Edshugeo The GodMoor

Rock Band is the newest music rhythm game from the creators of Guitar Hero. I ignored Guitar Hero because I already play guitar (sorta). I feel guilty enough that I spend more time playing videogames than I do playing music. That would be compounded if I wasted time playing fake guitar when I could be playing real guitar.

Rock Band offers a little something different. In addition to the fake guitar and some kind of microphone (!!?), a USB Drum peripheral: four pads on a stand and a foot pedal for the bass drum. When I heard about that I immediately thought back to a program made earlier this year (or maybe it was last) that turned the Wii controllers into drum triggers on a PC.
Beyond the game itself are some interesting possibilities. I don't think it would train me to be a real drummer, exactly, but there's some music making potential here.

I was wrong to assume that one could choose which version of the package they wanted, but apparently you can't. The plastic drum set plus game would be a decent buy at eighty bucks, but the game only comes with instruments if you get the all in one special edition with game, guitar, mic, and drums. That's about $170.00. The drums do not come with the game. It's $80.00 and the game is $60.00. Not such a good buy anymore and the peripherals won't be available separately until late January/early February.

Next week's release is the game sans instruments, and the special ed, with everything. I guess I'll have to wait. It'll give me more time to think about this.

Currently I'm playing Half Life 2 from the Orange Box (Portal was great) on the 360 and Grand Theft Auto 3 on the PS2.

January 24th, 2008 - The Rock Band Drums will be made available on February 12th, and maybe I'll be able to find the game at forty bucks or less. Some work has been done in getting the 360 set to work on a Windows PC, so I'm looking forward to playing. Also looking forward to learning how to play. That might help.


Rock Band Drums On Windows


A Drum Machine For Your Rock Band Drums


and a YouTube video...





February 24th, 2008 - Speaking of YouTube, that's probably not a bad place to start with drum lessons, like say, learning how to even hold drum sticks. Some info I can definitely use. I picked up the set the other day, but didn't get the game yet. Also ordered a Pedal Metal reinforcement for the bass pedal, which is reportedly very fragile. Can be found on Amazon for about twenty bucks (also on eBay). I should have it in a few days. I installed the driver and the program (via the drum machine link above) and I can now play the drum set on my PC.

Labels: music making, possibilities for creative expression, PS2, video games, XBox 360, youtube