Create Digital Music » Guitar Hero Creator on Gaming + Future of Music, @ Cybersonica

May 18 2006

Guitar Hero Creator on Gaming + Future of Music, @ Cybersonica

New games like Guitar Hero are bringing music making to the masses, and Josh Randall, Creative Director of Harmonix (and a CDM reader, to boot) thinks the trend is just getting started. Aside from Guitar Hero, Harmonix has given us Frequency, Amplitude, Karaoke Stage, and they’ve got more games in store, including a Guitar Hero sequel announced at E3. But it’s not just about these games.

The Cybersonica conference, with new musical creations inspired by games (and in the form of games), as well as art installations and interactive performances, suggests that as gaming approaches music making, “serious” music makers are also engaging the ideas of gaming. Josh’s keynote (which I think is actually taking place in London as I write this), will address some of these topics. From the description:

He’ll discuss the role of creative expression within the game space, and how new interfaces and controllers are changing the way we interact with our music and TV’s. Music gaming is bringing more and more people together every day, so what is the social impact of these games? Let’s peer into the future of music gaming, and ponder what might be coming next.

Sounds good to me! If you’re in London, I hope you’re at this keynote and will let us know how it (and the rest of the conference) goes! If not, I hope to check in with Josh soon for some of his thoughts. Oh, and maybe I’ll even be able to sneak a peak at Guitar Hero 2.

Of course, not everyone is going to want to go buy a box, unbox a commercial game, and use it as is. Before Guitar Hero even came out, I suggested some people would want to hack the thing for their own purposes in Max/MSP. Sure enough, quite a few people did (most likely entirely independent of my writing; I won’t take credit for that!), and Cybersonica organizer Chris O’Shea did a great round-up of Guitar Hero hacks while we at Team CDM were busy wrangling with our servers. Go check it out, and if you have a gaming hack of your own, let us know about it! I’m going to hold out for non-guitar controllers, myself, but I love the idea.

More Cybersonica Coverage from CDM

Mario and Zelda Composer in Chicago

Before the Wii: Max Mathews’ Original Wireless Electronic Baton, and More Electronic Baton History

10 Comments

Ricardo Silva Jr

Hey i have a great idea you guys can make a guitar hero carlos santa with his favorite bands i hope you like this idea alright laters

April 26, 2008 @ 11:17 am

Tiffany

I think that you should make a Christain guitar hero. if you need help i can help give to you some good songs like i mean christain rock songs

August 6, 2008 @ 11:44 pm

Noelia

Tiffany is right, there’s a lot a of good christians songs very interestings to make a christian version of GH. It would probably sell a seriously lot O= Jesus pwns!!

August 7, 2008 @ 9:49 pm

Sam

Hi im a big fan go guitarhero and rockband and for the new games i thing you showld put some bands like 311, korn, led zeplen, pink flowed, msi, and mabye green day, andsome rush.

September 9, 2008 @ 6:09 pm

Mat

Hi. I have a couple songs that you at least should listen to before you say no.

“Perfect Insanity” by Disturbed
“Psychosocial” by Slipknot
“This War Is Ours” by Escape The Fate
“Two Weeks” by All That Remains
“Twilight Of The Thunder God” by Amon Amarth
“End Of Days” by Bullet For My Valentine
“Seek And Destroy” by Metallica
Also, would you mind putting some Slash’s Snakepit and some more Shadows Fall? Thnx.

November 27, 2008 @ 11:13 am

andrea

ok if you really want to bring back rock and roll

then start with the fifties thats pretty much where everything began

[other than swing which started in the thirties and fourties]

the sixties and sevnties are wat started the harmony

eighties and ninties startded upbeat tenchno rap r&b pop ect ect

ok so why dont yall make like a guitar hero timeline
each level you get the next generation you go up

characters can be famous people from that time like elvis or ricky or somebody
and yall can have classic guitar looks and wat not

then the final leven can the 2000’s and we can have all these weird lookin alien ppl walkin around

either way do something big other than making ur own brand over and over again

January 10, 2009 @ 8:23 pm

Damien

Put some more Iron Maiden, Buckethead songs on there, and also some never before done Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. It will make the ultimate guitar hero experience!