Six Strings For Gamers - Pollstar News

With the popularity of video games like “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” it was only a matter of time until someone came up with a way to work an actual guitar into the mix. Turns out that someone is Seven45 Studios.

The game publisher and developer has come up with “Power Gig: Rise Of The SixString,” a video game that comes equipped with a real guitar. Instead of pressing color-coded buttons, players will need to hit specific strings in order to win.

Photo: AP Photo

But Seven45 isn’t talking about a guitar game controller that only captures the look and feel of the instrument but instead is bundling an actual guitar with the game – one you can plug into a real amp and play real music on.

“The leap to (playing) guitar will be seamless,” Seven45 VP of marketing Jeff Walker said of the game.

Seven45 may have an extra advantage when it comes to combining guitars with video games. The company shares owners with instrument maker First Act, which is aiding the game maker in developing “Power Gig.”

“Power Gig” will be released this fall for PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles. The game’s guitar will also be compatible with existing “Rock Band” and “Guitar Hero” games.

But one of the draws for the current line of music video games is each game’s song inventory. So far, Seven45 hasn’t mentioned which songs might be included on “Power Gig.”

Nor has Seven45 revealed how much “Power Gig” will cost, saying only that its price tag will be comparable to established music games. But with the inclusion of an actual guitar, it’s a good bet the price will be a bit more than your basic “Guitar Hero” package.

Click here for the Seven45 Studios Web site.