Rock Candy: New video games grow more real for guitarist

I'm a guitar player.

Not a great one, mind you, but I dabble.

I can string some chords together and I can play quite a few songs.

Anyway, playing guitar is one reason I've never been able to get into the “Guitar Hero” or “Rock Band” video games.

I'm not jumping on the games, it's just hard for me to play because it's not much like playing a guitar at all. Playing chords isn't exactly right. Sometimes the “notes” in the game don't match up with the actual notes on the game.

Whatever. It's still fun to play “Rock Band” with friends from time to time.

But I couldn't recommend to anybody wanting to learn guitar that they pick up a “Guitar Hero” controller. It makes playing guitar look a little too easy, even if it's really fun.

Now (finally) the games are starting to turn the gameplay experience into something a little more real. And I'm all for that.

“Rock Band 3” is going to offer new instruments (keyboard, drums and a guitar) that you'll be able to play note-for-note in a “pro” mode.

In other words, you'll be able to play “Stairway to Heaven” (or whatever) for real.

You'll have to buy a new “Rock Band” guitar, but the pro guitar has a button for each string on each fret.

Another new game, “Power Gig: Rise of the Six String,” will use a real live guitar.

As in, it has strings. And pickups. And after you learn the instrument in the game, you'll be able to plug it into an amp and play for real.

It's probably not an amazing piece of equipment, but I wouldn't be surprised if you see one of these things onstage sometime in the future.

Turning it into a video game is actually a pretty smart way to get someone to pick up a guitar.

What will they think of next?

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