasing awesome rhythm games in Japan and terrible over-americanized ones in the US, that Rock Revolution will be terrible and not have any impact on the market.
    • Mpwns, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4so true look at beatmania, they could have put way better songs in the american version.
    • SemajReffahs, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Ya, because DDR bombed over here.
      • Sabin, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2The track lists on the US home versions were crap-*****-tacular.
      • DefaultGen, on 06/26/2008, -0/+1Don't see why Sabin is being dugg down. Compared to the arcade versions, the console-exclusive mixes like Universe and Hottest Party are terrible. Konami tries to appeal to the average teenage girl in terms of music and difficulty rather than rhythm game fans.

        Hopefully with more people becoming adept at rhythm games, they'll update their strategy. Or they'll just add a bunch of rock music. Or they'll come out with a game to emulate Rock Ban... oh wait.
        • Mpwns, on 06/27/2008, -0/+1rock revolution might work since its gonna let the users make there own note charts is at least the players can make the game harder. and on other note in terms of score its gonna be way harder for people not used to konami's way it grades you, miss/poor/good/great/perfect/marvelous not just you get it or you don't. also the drums on ro have 6 buttons and a bass pedal and set up like drummania. overall its gonna be a good game but the music is gonna kill it.
  • ThePenrod, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1I honestly don't see this as a problem for the consumer. Since you can buy the game without the first party controllers and there are now third party controllers that can switch between both Guitar Hero and Rock Band, the only losers are the game companies.
    • ThePenrod, on 06/25/2008, -2/+2On a side note, I am completely stoked for these:

      http://www.rockbandmods.net/news/mad-catz-rock-ban ...
      • ChildeRoland420, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Wow. Why would you be excited for that? I've had some pretty crappy Mad Catz controllers before. These are more expensive than the OEM instruments and are not cross compatible with GH.
      • Sabin, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5Getting excited for a mad catz product is about the same as getting excited for a battery acid enema.
    • chicagospur, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4I'm even more pissed off that I can't play GH1 and GH2 on my PS2 compatible PS3. The GH3 guitar doesn't work.
  • y0urcl0ne, on 06/25/2008, -2/+9I like Guitar Hero's guitar MUCH better, but Rock Band has drums too, which are also fun.
  • kds405, on 06/25/2008, -8/+2Gamers are losers? No way.
  • motbob, on 06/25/2008, -1/+18MTV owns VH1. MTV also owns Harmonix, the maker of Rock Band. MTV would benefit greatly if there were less competition in the guitar game market. Coincidence? Probably not.
    • dagamer34, on 06/25/2008, -2/+11Shh. Telling the truth on Digg is NOT ALLOWED!
      • Gregus1032, on 06/25/2008, -2/+3only if it involves politics and is anti-liberal.
    • quaunaut, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4While I think MTV and VH1 are pretty much ***** in terms of their TV content, they've been pretty fair across the entire gaming spectrum. They also own GameTrailers.com, and have the Multiplayer blog from Stephen Totilo, which is one of the best gaming blogs out there.
  • Gimjee, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1They both got their ups and downs, but I prefer Rock Band because of the choice of instruments and the DLC. GH4 is going to be Rock Band pretty much anyways, so there's not much of an argument anymore about that.
  • k4zz4m, on 06/25/2008, -6/+5screw both of them. Konami's Guitarfreak rules!
  • rypic7, on 06/25/2008, -15/+8why not just play a real instrument?
    • charm803, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Because that would require REAL talent and most of us just don't care to really try. We've become lazy.

      That's why Wii and their workout as a video game is popular.

      Face it, when you make ANYTHING into a video game, it's much more fun.
    • shadus, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3Because of time constraints. Real guitar, to get good, takes a few hours a day. RB/GH takes a few hours a week.
    • KableKiB, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1Why not just comment on another Digg article?
  • oveedrx, on 06/25/2008, -6/+3rockband / guitar hero < Jug hero

    now that is a game for all ages (in the south)
  • TnTBass, on 06/25/2008, -0/+14Personally, I'm waiting for the day when the game can automatically convert my mp3's into playable songs.
    Oh, and it is a pain to not have inter-connectivity between controllers. Why should I have to buy another Rock Band guitar, and another Guitar Hero guitar, just to fill out the set on each for multi-player?
    • ledguitar, on 06/25/2008, -2/+8Yeah, Audiosurf was able to convert mp3's into racing tracks. Why can't rock band or guitar hero turn mp3's into playable songs? That would be awesome.
    • biznatch11, on 06/25/2008, -1/+5Frets on Fire. It's not automatic so it's not exactly what you're looking for but it's as close as there is for now. I play it all the time and love it. http://fretsonfire.sourceforge.net/
      • nicko68, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Not that graphics are important for this game, but man the graphics in FoF are really plain.
        • biznatch11, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Agreed, but they have tons of mods. I've never used them and they're probably not as good as in the real GH, but they would improve the graphics a bit. But hey, generally you've got one guy making the mod vs. a whole team doing graphics in GH. Anyways the main benefit with FoF is the almost unlimitted amount of songs.
    • g33kfu, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3Because, the RIAA will NEVER let that happen...
    • avatar28, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3Never gonna happen. They would lose the ability to sell you DLC and they make WAAAY too much money from that.

      That being said, I could really go for some Pink Floyd in one of these games.
    • coyote1284, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1With the next Guitar Hero you can build your own tracks. Not automatic, but it's a step in the right direction. In the meantime, there's Beats on PSP for a nice little rhythm game that builds tracks from the user's playlist.
  • Joecrook, on 06/25/2008, -8/+1This whole thing is stupid. It's like Coke and Sprite competing with each other.
    • ledguitar, on 06/25/2008, -0/+9Coke and Sprite are owned by the same company. They don't compete with each other. Maybe you mean Coke and Pepsi?
    • charm803, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2But can Coke or Sprite make you feel like a ROCKSTAR???!?!??!?!?!

      *Star Power*
      • Joecrook, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2My problem is the same company should work together to make the best god damn product ever. not force us to spend our gas money on a billion drum sets and new guitars because they don't work with other titles, or they purposely change the game so you can't use what you already bought in the new game. I already have 3 guitars a drum set and a microphone. As cool as the new drum set is, I don't want another set, or guitar, or another microphone.
  • caif, on 06/25/2008, -0/+23For the real band geeks, I'm coming out with Sousaphone Hero. Part of World of Marching Band Online Gaming Experience.

    Then its Glockenshpiel Hero for the discerning in percussion.
  • Tyrghast, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1I just want Piano Hero so I can play through those long and boring keyboard parts. 4 buttons and a peddle? oh yeah baby...

    all in all, audiosurf wins all music competitions hands down because you can use any song you have on your hard drive.
    • shadus, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1It's ok... not a huge fan, but its a nice way to blow 30m. It just doesn't engage me like RB or GH.
    • JasonMath, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3It's been out under a different name for a while. The game is called Keyboardmania, and there were 3 arcade releases in Japan in the early 2000's. The main difference is that there are 24 keys (2 octaves).

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboardmania
    • coyote1284, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1"And now, please rise for our opening hymn, uh...'In the Garden of Eden' by I. Ron Butterfly"
  • pencilneck, on 06/25/2008, -2/+6How about all of us PS2 gamers who forked over the $$ for GH1, 2, 3 and the 80s pack... then we get a PS3 and find out we can't play the PS2 versions on a PS3. It feels more like a scam than a technical problem. If I could import my PS2 versions over to the PS3 version, then I would buy the PS3 version of GH.

    But the smart money will be on which company released an editor pack that allows gamers (or indy bands) to create their own songs for [plastic guitar game]. Indy bands could use it as a marketing tool, download our songs onto your gaming system. Now I'd pay for a game that has that in a heart beat. Frets of Fire does it... learn from it.
    • krd1979, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3You mean like the feature that will be in Guitar Hero: World Tour (GH4)? I believe that it will have the ability to do exactly what you are describing, which is why I'm planning on getting GH4 this fall, and I have yet to splurge on any of these rhythm games until now (I almost got GH3 for the Wii but the lack of stereo sound was a deal breaker).
      • savethejets, on 06/25/2008, -0/+0really If GH4 does it Rock Band will probably follow suit. I don't see what the big deal is about compatibility, the two games will eventually become identical anyways. I mean there's only so far that these ideas can be taken
    • shadus, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1There's actually a converter now. PS2 users are saved!
    • pencilneck, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I know of the adapters that allow you to use the PS2 controls with the PS3, but that they don't work with the GH guitar, Game Stop, or at least 2 of them in my area, told me not to bother if I only wanted them for GH. What adapter are you talking about? Link?
  • Wolfgarden, on 06/25/2008, -0/+21What about Cowbell Hero?
  • Wolfgarden, on 06/25/2008, -2/+18The One with the least amount of My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy songs is the one that I will buy.
  • sarchosis, on 06/25/2008, -0/+9Rock Revolution does not have a chance.
    • bigdsinferno, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1they have a chance if they can manage to make the game compatible with the instruments for gh and rb... otherwise, good luck. few people would want to have 3 different plastic drum kits in their house.
  • snowcrazy, on 06/25/2008, -7/+2Activision and Harmonix need to give credit where credit is due...all these games should bow to Simon!
    http://www.wrybread.com/simon/original.jpg
    If you want to play guitar...buy a damn real guitar and play guitar. Sitting in front of a TV pretending to play guitar is just stupid!
    • shadus, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3Exactly! Just like sitting in front of a TV pretending to shoot people is stupid!

      Go out and shoot some real people you losers!

      /sarcasm.

      I really shouldn't feed the trolls.
      • snowcrazy, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1Well shooting people is a legit video game, you can't really do it in real life...at least not without getting thrown in jail.
        • avatar28, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Yes you can. It's called the Army. :P
        • KableKiB, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1In the army you risk dieing, that's why we do it in games.

          Respawn FTW!
        • Ryosuke, on 06/25/2008, -0/+0yeah, what's what that. there's no respawn points in RL!
        • snowcrazy, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I said "real life"...the Army isn't "real life"...it's a government manufactured existence with no freedoms or choices. I completely appreciate our troops but it's far from living in the real world.
    • WhoDoneIt, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Why don't you idiots who try to claim exactly this get a ***** brain and THINK before you say things like....

      "Just buy a REAL guitar and stop pretending..."

      So I guess you don't play ANY video game at all? Join the army if you want to kill people.
      *****, I'm sure you built yourself a brick wall and tossed a ball at it and just avoided the Breakout video game craze of the 80's.
  • Khast, on 06/25/2008, -7/+2Konami? Gimme a break, Activision and MTV don't stand a chance. Konami has been doing music games for far longer, and all they need to do is "From the makers of Dance Dance Revolution" and it will probably sell quite well.

    My 2 cents, I could be wrong.
    • Typhoon2009, on 06/25/2008, -1/+5Harmonix is far more established as a maker of these guitar-type games. Not to mention Rock Revolution has a kinda lame soundtrack so far (Sk8r boi? Seriously?).
      • JasonMath, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Guitar Freaks/Drummania anyone? If Konami had decided to add in vocals (possibly from Karaoke Revolution), they could have had the concept for Rock Band down in 1999 or 2000, which was even before the Playstation 2 came out in the United States.

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_Freaks
        • UNDERSTAR, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1Could of, Would of, Should of, but they didn't.
    • Thayer75, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Yeeeah....I think I'll skip that. Something makes me suspect that the soundtrack will suck. Songs about samurais and butterflies?
  • nosfan1019, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3Does anybody else see a little conflict of interest in VH1 reporting on a rivalry in which their parent company runs 1 of the businesses?
  • rubaaan, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5i like guitar hero's guitar way better than RB's guitar. hell they were even recalling the RB guitar cause of strumming problems. and i broke the drum pedal, which is a new epidemic.

    i think ill take my money to guit hero's world tour if there's going to be DLC available.
    • teamgwho, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2what specifically did you not like about the RB guitar? cause i feel jut the opposite. I mean, yes the buttons are bigger on the GH guitar, but in terms of overall *feel* the RB guitar feels better. Plus sometimes I like to play with the mini buttons at the bottom. Try the frontman guitar, it is compatable with both games and it has bigger buttons.


      • rubaaan, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2its not the buttons. its the build quality. like i said the strumming is annoying because a lot of times itll double strum and when it messes up it will only strum upwards. and the buttons are kinda annoying since theyre recessed between plastic so it feels funny. i like the guitar hero guitar cause i can feel the buttons better. i think the new guitar hero guitar will aslo have the extra buttons in the bottom.

        to each their own i guess?
    • avatar28, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Build Quality? First time I bought GH3 my guitar lasted about, oh, 3 days before the buttons started not working. My Rock Band controller lasted at least a week or two before the strum bar broke. That being said, the RB guitar COULD stand a bit more tactile feedback on the strumming.
  • jkopacz, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2as long as both have instruments compatible with each other.. like how i can use GH2 guitar with rockband right now, ill be fine. (hopefully gh:wt will be compatible with rockband drums)

    rent the game from gamefly and play just the game, if its good keep it and im able to skip having to buy all the instruments. so my biggest complaint will be when instruments from past game become incompatible with newer games.


    the one thing i havent done though is buy any DLC.. to me, i can buy a CD and listen to it just about forever but with DLC i buy it and once a new game comes out that stuff becomes useless trash on my HD. once i see some backwards compatibility and it becomes closer to standard i might start buying some.
    • efitz11, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1i dont' know if gh:wt will be compatible with rb's drums because gh:wt's drums have 5 "pads" opposed to RB's 4
  • Typhoon2009, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5One of those situations where competition doesn't totally benefit the customer. For example, I'm forced to get the drum set for GHWT. I really don't want two drum sets in my home.
    • coyote1284, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1One of the reasons I've yet to get Rock Band is I don't have room in the living room of my tiny apartment for ONE drum set.
      /I think I'm compensating.
  • snowcrazy, on 06/25/2008, -6/+3Watching people playing these games gives me serious douche-chills
  • suttercain, on 06/25/2008, -0/+8Excellent article. The fact that Guitar Hero doesn't allow you to play the game with a Rock Band guitar just shows how they like to dick the consumer. Would they rather I buy at least the Guitar Hero game ($60) or not buy it at all? I'm not about to spend the money on both the game and the guitar when I have two of them for rock band. What do I need three guitars for... what am I Pearl Jam?
  • fearofsociety, on 06/25/2008, -0/+9Rock Band is fun and a great party game. It gets busted out every time people are over and we're getting buzzed.

    The new Guitar Hero World Tour looks fun as well. But, I really don't have room in my house for that many fake instruments. Compatibility between these games peripherals would make me buy more of the games like expansion packs. They should really try to figure that out. As it stands now I'll probably just stick with Rock Band since that's what I already have.
  • teamgwho, on 06/25/2008, -3/+1I tink a lot of people are going to stick with one franchise or the other beause of the lack of compatability and the expense and space that having 2 drum kits, 2 guitars etc cost. not to mention that if two people want to play guitar you need two guitars which costs more money, so that could mean 4 guitars! Although I purposely waited to buy R4ock Band until I found guitar compatable with both and I bought it.

    I found it on Amazon for $60 and it has toggle so you can use it for Rock Band or GH. Sweet.

    Look for me on the Rock Band charts under the name "We Spend like the Donald"

    http://www.amazon.com/Playstation-3-Frontman-Wirel ...
    • coyote1284, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Can I get a XBOX 360, wireless, one-piece version, please.
  • frenchkick, on 06/25/2008, -6/+2i sold rock band because GH 4 looks way better

    plus we already completed the endless setlist
    so i had my fill of rhythm games for a while...
  • Necrid21, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2"His top reason for not purchasing "Rock Band"? It's incompatible with the "Guitar Hero III" guitar he already owns."

    What a ***** dolt. The GH3 Les Paul works perfectly on Rock Band. This is huge misinformation on VH1's part.
    • PixelD, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2He's was talking about the Wii version, which is not compatible. Huge misinformation on your part.
    • ChildeRoland420, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Only compatible on the 360 version. My question is: If the PS3 and 360 both use USB ports, why are the guitars not compatible across systems?
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