Back when rhythm games ruled the Earth, there’s a decent chance that you put “learn to play the guitar” on your bucket list and never crossed it off. Games like Guitar Hero weren’t so helpful toward that end anyway, but …
Back when rhythm games ruled the Earth, there’s a decent chance that you put “learn to play the guitar” on your bucket list and never crossed it off. Games like Guitar Hero weren’t so helpful toward that end anyway, but Ubisoft’s Rocksmith was a different sort of game that actually helped you make some progress toward that goal.
That only helped if you had a gaming console, though, and you needed to play while hooked up to it. But not for long, as Ubisoft has announced a new version of Rocksmith for iOS devices that will launch as a free-to-play app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch (and is already available in soft launch in Canada for you music-minded Canucks).
The biggest selling point for the mobile Rocksmith is that you’ll be able to use an acoustic guitar with it sans any additional equipment since your phone or tablet’s built-in microphone is used to detect the notes you’re playing. Plugging in an electric guitar or bass will also be supported using any cable or adapter that works with your device.
As for how Rocksmith helps you learn to play, let’s allow Ubisoft to explain that itself:
[quote]Rocksmith offers a suite of carefully constructed practice tools to help anyone learn guitar or bass, including Dynamic Difficulty, Riff Repeater, interactive video lessons and Practice Tracks. Rocksmith’s Dynamic Difficulty system reacts to each player’s abilities and tailors the difficulty level as they play, so players are always challenged but not overwhelmed. Riff Repeater allows players to customize their practice sessions by selecting part of a song, setting the difficulty and speed to their liking, and looping it until they’ve got it down. More than 80 interactive video lessons teach basic and advanced skills with real-time feedback on the player’s performance.[/quote]
All Rocksmith users will get four free songs with the option to buy more as in-app purchases. Additional songs will be added to the game weekly, but there are no time restrictions on playing them or utilizing the practice songs. Take as much time as you need to learn how to shred.
You will, of course, need a guitar or bass to be able to take advantage of Rocksmith, but this could be the impetus you need to get going on that front as well. Keep an eye on the Rocksmith website for more info on the mobile launch and get ready to complete that life goal you’d mostly given up on.
