Gonna Be a Guitar Hero
Okay... it's been at least a week since I've posted about a video game, right?
We recently gathered for a WonderGroup Holiday Party in the office. Along with karaoke, the entertainment consisted of Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero. (Um... we were getting into the tween mindset?)
Games like DDR (Konami) and Guitar Hero (Activision) tend to remind me of the futuristic shows of yesteryear, when they would show "virtual reality" games. Remember the giant helmets, which could make you think you were playing golf on Mars or something? This equipment does exist on some levels, but I haven't heard much about it outside of military training and flight simulation, etc.
However, games like the ones at our holiday party are incredibly mainstream, and how much of a departure are they, really? Take Guitar Hero, which is near and dear to my heart. You strum, whammy, pull off and hammer on just like on a real guitar. The screaming fans are there, your bass player and vocalist are there, the venue is there... all that's missing is the unwieldy helmet, and you've got yourself some virtual reality.
So what's the difference between a game like Guitar Hero, and your standard first-person shooter where you become the character? For me, it boils down to realistic empowerment. This game makes me feel like I can play a guitar. (I can't.) Dance Dance Revolution makes me feel like a dancing queen. (I'm NOT.)
This is a great line of products for the kids that we know crave empowerment. I look forward to "researching" more games like this-- maybe next will be Sony's glitzed-up karaoke, SingStar? ("Grab the mic and become a legend!")
4 Comments:
I think you're right on the mark - games like Guitar Hero, DDR and anything Wii that allow what seems to be the cutting edge of virtual involvement definitely reach a larger audience... the not-so-hardcore-technically-asavvy occasional gamers like myself, for example. I felt empowered, for example, after an intense summer with Tiger Woods Golf on Playstation2. Of course, when I hit a real green for the first time, I was a bit confused when my drive didn't fly 300 yards...
The developers/marketers behind these games/systems really got it right, because the buzz can travel among more than just circles of intense LARPers and WOW junkies (I only know those acronyms because I'm related to them).
December 19, 2006
As an added bonus, games like these- DDR, especially- require much more active participation than many other video games. In a day and age where video games are incredibly popular and child obesity is a widespread problem, a video game that's fun and also good exercise definitely has a market.
In case anyone doubts the fitness powers of DDR...
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-05-23-video-health_x.htm
December 19, 2006
Alternate peripheral gaming has been around forever. Nintendo has been practicing this alternate form of play for sometime. I'm sure we all remember the floor pad for the original Nintendo’s Track and Field, or Nintendo's Virtual Boy (which was practically a helmet), and possibly even the more recent Donkey Kong Bongos.
I don't believe it’s the new ways to play as much as the software evolving and advancing to incorporate these new ways to play. It takes a good game to enhance gameplay. Not just good graphics and a gimmick. Additionally Nintendo took a huge chance when they developed the Wii as their next generation platform. But they managed to build up some (well deserved) hype by displaying good games and interesting methods of gameplay that weren't just gimmicky. They looked fun, and the motion looked natural and fluid.
All in all it ultimately depends on how well the crowd adapts to change. The all powerful gamepad will be around to stay for sometime I think, but the Wii has broken the mold and given us another option. Needless to say the good games like Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution get more recognition than the bad ones.
December 19, 2006
One additional note:
Nintendo has already had success with alternate form gameplay. The Nintendo DS is hugely popular with it's touch screen and two screens. Maybe that's why they thought they could have success with the Wii.
I think that when the alternate peripheral input is the platform standard and not just an optional input device like the (Wii Remote as opposed to the Guitar Hero Guitar or the DDR dance pad) it will force developers into creating great new ways to play.
Okay... that is all.
December 19, 2006
Post a Comment
<< Home