games  anime  |  toys
Destructoid is gaming news, community, videos, and sometimes love. Take the tour or jump in with Facebook:

 


25 million Americans played music games in April  photo
  share: Twitter Facebook Reddit Digg
filed under: #Music games

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 Nick Chester and his Singing Vagina stories





prev next

25 comments | showing # 1 to 25

Nic128's Avatar
Nic128 at 06/26/2009 08:46
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
Chronic Logic at 06/26/2009 08:49
Because making music is more fun than shooting people in the face and teabagging their corpses.
Magnalon's Avatar
Magnalon at 06/26/2009 08:56
Hey, Chronic Logic is finally back with his lethargic brand of humor!

Where have you been?!
Jesus H Christ's Avatar
Jesus H Christ at 06/26/2009 09:00
I think I know that guy.
DeusPayne's Avatar
DeusPayne at 06/26/2009 09:05
I used to play music games when it was underground.
that1dude24's Avatar
that1dude24 at 06/26/2009 09:06
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
Chronic Logic at 06/26/2009 09:08
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
megaStryke at 06/26/2009 09:25
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
Nick Chester at 06/26/2009 09:41
"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
zombiekiller13 at 06/26/2009 09:42
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
DV2FOX at 06/26/2009 09:49
in 6 words: "Who the F**K is Jim Sterling?" TwT...

thumbs up for music games
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 06/26/2009 09:49
"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
Rational Animal at 06/26/2009 09:50
"...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
whormongr at 06/26/2009 10:32
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.
megaStryke's Avatar
megaStryke at 06/26/2009 11:16
Dimly's Avatar
Dimly at 06/26/2009 11:25
The source link is broken :/
ill will's Avatar
ill will at 06/26/2009 13:03
Music games suck. They have all the strategic depth of pinball. I do not understand the appeal.
EggmaniMN's Avatar
EggmaniMN at 06/26/2009 13:14
Hahaha "strategic depth." You know very very little about music games. Very little.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 06/26/2009 13:54
I balance my plasic and real instruments out so I don't suck too much wither either one.
Dexter345's Avatar
Dexter345 at 06/26/2009 14:15
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
HiddenAHB at 06/26/2009 14:46
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
Syn at 06/26/2009 15:17
megaStryke wins, that picture is awesome.
ill will's Avatar
ill will at 06/26/2009 21:07
@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
Syn at 06/27/2009 03:55
@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
ill will at 06/28/2009 14:01
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.
prev next

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

Comments policy

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?

Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!

 
New on Destructoid.TV play all videos

Loading
Loading Destructoid Videos




    Win this!
    We're giving away an Xbox 360, Modern Warfare 2 & more!



    Dtoid Twitter    Got news?   tips@destructoid.com

    Reviews & Previews
    Mahjongg Artifacts 2 (PSP minis) review
    Dragon Age: Origins review
    Lost Winds: The Winter of the Melodias review
    Osmos review
    Space Invaders Extreme 2 review
    Half-Minute Hero review
    JU-ON: The Grudge review
    Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble review
    Thexder Neo review
    Domino Rally review
    more reviews
    Rooms The Main Building
    Skate 3
    Hudson's bringing back the Bonk
    James Cameron's Avatar
    Bomberman Battlefest
    Hudson bringing Japanese horror to the Wii with Calling
    Bad Company 2's multiplayer
    Partying like it's 1959 in BioShock 2's multiplayer
    BioShock 2 through the eyes of Big Daddy
    Dementium II
    more previews


    - The Dtoid Army is 49430 strong -

    Showing Cblogs with 3+ faps   show all

    Call for entries: do the wrong thing

    New to Dtoid? Read the survival guide




     Originals
    Jim Sterling: Attention, everyone buying L4D2: I have dibs on Coach





















    More Destructoid Originals




     Popular now more
























    Destructoid's editorial lovefest is:
    Nick Chester
    Editor-in-Chief
    Jim Sterling
    Reviews Editor
    Dale North
    News Editor
    Hamza Aziz
    Community Manager
    Anthony Burch
    Features Editor
    Rey Gutierrez
    Video editor & director
    Niero
    Founder, publisher
    Letters to the editors
    tips@destructoid.com
    Associate Editors
    Ashley Davis Jonathan Holmes
    Brad Nicholson Jonathan Ross
    Brad Rice Jordan Devore
    Chad Concelmo Matthew Razak
    Colette Bennett Tom Fronczak
    Conrad Zimmerman Topher Cantler
    Dyson Samit Sarkar
    Contributors
    Adam Dork
    Ben Perlee
    Daniel Lingen
    Joseph Leray
    Joe Burling
    Mikey
    Will Maddock
    Stella Wong





     

     
      get involved

    register or login
    post a blog
    post a forum
    enter a contest
    contribute a news tip
    suggest a feature
    be a guest editor
    support

    new member's guide
    login assistance
    tech support
    report abuse
    email our editors
    read our dev blog
    nuclear crisis?
    keep in touch

    RSS feed
    Twitter
    Facebook
    Myspace
    Flickr
    Game nights
    Meetup+play online
    seriously

    about Destructoid
    advertising
    terms of use
    privacy policy
    jobs at MM
    buy our crap
    our network

    Tomopop
    Japanator
    Despingation?




    Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press
    living the dream since March 16, 2006