Introducing Classical Guitar Hero

Alex writes "I've just uploaded the video of a piece of classical electronic music I wrote for 2 Guitar Hero controllers and software (which I created). More information about this piece, its software, and the notation involved in playing it is at alexwroten.com/works.asp and alexwroten.com/excuses.html. I just figured people might be interested in finding new ways to use their Guitar Hero mastery ... especially with the hot debate over whether or not it hinders people's musical instruction."

Robert Fripp Took Thorazine!

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

King Crimson ate a bunch of "Reds"! [wikipedia.org]

God. Such racket!

Re:Robert Fripp Took Thorazine!

[Serenissima]

I thought maybe if I skipped ahead, there would be some actual music in that video. Nope!

Re:

[smittyoneeach]

Did he wind up in Andalusia [amazon.com]?
(starts off with some classical/flamenco stylings, goes right off the Jimi Hendrix cliff)

Holy shit

[Gewalt]

what the fuck is this doing on the front page of slashdot?

Re:Holy shit

[chubs730]

Oh, nobody told you about the Digg merger?

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Uh, I found his remark useful in that it echos my opinion - this is pretty stupid to be on the front page. This is the second dumb youtube video link in as many days, and seems to be the trend here. Criticize and get insulted by some silly AC who got all hot and bothered. :(

Re:

[Spy der Mann]

Independently of the pain that the performance caused to my ears, this is effectively hardware hacking, which does deserve a Slashdot front page.

Then don't post it

[tknd]

If there is no news, there is no news. Don't post stupid news to ruin the reputation of the site. All this is saying is that they are starting to value site traffic more than site reputation.

To be more specific I don't come here to see "BREAKING: NES Nudity Galore [VIDEO]!!!" It is the same reason why an investor doesn't expect to see scandalous pictures of Britney Spears on the Wall Street Journal.

Now if Slashdot does want to compete with digg and reddit for the top nerd sensationalist website then fine. People like me will simply stop visiting.

Re:

[D Ninja]

I'll still visit. I have to have SOMETHING to do at work. /just kidding //don't fire me ///wait...where am I again?

Re:

[Kashgarinn]

"Now if Slashdot does want to compete with digg and reddit for the top nerd sensationalist website then fine. People like me will simply stop visiting."

No you will bitch and moan and whimper "get off my lawn!" but that's about it, you'll still become bored enough to check what's on slashdot and roast-reply some stupid non-news article.

Classical 'hero' instruments

[Chris Burke]

I'm not sure what nonsense I'm seeing there (in the first six seconds of video before I stopped it; it started to feel too much like RTFA), but it's not what I imagined which was bringing classical music and the associated instruments to Guitar Hero. I could dig that. Think about it, instead of endless rehashes of the same Guitar Hero game, you could have new ones, like: Lyre Hero, Recorder Hero, Viola Hero, and the always impressive Oboe Hero.

Re:

[fireman sam]

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/activision_reports_sluggish_sales [theonion.com]

Nuf Said.

Re:

[Chris Burke]

Outdone by the Onion. As usual.

Re:Classical 'hero' instruments

[morari]

Personally, I want Cello Hero and Sitar Hero.

Re:

[QRDeNameland]

I'm holding out for Bass Clarinet Hero and Theramin Hero.

Re:

[agrippa_cash]

Simon Hero will pwn all if they ever get the emulator working.

Re:

[Brian Gordon]

Holy crap, best idea ever. Shredding a 50-color pattern from memory in tune to high-tempo music.. o_o

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Classical 'hero' instruments

[Chris Burke]

Followed by Skin Flute Hero.

Re:Classical 'hero' instruments

[twistedsymphony]

Followed by Skin Flute Hero.

You mean "Rock Band: Groupie Edition"

Re:

[david.given]

Do you mean like Accordian Hero [gamasutra.com]?

Re:

[hansonc]

how about Chamber Music Hero? http://www.gocomics.com/foxtrot/2008/02/17/ [gocomics.com]

Re:

[somersault]

A few months ago I had a good idea: Banjo Hero.

But more recently I had the most awesome. The most excellent. The most AMAZING idea for a Hero game ever. Picture if you will: Triangle Hero. The controllers would be cheap, the gameplay simple, and the tinkling furious. Copyright mine, controller patent pending.

Re:

[Spy der Mann]

Think about it, instead of endless rehashes of the same Guitar Hero game, you could have new ones, like: Lyre Hero, Recorder Hero, Viola Hero, and the always impressive Oboe Hero.

Hey, you forgot Cowbell Hero! [youtube.com]

Re:

[ozbird]

Bagpipe Hero [youtube.com].

Re:

[ozbird]

(Sorry, wrong link: The full bagpipe version can be found here [fabchannel.com] - I had to click on track 19, not 20.)

Piano/Keyboard Hero anybody?

[joggle]

I'd love to have a Piano Hero where you could hook up a normal, MIDI digital piano or keyboard up to the system and sightread. It would need to be normally scored music on treble and base clef though, otherwise I don't think I'd want to play it. Imagine trying to play on a full 88-key keyboard where all you see is Guitar Hero-style notes dropping from the sky in 88 columns. Umm, no thanks.

Unfortunately, this would only target aspiring (or actual) musicians so wouldn't sell nearly as well as other games.

Re:

[FLEB]

Wouldn't be hard to make a controller. I suspect you could wire up any old controller that has a button-- like an old mouse for instance-- one contact to the triangle, another to the striking... rod... or whatever it's called... and make them both adequately conductive.

Re:

[bigstrat2003]

It would be the best thing ever! [youtube.com]

no

[jtroutman]

I was really, truly hoping that would be great. Or good. It was neither.

Sounds like shit

[jdc180]

Kinda like abstract art. Throw some shit at a wall and call it a masterpiece.

Re:Sounds like shit

[Cornflake917]

especially with the hot debate over whether or not it hinders people's musical instruction.

Yup, I think the video has ended that debate.

Re:Sounds like shit

[jtroutman]

Nah, the musical instruction debate is still going on, this has killed the musical appreciation debate.

Re:

[iggymanz]

this video went so far as to take a shit in the subject before closing and sitting on the lid

Re:

[Gunnery Sgt. Hartman]

I agree. My ears are bleeding after that crap. That pretty much clears up the debate of whether or not Guitar Hero hinders your musical instruction.

Re:

[somersault]

They could have at least got some decent effects output from those things. And more than 5 notes. I mean there are presumably something like 5^5-1 combinations of button presses (yeah, I don't know the math, here's my fake geek card..)?

I tried Guitar Hero for the first time just over a month ago, it's way more fun than it looks :) I've done something like 36/42 of the expert career songs.. some of the solos are just stupid for the more difficult songs. I play guitar as well, and I'd say that Expert difficul

Re:

[spazdor]

2^5.

Re:

[somersault]

Ah yep it's just a binary system, didn't think of that.

Re:

[AngryNick]

I, for one, welcome our new music Overlords.

I'm sure the beta version of the violin was met with the same reception.

YouTube comment sums it up

[OverlordQ]

As much as I'm loathe to approve a YouTube comment as insightful, I believe this sums it up nicely:

I feel sorry for the crowd. At least I could skip through, see that this sucks, and move on.

Re:

[Spy der Mann]

I have a shorter summary.

"My ears, the earplugs do nothing!"

WTF is this shit?

[Anonymous Coward]

WTF? seriously, whats does all this shit do on the /. frontpage today. are we transforming into /b/?

Tagged:

[oskard]

painful

Re:

[spazdor]

!classical, !music

take note timothy

[mzs]

Maybe you do not know how /. used to be like, but very rarely should the person that created the 'article' be the one who submits it. Slashdot should work where 'news for nerds, stuff that matters' is 'discovered' and then posted. There was another recent article (rather video) that made the front page which you accepted and it was of questionable interest as well.

Re:

[Digi-John]

I expressed the same sentiments on the moronic video from yesterday; Slashdot is really about posting someone else's stuff, not your own. It also means that everyone gets that lovely "I've just been raped, but by whom?" thought when they see their server logs.

Classical?

[Chrisje]

I just watched the *whole* video. And it really really was that bad, I'm afraid. Don't quit your day jobs. Seriously. The score was monotonous as hell, and it sounded like, well, two guitar-on-overdrive-pedals copies. Which is exactly what it was.

I'm not at all against using the guitar hero controllers as instruments. Shit, people like Kevin Johansen can even make mouth harps sound cool, so why not?

But calling this drivel "Classical" music is kind of akin to calling Delius a "classical composer".

Re:

[geekoid]

Side note:
Most 'classical' music was crap. Of course it didn't last 100s of years.

Re:

[oodaloop]

Oh, I don't know. I quite liked it. It was a bit repetitive for the first couple of minutes to be sure, but the climactic crescendo at the four and half minute mark nicely underscored their theme of trying to sound like Nine Inch Nails background music. I found it quite bold and powerful in a scrape-your-teeth-down-the-chalkboard kind of way.

Re:

[Televiper2000]

This seems to be a case of focusing too much on the oddities of the instrument and not so much the actual composition. It really comes down to the fact that all they really have is an oddly shaped midi controller with pitiful number of buttons. The only thing that's not a simple button is the whammy bar. Performance wise it looks like they didn't spend enough time practising.

So will someone stop saying 'hot debate' non stop?

[Awptimus Prime]

Hot debate? I don't think the debate is so hot over whether this helps or hurts one's musical introduction. It's just a simple timing game. Only a few media boobs who like to repeat themselves over and over are the culprits behind your misinterpretation that there is actually a hot debate flaming over such things.

I play the keyboard and guitar. I don't think it's helped or hurt my playing in either. Just as Quake didn't make me any better or worse at hunting dove with a shotgun, or the countless hours of playing counter strike, my accuracy with my 7.62mm sport rifle never changed. It's a game, that's it. Nothing more, nothing less. The 'real thing' in all cases is completely different.

 

Re:

[YttriumOxide]

For someone who doesnt know the instrument / is a beginner, this is is a distraction from the real thing.

Of course, what about those of us who enjoy Guitar Hero (I've played it a few times at a friend's place, and had a great time, but don't actually own it myself), but have ZERO interest in learning how to play a real guitar?

I am under no illusion that I have any guitar skill, despite becoming relatively good at Guitar Hero. It's a game. It's about pressing buttons with the right timing, like MANY games, but somewhat simplified to the most basic game play form and with a soundtrack of music that for the

Re:

[YttriumOxide]

My apologies - I guess I just got a little riled up by other posters who were spouting off about, "but you're not a REAL guitar hero for playing it!", and took my frustration out on the wrong person. You didn't deserve it.

That Guy

[Arivia]

I hope you enjoy being "That Guy".

Re:

[Digi-John]

"That Guy" being the guy who submits his own crap (youtube videos at that!) to Slashdot? Yeah, I hate That Guy.

Re:

[prockcore]

I'm assuming you're referring to That Guy [escapistmagazine.com]

BTW, Stop with the youtube shit please.

[Awptimus Prime]

I forgot to mention in my previous message that it's high time /. give up on the hip youtube linkage. Most of us read this shit at work and save the media filled garbage for a setting that allows for lots of bad audio and questionable content on the screen.

For years, if the boss walks by and sees /. on the screen, it's no big deal. If the boss comes by and sees two guys pressing buttons hardwired into a shitty synth, he won't be thinking I am staying up to date on the latest geek news that is pertinent, such as security articles, the latest drive technology and such.

But go ahead, if you want to turn this into fark and end up eventually blocked by the nanny proxies, keep at it.

Welcome to Soviet Russia Slashdot

[HalAtWork]

In Soviet Russia, Slashdot gets slashdotted, with spam from other web sites with little links like "slashdot it!"

I guess Slashdot has become popular because it gives a lot of other web sites hits, so people know to submit stories here outside the usual audience. Which poses a problem for the usual audience I guess. Maybe all things mass-submitted should be put under a different category that we can just block. I mean, I would probably read this kind of thing if I came across it on another site, or in an

Re:

[belg4mit]

Nobody forced you to click through.

Re:

[Awptimus Prime]

It would be one thing if the link denoted the fact that I was going to be clicking on a very noisey video link. I thought I was heading towards a technical site that explains what they did on a hardware level to do it. Not the lunacy I found.

Re:

[Awptimus Prime]

Well, as most folks know, the IT director isn't the most up-to-date on what's good reading when it comes to this stuff. Universally, /. gets a pass when browsing at the desk in engineering groups. I am just warning that with the recent influx of non-geek shit links to videos is going to change the site's image.

As mentioned before, there's no warning that you are going to a noisy link. I clicked it thinking I was going to actually see details of a hardware modification.

Go beat your weener or something, your

Re:

[bcdm]

...

*blink*

Fail. [lafferty.ca]

I like giving my ideas out: Piano Hero

[CrazyJim1]

If you want to train a little kid on piano, but don't feel like giving them lessons: Paino Hero. Link a computer to some LEDs on the piano keys. Then when the notes are supposed to be played, they light up on the piano.

Re:

[geekoid]

There is already a guitar(real guitar) training packages out there. You plug it into your computer and play notes as they appear on the screen.

Re:

[yermej]

Kind of like this [synthesiagame.com]? It used to be called Piano Hero, but Activision got mad. No LEDs on keys, but that wouldn't be free (without a lot of DIY).

Just Play Real Guitar!

[spiedrazer]

If people spent as much time practicing a real guitar as they do on the games they might find that they are a REAL guitar hero!

Re:

[Nonillion]

You said it brother! Learn how to play a REAL instrument, build up REAL calluses and the WORK it takes to play correctly. While this game may inspire some, you will find that playing a game where the computer covers up ALL of your mistakes just shows you the work it takes to be a REAL guitar hero.

Re:

[prockcore]

Guitar Hero came out in 2005. No one became a "REAL guitar hero!" in 3 years, jackass.

I hope...

[SIGBUS]

...that it has better sales than Sousaphone Hero [theonion.com].

Learning

[Faux_Pseudo]

If guitar hero could teach me to learn to read sheet music and recognize different pitches, notes and keys then I would fork over the money for it.

Oh my god WTF!?

[ArikTheRed]

I feel like I just got Rickrolled. Thanks Slashdot.

This, but not GHX?

[Techbear1980]

Why is this on the front page, but not my stuff?? I wrote software to turn a GH controller into an instrument: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3ohtqvF33c [youtube.com] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkyRRSSKHLU [youtube.com]

Guitar rising

[LarsWestergren]

especially with the hot debate over whether or not it hinders people's musical instruction."

No matter the outcome of THAT debate, I think no one can dispute that this upcoming game [guitarrising.com] teaches people to play for real. I'm going to get it. :)

You're Talking to Slashdot

[iamhigh]

Wrong crowd to chastise for sitting at home playing games and such. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Re:

[Cornflake917]

You "hip young axe hero wannabees" are all well and good but you are also guaranteed to have these three things - a plastic guitar, a surround sound system and your virginity.

I've met a quite a few girls at rock band "parties" actually. Just last weekend the guy hosting the get together hooked up with a girl who came. Maybe someday MY number will be called :P

And btw, the songs played on GH/RB are also played by professionals. The only difference is that at a concert, you are surrounded by a large crowd of very loud, and smelly teenagers.

So no caphice, sorry.

Re:

[spazdor]

The only difference is that at a concert, you are surrounded by a large crowd of very loud, and smelly teenagers.

not that I expect this to matter to anyone, but the songs at concerts are played by people with musical instruments. Who invest actual creative time and effort into making the music.

Well, sometimes. [youtube.com]

Re:

[Cornflake917]

Hence my quotation marks. Good job, dude.

Btw, what you describe is more of a frat party than anything. Just because people aren't acting like morons, doesn't mean it's party.

Re:

[geekoid]

Let see.

"Playing loud music,"
Check

"drinking excessively,"
Check

" sneaking out to the back garden to toke on a joint"
Getting a little old for that.

" and couples copulating in the bedrooms"
Does the hammock or hot tub count? if so, check

" is called a "party"."

I guess the last guitar hero party I went to a party.

What? you think the other people there just spend all there time staring at the 50" 1080p plasma screen with 7.1 sound?
That's right, bitch.

Re:

[geekoid]

True, but people NOT playing aren't just standing around staring at other people playing. That would be pretty boring, and it would make me a bad host.

Re:

[somersault]

Let's face it, if you're not watching the screen while fiddling with your plastic guitar, you're not going to be very good at the game now, are you?

Personally I think if you're playing without watching the screen, that's a sign that you are getting pretty good (or just have an excellent memory).

Re:To all the "Guitar Heros" out there....

[Anonymous Coward]

Just followed your advice. Now I'm down $100 and I got the clap. Thanks.

Re:To all the "Guitar Heros" out there....

[geekoid]

It's just a game, jerk wad.

Yeah, playing guitar hero, having some drinks and some laughs. Who wants that~

So in short, you suck.

Re:

[geekoid]

I don't own a mac or an iPhone and I fail to see the connection. I also fail to see why you think that people who play guitar hero don't do anything else?

Why is playing a fake guitar to play a game any different then picking up a fake gun to play a game? Do you complain at people playing Call of Duty that there not actually in a war?

Man, you really area jerk wad, AND you can't think with any kind of logic.

You stand there and gnash your teeth and pull your hair about people playing their fake guitars, we wi

Re:

[geekoid]

"Sorry, but who's the one throwing about the "F*** yous" and "jerk wads"?"

I am, weren't you paying attention?
I was, as any one with even moderate intelligence would of realized, referring to the fact you went out of your way to post a rant against something you could have just skipped.

"I use irony and humour to make the occasional funny comment on here."
There was no irony. You are confusing "Ironic" with "Moronic".

Re:

[somersault]

If that were me I would have picked up on the 'of' instead of 'have' too. But I'm trying to work past my "I'm a jerk wad" stage of my life. You aren't funny, and you are just showing that you have never played Guitar Hero by your attitude to it. I had a similar attitude til I tried it a few weeks ago, and it's actually great fun. Say hello to yourself [xkcd.com]

And yes, I am a guitarist (though funnily enough I'm always the drummer when it comes to recording music and playing gigs, since all my friends are guitarists

Re:

[nbert]

So why make music at all - there's always someone better than you, so invest your money to listen to them

For some strange reason the general discussion makes me want to point out two pieces which prove that rather limited electronic devices can be used to produce something interesting: iBand [youtube.com](2 iPhones and a Wii) and Escapehawaii [youtube.com](Gameboy samples). I wouldn't say that they are good in any regards, but they are making music we wouldn't have without technology and they have a bigger audience than the classic g

redundant nomenclatures ftw

[spazdor]

You know what you call a Guitar Hero player without a girlfriend?
...Actually, uh, you just call him a Guitar Hero player.

Re:Answer me this...

[geekoid]

Fuck you, and people like you.

It's a game, it's fun. My son and I have a great time playing it. It's like the game Simon, turned up to 11.

My son and I were playing a Black Sabbath song. At the end we both spontaneously threw the horns.
That was fun as hell.

Nobody playing Guitar Hero thinks they're playing a guitar, no one.

We have a good time, This should be a ***REAL BIG HINT*** to you.

Clue, Programming is boring to almost every one, listening to music and playing a game is boring to almost no one.

Considering real Rock Stars ALSO play and enjoy Guitar Hero, I think They get that it's a game to.

Guess what? Wii tennis, isn't real tennis either! And GTA IV isn't killing real people.
Why can everything else be emulated and extracted out onto a game, but not playing an guitar?

I can play Guitar Hero, AND go to a concert.

As a bonus, my children and I are now talking about music, and I can engage them in a conversation about guitar rifts on the radio, using Guitar Hero as a point of reference.

My children are 10 and 7, both know more about music than I did.

So Guitar Hero: Epic Win
You: Epic Lose

Re:

[pete-classic]

I love GTA IV. I don't play Guitar Hero.

Now, I sort of look down on Guitar Hero, but I'm a live and let live kind of guy.

But I do want to point out a very real difference between Guitar Hero and most other games. I can't really defend against and alien invasion. I can't really join the mafia. I can't really be a Simpson. I'll probably never fly a jet. But I can do all these things in video games.

On the other hand, for the price of a current-gen console, a couple of "guitar" controllers, and Guitar Her

Re:

[geekoid]

"I can't really defend against and alien invasion"
What, you can't wait 6 moths? ;)

"I can't really join the mafia. I can't really be a Simpson. I'll probably never fly a jet. "
You can do all those things.

"To me, for my money, that's a way better deal."
But probably not a deal for all those people you will be playing 'passably' at. I joke, it was an easy shot.

"Why simulate something you can actually do?"
In fact, it would be trivial to get a gun , steal a car and run over people.

Also, Guitar hero is fun. It's a

Re:

[somersault]

Why simulate something you can actually do?

Are you trying to say that guys involved in long term sexual relationships never masturbate?

Geekoid even pointed out that rock stars play guitar hero and have fun. There's plenty of scope for you to learn real songs alongside playing guitar hero, but when you're by yourself you don't have anyone to play the drums and sing, etc. Guitar Hero has a pretty good atmosphere (the crowd boos if you mess up and cheers if you hit lots of notes in a row for example). It's obviously not the same as playing a real guit

Re:Answer me this...

[geekoid]

"Correction, you were playing a timing game to the beat of a Black Sabbath song."

Yes, I know that. You know that, everyone knows that.

"Clue number 2 - I program because I enjoy it & because it pays a salary so I can afford to buy CDs, go to concerts to see proper musicians (including Black Sabbath incidentally) and to buy games to play."

So do I, but I recognize most people would not enjoy it at all; which I am grateful because that keeps my salary higher.

"Yep. So by your logic you also treat yourself to the occasional bag of cocaine because Keith Richards does?"
Virtual cocaine would be the proper analogy. However it doesn't matter because you missed my point;which is Nobody thinks it's real guitar.

"Hey, guess what? You could also play them a Black Sabbath CD and end up doing precisely the same thing. Good isn't it?"

Not really. Kids are more interested in thing when they are doing something.
Not that it's a bad thing, but they would probably get bored listening to they CD and wonder off to read.

"Good luck to them."
Thank you

" But your point is what, precisely?"
You really are obtuse, aren't you?

My point is that it was another way to get my kids interested in music. Since my son is now interested in playing the guitar, I think it worked.

"So be it. I personally don't need to turn everything into a competition. Yes, you win, enjoy yourself."
and you just have to whine about what other people do so you can feel good about yourself.

Re:

[somersault]

"So be it. I personally don't need to turn everything into a competition. Yes, you win, enjoy yourself."
and you just have to whine about what other people do so you can feel good about yourself.

That guys strange sarcastic non involved attitude reminds me of my ex. It makes my blood run cold :o Someone should lock him in a room with Guitar Hero and he'd probably kill himself after he finds out that he actually enjoys it.. :p There's something about it, to the extent when I hear a song I like now I think "wow that would be fun to play on Guitar Hero".

Re:Answer me this...

[Chris Burke]

Do you think Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton or Slash play "Linux Kernel Compilation Hero", "Perl Programmer Hero" or "Microsoft Service Pack Hero" in their spare time?

No.

And why?

Because they are ***NOT QUALIFIED*** to do all those wonderful things with operating systems that we Slashdotters are.

Are you insane, retarded, brain damaged, stupid, or do you just intentionally utter the most idiotic and wrong thing you can possibly think of?

The reason Eric Clapton doesn't play "Linux Kernel Compilation Hero" is because the game doesn't exist and if it did it would almost certainly suck. If you could actually make such a game that made Linux Kernel Compilation into a simple task that was also somehow also fun, then maybe Eric Clapton wouldn't play it, but some real guitar player somewhere would. Just like some of them play Guitar Hero because it's fun.

This should be a ***REAL BIG HINT*** to you.

Yeah, a hint that you're a delusional moron.

I'm PERFECTLY qualified to play Guitar Hero (not that I ever have, but that's not even the point). Why? Because just like your hypothetical "Perl Programmer Hero" isn't real Perl Programming, Guitar Hero isn't real guitar! It's a game!

I mean you're clearly suffering from one of two catastrophic mental deficiencies. Either:
1) You think that plastic guitar is actually comparable to a real guitar, with commensurate skill required.
or
2) You think that you should not be able to play a simple game based on an activity unless you are actually an expert at the real activity, and thus would issue the same tard-rant against racing games, war strategy games, FPS games, sports games, and hell basically every game that isn't "Being a Douche on the Internet Hero", the only thing you are actually qualified to do the real version of.

So which is it?

So put down the plastic guitar, go back to your computer screen, earn some money and go buy a CD or a concert ticket.

So, you've never in your life played air guitar to your favorite CD? Never sang along at a concert, despite not having any business being a professional singer?

Soulless, and stupid. You're quite the prize.

Re:

[somersault]

Being a Douche on the Internet Hero

A true lol moment ;)

If you could actually make such a game that made Linux Kernel Compilation into a simple task that was also somehow also fun

I'm not sure how exactly you can turn typing 'make' into a fun and rewarding task.. it's about all I had to do when compiling the kernel a few years back! There is of course that option where you can choose what modules to enable.. I wonder how many people could get through that on Expert on the first try?

Re:

[Chris Burke]

Hehe, me too. Nothing clears the head before heading home from work like a good ol' flame.

Re:

[iggymanz]

Do you think Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton or Slash play "Linux Kernel Compilation Hero"

there really is such a game for easily entertained simpletons to while away the hours just like the legions of Guitar Heroes, it's called Gentoo.

Re:

[ZeroExistenZ]

especially after the phrase "I only watched the first 6 seconds of it." Surely you must understand these people don't play guitar hero controllers all of the time

I've watched 40 seconds of it. (I actually finished to see them get the applause while writing this comment.)
It gets worse.
You make it sound that operating "guitar hero controllers" (designed to be easy to use by children. What's the target age of these things?) is like operating an actual instrument.

Look, I can play a real guitar. I sortof suck

Re:

[Chris Burke]

It's funny to me how venomous all of these comments are, especially after the phrase "I only watched the first 6 seconds of it."

Oh lordy, that's funny. Not only did I only watch six seconds, I watched them with the sound off. I know, I'm so unfair! And then I totally hated on him for not using classical instruments as controllers (whereas for all I know, maybe at 0:12 he whips out an electronic trombone). It totally wasn't a setup for a dumb joke about Oboe Hero, it was pure unadulterated venom. And no

Re:Wow

[bcdm]

It's funny to me how venomous all of these comments are, especially after the phrase "I only watched the first 6 seconds of it." Surely you must understand these people don't play guitar hero controllers all of the time; it's experimental. Obviously in your eyes the experiment failed. Enough said.

Buh?

They're performing a concert for the public. It's experimental, yes. It's original, yes. Many people will hate it, yes. But that's NO EXCUSE for not having practiced enough where they didn't play the piece properly. I counted at least five times (over the course of six minutes) where the performers fell out of sync with each other, not in a "post-modern atonal experimental" kind of way, but in a "I-have-no-fucking-clue-how-we're-supposed-to-be-playing-this-section" kind of way.

There are lots of valid reasons to justify this piece being performed, but there are no valid reasons to justify not playing it properly. If the classical guitarist and violinist can't hack it, then find people with less (but not no) classical training and more Guitar Hero training.