Neighbourly love in the key of G(aming)

I just spent a good chunk of the night playing Rock Band and Guitar Hero with my next door neighbour.

First, I went over to his place and played drums (shameless plug: I’m pretty dang good on the drums at exaggerating ). We played on his PS3, which I still say is inferior to the 360 because the frame rate is so slow that the notes are actually shaky as they approach — making hitting the drums even tougher to time. If you’re reading this neighbour, I’m sorry . . . but it’s still true.

Then we came over to my place and played Guitar Hero: Legends of Rock for a while. He’s super good at guitar. Maybe I should recruit him to help me get the Rock Band world tour achievements that I still need.

But the thing that struck me is we hardly ever hang out. We’ve played catch and we’ve played golf. Still, what really connected us was the gaming — in particular Rock Band. He calls it a great family game because they all play together. I agree. My wife and I play together.

The music games are such good social connectors. They do video gaming a real service, helping to debunk the prevalent myth that gamers hang out in their (mother’s) basement by themselves all day and button mash.

Rock Band 2 has a tough act to follow

Xbox Fanboy has gotten its hands on possible cover art being sent around by EA along with some sort of survey. Both look pretty much the same as the original box art.

All in all, its nice to know there’s a sequel in the works.

But the big question is, what will Rock Band 2 add to the pot. With Guitar Hero: World Tour adding that sweet drum kit, the largest list of tracks yet and the ability to write your own tunes, Rock Band 2 will seriously have to up the ante… maybe with a keyboard??

Buffett the toast of Rock Band next week

Jimmy Buffet’s coming to Rock Band.

Harmonix announced this afternoon that Buffett’s hits Margaritaville, Cheeseburger in Paradise and Volcano will be included in next week’s Music Store update.

My neighbour is a huge Buffett fan and bought Rock Band after I introduced him to the joy of playing fake instruments (I can has cheezeburger from Harmonix as reward?). I can’t wait to tell him the news.

Meanwhile, according to one of Rock Band’s developers: “Jimmy Buffett rerecorded the three songs for exclusive use in Rock Band, turns out he really digs the game.”

Buffett, it seems, gets it: These types of music games are the best thing that could happen to musicians. It gives an opportunity for bands to attract new fans they may never have been able to reach. And the rockers don’t even have to go on tour.

Oh yeah, better mention Harmonix is also adding three Disturbed tracks.

Songs sell for $1.99 each (160 Microsoft Points) or $5.49 (440 Microsoft Points) for the pack.

Rock Band brings the romance back

Salon writer Rachel Shukert has written an entertaining piece about how the video game Rock Band brought the romance back into her dysfunctional relationship with her video-game addicted hubby.

It’s definitely worth a read.

Here’s my cobbled together abbreviated version using article excerpts:

The man I married is on the couch in the living room, his eyes glassy as he diddles the control on the Xbox, blowing to smithereens shadowy figures lurching across the screen. We haven’t spoken in several hours.

I storm back to my desk and type the phrases “my husband” “addicted” “video games” “HELP” into the search engine. Hundreds of links appear.

“If you don’t stop playing that game right now, I’m filing for divorce!” I holler.

Ben bought the game (Rock Band) over the holidays, lugging the huge box home on foot through the New York winter slush. I knelt beside it on the floor, brushing the beads of oily precipitation from the damp lid.

. . . the Xbox and I have been engaged for some time in a cold war based on the doctrine of mutually assured destruction: If I touch it, I’ll break it, and then Ben will kill me.

. . . when I sit down at those fake drums something transforms in me.

Note after blinking colored note on the screen explodes with our rock. The fake crowd roars. I fake drum faster. Our fake band, Sex Baby, embarks on a fake world tour on our fake jet, playing fake stadiums in all the fake capitals of Europe. Our fake selves grace the covers of fake magazines, and our fake fans number in the millions. When our fake manager calls to tell us we’ve been invited to play the fake Hall of Fame showcase in fake Stockholm, my real husband turns toward me, and smiles.

EDIT: I just read a number of comments posted by people at the end of the Rock Band story on Salon’s website and was flabbergasted at how much indignation some people seem to have against those who game. One person even posted a Bible scripture (out of context and misquoted, of course) saying that video games are childish.

Video games are a hobby, just like baseball, pool, knitting, gardening, reading and cooking; to each their own. Not that this blog needs to be an apologetic. Still, people do often pigeonhole gamers as childish, wondering when they will “grow up.”

There’s a difference between enjoying a hobby and playing World of Warcraft 40 hours a week while ignoring your wife, kids, job and household duties. Don’t judge a person by his Xbox.