I am with the latter group. Against all odds, I am obsessed with Guitar Hero. From the first time I put my hands on the color-coded fret buttons on the controller and played the dizzying array of notes on screen, I loved this game. And this 30-year-woman hasn’t liked (or really played) a video game since Space Invaders.

But Guitar Hero has done more than facilitate drunken evenings of pretending that I’m a rock star. It actually encouraged me to take drum lessons. I have never played a musical instrument before, and suddenly I have a room in my house dedicated to both my simulated drum controller and a real drum kit. When I explained to my 22-year-old drum teacher that I’m taking lessons because of Guitar Hero, he just looked at me incredulously, but I wonder if there are more and more music instructors out there hearing the same thing.

As a user, Guitar Hero is simply an infectiously fun way to listen to music, play video games, and hang out with friends (a.k.a – the band).

As an instructional designer, I know that Guitar Hero is compelling because it is designed so well. And IDs and GH skeptics alike would do well to poke around under the hood and understand why the game is so effective.

GH simulates the real thing. The game design closely simulates the experience of being a rock star, from practicing in your mom’s basement to going on a bus tour to hearing adoring (or booing) fans. The user gets to immediately play full length rock songs, instead of beginning with the do rei mi’s.

GH is in the “zone.” Like other video games, GH is designed in increasing levels of difficulty that consistently challenge the user as he or she improves. Or, as Vygotsky would say, the game play is pleasantly frustrating. Not so with real instruments. For many, playing a new instrument is just frustrating. The learning curve is steep, and many learners don’t persevere across the chasm that is the first note to anything resembling a song.

GH uses skills in context. Okay, so maybe hitting the red button isn’t anything like strumming a note, but the game design makes use of musical skills in a context. Players can develop rhythm, timing, and a good ear while going on a virtual tour playing gigs in Europe. While the music student struggles to understand why she must play scales over and over again, the video rock star is practicing a hard guitar solo over and over to beat the game.

GH is social. GH is a social game, and not only allows up to four players locally, but also any number of people online. The first night we competed online against other players, we improved immediately because the players online were just better than we were. The community of practice for GH is huge, and fosters healthy competition and social interaction. It’s like bandmates meeting up for practice in the garage and then competing in a battle of the bands, except the GH player can do it at any level of ability and find community.

Guitar Hero has had an invigorating effect on the gaming and music industries alike, and time will tell what impact the game will have on students of music. GH has made a gamer and a drummer out of me, though those two things are not mutually exclusive in my case. My simulated drum playing improves my real drumming, and vice versa, and I chalk it all up to good design.

Software used: Photoshop, Flash 8, Soundtrack Pro, proprietary LMS

Software used: Second Life, Camtasia, Photoshop, Dreamweaver

Software used: Photoshop, Acrobat Pro, iMovie

This instructional video is part of a series to train viewers on what to do with common outdoor injuries. In this video, Dr. Paul Auerbach shows viewers how to remove an impaled fish hook. I designed storyboards, shot the footage, and edited the video on this project.

Software: Photoshop, FinalCut Pro, GarageBand