Slash: Kids turned into 'zombies' by gaming

[FunkyMonkey]

Slash: Kids turned into 'zombies' by gaming

Tuesday, 27 May 2008

Children are more lethargic after playing games, says Slash. Depends what game they are playing...

Stoke's favourite guitar-wielding son and former Guns 'n Roses guitarist, Slash, has spoken about the effect of gaming on young people, stating that children became 'lethargic' when playing.

On the positive side, Slash also spoke about gaming's positive impact on the music industry, with more kids being exposed to music they wouldn't otherwise hear.

"The thing about video games is that they do promote this sort of lethargy in kids," Slash said. "They turn into gaming zombies.

"So I understand the concern that people who play Guitar Hero would never pick up a real guitar. But I think it's the opposite effect.

"It takes some work, and maybe it's not quite as exciting or instantly gratifying. But what turned me on to guitar when I was kid was that all you have to do is play that one chord that hits you straight in the heart. And that's pretty simple to do.

"Plus, kids are being exposed to all this killer rock and roll that's programmed into the game that they would not otherwise hear.

"A lot of people have been asking 'Is this the new wave of how people are going to be exposed to music?' I thought that was sort of like a joke question when I first heard it, but I'm starting to realise that, given the current state of the music business, it might be.

"Because the kids are into it, and the possibilities are endless in terms of what you can expose them to through this medium."

http://www.gamezine.co.uk/news/

[Dr. Blutarsky]

It's a double edged sword. Moderation is the key. As with other things, parents need to put limits on kids gaming.

[FunkyMonkey]

He's taking a little heat for the comment...

Slash - games make kids into zombies?but Guitar Hero is different

So?let me get this straight. Slash is playing into gaming stereotypes, while exonerating Guitar Hero from those claims. Just wanted to get that clear.

http://gonintendo.com/?p=44336

[don_vercetti]

Probably shouldn't have endorsed guitar hero, if he feels like that...

[Bill 213]

Well of course he's going to endorse Guitar Hero as the only game that people should buy.  $la$h isn't stupid.  In his opinion I'm sure that Guitar Hero III is also more relevant to kids learning about music, say moreso than Guitar Hero 1 or 2 or Rock Band or such.  I'm thinking because of his mug plastered all over it and the cash it's putting in his pocket.

[Thorned Rose]

It's overrated...

Games are good for people.

[Ines_rocks!]

It's overrated...

Games are good for people.

hey! i?ve been playing computer games since I was like 8 and I ain?t no zombie.... or am I? 

[Tomek 1985]

I don't buy it. In my personal point of view it's pathetic that someone like Slash, I mean someone who has been addicted to drugs, alcohol n god-knows-what-else for so fuckin' long tryin' to tell anything about so-called 'proper lifestyle'. I love him, but when i was reading that steretypical bullshit, along with few other 'kickass interviews', I found out that he might be a typical media whore. I just can't avoid feeling that he often says semi-shit for others to look good at him.

[makane]

What a load of crap. Guitar Hero series are one of the most brainless games available atm.
I don't see anything bad with Multiplayer online games, actually they are pretty educational. Unlike Guitar Hero where you try to learn some pattern for two weeks, thats whats making them zombies.

But yeah, Slash^TM isn't getting money from WoW.

[r3dhawk6]

Geez, lighten up people.  Some of you take things way too seriously and look too hard for something to criticize.  There's nothing wrong with what he said imo.  Too much gaming is detrimental to kids as he said, no matter which game they play too much.  He merely pointed out a redeeming characteristic with Guitar Hero is the exposure to a variety of music.

[Ines_rocks!]

But yeah, Slash^TM isn't getting money from WoW.

WoW is more addictive than drugs!!     I?ve been there! hehe

[lynn1961]

Geez, lighten up people.  Some of you take things way too seriously and look too hard for something to criticize.  There's nothing wrong with what he said imo.  Too much gaming is detrimental to kids as he said, no matter which game they play too much.  He merely pointed out a redeeming characteristic with Guitar Hero is the exposure to a variety of music.

I wanted to say that, myself, but couldn't quite put it together as well as you did!   

[Tomek 1985]

Too much gaming is detrimental to kids as he said, no matter which game they play too much.

Even if it's true, isn't it funny to hear that from someone who has been running through life with Jack Daniels in one hand and fuck-everything t-shirt in the other?

[lynn1961]

Too much gaming is detrimental to kids as he said, no matter which game they play too much.

Even if it's true, isn't it funny to hear that from someone who has been running through life with Jack Daniels in one hand and fuck-everything t-shirt in the other?

mmmm.....no

[Ines_rocks!]

Too much gaming is detrimental to kids as he said, no matter which game they play too much.

Even if it's true, isn't it funny to hear that from someone who has been running through life with Jack Daniels in one hand and fuck-everything t-shirt in the other?

I get what you mean... he aint at all the right guy to talk about addictions at all but hey!... Slash has an opinion in everything just like everybody else! 

[FunkyMonkey]

Guitar Hero games are for losers - Analyse This Buy the real thing and learn how to play

04 June 2008

We've all seen TV and magazine ads for games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band. There you are in the comfort of your own home, playing along with Slash and impressing the adoring young ladies you've invited home.
 
The whole thing looks jolly attractive and above all requires absolutely no talent on your part.
 
And that's what's wrong with the scenario. To learn to play any musical instrument properly requires endless hours of practice, blood, sweat and tears. Slash didn't get the guitarist role in Guns 'n' Roses on the strength of his prowess with a Playstation, he got the gig because he could extract real music from a real Gibson Les Paul Standard after years of hard work.
 
You might think you're kidding the young women on your sofa that you're a guitar hero while you're posing along with your Xbox, but the only person you're kidding is you. All they're waiting for is for Slash to appear and then they'll be off with him leaving you alone in your flat with a load of empty pizza boxes and empty beer cans.
 
Pretending you're a musician is like a bald guy wearing a wig, or a grey haired bloke dyeing his hair black. It looks - and sounds - pathetic. It's like your dad dancing at a wedding. You just want to look away.
 
Let's look at some prices.
 
An Xbox 360 costs around ?250. The Rock Band game will set you back about ?50. You can even buy an Xbox 360 imitation guitar for another ?60. That's ?360 or more than $700. For that money, you could buy a genuine Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster, or even a Gibson Les Paul - just like Slash really plays - from its entry-level Epiphone range. They even have a Slash special model, although that will cost a little more.
 
It might make even more sense to buy a cheap acoustic guitar for as little as ?30, together with some lessons on how to play the thing. Rest assured, the effort will be worthwhile and you'll impress a much better class of young lady if you can really play a guitar rather than posing with an overpriced toy. And if it turns out that you have absolutely no talent, you've wasted very little money, but at least you gave it a go.
 
Learning to play an instrument properly will be a source of enjoyment for the rest of your life. Kidding yourself you can play a plastic game controller in the shape of a guitar is infinitely less rewarding. That's me with my Les Paul Standard up there, by the way. X

http://www.itexaminer.com/PCs/tabid/75/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/513/Guitar-Hero-games-are-for-losers.aspx

[Ines_rocks!]

lol I totally agree with that. I can play guitar... my brother plays GH a LOT... yet, he never bothered to learn how to play a real one. he starts playing "one" on GH3 and tells me "you cant play that on your guitar!"...  what a big achievement... pressing different buttons at the same time! 

[LunsJail]

lol I totally agree with that. I can play guitar... my brother plays GH a LOT... yet, he never bothered to learn how to play a real one. he starts playing "one" on GH3 and tells me "you cant play that on your guitar!"...  what a big achievement... pressing different buttons at the same time! 

Let's just hope GH turns more people on to playing actual guitar.  I think it will and in a few years you'll see a resurgence of really badass guitar players and rock bands.

[don_vercetti]

Personally, given the choice I would much rather play Guitar than Guitar Hero.  I play both, and tbh, the reason I prefer real guitar is because the 'multiplayer' is so much more enjoyable.  Playing music with other people is absolutely fantastic, playing guitar hero with a friend is ok but nothing particularly special.  As you say, hit 5 buttons and one other at the same time.  Wheras jamming on a song is just too much fun. 

So yes, i thoroughly agree with the article above. 

[FunkyMonkey]

David Konow
June 6, 2008

It seems like becoming part of the Guitar Hero series is in vogue these, though artists don't appear to be getting much cash out of the deal. In recent interviews in Guitar Player and Guitar World magazines, Slash talked about his involvement in Guitar Hero and why it was a difficult experience to become the Guitar Hero boss. Apparently, the former Guns 'N Roses Slash was paid a flat fee to do the boss character. "I wish there were royalties," Slash told Guitar Player. "I tried to negotiate a royalty, but they were not going for it whatsoever. They were like, 'Guitar Hero is an established game, and we want to incorporate you into it. We'll pay you a flat fee, or get someone else to do it.'"

Still, Slash agreed to do it and was "over-the-top happy" to be involved calling himself "a closet Guitar Hero junkie getting to join the team." Although Slash has done a number of endorsements, he's also turned down a number of offers, and carefully considered what any endorsement deal could do to his credibility.

No matter what he made for being a part of Guitar Hero, the motion capture sessions Slash had to go through to become the boss character weren't easy. He called it "one of the hardest situations to get inspired in," according to Guitar World. "That was six or seven hours out of my comfort zone. I had to wear a mo-cap suit loaded with all these camera receivers, and stand in this big rectangular space with cameras all around me. You basically have to 'rock out' within the rectangle. Which was weird, because it's hard for me to pretend to do what I do - I just do it. But halfway through, it started to become fun...it was all worth it in the end." After his boss motion capture session, Slash went into a more comfortable recording studio and wrote the game's theme song.

Once Slash got so caught up in playing Guitar Hero he almost missed band rehearsal with Velvet Revolver. He then went "cold turkey" from the game, and hid it away so he wouldn't be tempted to play it again for a while, according to Guitar World. "It was sort of like booze or drugs: I had to get it out of my sight (laughs)," Slash said.

http://www.tomsgames.com/us/2008/06/06/guitarhero_metallica/