Mtv: "Guitar Hero" Purchase May Increase MTV's Weekly Music Quotient By As Much As 30 Minutes

Mtv

"Guitar Hero" Purchase May Increase MTV's Weekly Music Quotient By As Much As 30 Minutes

Today's New York Times takes a look at MTV's attempts to spotlight the video game Guitar Hero—now an MTV-owned property—in its programming:

For MTV the expanding popularity of the game is fueling all kinds of ideas for future applications. (One that already has emerged: The Guitar Hero wedding, with a competition at the reception.)

[MTV music president Van] Toffler said MTV is looking into ways to adapt the game into its television programming. One application that fits nicely is an inclusion of the game in the online "virtual world" MTV is building on shows like "Laguna Beach."

Mr. Toffler said MTV would incorporate Guitar Hero into a virtual world accompanying its annual Video Music Awards, where the avatar (self-created character) of the computer user would play the game before entering the audience for the awards show.

"Guitar Hero" has crept into bits of MTV's programming already; Panic! At The Disco shredded a bit on TRL (above) a few weeks back. It was about as thrilling as watching other people play a video game can be, and we flipped over to a Law & Order rerun for a few minutes. Didn't MTV's execs ever watch Starcade? Watching others—yes, even celebrities—dork out is not exactly compelling stuff, no matter how many "YYZ" riffs Brandon Urie can replicate.

Virtual Rock Is Real Hit for MTV [NY Times]

9:42 AM on Tue Dec 19 2006
By mjohnston
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10 comments

Comments

by Nicolars at 09:53 AM on 12/19/06
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Lenny Briscoe will always be more entertaining than mtv. Always.
by xtianrut at 10:12 AM on 12/19/06
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Whatever the bad guys in The Matrix were called, that's what MTV is. My fucking head is turning inside out.
by Maura Johnston at 10:17 AM on 12/19/06
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One thing I want to know: Who has a Guitar Hero wedding??? I can't see any mother-in-law on Earth okaying that.
by Jude at 11:08 AM on 12/19/06
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Okay, obviously the Keytar wasn't sufficiently flagrant enough guitar-envy after all... Why can't the kids just air guitar like the rest of the talentless population? Really, really gay.
by SirLoin at 11:54 AM on 12/19/06
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MTV is a black hole from which not even light nor information can escape.

It is "The Nothing."
by DavidWatts at 12:30 PM on 12/19/06
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Starcade beats TRL any day. Until TRL gets more wood paneling.
by Poubelle at 12:41 PM on 12/19/06
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I don't get what's so original about Guitar Hero anyway. My friend who introduced me to it called it "just like DDR, but with a guitar."
by Royfromage at 12:49 PM on 12/19/06
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When you're a NYT reporter and you're looking for a real "rock star" that plays Guitar Hero, do you stop at the guy from the Barenaked Ladies? Only if you are a lazy, lazy reporter with loose standards when it comes to what constitues a "rock star."
by AL at 12:59 PM on 12/19/06
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I'd never heard of Starcade, but it turns out the production company has some full episodes online. I recommend #59, where you can see the contestants play Journey: A Rock and Roll Space Adventure, around the 15 minute mark. Wisely, they both choose the Steve Perry level. Here's the link:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1876249/bcli...
How much do you think that host hated his life?
by lucasg at 03:37 PM on 12/19/06
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i am just afraid that instead of holing up in their bedrooms and getting good at guitar- which will in turn get you laid- kids are going to hole up in their bedrooms and get good at guitar hero, which will make it so they never get past the awkward chronic masturbator stage.