Real Guitar Controller for Guitar Hero in 2009
By Morelli
Minneapolis-based start-up Zivix LLC is developing a controller for Guitar Hero that is actually a real guitar, to be available 2009. The company believes that Guitar Hero enthusiasts will prefer the real thing to the plastic counterpart, but will they pay $249.99 for the Zivix’s Headliner guitar when they can get a PlayStation 2 guitar controller for $39.99? Zivix president and founder Dan Sullivan says yes:
“There is a certain group that aspires to go beyond the game. They had a taste of what it’s like to be a real guitar player because that’s the illusion. Why not take the next step and be able to play?”
The Headliner digital guitar has fingertip sensors that allow users to wirelessly play and control the game. Furthermore, Zivix is also working on technology that enables finger sensing on a real guitar that would allow your computer to teach you how to play chords.
Guitar Hero sales figures are conclusive: people love fondling plastic toys in a karaoke-style impersonation of actual guitarists, but with this new development, it’s going to be much closer to the real thing. In the future, as technology advances, maybe it will be possible to learn music at home with your gaming console and a few rhythm games.
Are we observing a revolution in music games? Will you pay the inflated price tag?
Photo via Startribune
Source: Slashdot
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 5:14AM
[...] Guitar Hero: Van Halen is the latest installment of the franchise…why not play it with this new real guitar controller? [...]
Monday, March 16, 2009 8:17AM
[...] Real Guitar Controller for Guitar Hero in 2009 [...]
Friday, April 3, 2009 3:28PM
[...] microphones that shipped with Microsoft’s singing video game, Lips, will be compatible with Guitar Hero: Metallica, and Rock Band 2. Being hooked up to a video game console by a short cord impedes many of the more [...]
Thursday, April 9, 2009 9:35PM
I would buy that… but I really REALLY like Guitar Hero!!
Saturday, April 18, 2009 3:33PM
[...] Real Guitar Controller for Guitar Hero in 2009 [...]
Thursday, April 30, 2009 5:22PM
So let me see if I have this straight… You would pay for a controller, that costs the same amount for like an epiphone SG (not bad for the money,) that doesn't actually work as a guitar. Then you would somehow have to learn the songs…without being able to plug this guitar into an amp. (I'm assuming whoever is making this piece of shit isn't going to transcribe the songs for you… or teach you the specific techniques it takes to play these songs. But, say you pull it off. THEN, you would probably spend the five minutes it takes to play the one song that they took… oh, I dont know, however long it would take the average joe who's never picked up a guitar in his life to learn to correctly play "free bird" or whatever. Am I in the ballpark? Doesn't that sound fucking insane to anyone else?
Thursday, May 7, 2009 8:16AM
@Sam, I completely agree. However, there was a game in development in which you could plug in a real guitar and it would be similar to Guitar Hero. One major difference being that it would actually teach you to play the real song on guitar. I wish I could remember the name, but I can't off of the top of my head.
Sunday, May 10, 2009 6:49PM
just learn to play the damned guitar
Monday, May 18, 2009 9:10PM
The game is called guitar rising and works on a pc with ANY guitar you plug into it.
http://www.guitarrising.com/
Tuesday, September 1, 2009 9:50AM
Don't be too surprised if Harmonix ends up hashing out a joint venture with these guys, because tons of people are over the fake guitar and instead want to experience the fun of GH with a stringed instrument. You know, so they are actually playing the music, getting closer to the experience–and isn't that games are all about these days?