Rock Band – the Beatles' version of which is released today – and Guitar Hero both award points to players using plastic controllers who follow the button-pressing sequence on screen, based on well-known songs by world-class bands. The bands make money from the tie-in and other bands make money and gain exposure for having their songs used as rounds of the game. But while it's generally accepted as a good way to encourage people to discover new music, it's less effective at encouraging people to start their own bands, say Wyman and Mason.

Speaking to the BBC during the recording of a charity single, Wyman says: "It makes less and less people dedicated to really get down and learn an instrument. I think it's a pity – so I'm not really keen on that stuff."

Mason adds: "It irritates me, having watched my kids do it. If they spent as much time practicing the guitar as learning how to press the buttons, they'd be damn good by now." - find out the game maker's take on all this

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