E3 2011: Rocksmith Hands-On Preview
By: Jeff Rivera
When Rocksmith was first announced, it seemed like just about everybody was a skeptic. Could they really make a guitar teaching tool that allowed you to use a real guitar and could it be done effectively? At E3 2011, Rocksmith was available for attendees to give a try, and I think they're poised to make believers out of everybody.
After a quick rundown of the hardware that makes the magic work, I was shown how Rocksmith does more than just read your inputs. It basically transforms your entire speaker setup into a giant amp and effects setup. The software can emulate several different types of effect pedals and styles of amplifier. If you just want to jam for a bit with different sounds, Rocksmith allows for it. Obviously the main draw is playing popular songs just as your favorite bands play them, however.
When you choose a song to play, Rocksmith presents the notes that need to be played in a very similar fashion to what Rock Band or Guitar Hero do. There's a highway of notes scrolling to the front of the screen, but now there are six strings that also need to be watched. As you increase the skill level, the more of the song you'll be required to play. Over time you learn to play songs just as they were originally recorded and performed. It's pretty dang cool.
There are also more modes in the game that offer up different types of challenges, but time was limited and I really only got to play through a couple of songs and see the different effects being applied to my strumming, but what I saw was enough to put the game on my wishlist of Fall 2011 releases.
More information will be coming soon in regards to what sort of DLC will be available for Rocksmith. Keep checking back for more info on the game.
