Geekery

Been there, rocked out, got the t-shirt: The Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt

Posted on 07. Dec, 2009 by Jake.

Once upon a time if you wanted to be a rock god you had to spend years actually learning how to play a real guitar. Then Guitar Heroes came along and changed all the rules, to the point that now there is a generation of youngsters who believe that ‘like, real guitars are so lame’. This is a day and age where rock stars seem a bit obsolete, and it is seen as far more socially acceptable to work through your rocker fantasies in a safe way, behind a television screen with a piece of plastic. That way you get to miss out on rehab while retaining the sense of accomplishment that comes from being a true hard-rocking legend, even if you will only ever get to hear the cheers of virtual crowds.

Now the virtual guitar generation has taken it one step further by introducing the Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt, brought to you by everyone’s favourite purveyors of awesome although probably slightly unnecessary gadgetry – Thinkgeek.com. It’s a t-shirt with an image of a guitar on it, a mini-amp attached and a magnetic pick. Each button on the neck of the guitar triggers a different major chord, which means you can use the shirt to play any famous classic rock song as long as it is completely in major (which many are). Depeche Mode fans will have to wait for the next version to come out if they want to play minor chords. If you want to start a virtual t-shirt band you could always get a friend to buy the Electronic Drum Kit Shirt, also from ThinkGeek. Those who have to hear you ‘practice’ all day may soon learn to hate you though. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

According to its inventors, the Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt is ‘not a toy that plays pre-canned musical riffs, it is a real musical instrument that allows you to play your favourite songs and sound great doing it’. Which is a bit like Twilight author Stephanie Meyer saying that her books are ‘serious literature’. Make no mistake, no matter what those promoting it tells you, the Guitar Shirt is just a toy, a novelty item that people may laugh at in generations to come. For now, though, don’t let the virtual guitar revolution pass you by.

It will set you back $30 and you can buy it here: http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/interactive/

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Gadget-DJ Hero

Posted on 28. Aug, 2009 by Jake.

A few years ago, a company named Activision took the really simple game concept of pressing buttons in time to represent notes, added a really simple gadget – a controller shaped like a guitar – and created one of the most popular, most addictive games of all time. That game was Guitar Hero which has since spawned several sequels, added an array of instruments including a drum kit and a microphone and given rise to a series of imitators such as Rock Band.
Now, Activision is set to switch things up with the release of their latest game/gadget combo DJ Hero. And yes, it looks every bit as awesome as it sounds. Instead of a guitar-shaped controller, DJ Hero will ship with a panel featuring a mixing deck, cross fader, record platter and sample buttons.

The interface is similar to Guitar Hero, with players required to sample or scratch in time with a scrolling bar onscreen, while higher difficulty levels will introduce the cross fader into the game play, allowing players to mix tracks and experiment with a bit of freestyle skill.
One of the best things about the Guitar Hero games was seeing which tracks would be included on each new version. As the games grew in popularity, more and more artists were licensed for use in the game, with some even recording special versions of their tracks to be used exclusively in Guitar Hero.
DJ Hero is going one better, by tapping a host of superstar DJ’s to provide exclusive mixes for the game. So far, their roster includes DJ Shadow, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ AM and Grandmaster Flash and features tracks from the likes of Eminem, Jay-Z, MIA, Gorillaz, Gwen Stefani, Kid Cudi and the Beastie Boys. Sticking with the “anything goes” spirit of mashups and samples, game producers have said that the Guitar Hero controller will be compatible with certain tracks.

DJ Hero looks to be a bold step in a new direction, away from instrument-based simulation into an exciting new world of electronica. People who have played the game seem to be as excited by the music as by the gameplay and the game even features a jukebox mode to allow people to sit back and marvel at the mixes without having to get involved.
With the release of the first Guitar Hero, Activision basically invented the concept of party-gaming. Now, with DJ Hero, they look to be introducing a new element of innovation by letting players create their own content and have a great time doing it

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