Power Gig: Rise of the SixString

Power Gig: Rise of the SixString
Power Gig: Rise of the SixString
Cover art of Power Gig: Rise of the SixString
Developer(s)Seven45 Studios
Publisher(s)Seven45 Studios
Platform(s)PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release
  • NA: October 19, 2010
Genre(s)Rhythm
Mode(s)Single-player

Power Gig: Rise of the SixString is a rhythm game developed and published by Seven45 Studios, a subsidiary of musical instrument manufacturer First Act. Unveiled at the 2010 Game Developers Conference, it was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 19, 2010.

Similar to the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises, the game allows players to play songs using instrument controllers that mimic the lead guitar, drums, and vocals. The game was distinguished from its competitors by shipping with an actual electric guitar that could be used with the game and as a standalone instrument (as opposed to a simplified plastic analog), and by offering an "AirStrike" drum controller with floor-mounted sensors for air drumming, as opposed to a physical drumkit. The game is also compatible with standard guitar and drum controllers. Promotion for Power Gig also focused on the inclusion of songs from several artists that had never appeared in other music games before, including Eric Clapton, who endorsed the game due to their objections to the simplified interpretation of guitar playing used in Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

Power Gig received negative reviews. Criticism was directed primarily towards the quality of the bundled guitar, and that besides a mode that added power chords to songs, the game otherwise played identically to its competitors, with no other features or lessons designed specifically around realistic guitar play (in comparison to its main competitor on launch, Rock Band 3). The game's pad-free drum controller was criticized for its poor hit detection and lacking physical feedback due to its design, while the premise of the game's career storyline was also panned.