A couple of years ago I was your typical insecure kid, just starting out in high school. I was having basic self-esteem issues as well as just trying to balance my life in a time of pretty big change. For a few months things were pretty bad and I adopted an extremely negative outlook on anything and everything, little was I aware that this would start to change due to a very unexpected gift.

When most people think of gamers, it's the stereotype of an anti-social slob living in his parents basement. Many look at video games and see them as something that will pull you into a state of isolation, choosing to sit inside and play an online shooter rather than go out with your buddies, for me this couldn't have been more incorrect.

I received Guitar Hero III in Christmas of 2007. I was originally skeptical (hating my outdated PS2, as was apt for me to find only the worst in things). After having it sit untouched under the tree for a couple of days, my mom finally managed to encourage me to take it down into my room and try it out. I was hooked. Not only was I captivated by the colourful note hitting, but the music itself.

Over the next couple of months I began to get really good at GH3. I was able to play the entire setlist on Hard, play the guitar on both righty and lefty modes, I could even play it behind my head!

You're probably thinking that this doesn't sound like anything life changing, and I guess it wasn't. It was a gateway, however. After a bit of time I began to tire of GH3, so I decided to pick up a real guitar. Saving a bit of money I managed to go out and buy a John Denver acoustic and began the long road of self-teaching. Guitar gave me a healthy and relaxing release from the stress of adolescent life, I can look back and say that it has helped me more than anything else. I've played at several live shows with a couple of local bands, and can perform fast licks just as well as campfire songs. Looking back on it I can attribute this interest and possible new career to rythm games.

Rythm games get a lot of flack these days, they're repetitive and unoriginal, deriative and shallow. And maybe these critics have a point. There's little room for innovation when all the genre consists of is pushing a button while corresponding with a circle running down the screen. Despite the criticisms I can honestly say that I still enjoy playing ryhm music games, after all, they've changed my outlook on life.