Third, Eddie's playing opened up a whole new dimension to the guitar world. His landmark instrumental, "Eruption," opened up a new generation of guitar players, centering on Van Halen's trademark (though not invented) hand-tapping fretwork, coupled with his signature whammy bar dive-bombs and the notorious elephant squeal. Can this be simply replicated on a plastic guitar controller by pressing a couple of buttons? With technology available today, perhaps it can, but would the gamer actually be able to learn these techniques on an actual guitar?
Finally, Eddie Van Halen's playing has always been rooted in improvisation; his solos have always been off-the-wall, and, as a fan, I'd rather not see these solos conventionalized in a video game. I still get shivers whenever I hear any song off Fair Warning. Few things are more pleasurable than hearing the fret-slapping intro of "Mean Streets," or the unexpected jazz inspired solo of "Hear About It Later." I'd rather keep the sense of the unexpected rather than see it in a video game, but then, I remain hopeful that Activision can pull off a good job. I probably wouldn't play the game anyway, but it would be great to see the game-plays on YouTube while eating a bowl of brown M & M's.
Eddie Van Halen has always cited Eric Clapton and Allan Holdsworth as his main influences, and I hope that he gives them due credit on this game. Gaming fans may re-discover Van Halen by buying his back catalog, but will they truly appreciate the genesis and roots of Eddie's talent?
Perhaps I am hoping for too much. These may be the main challenges of Van Halen and Activision in developing the game to satisfy a rabid fan like me. Or perhaps, they just want to make a ton of money.
Article comments
1 - Glen Boyd
Or perhaps, they just want to make a ton of money...
Bingo.
-Glen