Not since my days playing EverQuest (from 1999-2002), have I been this addicted to a video game. I had heard of Guitar Hero and knew that it was very popular, but playing the guitar never really interested me. But then along came Rock Band in November of 2007 offering gamers an opportunity to rock out to their favorite songs by either strumming a guitar, banging on a set of drums, or singing along. I may not have been interested in playing the guitar, but I have always wanted to learn to play the drums. Still though, I was hesitant about spending $150 on a video game. It wasn’t until I got some hands-on experience at my cousins’ during a family Xmas party that it finally got me hooked.
Still, $150 is nothing to sneeze at, and I spent the next two months convincing Alice and myself that it wouldn’t be gathering dust in the corner of the room after only a couple of weeks of playing time. February comes along and my enthusiasm for the game doesn’t subside at all, so Alice decides to get me Rock Band as a Valentine’s Day gift. I don’t know if she regrets the purchase, but I am certainly loving it. I have been playing it almost every single day since I got the game, and probably haven’t gone more than 3 consecutive days without playing it once. Will I ever get tired of the game? That’s a hard one to answer. There’s just so much you can do in the game. You can sing, play the drums, or play the guitar. Or better yet, you could sing and play the guitar OR sing and play the drums at the same time. If you get with bored with playing solo, you can play competitively or cooperatively with others in the same room or even online. It makes a great party game! And here’s one final piece that keeps you coming back for more. Every week, Harmonix releases new songs for purchase; so the game never gets old. I’ve been playing for 7 months and am still going strong. And I am anxiously awaiting the release of Rock Band 2.