Games

Power Gig game uses real guitar controller

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Bernard Chui believes that "there is something unmatchable about the feeling of an authentic guitar" so Seven45 Studios decided to make one its band game interface
The Power Gig guitar interface features the familiar color coded fret positions but also has real guitar strings and a genuine pickup
Bernard Chui believes that "there is something unmatchable about the feeling of an authentic guitar" so Seven45 Studios decided to make one its band game interface
One of characters from the forthcoming "Power Gig: Rise of the SixString" game
With 20 frets, a guitar pickup and the facility to connect to an external amplifier, the interface will soon make genuine rockers of band game players
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There's a Battle of the Bands scenario brewing now that a new contender has arrived on the "play along to your favorite tunes with a game controller instrument" scene. Seven45 Studios has just released details of its new gaming system called PowerGig where the buttoned and plunger interface of the familiar Guitar Hero and Rock Band gaming interface has been tossed out in favor of a real six-string guitar.

Seven45 Studios has taken a more hands-on approach to its game and interface development than most other gaming companies in that it will develop and publish the software and manufacture the hardware. The game is to be called "Power Gig: Rise of the SixString" and will "transport players to an entirely new universe, with its own mythology, politics, settings, heroes and villains, where music rules all".

In response to requests for a more realistic approach to gameplay, Seven45 Studios has designed and manufactured a new gaming interface which is not only shaped like a guitar but also has six strings straddled atop 20 frets and a genuine guitar pickup to allow players to plug into an external amplifier and hear themselves rock out. There will be two modes of play on offer - the familiar beat matching kind of thing where players follow color-coded onscreen prompts and a chord play option.

Adding a more challenging aspect to the game, power chord finger placement prior to striking a note will be a new requirement, offering users a more realistic tactile experience as well as providing fundamental playing knowledge. In other words - as well as playing along to your favorite tune, by the time the song is mastered a user should actually be able to play it for real.

The company's Bernard Chui said of the development: "We believe that there is something unmatchable about the feeling of an authentic guitar in your hands, and Power Gig brings that excitement to all gamers with an instrument that absolutely anyone can pick up and play." The fact that Seven45 Studios is partnered with instrument manufacturer First Act should ensure that any instrument interface released will be of decent build quality.

Power Gig: Rise of the SixString is penciled in for a Fall 2010 release on the PS3 and Xbox 360 but made its alpha debut at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco earlier in the week. As a guitarist I will be looking forward to actually getting some degree of satisfaction from the band game genre and welcoming TV interviews of the future where noted players proudly lay claim to learning to play thanks to a video game.

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9 comments
marshall91t
Looks like an interesting concept, however, the fake guitar from guitar hero made a load of annoying kids think they could \'actually\' play the guitar....surly this is going to create a new era of music consisting of nothing but power chords....
Carl Lewis
Can Bass players get some love over here? And Marshall if you must not have missed the 80\'s and 90\'s if your worried about all music being power chords.
matthew.rings
I see that they want to sell the game with guitar, drums, microphone... but I hope they release the game disc and sell a single guitar seperately for those who already have a couple drum sets of various flavors (Rock Band and Guitar Hero), and don\'t need another cluttering up the game room.
Jenkins Cummings
what about us lefties, are they gonna release a controller for left handed people toO or are we gonna have to special order? and pay more?
sharkey
What about a version for PCs ? this could be a great intro to playing guitar.
Craig Waterman
Carl Lewls has the idea. What about us bass players? plus, I think It would be a good Idea to just maybe sell a plug in thing that plugs into an instrument as well, so I don\'t have 2 basses laying around.
Keylim MacKintosh
Yes, this is kinda cool for those still learning, but some of the "die hard" guitarists still wont like this game as much as they'll like Rocksmith http://rocksmith.ubi.com/rocksmith/en-US/home/ there's a website for it, you can plug in your own personal electric guitar of any type. suited way more to the person trying to learn guitar or even the "shredders" out there
(Ed's note: our coverage is at http://www.gizmag.com/ubisoft-rocksmith-game-teach-real-guitar/18143/)
Keylim MacKintosh
Jenkins, if you look at the pictures you can see that the fret board has colour markings on both sides, you may have to re-string it, or there will be left handed guitars for it as well
Logan Stacey-Quebec
i know how to play guitar, but can not play guitar hero and stuff like that. so i think this is a amazing idea. i do not have a x-box or ps3 so im going to buy 1=one for this one reason.