Gibson offers new way to 'play' guitar

By Antony Bruno

SAN FRANCISCO (Billboard) - Gibson Guitar has teamed with videogame developers Harmonix and RedOctane for a new musical simulation game called "Guitar Hero." The game will launch November 1 on the PlayStation 2 entertainment system.

Gamers guide characters through a series of live performances in venues that grow in size as the characters' careers escalate. The goal is to play along to more than 30 licensed rock songs in the game using a customized guitar-based controller created jointly by Gibson and RedOctane.

The "guitar" controller sports a five-button fret board, a switch used for strumming and other peripherals like a whammy bar. Players must select the appropriately colored button on the fret board that corresponds to the prompts in the game along to the rhythm of the song. Players most closely matching the prompts gain points and advance their careers.
Gibson offers new way to 'play' guitar