Guitar Hero and Rock Band

[lzfan715]

I really hope Jimmy doesn't let any Zep go on Guitar Hero. I think that Shrek 3 made IS look like a prissy princess song, I don't want them going more commercial by letting GH use their songs.

[Zoso7889]

Yeah you're right, it doesn't.

Not to mention it's not very creative.

But it is a game after all.

Think about it. There is a whole sub-culture of people who are only going to know what rock music is through these games.

If Led Zeppelin isn't included, then how are they to ever come upon their glory?

Their music was life changing for me, and I tend to think that this game is a vehicle to even more audiences that deserve to have a go at Led Zeppelin.

Jimmy would never allow Zeppelins back catalouge on Guitar hero. I think he would see that as tainting the music, the guy never even liked singles and has rarley licensed Zeppelins music for any use in the media so its unlikey it'll ever happen.

[Gr3ll]

I think Guitar Hero and Rock Band are terrible venues for Led Zep music. The games are a joke and LZ would be as well.

Regards,

Grell

[Levee]

maybe the older people dont like guitar hero cause there arthritis is acting up.CAN'T STAND THE HEAT, DONT STAY IN THE KITCHEN!

If any of us are suffering from from arthritis it's because WE LEARNED HOW TO PLAY A FUCKING INSTRUMENT!. Not from standing in front of a tv playing a video game. I suggest you do the same.

And it's GET out of the kitchen, Spartacus.

[BonzoEqualsGoodStuff]

I don't really understand the point in these games. They're so big around the dorms and it makes no sense to me. For crap's sake, just play the real instrument! I enjoy playing a guitar. It's kinda fun and I enjoy it and all that stuff. A couple of my coworkers play Guitar Hero all the time and I can play the actual guitar better than them because I PRACTICE. And I play my guitar a lot less than they play the video game.

I really don't see the point. Is my generation so lazy that we can't even pick up a real guitar? We need help... and lots of it. And some people need to have their video game consules surgically removed... then promptly incinerated.

[guitarmy]

What Steve is referring to is a mechanical license. This is the license you would obtain for Tape/Vinyl/CD/Etc. and audio-only download products. Anyone can obtain one once a song has been commercially distributed and is often referred to as a compulsory mechanical license.

The type of license required to use a song in Guitar Hero is what is called a synchronization license. It's called this because you are 'synchronizing' music to images. There is no compulsory license for synch uses. All synchronization rights remain the sole rights of the copyright owners (in this case, the band and their heirs).

It's such a wonderful thing to be able to find the answer to a question posted months ago and for interest to spark again! That was very insightful, thank you.

Looking down the page...I have a lot to reply to...

It's also worth mentioning that the money for these games is not very good at all. Zeppelin can command about any price they ask for synch uses such as movies and commercials because they are so rare. They would be getting massive amounts of money for that kind of stuff. I'm talking upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars. For a game like guitar hero you're looking at something like $20K. Not worth it for such a cheap gimmick. And I'm sure none of them would be too happy about re-records...

Two things:

The first is that I didn't think they cared about money.

The second is that I'm 100% sure any deal would be off if the music was to be re-recorded / covered.

[TheBloodyXXX]

It really bugs me when ppl are "GH IS SO DUMB. LEARN HOW TO PLAY A REAL GUITAR INSTEAD." It's just game. There's no harm in finding enjoyment in playing a game with really cool music.

[PJD]

It's such a wonderful thing to be able to find the answer to a question posted months ago and for interest to spark again! That was very insightful, thank you.

Looking down the page...I have a lot to reply to...

Two things:

The first is that I didn't think they cared about money.

The second is that I'm 100% sure any deal would be off if the music was to be re-recorded / covered.

Yeah, no problem.

But be real, everybody cares about money. The number I heard floating around for that Cadillac ad was over a million for the initial run and that isn't counting the residuals from the heavy rotation that ad got and the extended term it ran for. If it wasn't about the money they wouldn't have shleped one of their most well known songs for a car company. Synchronization licensing is a careful balance of exploiting your copyrights while retaining their long term value. Video games don't offer any real value for a band like Zeppelin. For a band like Motley Crue, or somebody like that it's great to get people into the music, but as has been pointed out several times already in this thread Zeppelin isn't exactly a secret.

And I can't see them licensing the master recording either. I can't see the band being thrilled at being portrayed as ridiculous cartoon video game characters and the fee would essentially double, making it too costly for the game maker and still not any real amount of money for the band.

For more nerdy goodness on copyright go here:

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html

and

http://www.copyright.gov/

[guitarmy]

These 3 quotes all seem to be of the same flavor:

I think Guitar Hero and Rock Band are terrible venues for Led Zep music. The games are a joke and LZ would be as well.

If any of us are suffering from from arthritis it's because WE LEARNED HOW TO PLAY A FUCKING INSTRUMENT!. Not from standing in front of a tv playing a video game. I suggest you do the same.

I don't really understand the point in these games. They're so big around the dorms and it makes no sense to me. For crap's sake, just play the real instrument! I enjoy playing a guitar. It's kinda fun and I enjoy it and all that stuff. A couple of my coworkers play Guitar Hero all the time and I can play the actual guitar better than them because I PRACTICE. And I play my guitar a lot less than they play the video game.

Yeah but what about people, like myself, who would like to both play real guitar and play guitar hero? I would like to be able to jam with Zeppelin either way. Like that other guy, I'm tired of hearing Free Bird on Guitar Hero. These guitar hero and rock band types are basically painting a picture and titling it "This is Rock", but it's like they tried painting the picture without using the whole palette. When I play guitar hero, I can see that something is missing. Other people that haven't ever heard of Led Zeppelin, and yes they do exist, can't see this and won't "get the picture".

I really don't see the point. Is my generation so lazy that we can't even pick up a real guitar? We need help... and lots of it. And some people need to have their video game consules surgically removed... then promptly incinerated.

The fact is that video games are a lifestyle choice for many people. Perhaps you are lazy for not picking up a game controller? Maybe you don't understand them and so you've decided not to pursue them. But maybe people don't understand real guitars and haven't pursued them for the same reason.

I can tell you right now that playing the songs on guitar hero are a lot harder than playing them in real life, at least on the hardest difficulties anyways. There's more room in real life to improvise and a pick and a string are a lot easier to manipulate than some lousy buttons and a plastic strumbar.

But then why do I play Guitar Hero if a real guitar is easier for me and I can play any song if I practice hard enough? For starters, I suppose I like the challenge. I also like the feel generated by combining all the different songs into a single entity. It's the whole experience that I enjoy.

I like being able to measure my so-called "skills" through my score. Because in real life, there are no objective scores. Who's the best guitar player in the world? Who's the best group in the world? These are questions that truly can't be answered objectively (Just take a look at some of the topics around here).

But with guitar hero, your skill is calculable. Who's the best guitar hero of them all? You can look it up online if you want to. You can see rankings for individual songs. Everything can be broken down. You can compete with your friends or even total strangers. One thing video games do is a bring a level playing field for competition. Two people have the same exact tool and options at their disposal and you get to see who is actually better.

Maybe I'm just super anal and like to get every single note without missing a beat.

But this leads me to a reason as to why guitar hero and rock band may not be right for Led Zeppelin. Video games, especially the ones like Guitar Hero, are about being perfect...getting high scores, impressing/beating friends.

Led Zeppelin, although my ears would probably disagree, were never about being perfect. Robert's occasionally squeaked ... Jimmy sometimes played a wrong note ... John Paul and Bonzo started too soon/late every once in a while. This was not a perfect thing. But the weird thing for me, is that despite all of these minor flaws, it still works really well. Mistakes are easy to forgive because you know everyone will sync-up again at some point. Led Zeppelin worked because of the magic. They worked because of the indescribable.

But video games seek to map out every possible little detail and to categorize it and to own it. Video games manipulate their subject matter and make it possible for people to do things they wouldn't be able to do in real life. Video games are also usually repeatable, and this is especially true for guitar hero. Remember what I said before about improvisation? Well that doesn't exist in guitar hero. You have to input the button sequence exactly as it is on the screen and so there's no room to try something else.

Led Zeppelin always tried something else! If there's any reason not put Led Zeppelin in guitar hero, it's because the guitar hero music always follows the same set path of notes. It's just too static to put Led Zeppelin's name on it

Or maybe not? Part of me still hopes it isn't. Just for fun. That's what games are.

[Anarchy2Howard]

I don't think Zep should be in that game, it creates a subculture of posers who know nothing about bands except the one song they heard on guitar hero.

Led Zeppelin ARE the greatest rock band of all time, and we wouldn't want a whole bunch of kids claiming they love Led Zeppelin when they've only heard one song by them. Not to mention the band itself, with their whole anti-singles thing going on. Guitar Hero would make exactly the kind of thing that they hate - one song fans.

[Deezer]

I agree with guitarmy. You people claim that they need to pick up an instrument. Well, half the people who play have absolutely no interest in playing the guitar. They're gamers. They play video games. So that line of arguing is stupid.

However, I've seen at least a few people who have shown interest in playing the guitar BECAUSE of the game. Anything that shines the light on playing guitar and that great music is worth it, in my opinion. And a lot of people I know have been turned onto Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lynyrd Skynyrd because of the game. To me, though I don't play, it's all good.

[MisterMcLov1n]

To all the people who put the game down or say "play real guitar": shut the fuck up, you know nothing.

First of all, Guitar Hero and Rock Band are games. They aren't simulations of anything. People play because it's fun. Rocking out with your firends doesn't mean you have no talent, last time I checked. There are plenty of people (including me) that play GH and RB and a real instrument. Saying "why don't you play real guitar" to someone who plays GH is like telling someone who plays Grand Theft Auto to behead a real hooker or tell someone that plays Call of Duty 4 to join the real British SAS. Let me restate: shut the fuck up. You know nothing.

Second, Led Zeppelin wouldn't be sellouts if they put some songs in Rock Band or Guitar Hero, that can only be good for their reputation. If they license the songs, they will gain a new generation of kids who love Zep, who now only listen to MCR and the crap on the radio.

And lastly, don't worry about Zep being in the game. Neversoft and Harmonix don't have the millions of dollars and connections one needs to license a Zep song.

[waiving]

i have guitar hero, i have real guitars, i love led zeppelin. so with that in mind, i think this topic has raised the hair on the back of some people's necks and they've taken it personally that people would actually play a video game with a controller fashioned after a guitar and still be able to love zeppelin.

i've heard it over and over - get a real instrument! or what a joke that is! or just because you can play gh that doesn't mean you can play a real guitar! well, i'm here to say i've yet to come across anyone whose even hinted that they think they know how to play a guitar because of their skill at the video game. as has been mentioned, it's simply a game.

now, being a lover of music, a lover of guitar especially, the idea of video game that was about guitar blew my mind. personally i think it's a great idea. i know that it does introduce people to different types of music and bands they may never have known about. so it does have it's merits. but hardly is anyone claiming that it gives anyone the illusion that they can really play.

as for zep in these games, i know, probably will not ever happen. i am a little saddened by that, just because i love zeppelin so much, but i understand. someone earlier linked to a youtube vid of some custom songs that people have created with zeppelin pieces, and they are awesome. the stairway one is great.

my daughter's favorite character in gh2 is clive winston and anyone who knows the game and this character knows it's a spitting image of jimmy circa 1977 period. the only thing that is not right on is the character has a mustache, but it's not completely out of place. he has a white suit that looks remarkably like the dragon suit, when star power is engaged with this character his "trick" is to pull out a bow and play with it. and the fretboard has a dragon design on it when this character is used. so they're already tipping their cap to the world's best, but that's as close as you get to zeppelin in gh so far.

[MisterMcLov1n]

Fact: Most of the kids at my high school have no idea who Led Zeppelin are.

Fact: More will know who they are and what they are like if Zep appears in Guitar Hero or Rock Band.

[MisterMcLov1n]

I really hope Jimmy doesn't let any Zep go on Guitar Hero. I think that Shrek 3 made IS look like a prissy princess song, I don't want them going more commercial by letting GH use their songs.

That scene was funny, any way you slice it.

In fact, most of the time when Zep is mentioned in a film, it's funny.

"You know, Led Zeppelin didn't write songs that everyone liked. They left that to the Bee Gees." From Wayne's World.

[MisterMcLov1n]

I really don't see the point. Is my generation so lazy that we can't even pick up a real guitar? We need help... and lots of it. And some people need to have their video game consules surgically removed... then promptly incinerated.

People play games because they are fun. Guitar Hero is fun. So is Rock Band. What's so wrong with wanting to rock out to Black Dog? It's not because we're lazy, it's because it's fun. Seriously, mod your Guitar Hero game and put some Cacophony or Yngwie or Buckethead. It's a blast.

[marmorek]

The only way it could work would be if they released an all-Zeppelin edition of Rock Band (like they're doing with Guitar Hero: Aerosmith). That would partially solve the "poser" problem, because there would actually be a decent number of songs from the Zeppelin catalogue (more than Mothership).

[ZepHead81]

I have a magazine, it had an article about guitar hero III, and it had a list of the top 10 songs that were wanted in guitar hero III, and Stairway was listed as #1.. ill see if i can find it and scan it...

[MisterMcLov1n]

I have a magazine, it had an article about guitar hero III, and it had a list of the top 10 songs that were wanted in guitar hero III, and Stairway was listed as #1.. ill see if i can find it and scan it...

Indeed, I have the same magazine, it's a Game Informer from a few years ago.

But, I would rather have Master of Puppets than Stairway, personally (slow chords or metal solo?)

[Zephyrus]

you know what turns my crank is this crap about LZ needing to put songs on Guitar Hero for their reputation, to pull in new fans. well, shit, they've been around 40 years now, without playing on TV, without selling songs to more than a tiny handful of commercials and movies, and yet, YET, they've still managed to maintain their status as one of the top rock bands of all time. sure there's people who don't know them, but they're few and far between. LZ doesn't need Guitar Hero to get a fan. as long as their music exists, they will have fans. they could shut down all forms of advertising and do nothing but sell albums, and they would still have a gigantic fanbase. this band does not, repeat: Does Not, need to put their songs on a video game in order to make fans. that crap is for bands who are unable to maintain a fanbase to begin with. what made Zeppelin different was the fact that they didn't insist on screwing up their image and legacy in order to make "one more fan."

[MisterMcLov1n]

you know what turns my crank is this crap about LZ needing to put songs on Guitar Hero for their reputation, to pull in new fans. well, shit, they've been around 40 years now, without playing on TV, without selling songs to more than a tiny handful of commercials and movies, and yet, YET, they've still managed to maintain their status as one of the top rock bands of all time. sure there's people who don't know them, but they're few and far between. LZ doesn't need Guitar Hero to get a fan. as long as their music exists, they will have fans. they could shut down all forms of advertising and do nothing but sell albums, and they would still have a gigantic fanbase. this band does not, repeat: Does Not, need to put their songs on a video game in order to make fans. that crap is for bands who are unable to maintain a fanbase to begin with. what made Zeppelin different was the fact that they didn't insist on screwing up their image and legacy in order to make "one more fan."

Few and far between? Riiiiiight.

When talking about LZ reunion: (actual conversation)

Me: "Well, Robert Plant still sounds good."

Justin: "I don't even know who the hell that is."

Most of America's youth has no idea who Led Zeppelin are and unfortunately they probably never will.

[california girl]

Have to agree there, I'm a guitarist and nothing compares to the feeling of completely rocking out playing a Led Zeppelin song on guitar after AGES of learning it, some crappy video game cant do that justice and Id be disappointed if the band allowed themselves to go on a kareoke guitar game.

Ditto! I have a 17-year-old daughter who plays lots of Led Zeppelin. In fact, that's the only music she played ever since she picked up the guitar. She's been listening to them ever since she could hear. That's a long time. And, it didn't take her ages to figure out their songs. All she has to do is listen to them, watch the concert D.V.D.'s a couple of times, and then she could figure them out. She really tries hard, and it's like hearing Jimmy play when she plays the ones she does know. She can't play them all. But then again, who can play like Jimmy?

[california girl]

i have guitar hero, i have real guitars, i love led zeppelin. so with that in mind, i think this topic has raised the hair on the back of some people's necks and they've taken it personally that people would actually play a video game with a controller fashioned after a guitar and still be able to love zeppelin.

i've heard it over and over - get a real instrument! or what a joke that is! or just because you can play gh that doesn't mean you can play a real guitar! well, i'm here to say i've yet to come across anyone whose even hinted that they think they know how to play a guitar because of their skill at the video game. as has been mentioned, it's simply a game.

now, being a lover of music, a lover of guitar especially, the idea of video game that was about guitar blew my mind. personally i think it's a great idea. i know that it does introduce people to different types of music and bands they may never have known about. so it does have it's merits. but hardly is anyone claiming that it gives anyone the illusion that they can really play.

as for zep in these games, i know, probably will not ever happen. i am a little saddened by that, just because i love zeppelin so much, but i understand. someone earlier linked to a youtube vid of some custom songs that people have created with zeppelin pieces, and they are awesome. the stairway one is great.

Imagine what would happen if Jimmy found out about the character you described on your daughter's game. He has a temper when it comes to tampering with his work. I don't want to be around if he finds out!

my daughter's favorite character in gh2 is clive winston and anyone who knows the game and this character knows it's a spitting image of jimmy circa 1977 period. the only thing that is not right on is the character has a mustache, but it's not completely out of place. he has a white suit that looks remarkably like the dragon suit, when star power is engaged with this character his "trick" is to pull out a bow and play with it. and the fretboard has a dragon design on it when this character is used. so they're already tipping their cap to the world's best, but that's as close as you get to zeppelin in gh so far.

[BlackDog71]

Doesn't matter to me. I have all the music to rock out to. Guitar Hero is nothing to Zeppelin. Rightfully so too.

[guitarmy]

you know what turns my crank is this crap about LZ needing to put songs on Guitar Hero for their reputation, to pull in new fans. well, shit, they've been around 40 years now, without playing on TV, without selling songs to more than a tiny handful of commercials and movies, and yet, YET, they've still managed to maintain their status as one of the top rock bands of all time. sure there's people who don't know them, but they're few and far between. LZ doesn't need Guitar Hero to get a fan. as long as their music exists, they will have fans. they could shut down all forms of advertising and do nothing but sell albums, and they would still have a gigantic fanbase. this band does not, repeat: Does Not, need to put their songs on a video game in order to make fans. that crap is for bands who are unable to maintain a fanbase to begin with. what made Zeppelin different was the fact that they didn't insist on screwing up their image and legacy in order to make "one more fan."

"The times they are a'changing"

Led Zeppelin doesn't NEED anyone or anything. It's more like the young ones today need Led Zeppelin. One reason why Led Zeppelin survived and prospered despite the lack of major commercialization on their part was because the world moved at a different speed. Word of mouth (and their playing/albums) were enough to drive their music to the forefront of rock. But today, with the internet, that doesn't cut it.

All the glory of Led Zeppelin that we see today is from the people who built them up when they were together. What I'm saying is that the legacy of Led Zeppelin lies mostly with the people who saw them play or watched them unfold album after album. In a perfect world, the legacy would be in the music. Unfortunately, the younger generation subscribes to things that are "new" and fresh (garbage).

We're all established Led Zeppelin fans and so the greatness of Led Zeppelin is already a given to us. I got into Led Zeppelin post-1980 on a hunch. I heard this awesome song on the radio and I wondered what it was, because it really really rocked. I found out what it was and a new era of my life began.

I was listening to a classic rock station when I heard "Black Dog". Which, bye the way, classic rock stations are dying out. My favorite classic rock station is now a "World Rock" station...whatever that means. They still play classic rock, but not as much of it and it's not as good of a station.

The majority of "kids today" are listening to radio stations that haven't played Led Zeppelin for 25 years. But they are playing video games. Putting one or two Led Zeppelin songs into guitar hero is like injecting a seed into the soul of a future rock lover.

You've got to have an entrance plan. What I mean by that, is that if a particular group of people don't have a way to initiate new members, then that group will die out. It's that simple. The way of the past, when Led Zeppelin was in the forefront, is gone. If you want Led Zeppelin to die with you, then go ahead and stick to the past.

The future is not entirely in video games. But it has recently become just one of the "newer" forms of initiation into the rock scene.