Cutline Speaks

A New Generation of Musical Heroes

posted by The Cutline Team on July 2, 2008

As a musician and a geek, I am thrilled that Guitar Hero and Rock Band have gotten so popular. Music fans and gamers from the Cutline offices to South Park, Colorado are hooking up plastic axes, and becoming virtual rock stars. The first time I played, I was immediately impressed at how well the games simulated the experience of playing live music. To do well, you need a lot of the same skills: good rhythm, coordination, and most importantly, the ability to engage your audience and have fun with the music (I believe the industry term is "rocking out").

Both series have shown few signs of slowing down - Rock Band 2 was announced this week, Guitar Hero has gone portable on the Nintendo DS and Aerosmith just released its own version of Guitar Hero…but perhaps what's most exciting is that both games have gotten me into music I wouldn't have heard otherwise. After playing Guitar Hero 2 for a while, I found myself with Heart's "Crazy on You" in my head, and I felt compelled to go to iTunes to find more of their music. I can only imagine how many people have had similar experiences.

As the music industry develops new strategies for the digital world, it seems musical games will play an increasingly important role, making people (especially young people) aware of music new and old. In fact, some are even suggesting that these games could "save the music industry" through cross-promotions. Who knows? It could only be a matter of time before a new generation is listening to John Coltrane because of "Jazz Sax Hero".

Tags for this post: cutline