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Overview:
Activision's Guitar Hero series has been big. Really big. Reports peg total sales of the Guitar Hero lineup at about a billion dollars as of the start of 2008 and the latest Guitar Hero III (GH3) variant seems to be following in the footsteps of success that came with earlier versions. The game premise is pretty simple; players must use five buttons on the fretboard combined with a strum bar and whammy bar to follow along with game music as closely as possible to maximize their score. Bonus points can be garnered in the "Star Power" mode which requires the guitar neck to be held vertically (more on that shortly).
One problem with the guitar-like controllers for the game centers on the cord used in earlier 'axes'. Much as musicians often go wireless to allow for stage freedom, the RedOctane-manufactured Xbox360 Guitar Hero III Les Paul controller analyzed here cuts the cord, allowing unencumbered gameplay. Want to do a spinning jump off the couch for that power chord? Not a problem anymore. This teardown examines how the designers combined wireless with motion detection through accelerometers to bring the 'guitar star' feel to the living room.
Use this OnDemand seminar to:
- Explore some of the RF techniques used to truly mobilize the guitar
- See how the accelerometer is used to translate motion.
- Find to what electronic component and mechanical design choices were made to bring the system to life.
- And much more!
Who should attend:
Designers and users of wireless and motion-based systems, especially for those intended for gaming.
Presenter:
David Carey
David Carey is President of Portelligent. The Austin, Texas company produces teardown reports and related industry research on Wireless, Mobile, and Personal Electronics. (www.teardown.com)
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