Why Rock Band Rocks Your Face Off

In case you've missed my subtle references in previous posts, I was fortunate enough to land myself a copy of Rock Band for Christmas (thanks Mom).  For the uninitiated, Rock Band is a spin off of the wildly popular Guitar Hero video game series, which in addition to allowing you to play the Fisher-Price guitar, adds in a drum and karaoke element as well.  And if you don't know what Guitar Hero is then I'd like you to go sit in a corner and think about your priorities.

Thanks to the wonders of the holiday vacation, I have had an opportunity to spend a gloriously unhealthy amount of time pretending to be a rock star over the past few weeks.  Side effects may include dizziness, irritating your dog, drumming on every available surface, and hearing "My Sharona" everywhere. I think I want to eat a piece of cheeseSharona.  <shudder>

But amid the countless hours of serving up "jamz", there was another, slightly less useless side effect.  I realized that Rock Band (and to a lesser degree Guitar Hero) is very close to being the perfect game.  And not just because it has "Enter Sandman".   Rock Band essential has almost everything you can imagine to make a game appealing to an enormous range of people.  How so?  Lets ride...

Avatars and Personalization
The ability to customize avatars is pretty much universally seen as a win.  Everyone loves personalization, and Rock Band is loaded with it.  From hair, to makeup, to tatoos, and the cloths oh the cloths, Harmonix gives the game a lot of options on ways to put your own personal touch on rocking.

While I've always understood the importance of customization, I think I had downplayed the significance of its impact... that is until I found myself spending 20 minutes one day searching for the perfect pair of pants for my guitarist.  Though can you blame me?  I look pretty friggin' sweet.  Especially the afro =)  During another such moment, Jenn had decided to rock with me, but insisted that I "let her get dressed first" (referring to her own avatar). 

Not only do I think that the character customization helps to support Rock Band's "create your own band" mentality - but I think it also peaks the interest of an entirely new segment of the gaming population that might otherwise have breezed over the game. 

Strong Social Component
Lets be honest with each other.  There arent a whole lot of video games that you could invite friends into your living room (or den, or basement, or cave of infinite glory) to play with you.  Sports games and shooters (an honorable mention to other fighting games) have historically been just about it.  And despite the popularity of games like Madden or Halo, its not a stretch to say that they tend to be polarizing.  Not everyone likes football.  Not everyone likes shooting aliens.  I know, I don't really understand how its possible either, but its true.  The result is that face to face multi player games tend to be niche.  Part of the magic of the new kid on the social gaming block (that being the Nintendo Wii) is that it escapes the status quo.  Everyone, from any age group, gamers and non gamers alike can enjoy a game like WiiSports.  It doesnt offend anyone.  It doesnt turn anyone off.  Its like a teddy bear and a slice of apple pie. 

Rock Band isnt quite as accessible as the Wii, but it shares some of its transcendent properties.  It something everyone can embrace.  And even if you have no interest in participating, being in the room with someone who is means exposing yourself to real music - not gunfire, explosions, or crowd noise.  That makes it easy for people to accept.  Couple that with a well designed learning curve (discussed below) and you've got a recipe for an extremely social game.  Its a game you can play with your significant other.  Its a game you can play at a party.  Its a game you can play at a bar.  You don't have to put the kids to bed before you rock. We all secretly want to be rock stars.  We all also secretly want to embarrass ourselves by trying to sing Bon Jovi tunes in public.  And we can do it with friends and love every minute of it.

If face to face virtual rock glory isnt possible, or if you're one of those people that likes lounging around in your underwear too much to ever leave the house, then I welcome you to the age of the internet.  Rock Band also lets you play with friends online.

And no online component would be complete with a community space to go with it.  Forums, "band" spaces, leader boards, and even personal blogs are all available to help bring the game's community together.  As far as community sites go, Rock Band's is still a bit rudimentary, but regardless it makes for a nice addition, and adds to a gave thats covered nearly all of its bases.  Yet another way to engage current or potential gamers.

Downloadable Content
With the support of MTV, Rock Band had pledged to release new songs for the game roughly every week.  Thus far they've been true to their word, utilizing online services such as Xbox Live and the Playstation Network to serve up about 3 new songs every 7 days.   The downside is that the songs are not free, varying in price from $1-2 a pop, but since they are all optional and available ala carte, there is no obligation to spend any extra money  if you don't want to.  That, however, would be sheer craziness =)

The new content keeps the game fresh and interesting, while continually offering you new incentives to keep playing. 

Both Casual and Hardcore
Some games are made for the hardcore gamer.  These games might have a complex control scheme, take decades to finish, or require large blocks of time to enjoy.  Some games are made for the casual gamer.  These games are inherently more basic than their hardcore comrades - generally boasting simpler controls, simpler gameplay, and requiring less time per sitting to play.  Very rarely do games cross into and succeed in both realms.  But Rock Band does.

You don't have to be a gamer to play Rock Band.   If you've never played before in your life, you can sit down, figure it out, and within a few minutes have the hang of it.  Only have 10 minutes to play?  No problem.  Load it up, crank out 2 songs, and call it a day. 

But you can just as easily spend 4 straight hours Rocking if you are so inclined, though your fingers might not thank you for it.  And jacking up the difficulty means that you can always find a challenge and an opportunity to improve your skills. 

Best of all - these two sides of the coin can exist in perfect harmony, allowing two people to play together at opposite ends of the difficulty spectrum seamlessly.  Both can enjoy the experience at their own pace, and the result is glorious rock.  Not only does this make Rock Band more appealing to a wider range of people, but it also helps to make it a far more social game than most. 

But, if you are a hermit with no internet connection and no friends, you can also play by yourself and have fun too =)


Well Designed Learning Curve
Pretty much every game in the history of mankind works through the progression from easy to hard.  The earlier on the game you are, the more basic the expectations and skills needed to achieve victory.   As time goes on, the expectations advance and the challenges increase in difficulty - building on the foundational skills you've learned early on.  To be fair, this really isnt a gaming principle - its really like Education 101.  There are a lot of reasons for this, some more obvious than others, but it is pretty universally accepted as a method that works.

So it should be no surprise that the new genre of music games follows the formula.  First you learn to play single notes.  Then you learn to play them faster.  Then you learn to add in the double note.  Then the occasional hammer on.  Then you add a new "string".  Then the hammer on double note string.  Then faster.  Then another new "string". Then the triple note hammer on combo.  Then a 12 minute long continuous hammer on string that makes you want to smash the guitar over your coffee table.  Then get groupies and go on tour around the neighborhood.  You get the idea. 

Unlike most games which make this progression process obvious, Rock Band accomplishes it with great subtly.  You don't realize you are getting better.  You don't think about what you just accomplished.  Then you step up the difficulty and realize you're doing just fine.  And before you know it you've beaten the game.  

Its a game that excels at teaching you without teaching you - a lesson that I don't think I was fully conscious of until Derick Burns mentioned it to me, but it represents another one of the reasons that Rock Band (and guitar hero) rocks.

A Little Something For Every Taste
Because Guitar Hero and Rock band are both guitar and rock and roll centric, this point might be a bit deceptive.  You're not going to find any Beethoven or  Kenny G, and the majority of the musical content centers around Classic Rock, modern Alternative, or Heavy Metal.  Having said that, there are a few outliers that help to insure that just about everyone will come across a song they get excited to play.  You can find tracks that range from Death Metal, to Blues, from slightly Country, to the beeps and boops of Electronica, and even a few non English tracks if you're into the European music scene. 

Its probably worth mentioning that Guitar Hero is a bit more diverse in its musical selections, but Rock band is a newer franchise and will likely catch up in time.


Whats Next?
This post has probably come off sounding like the least objective review you've ever read, though it wasnt really my goal.  What was my goal?  Who knows.  Probably to try and put my own spin on why Rock Band has been and will continue to be so successful.  Probably to justify a holiday break lost to virtual rock.  And probably to do my part to support consumerism =)  But in all seriousness I'm a huge fan of this newly emergent genre of music games and I think it has some tremendous potential for music, for gaming, for education, for entertainment and maybe even for world peace.  Maybe.

A few folks have suggested that it would only be a matter of time before someone was giving a Rock Band or Guitar Hero concert live on stage.  Well, it might only have been a promo event for the Consumer Electronics Show, but those predictions were dead on.  Since the release of Guitar Hero 2, one of the local bars in town has had Guitar Hero serve as the primary form of musical entertainment for a night or two a week.  No DJ.  No real band.  Just Guitar Hero.   Most interesting... 

But my undying love for Rock Band and Guitar Hero doesnt mean the games have no where to go.  So along with my ass kissing and the requisite bag of salt that comes with all my posts, I have a few ideas for places games like Rock Band to go.

1)  Continue the Diversification
While I mentioned that these sorts of games do have a little something for everyone, they still have a long way to go before I'd consider them truly musically diverse.  Obviously there are reasons for that, not the least of which has to do with what sells, but I hope that as more and more people involve themselves in these enterprises, that we start to see a wider range of music outside of the mainstream spectrum.  Some of the most enjoyable songs I've played have been by artists I've never heard of.  Everyone loves playing Metallica, but how many people know about Honest Bob and the Factory to Dealer Incentives?  Games like Rock Band provide an entirely new avenue for exposure - and I hope there continues to be room for the little guys, especially since this could provide to be major outlet for new music distribution.

I'd also love to see Rock Band add more non rock.  There is some now, but the more the better.  Again, continue to widen the appeal to as many audiences as possible, and to provide opportunities for exposure to a new audience.  I'd love to see more Blues music.  My friend and colleague Bart Pursel is pulling for "Jam Band Hero".  There are a lot of different places games like Rock Band could go.  Thankfully, the downloadable content model is one that I hope will facilitate a bit of risk taking that will eventually lead to this sort of expansion.  Because EA doesnt need to waste money with shipping, packaging, and marketing, it can create opportunities to release a ska song or a big band track pack - just to see what happens.

2)  Allow for Composition
This one gets a little crazy, but one of my biggest hopes for Rock Band before it was released was that it would allow users to create, record, save, and share their own music.  Rock Band is capable of supporting the guitar, base, drums, and vocals, which while not a complete arsenal of musical instruments is most certainly enough to make for some mighty fine tunes. Such a feature would not only bolster the online community, but could also inspire a lot more people to get involved in music on a personal level.  Obviously I can hear the skeptics already.  Why not just play real instruments if you want to make your own music?  cough cough *Garage Band* cough cough.  There will always be reasons to use real instruments - but there is nothing wrong with making it easier for people to get started.   And I think it could add a huge dimension to the game, and perhaps to music at large.  Plus, how awesome would be to be able to teach music with Rock Band?  Oh mama!

3)  Play then Listen
My third idea came to me a few days ago as I was playing "Blood Doll" by Anarchy Club (not my video, just an example).  Before Rock Band, I'd never heard the song before, though I've come to really enjoy it.  At the time, I just happened to be playing "Blood Doll" to fill a few minutes before going to the gym, which made allowed me to notice that it would be a song perfectly suited to my workout mix.  But alas, should I want to make such an addition, I would have had to go all the way upstairs, buy it from iTunes, and push it onto my iPod.  And thats a little too much effort to exert ... as I'm headed to the gym.  Oh the beautiful irony. 

But the situation got me thinking how cool it would be if Rock Band, a revolutionary method of music promotion, could actually provide you with... you know... non interactive music to listen to as well.  I know that sounds a bit counterintuitive, but wouldnt it be cool if in downloading a new Rock Band track, you also came away with a straight mp3 version of the song that you could add to your own personal collection?  Obviously it might take a little bit more to make that track portable, blah blah blah, DRM, blah blah blah, buy a Zune, blah blah blah licensing, blah blah blah <throw up in my mouth>.  But you dig my beat?


Anyway, thats more than enough from me on all of this.  But regardless of who you are, or what you think about video games, I'd highly advise that you give games like Rock Band or Guitar Hero a shot if you have the opportunity.  Even if its just at your local Best Buy.  These games have a lot to offer, they are a lot of fun, and they can be enjoyed by just about anyone who is willing to give them a shot. 
  


Image from wikipedia.com