Even better than the real thing?

Music-themed computer games are flourishing, with the 'Rock Band' franchise alone selling enough copies to fill a stadium. But what do musicians think of music-based games? Richie Eganof Jape and Redneck Manifesto; Ollie Murphy, drummer with Ham Sandwich; Niamh Farrell, singer with Ham Sandwich; and Jamie Fox, co-vocalist and keyboardist with Fight Like Apes

How do you feel about video games? Do you play them?

Richie Egan (RE):I used to play a lot of video games when I was younger. I find that they are almost too addictive.

Ollie Murphy (OM):Ever since I was about 10.

Niamh Farrell (NF):On and off since I was about 12.

Jamie Fox (JF):I've been playing games since I was a kid. I was an obsessive Commodore 64 player as small lad. Then I got myself a [Sega] master system, Snes [Super Nintendo], Playstation, and finally ended up on the Xbox 360. I've never been very good, unless it's wrestling games or Street Fighter. Still though, it is a favourite past-time.

What games make your toes tap?

RE:Outside of music, I did like Resident Evil 4. I got sucked into that a few years ago. The sound design was amazing on that, really immersive. I played Rockstar when I was in Texas. It was fun, but it has absolutely no relation to playing musical instruments. I was terrible at it, but Mattie [Bolger, of The Redneck Manifesto] was pretty good.

OM:I can't stand them.

NF:I've played some Guitar Hero and The Beatles Rock Bandand they are good fun. The Beatles' one is brilliant craic as it has the whole set-up: guitars and bass and all the instantly recognisable songs.

JF:Music games? I can't think of any I really enjoy. I loved Music 2000on the Playstation. You could make really intricate pieces of s*** dance songs. I think I spent most of my Leaving Cert year doing that.

If only pro tools had the same interface, I'd be the next Gigi D'Agastino [Italian DJ]. My favourite game soundtrack ever was the soundtrack for The Last Ninjaon the Commodore 64. It was amazing. I would love to sample it.

Do you think that music games are good for learning music?

RE:No. It's just hitting a load of buttons. Maybe for drums. It's good for teaching rhythm, but it oversimplifies stuff to the point of pressing buttons. Maybe it might be a gateway, but I doubt it. I'd hate to think of a child considering themselves to be a musician from being able to hit four plastic buttons to the rhythm of a Kiss song.

OM:Nope. As a drum teacher it really annoys me, I've been playing for 20 years and it takes more than pressing a few buttons to master an instrument. I suppose it could help with timing, but apart from that, I can't see the point.

NF:Yeah I agree with Ollie. They are just for a bit of a laugh really, but as far as picking up an instrument and learning it, it definitely takes more than mastering a few coloured buttons.

JF:I think games like Music 2000give a good idea how to structure music, what works and what doesn't. I've used it to map out a song before recording it on something better; you know the song inside out. It can be a head-wrecker though.

With all the advancement in music in games, they must have introduced you to some interesting music, right?

RE:No, but someone like Knifehandchop would have been very influenced by video game music. He'd have sampled a lot of the Japanese games like Street Fighter. There's a whole genre called Chip tunes. It's a bit hyperactive for my tastes, but interesting stuff.

OM:Yeah I've heard a few bands on Fifa. It's very annoying the way it only plays a few seconds though.

NF:Not that I can think of. Anytime I've played a music game I always pick a song I am really familiar with already.

JF:I remember Road Rashon PlayStation had a lot of cool bands on it that I ended up getting into. They had a lot of grunge bands. I could be wrong but I think I bought Soundgarden's Superunknownafter playing that game. The Tony Hawksgames always had a lot of [record label] Epitaph bands on them, which I was really into at the time. I might have discovered the band Bad Religion after playing Tony Hawks 2.

So games, friend or foe for the musician?

RE:It helps in that if you get your music onto one of those games you would get the royalties. You can synch your music to games, but it feels a bit soulless. Maybe I'm getting old.

OM:I would like to think they are a help as regards licensing your music to games companies. They can be a hindrance for people who want to learn and are amazing at the Xbox. When it comes to learning and practising, it's a different mindset. I think that, rather than encouraging kids to take up an instrument, they do the opposite.

NF:But it's a help in terms of getting a song on the games that will then be produced worldwide. However, they tend only to use bands that are huge already and not little indie bands like ourselves.

JE:I don't think it's a help or a hindrance. I think it's its own thing to be honest. It's way bigger than the music industry at the moment. I know bands can get their music on games and that technically that's good promo, but you can also run the risk of being "the band off the game", if that makes sense.

Any notions of joining forces with games in the future?

RE:It depends. If there was a way to go on tour in a virtual world, I'd be into doing that. If there was a way to put a suit on and walk around my kitchen and play for someone in Japan, that would be awesome. If it was a game. But not really.

I don’t give it much thought simply because I find them too addictive. I’d love to play them but I know for a fact it’d take my life away. I’m afraid of getting them and that I’d never make any more music again. I’d just be sitting around eating cookies and playing Modern Warfare.

OM:Yeah sure. I wouldn't be against it.

NF:I don't think we'd say no.

JF:Yeah I want to be the new Aerosmith and have a Fight Like Apes video game. Yeah, I'd like to be involved in gaming to some degree.