There are a few reasons why you'd do this instead of be in a real rock band..
#1. The price. Rock band is $170 for a mic, guitar and drums.
Knowing from experience (I gig about 2/3 times a week), the price of the 3 said instruments is:
Microphone: $50 + some sort of amp system (easily $500 for mixer, power amp, and a easy, cheezy 50w speaker)
Guitar: $500 (cheap strat or LP) + $400 amp (a decent 50 watter)
Drums: $700 (some sort of alright Ludwig or knock-off Pearl)
#2. Time it takes to learn said instruments (any sort of basic rock band profiencency is around 1 year for basic skills)....If not more. That's if you learn on your own. Lessons are $20/hr, and can take upto 50 lessons to get profiecent. That's another $1k there.
So in the end, if your just "casually" wanting to do something fun, Rock Band is your way to do it. Everyone wants to imitate their favorite star. Thats why Madden, PES, Fifa, NBA Live, and other sports games are so popular - we want to be a sports god. Likewise, we now want to have plastic guitars to imitate our favorite guitar and drum gods.
I youth pastor at a church. We have dozens of kids that want to play games like Guitar Hero because their very, very simple (guitar for dummies) because they want the satisfaction of doing something meaningful and 'neat' like play a guitar....Without the dedication.
Now in my case, I think the drumming for Rock Band might not be too bad. It'd be a much easier way to practice with the 4 pads + bass drum, since it's in such a small-er area.
Back from the dead, I'm afraid.
