Playstation 3: Guitar Hero v Rock Band

Frowzy

Has anyone played any of these on the PS3? My 9 year old wants to spend his birthday money on a package from Argos, you can get the drum kit and guitar in a package and purchase the game separately. Does anyone know if there is a difference between the 2 games, any reason why I should choose one over the other?

Thanks is advance for any advice.
F

Shzm

I wouldn't buy either of those from Argos, Guitar Hero World Tour was/is way overpriced there.

Frowzy

Shzm wrote: »

I wouldn't buy either of those from Argos, Guitar Hero World Tour was/is way overpriced there.

Ya, Thanks!, I've just realised that, it's 249.99 in Argos and 189.99 in GameStop. The point however is is it any good?

ongarite

I prefer Rock Band over Guitar Hero but to a 9yr old, it wouldn't really make any difference which one you went for.

If you are on a tight budget, Symths Toy Store are selling the Rock Band instrument bundle (drums, guitar & mic) for €85.
You can then buy either to Rock Band or Guitar Hero disc to use with them.

If you are investing in this for the future and not just a 3 month fad where you loose interest and never play it again, get Rock Band as you can import all the tracks from Rock Band 1 into Rock Band 2 giving a large & diverse library of tunes to play.

Rev. Kitchen

Rock band 1 was great as was guitar hero 3 , guitar hero world tour is very poor, i cant seem to be able to get RB2 for some reason its allways sold out.

Rock band will have the beatles game which will be absolutly brilliant. and the DLC for rock band is brilliant too. So id go with rock band not much between the instrument packs bar the guitar hero drums have a different lay out.Either way once you get the instrument you can use them on either game.

Burning Eclipse

Rock Band... I can't stress it enough. It is a superior game in absolutely every way. Truth be told, I think the build quality of the Guitar Hero instruments is better, but as a game there is no contest. This is coming from someone who has imported 2 Guitar Hero titles from the states to get them early and also spent over €100 on the downloadable tracks for Rock Band. It's miles ahead!

NotorietyH

Rock Band, Rock Band, Rock Band. Why? Because it's awesome!

Stuxnet

gh imo is the better series, but we were having this conversation at our clan forum, and one of the lads posted his thought/reviews it may help

Right having every game mentioned, i will give my opinion.

GH:WT-- Great graphically, best customisation. however a rather obscure track list imo and poor note-charting and lag on HDTV
GH:Metallica-- Best Grapically, excellent track list, much improved notes and hammeron-pulloff's.
Rockband 1-- Blocky graphics, little customisation. Best track list by far, also best DLC. excellent note charts and perfect use of hammers and pulls. Guitar solos are killer.
Rockband 2-- Good but slighty obscure track list, some songs shared with GHWT, but better charted eg. Everlong. and the 4 colour drum track is easyer, Great for drums. see RB.

The instruments.
GHWT's 'Generocaster' guitar is a great piece. Solid, good weight and size. The fret buttons are resonsive and well spaced, and the 'tap-slider' works well. my only concern is in GHWT the 'ghost notes' when u fingertap them on the slider, its hard to judge where each colour is on the slider.
RB's Fender Stratocaster replica feels more realistic, its a little heaftyer and longer, but its less responsive, and the strum bar is prone to breakage.

The Rockband drums use only 4 pads to GH's more realistic 3 pads and 2 cymbals, but the GH ones suffer from cross-talk, where the vibration down the cymbal can pass on to a pad and cause an accidental note to be played. But RB ones suffer from rebound double-rolling, where performing rapid hits can make the sticks rebound back too hard and then u accidently hit the pad again on the downer, causing a double hit.
Imo the GH ones are slightly more resonsive, but the rocband ones easy to use. there both good.

Smash hits looks awesome, all those songs are classics, but theres a few id like to see included there.
wheres knights of cydonia (muse) wheres sweet child of mine (G n R) wheres Search and Distroy (Iggy Pop) ?
some greats missing, but ill still get it.

partyatmygaff

You could I dunno get him a real drum kit or electric guitar and get them to play that?

Way more fun than a crappy game considering its nearly the price of a cheap drum kit or a cheapo ebay electric guitar(Which are actually surprisingly high quality)

NotorietyH

partyatmygaff wrote: »

You could I dunno get him a real drum kit or electric guitar and get them to play that?

Way more fun than a crappy game considering its nearly the price of a cheap drum kit or a cheapo ebay electric guitar(Which are actually surprisingly high quality)

I don't know why the choice between a musical instrument or Rock Band is apparently mutally exclusive. I started drum lessons because I was so into Rock Band which I never would've done if I hadn't. I still play Rock Band just as much since I started playing the actual drums. It's like saying, why play Call of Duty when you can just join the army? I never understand that argument when it comes to the GH and Rock Band games. Kids like playing video games, they generally don't like being 'forced' to play a musical intrument and take lessons etc. Rock Band or Guitar Hero is a way to get an appreciation of music and you know maybe they'll decide on their own that they want to take up a particular instrument.

That whole series has made me appreciate music more and gotten me into not only the drums but music I wouldn't have considered before. Also my nephews play it at lot and are suddenly into classic rock bands from the 70s and rock music as opposed to just Westlife and whatever.

Frowzy

partyatmygaff wrote: »

You could I dunno get him a real drum kit or electric guitar and get them to play that?

Way more fun than a crappy game considering its nearly the price of a cheap drum kit or a cheapo ebay electric guitar(Which are actually surprisingly high quality)

HMMM, Thanks for the parenting advice, but he's not neglected. He's learning the guitar, has several piano exams passed already, is a green belt at Taekwando, is doing his swimming badges and is on the local under 10 soccer and rugby teams. So I don't think that I'm being a bad parent by allowing him to blow off a little steam during his summer holidays... am I??? He only plays the PS3 at weekends during term time.

I'm not allowing him to get it as a substitute for learning music, it's a game, simple as.....

Frowzy

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply to me. I'm inclined to think that the instrument quality with Guitar Hero is better. So we're going to get the bundle in Gamestop today. I think that you can download tracks afterwards, am I right???. I don't think that you're ever going to get a playlist on the discs that suits, because he listens to what I listen to he's big into Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Foo Fighters and Third Eye Blind. So I'll prob download some of this stuff for him.

Thanks for all the views, I'll let back to you and let you know how we get on.

Thanks, Thanks and Thanks again.
F

Snakeblood

Rev. Kitchen wrote: »

Rock band 1 was great as was guitar hero 3 , guitar hero world tour is very poor, i cant seem to be able to get RB2 for some reason its allways sold out.

Rock band will have the beatles game which will be absolutly brilliant. and the DLC for rock band is brilliant too. So id go with rock band not much between the instrument packs bar the guitar hero drums have a different lay out.Either way once you get the instrument you can use them on either game.

I don't know, but I think they still want to sell as much RB1 as they can.

I went into HMV looking for it and they said they'd order RB2 for me. Then I found a second hand copy. But you can order, I think, and get it in 7 days. It's much better than RB1 anyroad.

Newaglish

Possibly a dumb question but can you play rock band using guitar hero instruments?

I figured no but then thinking about it, you can play both with a PS3 controller so....?

Snakeblood

Newaglish wrote: »

Possibly a dumb question but can you play rock band using guitar hero instruments?

I figured no but then thinking about it, you can play both with a PS3 controller so....?

Here's a chart!

partyatmygaff

Frowzy wrote: »

HMMM, Thanks for the parenting advice, but he's not neglected. He's learning the guitar, has several piano exams passed already, is a green belt at Taekwando, is doing his swimming badges and is on the local under 10 soccer and rugby teams. So I don't think that I'm being a bad parent by allowing him to blow off a little steam during his summer holidays... am I??? He only plays the PS3 at weekends during term time.

I'm not allowing him to get it as a substitute for learning music, it's a game, simple as.....

Not really parenting advice, I don't really give a flying f*ck what you make your son do in his spare time. All I'm saying is he'll appreciate learning a real instrument more when he's older.

NotorietyH

partyatmygaff wrote: »

Not really parenting advice, I don't really give a flying f*ck what you make your son do in his spare time. All I'm saying is he'll appreciate learning a real instrument more when he's older.

It's two completely different things though. One's a game that's fun, and gets you involved in music with minimal effort, where the other is a skill that takes years to develop. It's not like you can buy a guitar and instantly play Hendrix.

It's the difference between saying "Hey guys want to come over to my place and play Rock band for a bit of fun?," to "Hey guys want to come over to my place and watch me strum G, C, D over and over again on my guitar, in a few months I'm hoping to be able to play Mary Had a Little Lamb"

Why not just completely drop the idea of getting an instrument altogether and take accountancy classes or something else that could lead to a job in the future, surely a more worthwhile investment.

It's such a pointless elitist argument. I wonder what you're going to be like with your own kids.

"Hey Dad, can we go to McDonalds?"

"No son, but I'll buy you a calf you can raise and slaughter. Then you can make your own burgers, you'll appreciate it more when you're older,"

Stuxnet

NotorietyH wrote: »

"Hey Dad, can we go to McDonalds?"

"No son, but I'll buy you a calf you can raise and slaughter. Then you can make your own burgers, you'll appreciate it more when you're older,"

+ 1
LMAO

Frowzy

BOBBY wrote: »

+ 1
LMAO

+ another 1, still laughing!!!!!!

partyatmygaff

Yeah obviously out of context....

When your older are you gonna appreciate your 1337 guitar hero skills or being actually able to play a real guitar?

Come on like

ongarite

partyatmygaff wrote: »

Yeah obviously out of context....

When your older are you gonna appreciate your 1337 guitar hero skills or being actually able to play a real guitar?

Come on like

When your older are you gonna appreciate your 1337 gun shooting skills or being actually able to shot a real gun?

Come on like?

When your older are you gonna appreciate your 1337 car driving skills or being actually able to drive a real car?

Come on like?

When your older are you gonna appreciate your 1337 boxing, fighting skills or being actually able to box, fight for real?

Come on like?

I could go on forever but you seem to have failed to grasp the concept that its a game just like any other for any console & its fun.

NotorietyH

partyatmygaff wrote: »

Yeah obviously out of context....

When your older are you gonna appreciate your 1337 guitar hero skills or being actually able to play a real guitar?

Come on like

Context has absolutely nothing to do with it.

You're not even listening to what I'm saying. I'm asking why does it have to be a choice between playing Rock band OR playing an instrument. I do both, and I wouldn't have taken up the drums if it wasn't for Rock Band. Had messed about with the guitar for a few years, but never took it seriously, though again it was playing Guitar Hero that made me buy an electric guitar.

I play Rock Band for an half an hour or so to warm up before i go and practice drums for an hour. But I shouldn't even be justifying that to you, because whether I'm playing a plastic or real drum kit, I'm doing the exact same thing, enjoying and appreciating music, whether it's playing along for real, or playing along with buddies on plastic instruments. They're completely different experiences but both serve the same purpose, and I find them equally enjoyable. Rock Band gave me an incredibly strong foundation for learning the real drums too by the way. I wouldn't be half as far along with the real drums now if it wasn't for it.

It's the most idiotic, music snobbery, to say "Oh go buy a real instrument,", you know what, some people do have real instruments, and some people just don't want to buy them. Not everyone wants to be in band, or master an instrument, but they occassionally like to pretend. Why don't you act all superior to Dave Grohl and tell him to buy a real instrument because he enjoys playing Rock Band. I don't see anyone telling Gran Turismo fans to go become a race driver, or as I said before tell a Call of Duty fan to go join the army. It's pathetic, the only people I've come across who take that attitude towards Rock Band and Guitar Hero are the people who are in band not because they love music, but because they want to be in a band, just so they can say it and act all nonchalant and cool, with a completely misguided superiority complex. Just because you're too damn talented to lower yourself to playing the games doesn't make them ****e, nor does it make the people who play them idiots or people who appreciate music any less.

Why go to the cinema when you can make a film with a video camera at home? Why go to a restaurant when you can make something at home. Why read a book when you can write one yourself. Hell why even listen to CDs. Why do anything at all in your spare time. Why take up an instrument at all when you could be dedicating that time to doing something that would be more likely to provide financial stability in the future?

I'm ending the rant, too damn frustrating, no point flogging a high horse.

Frowzy

Ok, Huge Thanks to everyone for their thoughts. We bought the Guitar Hero "Band in a Box" for the PS3 yesterday. Now we were still a little undecided when we went to buy (if anyone is interested Gamestop is cheapest for this and Rock Band at the mo, RockBand is 79.99 (ex software) and Guitar Hero is 189.99 (incl Software)). Anyway I spoke to the sales guy there and, although my husband says I'm a salesmans dream to deal with, he told me that Gamestop have made a decision as a company not to stock the RockBand stuff anymore as it's not selling and they have had a lot back with problems. Apparently they're not even stocking the new AC/DC game that went on sale recently. He reckons that it may be difficult to get the up to date software for this in the future.

Ok, Ok I can see lots of you replying telling me that I shouldn't listen to sales guys, but I don't know much about the software and the PS3 so I have to be assured that I can get the games for it in the future. So I went with the safe option and bought Guitar Hero.

I don't know if what he was saying about RockBand is true but it might be something for people to watch out for if they are purchasing. With regards to the game, as the little fella's only 9 and the game is marked as 12 plus he does find it a little difficult. He can however play it on beginners and it seems ok. I haven't managed to get the mike to work yet but drums and guitar are working fine and we played "Eye of the Tiger" for hours last night.

One again Thanks to everyone!!!!
F

Snakeblood

Frowzy wrote: »

Ok, Ok I can see lots of you replying telling me that I shouldn't listen to sales guys, but I don't know much about the software and the PS3 so I have to be assured that I can get the games for it in the future. So I went with the safe option and bought Guitar Hero.

I don't know if what he was saying about RockBand is true but it might be something for people to watch out for if they are purchasing. With regards to the game, as the little fella's only 9 and the game is marked as 12 plus he does find it a little difficult. He can however play it on beginners and it seems ok. I haven't managed to get the mike to work yet but drums and guitar are working fine and we played "Eye of the Tiger" for hours last night.

One again Thanks to everyone!!!!
F

Just as an FYI, once you have the kit and the game, it's endlessly expandable, with the downloadable content and whatnot (both games are, really). Also, Rock Band 2 has a 'no fail' mode, for the difficulty challenged among us. Anyway, enjoy your purchase.

Rev. Kitchen

Had just written a huge long post when the page crashed !! but the jist of it is.

1. Gamestop talk rubbish they cant sell the game becasue they are way over priced everyone that is into rock band got it else where or ordered it online.

2. Xtravision have a great offer on now where you can get guitar hero greatest hits game ( a mix of guitar hero 1,2&3) plus the aerosmith game plus a wireless guitar controller for 60 euro !! Because in fairness the game in band in a box is pretty shoddy.

they also have rock band 1 with guitar for 35 a bargin.
Rock band 2 can be bought on its own for 50 and it will work with your band in a box.

Rev. Kitchen

Oh yea and on the rock band not being supported nonsence from gamestop rock band beatles is coming which will be class but as well DLC for Spinal tap !!!!!!!!!!!!:D