Thanks for visiting Fake Plastic Rock. I’m your host, Jeff Atwood. I’m a long time gamer and dyed in the wool superfan of the music (or rhythm) video game genre, having played or bought every game on the market featuring fake plastic musical instruments of any kind:

• Samba De Amigo (Fake Plastic Maracas)
• Beatmania (Fake Plastic Turntable)
• Taiko Drum Master (Fake Plastic Drums)
• Dance Dance Revolution and Pump It Up (Fake Plastic Dance Platform)
• SingStar and Karaoke Revolution (Fake Plastic Microphone)

Seriously, I owned all these games. My cup overfloweth with fake plastic musical instruments!

Not to mention all the music / rhythm game precursors that used standard console controllers, like PaRappa the Rapper, Gitaroo-Man, Vib-Ribbon, Guitar Freaks, Rez, Elite Beat Agents, Bust-A-Groove, Frequency and many others. I bought and enjoyed them all– but my favorite music games always had a fake plastic instrument of some kind. Your garden variety console gamepad just can’t offer the same experience.

There’s something hypnotic about the melding of fake plastic musical instruments and rock. The original Guitar Hero is easily one of my all-time favorite game experiences. It was plenty of fun solo, but best experienced with two guitars and a friend. Now Rock Band has seamlessly blended drums and vocals into the mix as well, for mind-blowing four player action. (You also indirectly learn why there’s so much tension in bands; getting four people to agree or synchronize is surprisingly difficult, even when they’re all willing.)

I’ve been accused of being unheathily obsessed with Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Maybe that’s true. I’m not happy unless I’ve infected as many people as possible — there’s nothing quite like the sheer joy of rocking out on fake plastic musical instruments with your friends and coworkers. This blog is about the future of fake plastic rock, in whatever form it takes.

What you look like while playing Guitar Hero

What you feel like while playing Guitar Hero

(via Digital Luddite)

For those about to Fake Plastic Rock, I salute you.