Country Music is the number one radio format in the United States and its the best-selling album genre on the planet. Country music fans are nearly twice as likely to purchase a concert ticket as any other type of music fan, and then on the way home from the show they are probably going to stop at a karaoke bar and belt out their favorite tunes over a few more cold ones. Yep, its the most-sung genre of music in karaoke bars too.
So then, if Country Music is so damned popular, why the hell has the genre been all but ignored by EA and Activision for their Rock Band and Guitar Hero franchises?
Don’t worry, I am fully prepared for your Country Music hate after the jump.
I was watching the bog CMA concert last night and wondering why we haven’t seen anything more than Devil Went Down to Georgia. Why would publishers ignore such a high-passion audience? It can’t be the money, as country music has long since broken the collar barrier. It’s fanbase boasts executives and auto mechanics alike.
Maybe the decision makers on this are the same people picking these obscure bands and known-band-B-sides that populate the music stores for both Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Last night I went searching for new music to play in Rock Band, and I bought every song I knew and liked, totaling exactly 1 song (Simple Man). I already had the Boston and the Jimmy Buffet, and The Who isn’t my cup of tea. Other than that it was all junk.
I’ve heard the devs argue that its a lot more than popularity that goes into selecting songs. Each track has to be evaluated on its instrumentation potential for the game blah blah blah.
I have never turned on Rock Band looking for some good instrumentation. I want to play songs I know and pretend I am famous for a few minutes.
The only music franchise paying any attention to the Country genre at present seems to be the new SingStar. We just got a couple of kiosks at the radio station for Singstar Country and it looks pretty cool, but its still just karaoke. It isn’t the “band” experience.
Look I know the music genre has come a long way in very short order, and I am not trying to say we’re on a collision course with the apocalypse if I can’t play “Rollin” by Big n Rich on my Rock Band drums.
But it seems like both Rock Band and Guitar Hero have hyper-focused their target audience quite unnecessarily. They could charge for additional genres as standalone titles, although honestly I would love to see some of the Rock Band default characters singing Friends in Low Places.
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I DO NOT Want.
yes i agree they should call a game like it called
Guitar Hero :Country Music
Harmonix said they plan to add more genres to downloadable content in Rock Band, and one of the ones they listed is country. So, your dream may come true.
I agree with Lono on this one.
I couldn’t agree with you more Doc. I listen to country and I sometimes think now that song would be fun to play on Rock Band. I think they could make country songs into some really fun songs to play.
It’s so true. It seems like they have this guy picking the music for these games who wants to impress people with how many obscure bands he can sign up, or how deep his knowledge of the great bands goes.
The end result is a horrendous lineup of mostly crap in the Rock Band store.
They COULD all be fun to play, but for me the FUN lies in playing my favorite songs.
Not the 80th hard-guitar track by the Howling Tomoatoes and their smash hit I Feel Like Salad.
Diversifying the genres of music, whatever your personal tastes are, will do nothing but strengthen it and attract an even wider audience of music fans to these games.
Thank you for writing this.
Honestly I would like to see other genres too. As silly as it sounds a Jazz band would be more fun to play in for me. I’s love to play drums to some Diana Krall tracks.
So many possibilities. Wish they’s all come true soon.
Whatever. I think the music games are getting a little polluted. Just wait till Guitar Hero comes out with the music editor….
There will be no shortage whatsoever of horrendous songs you can play.
But good points here. They do seemed “hyperfocused” as you said.
Joker and the Thief is NOT junk and if you say it is again I will stab you up.
>__>
<__<
But of course, if you haven’t even heard of the bands or songs, why would you spend money specifically buying them?
While I disagree that Country music should be included in a RB or GH game, I do agree with this statement:
“I have never turned on Rock Band looking for some good instrumentation. I want to play songs I know and pretend I am famous for a few minutes.”
while the genre itself can be debated wasn’t a cover of charlie daniels band included in one of these games. i actually work a lot in country music and while i’m not a huge fan you can’t deny the accessability and staying power it has. it still sells unlike a lot of other genre’s of music. every country show i work is generally sold out and that’s not just the legends like loretta lynn and willie nelson that’s the lesser known acts like keith anderson and james otto. they all practically sell out or come close to it at the venue i work at. ea and activision would honestly have to be pretty stupid to pass up a chance of what you could consider almost garaunteed income.
for the record i’m a musician and i can’t stand these games personally but i think they’re helping the music industry as whole out a lot and are good in that regard. and the genre’s i listen to and perform myself metal and hip hop. but i’ll throw down some hank 3 any day of the week.
I have been wondering the exact same thing for some time now. I would love to see some Country Music DLC for Rock Band.
I don’t want country music its “ROCK band” i emphasize the ROCK part. You can go and make country band but i dont want my ROCK band experience ruined by having to playing country songs. Im all for Country band or Country Hero but dont put a music genre i dont like into a game thats meant to be another.
I agree that there should be country. I personally wouldn’t buy it but there is a huge market. I used to work at Universal Music back when it was known as Polygram and the top selling genre was country.
I’m… unsure if to agree with you Doc. It’d be good for Harmonix I suppose for country music fans… however, most likely I’d just be disappointed cause it’d be a week where I wouldn’t buy DLC. I can’t really say I’d want any country music. On the flipside, I’d like something really similar. Southern Rock. I’m fine with Southern Rock because it takes some of the things I like about country music and gives a rock feel that I enjoy better.
If they had country songs I might actually buy one of those games
Good country songs are great to sing or play along to, and they have such longevity– look at “I’ve Got Friends in Low Places”
Get Jessica Simpson out of the genre and I might consider it.
I’ve just lost all respect for you Doc
Discourage inbreeding, ban country music
they should get some songs by The Tragically Hip
Give me Rock Band: Death Metal already! It will feature 7 “string” guitars. Double bass drum for constant blast beats. Vocals are ONLY death growls. A new bass for tenfinger tapping.
Man I would buy that.
The “Rock Band Is For Rock” argument has been explicitly vetoed by Harmonix. They have now also given feedback to the country threads on the RB forums, saying country is definitely coming. I assume as DLC for RB2.
I cannot wait to play some Brad Paisley. Among others. And once the songs are here (or even before), country fans can flock to the RB forums to show their support for country-themed characterization options (clothes, attitude, hats and hairdos…).
Yahooooooo!
Doc..
I am an avid country music fan and am thinking of emailing activision or rockstar gaming with the ideas and songlist for a Country Rock Band video game.
My only problems have been finding songs that involve guitar, drums, and bass. And im thinking that maybe the bass can be subsituted with another instrument.
If your interested in the idea email me and maybe we can think of something together.
Greg
I think that they should TOTALLY make a country version of rockband. I mean that would sell wayy better that regular old no name singers rockband. And if you dont like it then you jest aint gotta buy it.