Harmonix

An article in the November 2008 issue of IEEE Spectrum Online describes how Guitar Hero is being used to help "train" artificial arms for amputees. It's part of the Revolutionizing Prosthetics (RP) 2009 project, sponsored by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). One of the RP 2009 project's goals is that:

[i]n four years, DSO [the Defense Services Office] will deliver a prosthetic for clinical trials that has function almost identical to a natural limb in terms of motor control and dexterity, sensory feedback (including proprioception), weight, and environmental resilience. The four-year device will be directly controlled by neural signals.

Celebrity culture and status seem to be at an all-time high in pop culture right now, and musicians are often seen in this sweeping spotlight of fame. Kids have always fantasized being pop stars; the likes of Disney keep pumping out fantasies of fame through musical vehicles like High School Musical, Hannah Montana and Camp Rock; and American Idol chugs along season after season. Harmonix rides that wave to produce the next vehicle in the musical fame fantasy-land: Rock Band.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Lyrics, Mild Suggestive Themes

Game Description: Rock Band is an all-new platform for gamers ready to take on the challenges of the rock & roll lifestyle. Instruments available to players are guitar, bass, drums or vocals as they hit the road as either an aspiring superstar solo act, or for the first time in game genre history take on the true collaborative and challenging nature of music as they form a band and jam together in multiplayer action from home or around the world. Either way players will need to master their stage presence through the various game modes and polish their rock chops via the unrivaled Rock Band song list if they hope to make it out of the garage, into the clubs and finally on to the main stage.

Made by Rock Band and Guitar Hero pioneers Harmonix, Phase harks back most closely to the developer's outstanding debut titles Frequency and Amplitude. A now very familiar vertical track scrolls toward the screen, while the player attempts to hit the notes dotted along each of the track's 3 lines with the use of the 3 central iPod buttons (left, centre, right).

Game Description: Rock the Rhythm, Lead, and Bass Guitar tracks in the follow-up sequel to the Best Music Game of the year of 2005. Form your guitar duo and shred riffs cooperatively or go head to head in all new multiplayer modes. With over 55 tracks to rock out to, you'll go from Guitar Hero to Guitar god in one press of a fret button. Choose from multiple rock characters and jam at concert venues that grow in size as your rock career progresses! You’ll start your rock career playing small clubs and bars, but if you play well you’ll work your way up to stadiums and arenas. Strap on your Guitar Hero SG Controller, plug it in, and CRANK IT UP! The Guitar Hero SG Controller feels just like a real guitar, making it the ultimate way to jam on your PlayStation®2. With the Guitar Hero SG Controller, you turn into a rock star every time you play Guitar Hero!

For a long time I resisted playing the original Guitar Hero. I had read the rave reviews. I had heard the buzz from friends. But I dismissed it out of hand, figuring that it was somehow beneath me. Being an accomplished guitarist, why would I want to pay 80 dollars to play songs on a fake guitar that I can already play in real life? So when Guitar Hero II came out, I hardly gave it a thought.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Lyrics

Cool as it may be to have a tool to be a groupie-getter, there is another point to Guitar Hero—it's also about making music.

Game Description: Guitar Hero makes you the star of your very own rock band. Using button combinations, sustains and the whammy bar, players will experience the essence of what it’s like to actually play some of the coolest rock songs of all time. The song list includes hits from Jimi Hendrix, Boston, Megadeath and many more. Players can choose from multiple rock characters and play at concert venues that grow in size as your rock career progresses.