Sunday, January 25, 2015

Rock Band

So today, I'm going to talk about the video game Rock Band. This game has been around for quite a long time so it might seem odd to talk about it. Here's the thing though, it is one of the best video games I've played. In this post we're going to talk about all the reasons I like it, some recent news about it, and explore some of the group dynamic effects of the game.

I was quite self-conscious about my voice before playing Rock Band. I had no experience with drumming and very little experience with video games in general. I also had very little experience with music. Rock Band has given me the opportunity to learn skills, gain confidence, and connect with music that I wouldn't have otherwise. With the expansion of instruments to include the pro instruments, Rock Band really opened up the opportunity for learning. I love that the low levels are approachable enough that I can play with young children. I love that the rigor level can be racheted up to the point where in order to succeed I need to practice and focus and work for it. It is the best of both worlds. Rock Band also has a neat level of character customization.

A while back, Rock Band fans everywhere were disappointed to learn that Harmonix was not going to be releasing any additional Rock Band songs. Luckily according to a press release, they are back at it releasing more songs. They also sent out a survey which leads me to think that they are considering developing for the next generation of consoles.

I think the social dynamics around Rock Band have settled down but it is something to keep in mind. When I first started playing Rock Band, most of the people who had it slowly started to feel used for their game. It was so much fun and so exciting that it was all people did for a while. This led to some weird feelings. If you feel these things you should plan to do other things with your friends. Rock Band is great but you don't have to Rock Band all the time.

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