Bill Wyman, Nick Mason: Music Games Stop Kids From Learning Music
by VGChartz Staff, posted on 16 September 2009 / 1,004 Views
It's well known that music games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band split opinions even in the music world. Some artists have seen increased popularity after an appearence in either game, while others like Jimmy Page and Prince have been overly critical of the genre. To join that list now we have two very well known musicians, the former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman and the former Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason.
According to an interview with the BBC, Wyman wasn't very pleased with the effect games like Rock Band have, saying
"It makes less and less people dedicated to really get down and learn an instrument. I think is a pity so I'm not really keen on that kind of stuff."
Such feelings were shared by Mason (though, in a more mild manner) in a similar interview, where he called the games "interesting new developments" but not without adding
"It irritates me having watched my kids do it - if they spent as much time practising the guitar as learning how to press the buttons they'd be damn good by now."
What's also interesting is that Mason said that a Guitar Hero/Rock Band game hadn't been ruled out, and that it's possible they may work into one in the future. We'll see if Mason's dismissive statement is repeated if a Pink Floyd: Rock Band is announced
Music games have a lot of times been reported with turning a lot of players into playing real instruments, so it's not sure whether Wyman and Mason are right. Maybe it's more the fact that it's something that it's totally new for them.
What do you think, do rhythm games encourage or discourage learning how to play real instruments?
Source: BBC
