Masaya Matsuura, the creator of PaRappa the Rapper, wants music games to use traditional controllers. While he acknowledges that guitar and drum controllers -- like those found in the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games -- are unique, he believes that great software is enough to immerse players. One of the reasons he's concerned about the instrument peripherals is the impact they have on the environment. In an interview with Gamasutra, he said:

There's no denying that instrument peripherals add a whole new layer of interactivity to music games. When Guitar Hero first took off, I thought it was a dream come true for air-guitar players around the world. As someone that tries to live a greener lifestyle (Gcycle!), I totally respect Matsuura's sentiments. These peripherals are big chunks of plastic -- many of which are made in China -- that will probably not be recycled properly. It's cool that Matsuura sees it as a challenge to create better games. I love Guitar Hero and Rock Band as much as the next gamer, but if millions of people are buying these peripherals, it'll just add tons of landfill to the world. As it stands now, my trio of Guitar Hero controllers for PlayStation 2 are just collecting dust. Maybe I should donate them to a children's hospital or bring them to an e-waste facility.

Do you think Matsuura is being too much of a hippy? Or does he have a legitimate point? Have you even thought about the environmental impact of your music gaming?

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