Rocksmith+2014

Rocksmith 2014 redefined Rocksmith by rebranding the game from entertainment to educational. This game allows you to plug in a real guitar to either a gaming console or a pc. From there the game has tutorials on how to play. Notes fly down the screen and you hit the corresponding strings. The game plays much like a complex version of Guitar Hero. This game teaches you how to play a long list of preloaded songs, with the option to pay for other songpacks. The game allows guitar players, amateur and professional, to both hone their skills and learn new songs. You also have complete access to a large selection of interactive video lessons. Because I have already learned mush of the domain-specific vocabulary and am a little familiar with playing, I decided not to opt for the lessons. The game also allowed you to play mini-games wherein you played whatever you wanted and you could either record your session or play an arcade-like game with the notes you played. You can also play against other players. Unlike Guitar Hero, this game doesn’t reprimand you for not being good. You never get booed off stage. However, when you complete your first song, the second time around adds more notes. After a few time through a song, if you fail to hit enough notes, the game doesn’t add anymore notes for you. For example, I started a song and played 8% of the notes. The game decided I got enough notes correctly to advance to 16% of the notes in that song. You also have the option to just play sections of a song if you only struggle with certain parts. The game guides you as you play by virtually moving up and down the fretboard. When you get a note one fret off, the game will flash an arrow in the direction you should move your finger. The game implements the Active Learning Principle by having hands on experience the entire time, the Self-Knowledge Principle by the knowledge it gives the player on the player’s own skill level, and the Achievement Principle by giving players of all levels intrinsic rewards, the Practice Principal from the amount of practice the game takes, and the Regime of Competence Principle by the ever-increasing difficulty level. This game would be a god-sent in a music classroom. Outside of that, I can’t see it playing much of a part in the rest of the school curriculum. I could see how someone who teaches guitar would use it. Having a student play this game would really trick them into practicing a lot at home, then when they got back in the studio, the teacher would have a lot more skill available to work with. I really enjoy this game. I was so excited to get this game, that I revamped my old high school guitar. I did a lot of things to it before the game got here: I learned how to solder, replaced the humbuckers, threw on a pickguard, painted the body, and put new strings on it. This game is excellent. With a little practice, it can teach you a ton of songs. There are videos on the internet of complete amateurs being able to play within a month. The game, as I’ve already stated, plays a lot like Guitar Hero, but is worth so much more. The game has a built in tuner and you can customize the amplification settings so that you can make the guitar sound like anything you want. I can make it sound like a blues guitar or I can make it sound like a death metal guitar.
 * //Cory Sprague//**
 * //Educational Game Review//**
 * **//(4 points)//** **A brief description of the game.**
 * **//(5 points)//** **The kinds of learning involved.**
 * **//(5 points)//** **The kinds of teaching involved.**
 * **//(6 points)//** **Your overall reflections on playing the game. How might a teacher use the game in their curriculum?**