Nickelback Frontman: Put Down the Guitar Hero

Guitar Hero and Rock Band represent millions of units sold and even more in dollars earned for their publishers. However, one rock n’ roll frontman is calling for kids everywhere to put down the controller and pick up a real Gibson guitar.

Ever since the original Guitar Hero hit store shelves over three years ago, much of America’s youth has been taken storm by music-powered video games. With millions of units sold, representing countless millions in profit for several different publishers and developers, Guitar Hero and the evolutionary Rock Band are certainly cash cows with no signs of slowing down in terms of sequels or branch-offs. These games let anyone pick up a "guitar" or several other instruments and play a few of their favorite songs, and sometimes entire albums by various artists.

While Guitar Hero and Rock Band represent one of the video game industry’s newest and most successful trends, there are some who prefer the real thing over interactive software. Chad Kroeger of the popular rock quartet Nickelback would rather see the latest generation pick up a real instrument instead of slapping away at a plastic controller.

During a recent appearance on the Jay Leno show, according to Eurogamer, Kroeger lamented the lack of rock bands out in the world today. "I feel like there’s not enough rock bands out there, especially when we go on the road," said Kroeger. "It’s tough to find other bands out there, because either they’re making a record or they just got done touring."

If one turns to MTV or FUSE these days, it seems as though Kroeger is right. Rap, hip hop and country seem to dominate the landscape, with only a few "true rock and roll" bands receiving any sort of real face time. So, Chad identified the problem. What’s his solution? "Start rock bands. Set down the Guitar Hero, learn how to play an actual guitar and start a band, because it’s hard to find more bands to put a solid rock-and-roll package together, to get out there."

Kroeger isn’t the first musician to diss the likes of Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Back in June of this year, guitar gunslinger John Mayer made it clear that he was not a fan of Guitar Hero. "Guitar Hero was devised to bring the guitar-playing experience to the masses without them having to put anything into it," said Mayer to Rolling Stone. "There’s nothing like really playing guitar. I mean, what would you rather drive, a Ferrari or one of those amusement-park cars on a track?"

Both Kroeger and Mayer bring up excellent points. Playing music with a real instrument will always triumph over a simulation, but for the millions out there who play Guitar Hero and Rock Band, the games seem to be an adequate solution in lieu of buying real equipment and dolling out money for lessons. In the end, rocking out in whatever way you see fit is better than not rocking out at all.