The co-founder of the company behind the Rock Band series of computer games has suggested that the programmes are helping to encourage gamers to pick up real musical instruments.

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Alex Rigopulos of Harmonix said in the New York Times Freaknomics blog that he has been told by numerous music instructors that they have received more pupils in recent years following the success of Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

"By giving people a taste of what lies on the other side, we're inspiring them to invest themselves in learning the instrument for real," he remarked.

"The game isn't a substitute, it's a stimulus," Mr Rigopulos added.

He was responding to suggestions that games such as Rock Band may be discouraging people from taking up instruments such as the electric guitar and drums.

Last month, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic admitted in his Seattle Weekly column that he struggled to play the bass part for one of his band's own songs, In Bloom, on Rock Band 2.

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