By playing someone else's songs, gamers are developing a deep connection to a specific track, which ultimately will create a deeper relationship with the band. Older bands are getting the opportunity to reach out to a younger audience that otherwise would never know who they are.
The Rock Band/Guitar Hero franchise has become a cultural phenomenon. The games have become extremely popular as party games and hobbies. Schools have created competition based around the games like they are sports. Kids, teenagers, adults and even celebrities have fallen under the spell of these games.
Guitar Hero II is the centerpiece of an episode of South Park titled "Guitar Queer-o." Ellen DeGeneres has played Guitar Hero plenty of times on her show and Mariah Carey's music video for her song "Touch My Body" features a compu-nerd strumming on a Guitar Hero controller. Most recently during the Season 7 finale of American Idol, finalists David Cook and David Archuleta appeared in separate commercials for the games, where they each parodied Tom Cruise dancing to "Old Time Rock and Roll" in the movie Risky Business. It is easy to pick the video games over a real instrument because anyone can play. Granted, the games do require some hand-eye coordination, but lessons aren't necessary. Guitar Hero and Rock Band are fun for the whole family.
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