Music games have exploded in popularity. For many, Guitar Hero or Dance Dance Revolution were a first encounter. The primary reason that this genre was such a late bloomer is probably technological. With the Playstation, PaRappa was an early sign of what the genre would have to offer.
As the games progressed in scope, so did a flood of new peripherals.
The single most amazing emergence that music games afforded is an approximation of Synesthesia. This form of immersion is the blending of sight, sound and touch. "Feeling the beat" in a game like DDR, comes from the music, the feeling of the baseline in your gut, the flashing of the arrows on the screen. Numerous indicators work in unison to bring you into the song.
I never liked Duran Duran until Rock Band. Being able to experience Hungry Like the Wolf or Rio from the perspective of the singer, bassist, guitarist or drummer allows you to absorb the game from different vistas. Singing while your friends are playing provides and additional feeling of being a part of a larger collective.
Once all of these combine, this is no longer a cheesy British Band's song written the year after my birth. It gains new dimensions.
Likewise, DDR has forced me to reconsider Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and all of Japanese Pop Music.
This is game design at its best: offering new experiences and new perspectives.
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