I'm all for the "hating on the wannabes" too but i'd expect games like DDR/Guitar Hero/musical based games would encourage some players to at least look deeper into trying to learn the real deal of what the game emphasis on. I know if I were to really get serious (and had the money for it.) I'd gladly learn to play Guitar. But things like that aren't cheap to just say "go buy and learn." those highly payed artist must also forget that too as games like this are the closest they may be able to get when it comes to playing a Guitar.

I still hate the kids who think they can play GH think they're hot shit on a guitar yet can't play a real one. But that doesn't give me the right to say they shouldn't enjoy playing a game based on it no?

Fuck that hoe.

+1

guys a hack that plays boring music anyway. When are people gonna get the simple point that GH and the like are _games_ and nothing actually playing an instrument and thus shouldn't even be compared.

All the quote really says is that he love actually playing guitar over playing the game guitar hero. Way to take a quote out of context Samit.

I'm with Liquidninja, in that the quote seems to be re-interpreted for flamebait. But i won't blame Samit for it: EntertainmentWise spun the same quote in a negative way to begin with.

And working with his analogy, hell yeah I'd love to drive the Ferrari! But, given time by skill by effort, I'll take the "less gratifying but big fun in its own way" amusement park cars in a heartbeat.

Samit, my next game will be video game blog tycoon - grammar fix will consist of mashing the Y button. Failing results in massive flames and a picture of you doing this.

What Nick Chester said with the exception of "I don’t mind Mayer"

I cant stand Mayer. "Your Body is a Wonderland" Whats that shit???

I might take this seriously if it came from someone who I thought actually made decent music.

Nintendogs was devised to bring the dog-owning experience to the masses without them having to put anything into it. And having done both, there’s nothing like really owning a dog. I mean, what would you sic on those bratty neighbor kids, a murderous Rottweiler or one of those Tamgotchi keychains?

Also, the same for Leisure Suit Larry and sex.

@ Eschatos :
Decent or not, the man understands how to play an instrument, and decent is also a subjective term. I agree with him though, as someone who's spent 9 years playing both the Guitar and Bass Guitar, it's a bit of a pain to see how people undermine music theory and learning how to competently play the guitar. Regardless of what you think of his music, he's proven to someone that he can play, and he's a competent musician none the less. At least he had the balls to speak up about Guitar Hero.

@jgclark123, I agree 100%, it really does annoy me to some extent when I'm playing around with my friends at school in the music room and some tool walks in and demands I throw down some awesome dragon force solo because dragon force is the hardest metal known to man, and he heard it in Guitar Hero, with all them realistic hammer-ons. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the game, but rather that there are most certainly some people whom take it way to seriously, and that the game could do a better job of, oh I dunno, getting people interested in actually learning guitar by teaching them about the musicality behind it.

Haha. I love the community here. You guys always champion free-speech when it's pro-game, but you then rationalize anyone who dislikes games as 'ZOMG HE SUCKS ANYWAY!" You may not agree with Mayer (btw, I'm anti-rythm game in general), but don't slam him for expressing an opinion, because that's Jack Thompson's mode of operation, and I know you're all better than that.

you people who claim to play real guitar must really suck at it if you think mayer is wrong.

It's exactly like ferrari vs amusement car. If you had the choice why would you pick the go kart?

I think he’s just saying that it’s a lot more fun to play a real instrument (”there’s nothing like really playing guitar”), and GH hasn’t brought the “guitar playing experience to the masses” since it’s really nothing like playing a real guitar. It’s similar to people that say “go play a real instrument” to people who play Guitar Hero - they’re totally different and separate so it’s dumb to say you should only do one. He’s just saying playing Guitar Hero can never compare to actually playing a guitar, not that Guitar Hero sucks.

Also, watch this video of John Mayer:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9H-bJs-Ib-s
I think it’s cool how he’s interacting with the fans and mocking himself - it seems like his fame hasn’t all went to his head.

I'm reminded of a dtoid article a while ago about how gamers can dish it out, but they can't take criticism....

As a musician and avid gamer, the whole GH/Rock band thing has hit me in an interesting way. I love playing guitar and love a good jam session with some friends better than pretty much anything else. While it's maybe easy to dismiss people with opinions like Mayers, perhaps its important to stop and think before we consider him a simple "douchelord."

Although I don't completely agree with him, he does have a point. GH and Rock Band are certainly just games (and really fun ones, at that), and I love that they are encouraging people to take up music and get interested in learning an instrument. At the same time, however, I do have my reservations about Guitar Hero. Guitar players are notorious for being arrogant pricks; walk into any Guitar Center and you'll immediately see what I mean. To a lot of people, playing guitar isn't about music, creativity, and collaborative efforts, but about showing everyone how fast you can play or imitate Steve Vai. There are plenty of guitar players out there, and very few musicians (jam with enough people and you'll see what I mean). Although Guitar Hero encourages people to learn instruments, in a lot of ways it gives them the wrong idea. Players are judged "good" not by coming up with something really creative or unique, but by showing off their technical dexterity. Sure, its just a game, but I can testify to seeing its effects on at least some people.

Rock Band, however, is an excellent game. Although the creativity aspect of music is still largely absent, it managed to embody one of the most rewarding aspects of music: the collaborative effort behind it. Rock Band is a party game, through and through, and a great one at that. The licks aren't particularly hard, but it still feels good to play it with a bunch of other people, each on their respective instrument. In a lot of ways this really does mirror a good jam- everybody working together, not "battling" or showboating like in GH. Who knows, however, the new GH is supposed to include making your own tracks and multiple instruments, so this may change.

GH and Rock Band are just games (and, like I said, really fun ones), and I don't necessarily agree with everything John says, but perhaps its worthwhile to consider a little healthy criticism sometimes, even if its directed at ourselves.

"Guitar Hero was devised to bring the guitar-playing experience to the masses without them having to put anything into it."

He sounds threatened, and talks as if "regular" people are becoming actual rock stars because of Guitar Hero

he needs to practice what he preaches and stop doing amateur comedy, because he's not funny.

god, now I REALLY don't like him. >_<

I just made this account to say " FUCK YOU Mr Mayer. douch.

Here's the thing... how about John Mayer play to his ability on his albums? How about showing us how good you are? Cuz you certainly don't play to your ability on your commercialized wanna make money bullshit records. So until you do that you dink, shut your mouth about people just trying to make money. Adversely GO PICK UP A REAL INSTRUMENT and find out what playing music is really like...because it's above and beyond anything some video game can do for you. I say this honestly, go do it...maybe use this identity of "its just a video game" to push you into actually becoming a real human being with real talents and development. How about that? FUCK your trends and music sense... go find out what it's ACTUALLY about. Please.

I see why John Mayer wouldn't like GH. Guitar Hero kind of cheapens the guitar-learning experience, because there are some people who think playing it will make you better at guitar. It won't. It doesn't help you play faster, or be good at soloing, because at the end of the day, you're not looking at a scrolling note chart when you play. On John Mayer; he was playing guitar long before GH came out, and mastered it before GH too. People need to be less critical of him, because he's great.

Timely Howard: Word.

He's anti-guitar hero. He likes Rock Band.

What a fucking ass. Its a video game you crybaby.

Sounds like Mayer is getting full of himself.

Whatever, John Mayer is a twat, and I *still* haven't figured out why people like him. His style is generic and his lyrics are goddamned stupid.