Alright people, I am not officially pissed the fuck off. Why? Well I’ll tell you why. For the people who don’t know this already, Activision has just filed a patent for an entire new game that will REVOLUTIONISE gaming and make everybody jump up and down with glee and anticipation for this new game, maybe even starting a new religion – hailing this game as the one game that will effectively prove the Mayans wrong and completely abolish any evidence that the world will end in 2012.

Drum Hero

You know, just the other day I wrote an article (soon to be published) where I made some arguments for why musicians should shut up about kids should stop playing Guitar Hero and start a real band, instead. But reading what I’ve just read – fuck that. I’m ready to switch sides. With every new game exploring a new instrument to greater depths, the line between video game and reality gets blurred into something really unnecessary. If you can do exactly everything that you can on a game peripheral that you can do in real life, why not just fucking invest in a real drum set?

Okay, let’s just back up and discuss this new title: “Drum Hero”… There’s not too much to discuss, we already know that Activision is milking the Guitar Hero franchise like crazy and with every installment, there is some progress in terms of gameplay and fun factor – fine. I mean I won’t fucking buy it – but if they are improving the game somewhat to introduce new players to the genre, so be it. However, when I see games like Band Hero, DJ Hero, the upcoming “The Who: Rock Band” (rumoured, but why not?), the impending Guitar Hero 6 and Rock Band 3 – I get genuinely worried.

Are people so controlled by money so they feel obligated to reiterate the same shit every single year? EA have done it for about ten years now, with the FIFA/Madden/NHL/NBA franchises – but that’s a fact that we’ve all accepted and the sales agree with me, they’re successful. However, when there’s about three or four new music rhythm games released every year, there is clearly an oversaturation of the market going on here and I don’t like it one bit. But what can I do about it?

Well let’s discuss that very point, shall we? Since gaming is a fairly young industry with good prospect and a bright future, why not try something new – like erecting some kind of Board of Gamers where developers have to stand up to their shit and hear us say: “Enough. Make some new shit and stop feeding us the same crap year after year after year after fucking YEAR.” Why can’t there be a place like this? Is it just a crazy pipe dream or do we, the Consumers, not have a right to complain when there is genuine talent in the studios making the same regurgitated filth being wasted when they’re not using their skills to create new, innovative games?

We spend so much money on games and peripherals each year, at least I do, so that I feel an obligation by the game developers to make sure that we’re not wasting our money. This industry isn’t going anywhere if this goes on. When are we going to put our foot down and demand some new blood?! And I’m not saying that we should petition everything that doesn’t fit us, but it’s detrimental to the industry when publishers insist on over saturating the market with the same shit.

GAMERS UNITE!

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