Business of Gaming - THQ/Ubisoft/38 Studios TrueAchievements Console games were also good for Ubisoft, however, with everything from Assassin's Creed: Revelations to Rocksmith performing well. Beyond the good news about a game company posting profits, there is nothing much to report, other than with TC's Ghost ...
"Now bear with me here. I'm not one
to throw the adjective "revolutionary" around loosely. First, as a former 60s activist, I'm
keenly aware of how overused that term has always been, and how rarely anything (particularly
a product) described as revolutionary actually turns out.
But this time, this adjective may
prove fitting...Plus, IMHO, the world can use a few more rocks
stars.
As I was watching the demo in Rocksmith's studio space 625 Third
Street, I couldn't help but think how appropriate it was that this new tool for helping
people discover what Laurent Detoc calls their "inner rock star" was emerging from the very
same building where my colleagues and I published Rolling Stone, the bible of rock, back in
the 70's.
As an aside, what in
the word is going on with Gibson Guitars? Read this and check the videos... Gibson Guitar News
Rocksmith is a video game that is going to teach you guitar.
Not a fake, plastic toy with color-coded buttons or even some hybrid game controller. Guitar.
Six strings and a fretboard. There’s no avoiding it. If you play the game you’ll be strumming
out notes alongside songs you know and pick up a skill in the process. That is the core idea
driving Ubisoft’s unique new music game: plug any actual guitar with an electric
output jack into your Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or PC using a provided quarter-inch-to-USB
cable and simply “learn as you play.”
The basic gameplay should be immediately familiar if
you know your rhythm games. “Notes” cascade down from the top of the screen toward a “target zone.”
The difference here is that the “note highway” is actually a virtual guitar fretboard, complete
with numbers which correspond to the different frets, and the “target zone” consists of six
horizontal strings.
When was the last time a video game or piece of technology felt like magic?
Perhaps the first time you played Duck Hunt with a light gun on the NES? Or maybe it
was that psychological standoff with Psycho Mantis during Metal Gear Solid? Walking away
from our private developer demo of Ubisoft’s Rocksmith, I couldn’t help but be consumed
with a sense of wonder. Even after a solid 20 minutes with their ambitious music game, and a real
Gibson electric in my hands, the technology powering the experience still feels like magic.
Paul Cross is one of Ubisoft’s lead designers on Rocksmith, and
after he effortlessly played The Black Keys’ bluesy “I Got Mine” note for note, he was keen to let
us in on a secret: Before development started, Paul had never touched a guitar. This was a
deliberate decision which allowed the team to approach the design from a beginner’s perspective.
Sure, he has likely spent 100s of hours with an axe since beginning the project, but the key to his
expertise lies in what Rocksmith aims to accomplish: mastery of the instrument, and
an understanding of its subtleties and mechanics.
Mini games like "Super Sliders" teach you the mechanics of playing
real guitar
The first thing that demands attention when you play
Rocksmith is that you aren’t merely the star of a mock-rock; rather than rhythmically
pressing buttons and hearing the original, master notes played back, you’re hearing the notes
you played while plucking those steel strings. While much more difficult to
accomplish, this results in an instant feeling of empowerment, and is something not even Rock
Band 3’s Pro Mode can boast.
Another Great review of
Rocksmith just coming in from the Gaming Vault.
So you thought music gaming was dead, right?
Hardly. Ubisoft's brand new title coming out mid-October will revolutionize the genre.
That equipment is needed
for Rocksmith? Not a controller. Perhaps some good earphones or
headphones.
The only equipment you need to play
Rocksmith is an electric guitar that comes with a 1/4 inch jack, which almost every electric guitar
has, and the dedicated 1/4 cable that comes with Rocksmith.
Oh yeah, and either a PC, Xbox, or PS3
gaming machine. If you have an acoustic guitar, you need a
pickup. Will it get expensive? Could be. But if you already have an electric guitar, TV, and
sound system, and the desire to play guitar really, really well, then all you need is the game.
Rocksmith comes off-the-shelf with fifty
songs. From Lynyrd Skynyrd to The Stones, to Nirvana, to David Bowie.
So maybe now is the time to order up a
new guitar from Guitar Center. Check out the Fender Highway One, or the Fender Jimmy models.
These are beautiful guitars.
You might consider downloading sheetmusic
instantly right to your iPad or other portable device.
I'm using some iPad apps that have moved
me right along in my guitar training. One that I'm using currently is Begining Guitar on iTunes
from GuitarJamz. Check it out.
Want an easy way to search for the stuff
you need? Below are handy search boxes for everything you'll need. By the way, if you need guitar
strings, you can get the top-of-the-line for cheap at Amazon.com, or really cheap on
ebay!
Buy it! Rock On -Kaz.
p.s.
Pre-order your Rocksmith game right here, right now! Order below
from Best Buy.
controller. Perhaps some good earphones or
headphones.
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