Gizmodo: music games

Use Your Own Digital Music Library to Generate Enemies for Symphony

Jason Chen — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:57:14 EST

Symphony, screenshot above, is a game that uses your own music library to generate enemies on the fly. Think of it like a shmup where the soundtrack (presumably) doesn't suck ass.

This video should illustrate what the gameplay is like. It's made by a company familiar with music games, but the reason we're interested is with the digital music part. How well it'll work is up to the developers, but it's something that we want to see more of.

In fact, games like this could help sell music in weird ways if users are posting that certain songs get them certain levels that are really great. A crap song could make for a really good level. At the very least, you'll be able to explore your music library in a weird way. [Joystiq]

Bravo Gustavo iPhone App: Conductor's Baton Hero?

Dan Nosowitz — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:40:00 EDT

The LA Philharmonic released an iPhone app version of its online Guitar-Hero-esque "Bravo Gustavo" game, for you ardent Gustavo Dudamel fanatics. It's really just a "wave your iPhone around like a baton" game, but it's free—and cultured. [BBG]

DJ Hero Turntable Up Close: I'm Not Cool Enough for This

matt buchanan — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:59:28 EDT

Activision is the king of experiences modeled in plastic and color-coded buttons, and DJ Hero's turntable controller might be their best simulacrum yet.

It's grown up a bit since the initial reveal sprouting a glossy black panel that docks on either side of the main turntable. It holds the mixer, effects dial, euphoria button and hides the usual Xbox buttons behind a small panel up top.

Here's how you play the game, with someone much better at spinning tracks than I will ever be showing us how a DJ Hero kills it: We didn't get to use the controller to play the game, but we handled it after the demo, and it felt remarkably solid—weighty without being heavy, the plastic adequately resilient, and not too cheap feeling. The spin action itself is super smooth and effortless, with a light wrist flick sending into a fairly zoomy spin. The Xbox buttons are hidden up top in the dockable half, to reduce the complexity of the controls as much as possible. Yes, it is wireless. Interesting trivia bit: All of the DJs in the game wear Monster's Dr. Dre Beats headphones.

Guitar Hero already destroys my hand-eye coordination past medium—with buttons, spinning things, effects dials, mixers, I already know there's no effin' way I can handle this game. But I'm going to try because it looks like it makes you even more like a DJ king than Guitar Hero makes you feel like a rock god.

Guitar Hero and Rock Band Controller Mod For Finicky Fingers

Matt Hickey — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:30:00 EDT

Guitar Hero fans usually hate the Rock Band guitar controller and vice versa. Instructables has a pretty good how-to that can solve the problem for Guitar Hero fans at the cost of a Rock Band controller. It's a way to mash up an old PS2 Guitar Hero controller with the Rock Band Fender guitar and make a perfect hybrid with raised keys a clicky strum. You could just use an Xbox 360 Guitar Hero controller for Rock Band if you're on an Xbox 360, but where's the fun in that? [Instructables]

Premium Rock Band 2 Drum Kit Surfaces: "Badass" Is The Word You're Looking For

Matt Hickey — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:20:33 EDT

I play Rock Band like a champ, and when I'm with my crew I'm usually on drums. I'm a drummer, and I love playing them, and the included drum controller always seemed just fine to me. Kotaku found this photo of the premium Rock Band 2 kit and I've decided I must have it. UPDATE: OK, so this kit doesn't ship with Rock Band 2, it's an $300 optional purchase.

Instead of just four heads, the badass looking kit gives you four heads, hi hat, crash, and ride cymbals. This kit, which will come with Rock Band 2 certainly beats the Guitar Hero: World Tour offering, but it also signals something unusual: the start of a music games arms war. I hope they bring it hard.

[Kotaku]