Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and DDR get cheap rip-offs

When you're out trawling for a copy of the rapidly selling out Rock Band, you may run into a cheap knock-off or two of the rhythm game genre. Our tipster spotted several units including a Guitar and DDR imitation in Macy's, and a Drum game in another store. All of them plug directly into a TV, but none are particularly cheap at around $40 each. The usual target audience for these kind of gadgets are unsuspecting parents looking for a present for the kids, so make sure you include a rigorous education program in the perils of game rip-offs when you hand in your holiday wish-list.

[Thanks, Seth]

Read - Guitar Superstar
Read - Dance Mania
Read - Drum Star

[Eric M. @ Nov 25th 2007 1:13PM]

It would suck if a kid was so excited to be getting Rock Band that he invites all his friends over to play, only for him to realize that its a cheap rip off =(. It would be like getting the Vii instead of a Wii..lol.

[Chuckles McGee @ Nov 25th 2007 1:16PM]

Heeeeyy! Vee get you Vii, almost like da Wii, yes? Is good, no?

[Rocketboy @ Nov 26th 2007 8:53AM]

It's got Nintendo guts, Nintendo guts. What? You want to pay extra for Nintendo name?

[Darwin @ Nov 25th 2007 1:27PM]

Macy's, that's pretty low.
And listing it as "imported" as the first bullet-item? Utterly weak. One day, China will be producing top-notch, leading-edge, own-branded items. Just not right now.
Until then, they'll still be making money manufacturing knockoffs for US companies that prey on low-hanging fruit.

[sevenalive @ Nov 25th 2007 5:29PM]

Hey, Just like Sony!!!

[MARSHAK @ Nov 26th 2007 1:33AM]

no, sony definatley thinks of their own shit. and then can't get anyone else to make it. (no minidiscs, no beta, memstick....)

[Jeremy K. @ Nov 25th 2007 1:46PM]

lol... Guitar Hero, Rock Band... c'mon! I really don't see the point. These are just remakes of Dance Dance Revolution. Ever heard of real instruments? n00bs...

[Alexander @ Nov 25th 2007 1:52PM]

Okay DDR-nutjob, ever heard of real dancing?

[mushrooshi @ Nov 25th 2007 2:15PM]

WTF?!?

You guys are both wrong!

DDR is meant to the the mold, the jumpstarter in dancing!

It helps you get the rhythm and such, and you can also freestyle.

This coming from a DDR Heavy player.

By the way, the DDR knockoffs are nothing new, I was surprised Macy's would sell it though, since this stuff is usually in the backshelvs of Walmart and in the "Bargain" sections of many places.

[Fank @ Nov 25th 2007 1:48PM]

"...none are particularly cheap at around $40 each."
You stupid Americans have no idea what the real value of things are anymore if you read a remark like this, and look at what things sell for on sites like eBay.

[Jeremy K. @ Nov 25th 2007 1:52PM]

What the hell are you talking about?

[mushrooshi @ Nov 25th 2007 2:18PM]

Um, Fank, you are wrong.

The DDR players are NOT the ones who buy this stuff on E-Bay, nor are the technologically competent.

It is the people who buy things like Coby because all they see is low price and they haven't got thoughts of function or quality because they don't do their research.

[NB @ Nov 25th 2007 2:05PM]

It was gonna happen some day...

[leon @ Nov 25th 2007 2:06PM]

Guitar playing in video games is officially now a fad.

[Seth @ Nov 25th 2007 2:09PM]

Thanks for the credit... just to let you know the drum set was also in Macy's, just had no website.

[Allan @ Nov 25th 2007 2:39PM]

I don't see the huge deal here. If a family that doesn't have one of the gaming consoles (I know, hard to believe) this would be a pretty decent alternative to a kid who wanted to play a guitar or drum video game. Of course if the kid tries to go to school and say he was playing "guitar superstar" to all his friends, he may get laughed at for being as poor as Kenny... but at least he had fun. :P

[Jonathan Badger @ Nov 25th 2007 3:40PM]

In theory it *could* be a decent alternative -- if the designers and manufacturers actually cared about making a good product. From the youtube video, unfortunately it doesn't seem to be the case.

This sort of thing is all too common. I'm a fan of old video games and purchased one of those TV joysticks with ms-pacman and galaga -- but the controller was so bad it wasn't any fun.

[Michael @ Nov 25th 2007 3:28PM]

Both of these are available at some Ace Hardware locations (seems to be the same item, check out the link below for the circular that went out Friday.


I work at Ace, and I shook my head in disgust when a parent bought one of these for their kid (We only sold a few, go figure) Who would want a cheap knockoff like this that certainly pales in comparison to the original?

http://acehardware.shoplocal.com/acehardware/Default.aspx?action=browsepagespread&storeid=2433981&rapid=481051&pagenumber=2

[billy bob thorton @ Nov 25th 2007 3:41PM]

Or here's a thought. I know it's way out there, but how about buying your kid, I don't know, a REAL GUITAR. It used to be that the only guitars with simple colored buttons were intended for 2 year olds. My how things have changed.

[SJ @ Nov 25th 2007 3:46PM]

It's a videogame. Jesus Christ all the "why not just play a real guitar" people should get over it. It's not like anybody who plays Guitar Hero thinks s/he is suddenly the world's greatest guitarist when s/he beats a song on expert.

[uagent @ Nov 25th 2007 11:27PM]

how about this: as a parent, you can MUTE or turn down the volume on a video game. When your kids screws up, the worst you hear is a "durr" as opposed to holy god the feedback on a real electric...*shudder*

[Josh Lankford @ Nov 25th 2007 3:48PM]

I agree, partially. However, a real guitar takes a hell of a lot of dedication and music knowledge (which is fine...I think everyone should learn an instrument). I've been playing guitar for 9 years, and I still find guitar hero difficult. Some songs are way easier to play on guitar (see the south park episode).

I will credit guitar hero with improving my dexterity...nothing else. It breaks things down, and I can rip fast solos now, something I never bothered to do previously.

[Josh Lankford @ Nov 25th 2007 3:49PM]

Is rock band really that hard to get? I've seen it available online, at wal mart, at best buy...many places all during and after black friday...

[Tom @ Nov 25th 2007 3:56PM]

Video of Harmonix playing Guitar Superstar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkF7vErum1w

[Loon Carter @ Nov 25th 2007 3:58PM]

I saw this game in Macy's on Black Friday. My GF wanted to buy it... no need to argue, girlfriends just don't understand.

We just left immediately.

[Kate @ Nov 25th 2007 8:05PM]

She said "What's wrong, this toy costs forty dollars!"

[ratnikh @ Nov 25th 2007 6:23PM]

Wow, this would mark the first time in history that parents bought cheaper off-brand alternatives to high-priced items on their childrens' wishlists. It might also mark the first time that an import company has made an imitation of a successful product.

As a child I wanted Voltron and got Liontron. Was I disappointed? A little, but I also opened up about fifteen other presents because my parents could afford them, and Liontron was played with and eventually broken as many toys are. Children tend to value quantity over quality, and this is highly reinforced in modern society. A parent might not be able to afford a $400 console and a $60 game and all the requisite accessories, and also still be able to afford the myriad other items that other people might want. And considering that "Guitar Superstar" for $40 is the whole game, it's a small price for a child's instant gratification when money is tight.

This game may well be cheaply made, but for a young child it may be a viable alternative, and might also allow parents to buy other items for siblings and other friends and family. Maybe Macy's realizes that in the current economy not every parent has a fortune to spend on next-gen consoles and top-tier games.

Engadget, you make a point, but it is one that is not lost on consumers. Perhaps most of Engadget and its readers have enough cash to get the consoles and games, but not everyone does. There will always be a market for cheaper versions that may satisfy, if somewhat less so. I'm sure everyone here has gotten a cheaper knockoff of something they wanted as a child. Parents do their best to make the kids happy at Christmas within their means (and often quite beyond). Can't we stop making them feel worse for at least trying, or do we need to all go into debt to satisfy our kids' ever-growing greed and materialism and one-upmanship?

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Nov 25th 2007 10:50PM]

Amen.

[Othello @ Nov 25th 2007 7:35PM]

Wow, 5 whole songs! The possibilities are endless!

[AwlAmericanDawg @ Nov 25th 2007 8:16PM]

Wouldn't it suck if you were a id that asked your grandparents to buy you Guitar hero, rock band, or DDR and instead they bought this

[bluesky_v2.01 @ Nov 25th 2007 8:39PM]

Accordion Hero all the way!

[bartoron @ Nov 25th 2007 10:06PM]

Macy's fails at stocking good products.

And look at the description for the Dance Mania:

Show off your moves with this one of a kind dancing competition. It's so easy to set up and to transport, wherever you go, you can bring the party along with you!

Yeah, it's a real one of a kind. Never been done before for sure.

[Larrikin @ Nov 25th 2007 10:22PM]

Wait aren't Rock Band and Guitar Heros just ripoffs of Drummania and Guitarfreaks?

[Deluxe @ Nov 25th 2007 10:31PM]

Is it worth pointing out that Guitar Hero is a knockoff of Konami's Guitar Freaks / Drum Mania series in the first place?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_freaks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bemani

[Tom @ Nov 26th 2007 3:28AM]

Guitar Superstar is to Guitar Hero as Karaoke Revolution is to Singstar: this is the crappy version. DO NOT WANT!

[MAIcrosoft @ Nov 26th 2007 4:09AM]

God now I wish music games didn't become mainstream outside of Japan/Asia at all. The only one giving useful info is Deluxe, 2 posts above this one.

[n00b! @ Dec 11th 2007 7:13PM]

"Four levels ranging from easy to extra hard"

heh heh heh