Playing Guitar Hero could make you want to do something besides play video games

Sure, some studies have shown that excessive gaming can lead to less interest in things like studying and doing homework, but it turns out that, pretty unsurprisingly, playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band might actually lead children to want to learn... to rock out on real instruments, anyway. That's right, according to a truly shocking report in The Times of London, roughly half of the 3 to 18 year-olds in the UK have played a music game, and one fifth of them have been motivated by their playing to give a real instrument a try, which has led to 2.5 million new budding Ted Nugents (or Jared Letos) springing up. So it's true, the kids aren't exactly studying, but at least they're doing something that could maybe eventually lead to them standing up or... something. School's out forever, dude.

[Via TechDigest]

[KAIKAI @ Dec 1st 2008 9:54PM]

o rlli ?

[Flashpoint @ Dec 1st 2008 10:08PM]

I'd like to learn to play guitar and Piano.

I don't consider myself a master till I can play every song from Halo 3.

[KAIKAI @ Dec 1st 2008 10:22PM]

well
i can play piano
and i really dont want to play guitar
to be honest
i play drums
and i can sing :)

[Einhanderkiller @ Dec 1st 2008 9:55PM]

\m/

[Aguiluz @ Dec 1st 2008 9:55PM]

I play DJMAX (PSP)... Does that count?

[bill cant fart @ Dec 1st 2008 10:11PM]

Yeah, me too.

[Dave Chappelle @ Dec 2nd 2008 12:13AM]

"Sure, some studies have shown that excessive gaming can lead to people wanting to kill babies, whilst chanting all your base are belong to us."
???

I thought i would get to read something crazy like that.

[bill cant fart @ Dec 1st 2008 10:12PM]

WHAT?! I'm having problems replying! This was meant for 'Einhanderkiller'

[Einhanderkiller @ Dec 1st 2008 11:17PM]

Yeah, me!

[Dave Chappelle @ Dec 2nd 2008 12:14AM]

reply system screwed up, i posted after the guy before me AND posted to a completely different comment yet somehow i find myself replying Aguiluz.

[bill cant fart @ Dec 1st 2008 9:56PM]

What will playing Tap Tap Revenge on my iPhone make me want to do?

[mvp @ Dec 1st 2008 10:40PM]

tap your desk?

[Saad Rabia @ Dec 1st 2008 10:55PM]

Think Differently, I guess.

[WiiFTW @ Dec 1st 2008 10:00PM]

I'm getting an electric violin soon, does that count?

[Blastar @ Dec 1st 2008 10:08PM]

Yes indeed it does!!
After 4 Days in a row (24/7) playing Soul Calibour I want to buy a Katana... Does ths count too?

[DBrim @ Dec 1st 2008 11:17PM]

Blastar:

No, that's just scary.

[bolezhinkov @ Dec 2nd 2008 2:37AM]

and you still cant spell the video game

[DBrim @ Dec 1st 2008 10:00PM]

On the subject of guitars, that's a pretty ugly one in the picture.

[Vincent De Luca @ Dec 1st 2008 10:07PM]

are you kidding me? that guitar is beautiful!

[allislost @ Dec 1st 2008 10:32PM]

Nope. DBrim is right. that guitar is fugly.

[lowdef @ Dec 1st 2008 11:10PM]

someone vomited on an explorer

[SteveJr_Ri @ Dec 1st 2008 10:04PM]

more like SCHHHHHOOOOLLLLLLSSSS OUT FOR-EVER!!!!!!!!

[STIEN @ Dec 1st 2008 10:11PM]

how do you play guitar with gloves? or long sleves for a matter of fact?

[allislost @ Dec 1st 2008 10:36PM]

I don't know, but anyone that plays a guitar with gloves is a douchebag

[Taylor @ Dec 1st 2008 11:29PM]

I don't see how gloves OR long sleeves would impact your ability to play...
You can still hold a pick and fret.

That said, gloves are very douchebaggy.

Long sleeves on the other hand...

[Moschetto @ Dec 1st 2008 10:13PM]

I anxiously await Nickelback's take on this.

[Robot Overlord @ Dec 1st 2008 10:26PM]

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/21/nickelback-singer-put-down-the-guitar-hero/

[Moschetto @ Dec 1st 2008 10:35PM]

That's what I was talking about.

[Paul @ Dec 2nd 2008 12:28AM]

I wanna see what Ja Rule thinks about this.

[Fusion Fuzo 05 - Mr Professional @ Dec 1st 2008 10:15PM]

FUGLY hes FUGLY they could at least used a girl, like the professional one I payed for earlier



Professional
Fusion Fuzo

[maveric101 @ Dec 1st 2008 10:39PM]

you mean the prostitute? since you can't get girls the normal way?

also, you do realize that passing the test on computertraining.com doesn't make you an IT professional?

[Dave Chappelle @ Dec 2nd 2008 12:17AM]

the professional one you payed before? no, no she was a con artist turns out she drugs you then lets you have sex with a gay midget for an hour.....

but do not worry, she still is 'professional'

[Brian @ Dec 1st 2008 10:19PM]

pfft, nobody plays guitar queer-o anymore!

Now, it's all rockband, especially since you have to buy a WHOLE NEW DRUMSET to make you rockband 2 experience ROCK OUT LOUD!

[Ian Whelan @ Dec 5th 2008 1:10AM]

Or not rock out loud at all, the new drums are hella quiet.

[Joe Anstine @ Dec 1st 2008 10:21PM]

Keyword there is "want". Plenty of people WANT to learn to play an instrument, but few actually do.

[Taylor @ Dec 1st 2008 11:31PM]

"one fifth of them have been motivated by their playing to give a real instrument a try"

They've at least tried playing a real instrument.

(My background: Played piano for 5 years. Played Gutiar Hero. Started guitar. It's harder.)

[Andrew @ Dec 2nd 2008 1:31AM]

Yeah, I have a guitar, and have had one for much longer than Guitar Hero has been out, but for some reason I just can't seem to learn how to play it. I mean, I could probably give it a little more effort, but my fingers don't seem to want to do it even on easy stuff. Guitar Hero on the other hand I play expert on. I guess a real guitar isn't for all of us, so Guitar Hero brings the fun to the less talented.

[Billy @ Dec 1st 2008 10:22PM]

I really do think this is good in theory, but the problem is that "kids today" have ZERO attention span. Getting even just OK at guitar takes quite a bit of work (e.g. being able to switch chords without having to pause), whereas picking up Guitar Hero, it's just a couple of buttons to press and you're playing all the awesome rock songs. I just see a lot of kids giving up quickly on their shiny new guitar.

[Bryan @ Dec 1st 2008 10:26PM]

Should I get off your lawn? You seem tired and cranky.

[Andrew @ Dec 2nd 2008 1:34AM]

What? Do you even begin to disagree with him? Kids these days ARE lazy as hell and just want to play video games all day. I always want to smack the parents of the kids that are walking around stores walking into people because they are still playing their video games and can't detach themselves for even a minute to do something else.

And hell, I'm only 24, it's not like I'm that far out from being a kid, it's just the truth.

[Dave Chappelle @ Dec 2nd 2008 6:04AM]

'Kids' these days are influenced by your generations actions. Kids did not make the Playstation, Facebook nor Guitar Hero.

Its all your fault...
/cries out loud

[Expert Mode @ Jan 18th 2009 2:21PM]

The biggest problem with going from a game to a real guitar is trying to keep the guitar in tune. Buy a cheap guitar and its out of tune in minutes. Gotta not have to tune to at least get started. When the guitar sounds bad, game over. I'm looking for the right electronic one. Not that I don't want a freaking Les Paul or Strat, but I want to know I can play something before dropping that kind of cash.

[)ROFL( @ Dec 1st 2008 10:31PM]

That guy reminds of me of Phanbouy's avatar...

[Alex @ Dec 1st 2008 10:37PM]

Good to hear.

This means more high school kids bringing their guitars to school, showing off the 3 chords they can play. Green Day FTL.

[dvsbstrd @ Dec 1st 2008 10:59PM]

Coming from the guy with the Alter Bridge avatar.

[lowdef @ Dec 1st 2008 11:12PM]

hey im back i made fun of your avatar at some point in the past...your band still sucks but tremonti is alright

[Expert Mode @ Jan 18th 2009 2:28PM]

Hey, what's wrong with 3 chord progressions???

[Alex @ Dec 1st 2008 11:32PM]

Are you kidding me? Alter Bridge has some amazing guitar work. (Yes, Tremonti is a monster.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix3AadKT0xQ

[idiot @ Dec 1st 2008 11:44PM]

was i the only one that thought the title was referring to ...erm...something else?

[Rob @ Dec 1st 2008 11:51PM]

Probably