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25 million Americans played music games in April  photo

A new report by Interpret has indicated that, despite having ten million Guitar Hero games released a week, America is yet to get sick of the music game saturation. According to the research, over 25 million Americans played music/singing games during the month of April. They probably all sucked, too.

The report also states that those who were into music games were also "the most engaged consumers of music through a number of different channels," and encourages those within the music industry to think more seriously about showcasing new talent through games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band and SingStar

The report also claims that music game fans purchase 67% more CDs, and was twice as likely to legally download songs than the average consumer, confirming my theory that most of the people who keep buying Guitar Hero games are idiots.

"The insights found in these studies hold important implications for game developer and publishers, technology companies, and media companies," states Interpret's videogame expert Michael Cai.


Continue: More Rock Band stories





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25 comments | showing # 1 to 25

Nic128's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 08:46
Nic128
I played a lot of music games in April, but it was DJmax portable BS.

It's kinda different. I'm not buying any music because of it, and it's still a great game.
Chronic Logic's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 08:49
Chronic Logic
Because making music is more fun than shooting people in the face and teabagging their corpses.
Magnalon's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 08:56
Magnalon
Hey, Chronic Logic is finally back with his lethargic brand of humor!

Where have you been?!
Jesus H Christ's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 09:00
Jesus H Christ
I think I know that guy.
DeusPayne's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 09:05
DeusPayne
I used to play music games when it was underground.
that1dude24's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 09:06
that1dude24
I did, but it was rhythm heaven.
I really don't get the fascination with guitar hero/rock band though. The music is generally generic and poppy, the instruments are dumbed down to a few different combinations, and they cost half of the consoles value. :\

Then again, I play an instrument and many of these people don't. Maybe that's why I don't "get it".
Chronic Logic's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 09:08
Chronic Logic
Oh you know, just came back from an internet-less vacation. Terrible I know, so many articles gone unmolested by my comments.
megaStryke's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 09:25
megaStryke
I don't understand. Why would being more likely to download songs legally and purchase CDs make a consumer an idiot?
Nick Chester's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 09:41
Nick Chester
"confirming my theory that most of the people who keep buying Guitar Hero games are idiots. "

Two words, Jim: Dynasty and warriors.

@that1dude24:

I play multiple instruments, and I still enjoy and "get" Rock Band/Guitar Hero. I think "musicians" tendencies to not "get it" has more to do with hardheadedness than anything else. It's like everyone is threatened by them.
zombiekiller13's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 09:42
zombiekiller13
The report also claims that music game fans purchase 67% more CDs, and was twice as likely to legally download songs than the average consumer, confirming my theory that most of the people who keep buying Guitar Hero games are idiots.

Jim Sterling: Troll-baiting since...um...a while. Or something.
DV2FOX's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 09:49
DV2FOX
in 6 words: "Who the F**K is Jim Sterling?" TwT...

thumbs up for music games
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 09:49
Jim Sterling
"Two words, Jim: Dynasty and warriors."

I see your two words and raise you to four:

I don't buy those.

:-)
Rational Animal's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 09:50
Rational Animal
"...and encourages those within the music industry to think more seriously about showcasing new talent through games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band and SingStar."

The inevitable outcome will of course be that, by the time they pull their heads from their collective asses, the music genre fad will be far past its prime.
whormongr's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 10:32
whormongr
I could say something intelligent but I think I will stick with: I hate music games, they are lame, learn to play a real instrument if you want to stand there with one trying to act cool- you will get more out of it in the long run.
Dimly's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 11:25
Dimly
The source link is broken :/
ill will's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 13:03
ill will
Music games suck. They have all the strategic depth of pinball. I do not understand the appeal.
EggmaniMN's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 13:14
EggmaniMN
Hahaha "strategic depth." You know very very little about music games. Very little.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 13:54
Holyetheline
I balance my plasic and real instruments out so I don't suck too much wither either one.
Dexter345's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 14:15
Dexter345
Jim, you forgot to list Lips! You always were a SingStar fanboy.

@ill will: so, strategic depth is what it takes to make a game good? I was under the impression that having fun was all the reason one needed to play a game.
HiddenAHB's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 14:46
HiddenAHB
Thank god i'm not american.
Now i can go back to stealing a Cadilac and running over whores.
YAY for fun!
Syn's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 15:17
Syn
megaStryke wins, that picture is awesome.
ill will's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/26/2009 21:07
ill will
@Dexter - how long can you have fun with a game that amounts to nothing more than memorization and timing (guitar hero, rock band, etc)? I know that some games randomize the button presses, but then the game devolves into a simple test of reaction time.

Skill curves one of the main things that make games rewarding to play for extended periods of time. Memorization games and reaction-time games have very shallow skill curves, and music games are especially bad.

I'm not saying that strategic depth is the ONLY thing that it takes to make a game good, but rather asking how can a game with NO strategic depth still be fun? Once you've played one song on Guitar Hero, you've essentially played the whole game. You hit buttons to a beat. I realize that you can make a gross oversimplification of any game to make it sound dumb, but I don't think I'm doing that. Hitting buttons to match notes set to a beat is literally the entire game.

How are people still entertained by this??
Syn's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/27/2009 03:55
Syn
@ill will: Actual guitar playing is also memorization and timing, and has no strategic depth. Do you think it is equally as boring?

I'm not saying they are on the same level by any means (quench the torches!) but just because something is a video game means that it has to be complex to be enjoyed? I think you are just looking for reasons to criticize something that you don't like.
ill will's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/28/2009 14:01
ill will
Actual guitar playing doesn't have strategic depth but it does have creativity. You're making something new or at least a new interpretation on something old. You can't do that with music games because the scope of your interaction is either "hit the note" or "miss the note." For a given note, hitting it always sounds exactly the same. There is no creativity because the entire point of the game is to force you to play the song a certain way.

Music games suck.
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