Harmonix, in several interviews, has stated that their next rhythm based game, Rock Band 3, will actually teach people how to play music. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Harmonics consultant Dhani Harrison states,
“I’m working on Rock Band 3 and making the controllers more real so people can actually learn how to play music while playing the game. Give me a couple years, it’s going to happen”.
He further iterated the idea to the Boston Herald, which netted this response, “Now Harrison is working on Rock Band 3 to make it even more realistic. His goal: to get the game to actually teach people to play music, not just to pantomime in rhythm.” Rock Band 3 is to include teaching tools that will help with real world skills by tutorials presented in the game.
I’m all for this… keep it casual enough for newcomers to play, but give some kind of option to be able to learn a little more while playing… a string instead of a strumbar would be cool (practice picking), but I can’t really think of anything else… unless they could have you plug your guitar into the game and it would act as a trainer… but that would be expensive!
But that would be awesome. Musicians have said that Rock Band and Guitar Hero are not really teaching people how to play guitar. I think it is a good idea.
I think it is a good idea but I really don’t think it is going to happen, at least not under the Rock Band name. It would be nice if they prove me wrong though.