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Guitar Hero and Rock Band are turning gamers into musicians, says a new survey.
The impact of gamers enjoying rhythm games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band has translated into more gamers wanting to pick up an instrument, a new survey says.
Guitar Center, who conducted the survey, said 67 percent of rhythm gamers were more likely to pick up an actual instrument within the next two years.
81 percent of players said Rock Band or Guitar Hero had motivated them to ask for a musical instrument for a Christmas present.
Guitar Center’s own sales findings jumped by 26.9 percent to first-time musos, no doubt brought on upon by the release of Rock Band in America last year, and the release of Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour this year.
Executive vice president of Guitar Center, Norman Hajjar, said Rock Band and Guitar Hero sold a dream that could be realised.
“These games plant an achieveable goal in the heart of the player and that, in turn, drives our business.”
Dr. Larry Livingston, music director at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, says rhythm games are a great introduction into music.
“These games are a painless and fantastically seductive entrée to playing music. They engage your mind, body and soul, creating a whole sense of the movement of music. Having tasted the experience, players may want to move from the simulated to the real. Therefore, it’s no surprise that these games have whetted the appetite for the real deal.”
The findings are backed up by former Guns & Roses lead guitarist Slash, who made an appearance in Guitar Hero III.
“At first I was apprehensive… But anything that exposes people to music new or old is a positive thing. Then I came to find out that a lot of the kids who are playing these video games aspire to pick up a real guitar which, I think, is a bonus.”
Source:
1UP
