Justin Amirkhani Writes About Games

A Few Bands That Need A Rock Band Game

The Rock Band series has taken us from the legendary career of The Beatles to the modern metamorphosis of Green Day. Like them or not, band-specific games are here to stay and will continue to grow and evolve with the music-game genre. The only question that remains is who’s next to get their own title? While we may not know for certain let’s examine a few contenders who are more than capable of delivering a solid Rock Band experience if given the chance.

The White Stripes: Rock Band

Combine a unique visual style with some of the most innovative and catchy tunes of the decade and you’ve got a recipe for success. Every album since their 1999 debut has been loaded with billboard topping hits, but there’s still plenty of fan-favourites that could flesh out a well-rounded playlist. Their 6 album history has enough breadth to carry a game without the aid of other artists, though a few Raconteurs tracks could easily be thrown in for good measure.

Performing at some pretty crazy venues, like their impromptu 2007 show in Nunavut, set dressings would be far different than the usual stage with pyrotechnics. Nevermind the fact Jack and Meg White are both extremely animated performers with an incredibly unique fashion sense, which would be fun to see digitized. In fact, the fact that they’re a duo is probably the only thing that could hold it back, considering Rock Band’s social aspect. Though, if 3 worked for Green Day I’m sure fans could forgive losing one more.

Gorillaz: Rock Band

They may not have the biggest catalogue to pull from, but the unique stylings of Murdoc, Russel, 2-D, and Noodle would provide a symphony unlike anything that’s hit the Rock Band stage thus far. The opportunity for the animators to present the game entirely in 2D cartoons would be a fresh change of pace from the pseudo-realistic 3D models that have gone relatively unchanged since Rock Band’s inception.

Because Gorillaz is a fictional band, the campaign is not required to follow a historical path. The game could follow along with their musical career, but of all the bands in this list this concept has the most room for exploration and growth. It would be interesting to see a unique fiction played out, or even recreations of the music videos. Regardless, if Harmonix could figure out a way to work a limited catalogue this could be a very worthwhile release.

The Rolling Stones: Rock Band

If you’re going after the biggest of the big, it’s hard to get more influential than The Rolling Stones. With more hits than you can count, a fanbase that’s been following them since the dawn of time, and a legacy that spans generations it’s hard to say they haven’t earned it. The Rolling Stones are probably the only group that could match The Beatles: Rock Band in terms of mass market popularity with songs like “Ruby Tuesday” and “Satisfaction”.

I don’t pity the developers who would have to condense The Rolling Stones’ nearly 50-year career to a few playable venues and some carefully selected track lists. Taking another page from The Beatles: Rock Band, artistic vignettes would do very well to illustrate the group’s lengthy career and bring a fresh set of eyes to one of rock ‘n roll’s greatest. Add in a wealth of unlockable video footage and you’ve got a lot of the Stones to enjoy.

Rage Against the Machine: Rock Band

Another group with a powerful visual style, Rage Against the Machine is one of those bands that puts out such a strong thematic vibe not much more is needed to carry the experience. It does certainly help though that Tom Morello is an absolute mad scientist with his guitar, creating incredible aberrations of music. Throw in Zach De La Rocha’s powerful lyrics and you’ve got an electrically charged disc.

The only issue about revolving an entire game around the band is their lack of ESRB-friendly songs. With every Rock Band title being censored to fit a T for Teen rating it’s hard to say if the music would suffer from the cropping. While it’s unlikely (and illogical) that lyrics alone could warrant an M for Mature rating it’s safe to say Harmonix would have to develop a solution to deliver a RATM experience at full strength.

G20 Riots Fuled By Gamer Rage

The National Post threw up an interesting article today decrying the violence of the G20 rioters, their lack of clear messaging and the impetuousness of it all. It’s actually a rather well written piece I agree with on the whole, except for one off-the-cuff remark.

In a paragraph commenting on the protester’s physical appearance writer Tony Keller says, “They looked like the kind of people who spend a lot of time playing video games in their parents’ basements.”

I get the need to write simply for a broad audience, and that stereotypes easily convey what you’re trying to say. However, it’s absolutely not alright to simultaneously call an entire sub-culture misshapen while implying they carry a level of petulance on-par with the type of people who set a cop car on fire because they believe it delivers a higher message.

Looking at myself and my friends, I don’t really see the connection between our hobby and the people I saw feebly throwing newspaper boxes at Dundas Square. In fact, across Twitter and a few Xbox Live party chats all of us were saying how foolish and juvenile the rioters were. Just like non-gamers we carry a moral compass that aligns with most of society and like everyone else, it points to what’s right.

Keller used me as an insult, and I’m not really okay with that. It’s a little arrogant, and a little ignorant to think that penning the statement isn’t a form of libel. However, I don’t think it was Keller’s intent to malign my friends and I. It’s just cheap writing because it’s difficult to come up with real similies.

Now, don’t do it again or we’ll come smash your windows!

Anyone Can Do It

Abandoning the Hardcore: A Small Rant About Sandwiches

Sandwiches are pretty good, but I don’t think they’d be the same without bread. Some people may order their sandwiches without bread, and I may even eat one or two of them, but I don’t think restaurants should stop making regular sandwiches with regular bread because of this.

It would suck if one day it became difficult for me to find a place that still served regular sandwiches on regular bread. I’m sure I could find a few places that served something half-way to regular, but tortilla wraps and lettuce-buns just aren’t the same.

Regular sandwiches on regular bread may not be the most trendy thing, but they’ve always been good enough before and have never left me disappointed or wanting more. To change sandwiches so dramatically, just for the sake of pleasing people who don’t eat sandwiches now, doesn’t make a ton of sense to me.

So, to the few restaurants I eat lunch at, please don’t forget about me. I’ve come to you for years because I love your sandwiches. Feel free to add things to your menu but don’t stop serving my usual, it’s not too much effort to find a new place to eat.

Uh, Nice Crotch

[This was a comment I posted on Leigh Alexander’s blog Sexy Videogameland about Hey Baby. It was deleted because Leigh’s “blocking anyone who finds [it] a point ‘open to interpretation’ in any way.” — My intent was not to offend, but apparently it did.]

I get the issue, and I appreciate that there are projects like this that start conversations. I’m also a guy and still don’t fully understand the whole business. However, I did want to make a comment on the game design and say it’s a little counter-productive.

While playing the game I find myself wanting to hear the catcalls and comments before I want to kill the guys. For me, they’re a highlight while playing and this sends mixed messages as to how females feel about the issue. Obviously I can’t speak for Lady Killas’ intent, but as someone oblivious to the issue the game made me feel like women like or want to hear the comments before rejection.

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