The Guitar Hero Phenomenon

The Guitar Hero series has made a significant cultural impact, becoming a "cultural phenomenon." The series' titles became very popular party games, which led to their being played in a variety of locales. Several bars in the United States & Canada are offering "Guitar Hero nights" as an alternative to karaoke; one New York City bar experienced triple the business on such nights. Many concert tours, including the Family Values Tour feature Guitar Hero booths and contests between sets. The series' popularity even spread to the sports world; Detroit Tigers' pitcher Joel Zumaya injured himself during the 2006 playoffs playing Guitar Hero. Salon.com argued that Guitar Hero is responsible for turning many people onto rock music and inspiring them to learn how to play guitar. The article also states that the games helped an 8-year old guitarist learn sensitivity to rhythm, as well as develop the dexterity and independent hand usage necessary to play the instrument. Guitar Hero now holds a place in the Guinness World Records in their Gamers Edition, tracking the highest score on a single song in Guitar Hero III; the record has been held previously by Chris Chike and currently by Daniel Johnson. However, Chris Chike has received additional notice for perfectly completing the most difficult Guitar Hero III song, Dragonforce's "Through the Fire and Flames".