Published by Swiss James on 14 Jul 2008 at 01:25 pm
Guitar Hero v Rock Band
Every time I ask my Chinese workmates what they did at the weekend I get the same answer: “Sleeping”.
Before I moved to Asia the only person I knew who slept for a continuous 70+ hour period was woken up by the kiss of a handsome prince, but now it seems that everyone under the age of 30 is a sleeping beauty.
When I keep on probing it seems that what my workmates are actually doing is playing computer games, which I sort of think is a pretty sad waste of a weekend. Much better to go on a huge Friday night drinking binge (@The Beaver, Constellation, Shelter and Dragon Club), mop up the remains of the alcohol on Saturday
morning with a pint of coffee and eggs benedict, then do it all again on Saturday night.
No computer games. Or at least, not usually.
My mate John, however, has recently bought a game callled Rock Band for his PS3 (which, Mum, is like a PS2 but one better). This game is insane- it comes with a wireless guitar, an electronic drum kit, and a microphone so that you and two friends can all play along to songs (The Strokes, “Ballroom Blitz”, Iron Maiden) and win points according to how accurate you are at playing the instruments.
It’s amazing fun, especially with a few beers and a few friends, I’m actually trying to get John to give me a spare set of keys to his apartment so I can go round and play when he’s not home. In the meantime though I bought a similar game called Guitar Hero which is roughly half as good.
In Guitar Hero you play the guitar in a similar way to on Rock Band, but the songs tend towards the cheese end of rock (Wolfmother, Motorhead, Aerosmith), the characters on the screen aren’t singing along to the same song you’re playing, the option to have a second guitar just feels like it’s tacked on (sometimes you’re not actually playing anything at all with the second guitar), and none of the music is taken from the original songs.
John Nitis on vocals, James Christopher Creegan on the geetar and Dingle “I don’t use my real name online” X behind the camera
Then again, Rock Band costs 150USD from Amazon and I got the 2 guitars and a dodgy copy of Guitar Hero III for my Wii for 505RMB (about 75USD)
Fake copy of Guitar Hero III plus two guitar controllers 505RMB
From an orange coloured shop on Beijing Lu, West of the junction with Changde Lu
Was Rock Band purchased here? We’ve been looking for a copy EVERYWHERE.
I agree, Guitar Hero is a substitute, but only a substitute.
nope, John brought it over with him from the states.
I’m on the look out for the (fake) wii version but wonder how much of its goodness stems from the fact it’s on the PS3 anyway?
That’s why I really need a Wii, PS3 and XBOX to cover all bases. Although where would I find the time seeing as I am too busy mincing around my apartment taking photos of myself wearing a variety of designer suits and 3,000 pound watches ….
What an odd thing to say WoAi!
The PS3 looked pretty cool actually, but I think on the whole I’d rather spend less time playing computer games rather than more, so I’m going to resist.
In all this heat and people pretending to be other people, I am not sure whether I said it or if it was someone pretending to be me! Agree with you though - we shouldn’t be playing games when we could be catching up on sleep.
PS You might want to correct the price above - I think you mean 75 USD not 75 RMB for the Guitar Hero ….
aha you’re right-
for anyone who is no longer following these comments, have a look here
I’m on the drums you tit, not behind the camera!!!
I thought you’d grown really big–seeing the size of the guitar in the first pic. Does it actually have strings?
Have you seen the Guitar Hero episode of South Park?
cool! james christopher creegan!
isn’t this how it starts? first it’s a little fun on the weekends, just a minute or two on the weeknights . . . and then before you know it, you’ve broken in to john’s apartment and he’s gonna come home from a week out of town to find your desiccated fingers gripping the guitar.
stick to the drinking and eggs benedict.
I hate to say this but that lad singing looks like a dick
guitar hero+rock band+bee+=4 am in the morning, red eyes, bloody fingers. bloody hell!
meant to say beer. but bees are good too. I usually nurse a few in my ears and release them to sting the fingers of my opponents when I play guitar hero.
I will definitely pull all the stops to make sure that I win. even if it means renting out my ear canals.
ninja, do you mean “rent” as in allow the bees to hire your ears or “rent” as in forcibly tear large holes?
neil, nah, he’s a good lad
dingle- so who took the photo? This is a mystery that will never be solven.
neil- John‘s great- You have to really go for it with this rock band if you want to get a good score on the singing. Liam Gallagher would have no chance.
The guitar doesn’t have strings so dessicated fingers shouldn’t be a problem, you press buttons where the frets should be. It’s like a little mini guitar too, maybe 3/4 the size of the real thing-
Emma’s surprisingly good at it too, I’ve agreed to teach her real guitar when I get back from my holidays.
That explains the noise all weekend… my plants and I were having a hard time photosynthesising.
Keep it down, neighbour. Or I’ll set the condo aunties on you.
I’m Spartacus …. ooops, sorry, wrong blog.
Colin- I’ll have to invite you round for a game when I get back from my hols as a sweetener cos the noise will continue until our band (”Slinky Bitch”) has conquered the World.
WoAi- is that still going on? Hang on I’m going to have a look!
My Chinese colleagues while away their weekends in front of Japanese cartoons.
Craig out.
I have Guitar Hero 2 and 3 and Rock Band for the 360 and could beat you all with one hand tied behind my back, hopping on one leg and blindfolded*.
* this may not be true
Nige - Based on my abysmal two handed and two legged performance last weekend, I think your statement probably IS true.
Check out the audience in the background of that last photo. They look … underwhelmed.
I think they’re just upset they weren’t allowed to play.
hey get it from under the science and technology museum i got two guitars and fake copy for 200 beat that
We now have Rock Band and Rock Band 2.
Our band (Dr. Haibao and the Chuck Warner 3) are currently touring the world.
I owned Rock Band back in the states and while I’ve DEFinitely seen lots of stuff here in China that I’ve not at home, I’ve really been craving a go at Rock Band again. I’m not in Shanghai, I’m in Huzhou, a city about 2 hours west. Would love to buy a round of drinks in exchange for a temporary spot in the band!