GDC 2010: Power Gig: Rise Of The Six String Demo Impressions

While Rock Band and Guitar Hero may be content with fighting with each other over similarly flavored music rhythm experiences, new comer Power Gig: Rise of the Six String is set to call out two of the most recognizable names in the genre like it's nobody's business. Coming our way from Seven45 Studios this fall as a "full band experience," developers were on hand to give me a brief demonstration of a pre-alpha build and showcase what sets it apart from the rest of the pack.

The most notable difference between this title and Rock Band/Guitar Hero wannabes is that Power Gig lets players pick up a real guitar with real strings (see image). While this may be a slightly intimidating sight for those of us more accustomed to "toy" guitars with Fischer-Price colored buttons, the realities of how this effects gameplay becomes immediately obvious. Hammer-ons are no longer a button pressed combo, but are performed for real. Same with sustain notes, chord progressions, and other musical technique that makes music actually music. In fact, the controller is so real that it can be hooked up to an amp and played as an instrument.

The guys at Seven45 were quick to note that a real guitar would help ease new players into the experience with a flexible difficulty curve, but also give hardcore music rhythm gamers an experience they cannot find anywhere else. In addition to a beat matching mode similar to Rock Band/Guitar Hero, Power Gig offers a Chording Mode that gives players string specific note patterns, essentially having players learn the real chords to the "original masters only" soundtrack. Don't worry if this sounds like a little too much to handle at first. Chording Mode is something that players can be eased into as they wish, and not required to play through every song.

As with all intriguing demos, some of the most enticing details of Power Gig have yet to be revealed. The developer slyly referred to an excited new approach to Story Mode that goes beyond the "garage to rockstar" formula, a mysterious drum set, and promises of new type of vocal performance. The juiciest bit that I was able to learn from the demo was that because the game features a real guitar, there have been a few musical artists who have been previously reluctant to having their work featured in music games rethinking their stance. While the developers had a bit of a laugh at my request for Prince's When Doves Cry or anything by Peaches, they were serious about this title offering players music they won't be able to find anywhere else.

While we'll have to wait until E3 for more details, the demo left a significant impact on me. Power Gig doesn't want players to like they're playing music, but want to enable players to perform it for real. It felt like the next, most natural step in the genre and could become total game changer.