Guitar Hero makes music look easy – 2.5 million extra kids learning instruments thanks to video games

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Hear that sound? That’s the slow, disjointed, tortured noise made by 2.5 million 14-year-old boys currently trying to work out the opening chords of ‘Smoke on the Water’ on their new proper guitars.

It’s all thanks to the success of music games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, which have triggered a massive surge in the number of kids learning to play musical instruments. The Times says a survey by Youth Music found that over half of…

Learn English with Snoopy and Charlie Brown on new Nintendo DS game

snoopyds.jpg Everyone’s favourite dog, Snoopy, is dog-paddling his way to the DS shortly, in a game that promises to teach users English. Yes, a dog teaching you English. Well, at least it’s not hamsters!

English Lessons With Snoopy allowes gamers to use the stylus to touch all items in a scene, and view the English spelling and pronunciation, triggering animated actions within the scene. Snoopy’s joined by Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang, who can help you through English-training minigames, slide puzzles and even a Charlie Brown dress-up game. So that’ll be several different zig-zag shirts then?…