Former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Saul Hudson, better known by his alias Slash, recently discussed his involvement in Activision’s highly successful Guitar Hero franchise, stating he feels the games are likely to encourage players to pick up a real guitar.
"The thing about video games is that they do promote this sort of lethargy in kids," he told Guitar World Magazine.
"They turn into gaming zombies. So I understand the concern that people who play Guitar Hero would never pick up a real guitar. But I think it’s the opposite effect."
Hudson was keen to point out that the intricacies of learning how to play an actual guitar are somewhat less exciting than one may initially perceive, adding, "It takes some work, and maybe it’s not quite as exciting or instantly gratifying. But what turned me on to guitar when I was kid was that all you have to do is play that one chord that hits you straight in the heart.”
“And that’s pretty simple to do. Plus, kids are being exposed to all this killer rock and roll that’s programmed into the game that they would not otherwise hear."
He also agreed that music simulation titles such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band are likely to become the next ‘big thing’ in terms of exposing new listeners to music.
"A lot of people have been asking ‘Is this the new wave of how people are going to be exposed to music?’ I though that was sort of like a joke question when I first heard it, but I’m starting to realise that, given the current state of the music business, it might be. Because the kids are into it, and the possibilities are endless in terms of what you can expose them to through this medium."