Video game history is marked by alternating epochs, one emphasizing single-player games and the other stressing multiplayer experience. During one-player eras, epic, 50-hour-long games were the norm, with games like "Final Fantasy" and "Grand Theft Auto." In the multiplayer eras, the most popular games are "pick up and play" titles. An example of such a time includes the arcade craze of the 70s and 80s. Today, we find ourselves in a similar epoch.
Nintendo's Wii is a mainstream success, mainly due to its user-friendly and highly accessible, simplistic nature. Online multiplayer is almost a necessity in today's video games. Some games like "Dance Dance Revolution," have made arcades somewhat fashionable again?at least in a nerdy way. One immensely popular game that borrows from the "DDR" formula is "Guitar Hero," a game that thrives in the "pick up and play," multiplayer era.
So what is it about "Guitar Hero" that makes it so much fun? At first glance, it looks like an overly simplistic game. The game play revolves around pressing buttons in time to the music. According to Nolan McNair '08, Guitar Hero aficionado, therein lies the fun: "All you have to do is have an addictive personality and get hooked on the game."
"Guitar Hero" is not like games like "Final Fantasy" that require a large commitment from the player. While "Final Fantasy" sucks the free time out of a player's life, "Guitar Hero" can be played for just a few minutes?if you can bring yourself to put down that plastic guitar, which might be hard to do if you, like McNair, become obsessed with the joy of tapping along to your favorite rock tunes.
Many people may feel an aversion to "Guitar Hero" despite its accessibility, thinking that a game premised on guitar playing must require some musical talent. Not so, says McNair: "I love it because it takes no musical talent whatsoever to become good."
Taylor Talmage '08, whose favorite pastime is strumming on a real guitar, adds, "When I think of musical talent I think of compositional talent; talent at creating melodies, chord progressions, harmonies and the like," none of which is required for "Guitar Hero."
Just as how in Wii Sports a player can be the least athletic person in the world but still hammer home runs, so can the "Guitar Hero" player be tone deaf yet still "rock you like a hurricane."
Plus, according to Talmage, "Having a solid musical foundation helps with the rhythm and timing required to play the game." Therefore, "Guitar Hero" potentially appeals to both the musically inclined and the musically inept.
In that sense, "Guitar Hero" also appeals to both non-gamers and hardcore gamers. After all, the game is highly accessible: anyone can play it, especially with the easier difficulty levels.
However, there is still some depth for those looking for more than a casual experience. With each increase in difficulty, more keys are added to the songs. What was once a simple task on the lowest level becomes a frenetic, finger-flailing experience on the hardest. Just like in the old days of the arcade, the high score is a lasting monument, a prestigious marker of Rock God status. So while games like Guitar Hero are user-friendly, they also still have enough of the video game essentials to appeal to the more serious gaming audience.
In addition to the two "Guitar Hero" games already out, "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" launches for Xbox 360, Wii, and Playstation 3 on October 28, while MTV-produced "Rock Band," which expands on "Guitar Hero" by adding more instruments, including vocals, bass guitar, and drums, hits stores in December. Shine on you crazy diamonds, shine on.