The Other Player Has Left

Rock Band. The mega-hit multi-platform game that allows us lazy, instant gratification, no real talent folks to play in fake bands, get fake fans, and brag about how we have "mad skillz" because we can get 5 stars on songs that are not even worth playing on a real guitar (uh hem, Maps). Okay, so not everyone who plays this game is in this category. Some people use it for the purpose it was intended - a game for entertainment purposes only. And there are plenty of people who have those highly sought "mad skillz" (not me though - I am average at best).

Anyhow, this brings me to the topic of quitters. As if there are actually people in the world who are not familiar with the game play, let me elaborate. Since I have an Xbox 360, I will speak only in those terms. So, in addition to paying quite a bit of money to own the Xbox, the game, the internet connection and any other ancillary costs, you can shell even more money out to Microsoft to be able to play against other players from around the world via Xbox Live.


For Rockband, there are several different online modes - 1 that is cooperative and 2 that are competitive with varying levels of difficulty of each.

I have owned Rockband since it was released and played it a lot then, but stopped for a while. I have gotten back into it recently. I have been playing online against others in both of the two competitive modes (Tug of War and Score Duel) to earn the achievements to increase the size of my di...I mean my gamer score. Actually, I am not really doing it to get my gamerscore any higher - but like I have mentioned before I am a perfectionist and like to beat as much as the game as possible.

Anyhow, there is a sad sad state of affairs that is present more on Rockband than is on many other games that can be played online. I am talking about people playing you, losing, and quitting before the song is over. Once or twice during an online session is palatable; however, when you are seriously getting 75%-90% of people quitting (when you are winning) is absolutely horrid. Yes, it pisses me off. I mean, unlike another popular game Guitar Hero (which I also play), if they quit there is no recourse. They neither win nor lose and neither do you. (In Guitar Hero, if they quit, it counts as a loss for them). The reason this makes me so mad is because it is a complete waste of my time (even more than actually spending the time to finish playing the game).

I mean, I am not a great player by any stretch of the imagination. I can hold my own, but often get my tail kicked on a regular basis. I can honestly say that NO MATTER how BAD I am getting beaten I never quit. What is the point? Does it make the quitters feel a little better about themselves? Is it some sort of subversive slap in the face the person who actually is doing a better job of playing? No, this is merely a shocking sign of our times. No perseverance, fear of failing so much that quitting is somehow better (or different). It is quite an epidemic and I for one am teaching my kids different. I do not let them quit when they are playing and losing (which happens a lot) and they see that I do not either. It is sad really and is getting worse and worse every time I play. As an aside, there are still those that take getting beat like a champ - a respectable situation.

I know I know, it is just a game and I am taking too much from it - but am I? Isn't that sort of counterintuitive? I mean that statement simply verifies my point. It is just a game - get over it - if you lose you lose, who in the world cares. You will not become successful in life nor become rich and famous because you have a winning record on Rockband...

Bottom line losers that quit suck - and you know who you are - you should be ashamed.