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More 'Hero' Games Without Guitars Likely
In light of the popularity of the Guitar Hero game, Next Generation reports that it is very likely RedOctane will be publishing several more 'Hero' series games. From the article: "The next logical step within this category is to make other music instrument-based games. What most people have been asking for and would want next are products that we're likely already working on."
Gamepad Hero!
Ohwait...
Bagpipes Hero? *shivers*
I hope I didn't brain my damage.
Triangle Hero! I'll be all over that like a geek in the Christmas play who always hit it a full 10 seconds too late!
I like muppets.
I just want Sega to port Samba de Amigo to a newer console.
- AlanH
Accordian Hero!!
Polka Hero!
Hammered Dulcimer Hero!
Organ Hero (Lookout Jack Thompson!)
Flute Hero
Tuba Hero
Hell, who needs an instrument? Yodelling Hero!
You can get 15 minutes of fame, but you can go down in history for infamy.
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It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
Bring on the Bagpipe Hero, Flügelhorn Hero, Hammered dulcimer Hero, Temple block Hero, Panharmonicon Hero, Kulintang a Tiniok Hero and Uilleann pipe Hero.
Bring on Bass Hero.
Oh who am I kidding? Bass is the Luigi of Rock & Roll.
Jukebox Hero
You've got stars in your eyes!
I ain't evil, I'm just good looking.
To be a kazoo hero!
With patchouli scente drumd!
You could have two bongos, maybe somehow work in the donkey kong theme.
There could even be a secret bonus level: "law suit hero" (pen & paper attachment sold seperately)!
No, I didn't RTFA but most likely the next one will be Piano Hero or more generally Keyboard Hero.
Consider all of the extremely popular songs that could be included that just about everyone knows: Piano Man, Jump with that awesome, heavy synth riff, and a number of others. Hell, there are even a number of basic concertos or orchestral pieces that could be included that wouldn't be too difficult as long as the whole thing isn't expected to be played: Moonlight Sonata, Minute Waltz, and various Bach inventions.
Additionally, Considering that you can buy cheap keyboards for kids for less than $20 and even mini-keyboards can be bought for less than $50, this would be a natural sequel, I would think. Also take into consideration that the four most common instruments in just about every band are keyboard, guitar, bass, and drums.
Obviously, I would expect bass and drums/percussion to be in the "most likely to appear next" list.
The grand accumulation of those would be to have all four at once with the ultimate "Band Heroes". Gather your friends with all four "Hero" instruments and jam as your own rock band.
The goal is for the bell to never match what's on the screen.
SAILING MISHAP
Guitar Hero is one of my favorite games ever, but I'm holding out hope for multiplayer combinations of instruments. It would just rock to have a guitarist and a drummer playing together. I'm sure this is something they've thought of, but if not, I hope it's something they'll consider in the future.
You just come along with me and have a good time. The Galaxy's a fun place. You'll need to have this fish in your ear.
Guitar Hero II is already going to support playable bass lines, including Les Claypool on Primus's "John The Fisherman".
Oh, wait, that was 'Kuomintang'...
"Not an actor, but he plays one on TV."
No, you're assuming that they'd require full use of both hands and feet, bit that's far too advanced for a game like this. There could, however, easily be several modes of difficulty, such as:
* melody only
* melody and one harmony
* melody, one harmony, pedals
* melody, more advanced use of left hand (keep it clean, perverts), pedals
* full play mode, but using simple pieces, not something like a grand, Mozart piano concerto
Many music stores also sell stickers or labels that are color-coded to help people more easily locate the proper keys. I would expect this to be the case with this game.
Fortunately, there are a ton of songs that require nothing more than four notes, such as "Mary Had A Little Lamb". MHALL is to keyboards what "Hello, world!" is to programming. It's almost the very first thing that you learn. So, really there is no need for abstraction. Make it a real keyboard that people will really be able to play afterwards. There are numerous ways to vary it from absolute beginner to expert.
Not that it necessarily means anything, but I play both keyboard and guitar. So, I've been through the learning pains and I've successfully taught others by the methods that I mention above.
I was genuinely excited for sequel of H.E.R.O. for a second...
http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?Softwa
(I guess that makes me an old fart.)
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More cowbell!
Four-arrows-on-the-ground Hero!
Yes, but the guitar is a much more difficult instrument to play. MUCH more difficult.
For guitar you have frets, closely-positioned strings and six of them at that (four for bass), very precise finger placement, pressure considerations on the strings, and so forth. It's the only instrument that I know of that is actually more difficult to play with a melody than it is with a full chord. A strum is simple. Picking individual notes on individual strings while trying to place your finger on the correct string in the correct fret with the right amount of pressure is very, very difficult - nay, I would say impossible except for musical vunderkinds - for beginners. The game had to be dumbed down as much as possible to make it work.
The keyboard is opposite. You start with one finger in order to strike the appropriate color-coded key. That's it. That's how you start. Only then do you progress to a simple melody/harmony combination, like "Chopsticks", followed by full chords. No guitar strings, no brass embouchure, no precise reed pressure. If you can type at a computer keyboard, you can play a musical keyboard. That's the main difference and the honest truth.
The keyboard IMHO is the perfect instrument to learn for those who have never played an instrument before. As such, a regular keyboard is so perfectly matched for a game like this.
I could go for a drum hero!
Not this again...
I've been a gamer for the vast majority of my 31 years, and Guitar Hero is one of the most fun games I've ever played. But comparing it to playing a REAL GUITAR, while a natural thing to do, is silly. It's like comparing CounterStrike to an ACTUAL TERRORIST FIREFIGHT.
The point of the game isn't to learn how to play the guitar (thought I do think it would give a GH player a leg up over a non-GH player, for sure). The point of the game isn't to look cool while you're playing it. The point of the game is to simulate (in an arcade-y sort of way), the notion of being a playing a guitar and being a rockstar.
And to that end, I think it succeeds beautifully. Seriously, there have been moments in the game that I've hit some tricky combination of chords and just Felt It. And it felt good.
Adman
3 Observations on Guitar Hero
1) Totally for guys. The phallic rush, the manipulation, the aggressive music choices. They don't call it "wanking" for nothin'.
2) Seriously. Why mess with a great formula? Just keep releasing expansion packs, offer some Online Play for interactive jamming/competition, and the ability to record some karaoke for fun/Net trading. Lots of variation left within the first incarnation.
3) Since most other instruments require the use of the mouth (brass and woodwinds), the only instruments really left are drums and keys. Which, while fun, require you to sit down, thereby denying many of the joys of performing on Guitar Hero - the booty shakes, the leg kicks, the windmill, etc.
RedOctane already tried "Four arrows on the ground Hero" and got sued.
I'd love to see a game that could handle multiple instruments. Guitar, drum, keyboards. Throw in a DDR and Karaoke aspect, too. Let a whole bunch of people play simultaneously, each doing different things - that'd just completely rule.
Since I can't tell them apart, I treat all ACs as the same person.
If this worked so well for you, get a cheap electric guitar or even NI's Guitar Rig and play along with a bunch of your favorite MP3s. You're going to be amazed at how easily you can fit some improvised melodies or even chord sequences into most of the (mainstream) music available today - on a real guitar, without being a genius or a rockstar. Start with songs you know well, don't be discouraged by wrong notes - if you keep trying (like in the game), you're gonna find the right ones. Improve the songs and add what you always felt was missing.
In fact, that's how I started to play: listen, find your way on the fretboard, experiment, examine and gradually Feel where to fret next. It works, honest! Give it a try if you can. You're going to get a lot more out of the real thing than out of that (IMHO kinda silly) game! Especially if you use GR2 [/shameless plug]
I do think the Hero series is a great appetizer, but as you said, it's no comparison to the real thing. A real guitar isn't that hard to handle - unless you want to play like Joe Satriani and the likes.
I hope I didn't brain my damage.
The thing is that on guitar, your hands are working together. On piano, your hands are working separately. Even if you have melody plus bassline on guitar, both hands are cooperating to do those two things. On piano, each hand is generally working on its own separate part. I always found that aspect of piano very challenging.
I think you're right in that the initial learning curve is steeper for guitar, but I feel it levels off pretty quickly, whereas the piano curve gets pretty steep after you have the basics down...
Telltale Games: Bone, Sam and Max
Dance hero. RedOctone response to the stomp-the-arrow-game that made the music game genre popular. Difficulty: Light, Standard, Heavy plus a hidden Expert.
Note: I don't see this happening in the US. We also have Pop'N Music 10 or 11 here, which is a really popular arcade game with 9 circular "bubble" buttons that are to be hit just like any rhythm game. The thing is, the coordination and concentration that game and the drum game require is incredible. Once you get past 6 or 7 possible inputs, you might as well just learn to play an actual instrument.
Yup, I can play guitar and bass decently, but I could never get the hang of playing bassline, harmony and melody at the same time like you do on a keyboard.
I mean you can do the 3 things at the same time on guitar too, but the 2 hand coordination is easier.
No sig for the moment.
I will never, ever, in my life, play Golf again. Not Ever. I am 100% certain of this fact, and nothing short of a guaranteed $1 million dollars could even hope to sway me.
On the other hand, I play golf arcade games all the time with my friends. I'm not entirely sure why I enjoy them, I just do. It could be the lack of sunlight. Not having to walk a quarter mile between holes. Or just because actual golf, when compared to arcade golf, is just downright boring.
I do not play Guitar, but I have friends who do play Guitar and they love Guitar Hero. I can only assume the reason for that is, while yes, you can play any of those songs on a regular guitar, you don't get the benefit of having an audience clap along with you and cheer for you unless you're already a pretty big name. Out of every 1 million people who learn to play guitar well, maybe 10 will make in in a band that goes anywhere. Those 10 guys will get the adulations of thousands or millions of people. The rest of us just get the satisfaction of being able to play the song.
In Guitar Hero, we get the satisfaction of being able to play the song, and at least the simulation of adoring fans. That, I think, is clearly the difference between the two.
One other thing. While I do enjoy Guitar Hero, I just don't think I will ever learn to play the guitar. You see, I have hobbies and interests. Lots of them. Already. Adding guitar playing to that list will take time away from my existing hobbies. As playing video games is one of those hobbies, playing Guitar Hero did not take time away from an existing hobby, it fit comfortably within it. Now, I can play 30 mins of Guitar Hero, then move on to something else, or not play for a few weeks if other hobbies intervene. If I were to learn to play Guitar, I'd have to dedicate a significant amount of time to it, with consistency, so I'd be able to maintain some skill.
The final estimation, however, is that playing a guitar has no built in punishment/reward system. In Guitar Hero, you have an exact measurement of how well you did. Playing a regular guitar in your room, you only have your own musical talent to tell how well you did, and some people are tone deaf. Those people can still play Guitar Hero by matching up colors, whereas they'd never be able to really play an actual guitar. More importantly, the only people who will laugh at you when you're playing Guitar Hero are your friends (and an entirely fake, and therefore non-threatening, audience). Playing in front of a crowd at a venue and being laughed at by 50+ total strangers is a hell of a lot more stressful.
just some guy
I find it funny the way that all the other suggestions for "... Hero" games get reasonable mods, but accordian hero gets (Score:0, Troll). Slashdot moderation is showing excellent musical taste!
beatmania and pop'n' don't link to GuitarFreaks or DrumMania...
Beatmania nor pop'n' music actually simulate anything in real life. The controller for beatmania and beatmaniaIIDX are similar to drum machines, but... Not really. That doesn't mean they're not fun though.
I do prefer GuitarFreaks to Guitar Hero. The interface is better and the music IS better and more varied.
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
Let's face it. Guitar Hero was a success because, well, we've all done our share of air guitaring. Even the biggest geek on the planet went and, at least alone, at home, locked door and everything, didn't jack off but actually raised his left hand, grabbed some imaginary guitar neck and rubbed his right hand across his belly.
... accordeons, cowbells, you name it.
Dunno how many have done that with keyboard. Or drums. Or
The only way this could work out would be some kind of "band hero" overall game. With drums, keyboard, guitars, some karaoke-esque microphone action and if you're so inclined a few DDR pads to get some people to dance to it.
The next incarnation of Guitar Hero is supposedly the first step to this, with people being able to play different guitar lines (lead, bass, whatever). Extrapolating it to the rest of the band is then only a matter of time. I could very well see this coming.
But a Keyboard Hero or Drum Hero as a standalone game will most likely not succeed.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Had a discussion with some friends the other day to come up with the most obscure musical instrument possible that a "hero" game could be made from. I think Didgeridoo Hero has a nice ring to it...
Of course having the actual skills is much more satisfying in the long run, and if you want to learn it definitely pick one up.. but don't expect it to be simple!
Don't get me wrong, I agree with what you're saying, but to get the satisfaction from Guitar Hero it would take 10 minutes, from actually playing guitar it takes fairly long. I've been playing bass for 2 years now, and I enjoy it (probably more than I would GH) but for the first few months of having it was a learning experience. Some people aren't dedicated enough to put that kind of effort into it. I bet those people could get their enjoyment out of GH. Without trying to put words in their mouth, I think that's what the parent was trying to get across.
disclaimer: I've been known to store numbers in my ass for which to dig out when quantities are required.
That wasn't a statistic, it was at best a rough guess. I thought it was hyperbolic enough to be obviously made up.
just some guy
DJ hero, you have a turntable input device that gives you a choice between Hip Hop (for Americans) and Dance (for Europeans)
Good day.
i guess i didnt mean to come across sounding so superior... I was only trying to make the point that in just about any town in the USA (or any country for that matter) there is a thriving Indie/underground band scene that many miss out on...
:P
i could see the appeal of an instant gratification game like GH...
i guess its the same as a rocker like me playing DDR, cause i know i'll never be able to REALLY dance
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