Be a real guitar hero with Power Gig: Rise of the SixString

by Stevie Smith - Mar 10 2010, 06:28

Looking to refresh the rhythm-based videogame genre while potentially attracting genuine musicians, guitar manufacturer First Act has this week unveiled Power Gig: Rise of the SixString, which will present music gamers with a notable twist – they’ll need to play an actual guitar.

“Power Gig: Rise of the SixString is meant to be the answer for all those gamers who have wanted to take their band experience to the next level,” enthused Bernard Chui, chief executive officer of Power Gig developer Seven45 Studios.

“We’re confident that players will agree that the transition from the existing [music-rhythm] games is both seamless and exhilarating,” he added.

Announced on Tuesday during the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, Power Gig’s gameplay will resemble the likes of Guitar Hero and Rock Band insofar as budding rockers will be tasked with playing through songs by matching on-screen beats through their peripheral axe.

Of course, while the guitars in Guitar Hero and Rock Band function by strumming a plastic paddle and inputting different finger combinations through the coloured buttons on the fret bar, Power Gig’s guitar will need players to depress actual strings and strike real chords to match on-screen prompts. 

Adding yet another layer of appeal not evident in existing music-based games, the Power Gig guitar will also be fully functional in the real world, and will even come complete with a standard instrument jack – which means it can be plugged into an amp. When used during gameplay, a dampener near the pickup lifts in order to deaden string noise.

Of course, it’s unlikely that all music game fans will want to test their mettle with a real guitar (raises own hand). So, in order to help Power Gig avoid a retail death for catering to a niche minority, the game will also be available with regular strum paddle and fret button guitar controllers. 

Expect to enjoy bleeding fingers when Power Gig: Rise of the SixString launches on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2010’s third quarter. A band bundle with drums and a microphone is also in the developmental pipeline.

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