(Photo by Jamie Campbell) According to Guitar Hero, I rock! And that's just the ego boost I need to continue rockin' my list of bitchin' tunes and shreddin' on my plastic guitar with the brightly-colored buttons. It may sound silly, but these rhythm games are a huge phenomenon. Guitar Hero and Rock Band have sold more than 30 million units combined, with over one billion dollars in revenue. That's a lot of wannabe rockers! Among the pro rockers, though, there are mixed feelings about these games. Some rock legends -- Slash, Ozzy Osbourne, and Ted Nugent -- have embraced them and are featured within the games, and superbands Aerosmith, AC/DC, Metallica, and even The Beatles will all soon have titles dedicated to their music. Other musicians, however, have put this new phenomenon down, saying it's a waste of kids' time, and will only give them skills that lead nowhere. Nick Wheeler of the All American Rejects told Entertainment Weekly, "It's kind of a shame. When I was growing up, kids wanted to be in a band. Now everyone wants to play Rock Band." Well, that may be true, Nick, but how many of those kids in your day actually joined a band? And the idea that anyone who plays these games will never pick up a real guitar is a false one. In fact, guitar sales have seriously increased because of the games' popularity. Will some of those who attempt to play a real guitar be disappointed because it's not as easy as the video game? Sure, but if just one of them sticks with it and learns to play guitar because of a video game, how can you possibly put it down? Look... in my book, it's simple: Would we rather have kids sitting on their butts playing a street hoodlum in a mindless shoot-em-up video game, or rockin' out as they play a rock star and are introduced to killer music? 'Nuff said! Suggested Sites... Guitar Hero: World Tour - released this weekend! Now includes drums and a mic. EW.com: "Rock Band" vs. "Guitar Hero:" Fall's Biggest Music Battle - feature article from Entertainment Weekly about Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour and the whole phenomenon. GameTrailers.com: Rock Band - features a bunch of videos from or related to the game. GameTrailers.com: Guitar Hero III: Legend of Rock - same as above. YouTube: Guitar Hero Official Channel - provides several behind-the-scenes videos of Guitar Hero: World Tour.

Directory categories: Guitar Hero Series, Rock Band Series, Guitarists, Musical Video Games

Archived under: Entertainment, Gamers, Games, Guitar Hero, Music, Musical Instruments, Musicians, Rock and Roll, The Beatles, Video Games

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