I play real Guitar and Guitar Hero.

Being a fan of both, I’ve been subject to numerous arguments over and over about how playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band is a waste of time and that ‘nerds’ should try picking up a real instrument and do something productive for a change. It was in this week’s edition of NME (a British Indie Music Publication) that brought me this comment, in an article that discussed how the videogame industry paralleling the music industry, Q radio presenter David Quantick was quoted on the matter saying:

"Games are not rock ’n’ roll, they’re metal - aggressive, loud, violent and scared of women. You can’t dance to a game or have sex to it. Games are still for nerds. Rock ’n’ roll is about fucking, games are about wanking. Rock music makes you leave the house and meet drugs, games make you stay in and smell of your own piss."

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Oh Boy! Where do I begin? Well no games aren’t exactly rock ‘n’ roll but who’s to say what is these days? The definition of it changes every other heartbeat and since when is ‘Metal’ a genre of music that’s afraid of women?>>

 Oh and I know it’s a silly point to bring up but doesn’t Dance Dance Revolution involve the act of dancing as part of the gameplay? Even if that form of dancing is restricting to step movements? >>

Also, is anyone else getting the impression all this guy cares about is if he can have sex with his media, games can’t be fucked to?  Ok I’ll give you that and rock ‘n’ roll might all be about fucking but if that’s the case all rock ‘n’ roll has proved in the past that it’s a good way of catching the bus to every stop on the STI line.

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And finally I’d say most gamers have at least some basic hygiene and say I do stay at home, piss myself playing games and smell of my own urine, at least it would be save me the time of going outside, meeting drugs (as Mr. Quantick so generously puts it) and generating a costly addiction that will eventually lead to me living on the street smelling like piss.>>

Honestly can you really take a comment like that seriously? Guitar Hero and Rock Band are games that are bringing two industries a little closer together, both of which have drawn inspiration from each other whether its DragonForce’s videogame inspired music or No More Heroes in-your-face punk rock style. >>

It’s comments like the ones made by Mr. Quantick that draw these two industries further apart, when they’re actually getting along quite well: Firstly, music games like Guitar Hero and Rock band have opened up the gaming industry to a wider audience. Secondly, these games in return are providing an outlet for bands new and old to be discovered, it’s a sharing relationship.