Guitar Game Controller

After understanding an open source computer game called “Frets on Fire”, students where asked to examine the way users are playing the game, and improve the usability of this interaction. the focus of this task is to Repurposing a simple computer keyboards, following InstantSOUP recipe called “Sound pad” Since most of our surrounding devices are just a “Digital Brain” repacked in different “Plastic shells”, one can simply “take out” such “electronic brain” in this case the keyboard controller, and then - build a new physical interface around it, suitable for a completely new task. in this specific example a playing device for Guitar Hero and/or Frets on fire. Student are asked to create such a controller with a emphasis on durability and game-play. the criteria of success is a device that is playable with frets on fire, that can stand many hours of usage and that is enjoyable to play with. theoretically students should design and build a device for such game that is better to play with, easier to use, and more suitable for it (opposing to the somewhat strange and uncomfortable classic keyboard).
the device should be easy to “wear”, allowing large amount of people to use the device in Exhibitions and other public events.

Frets on Fire

Frets on Fire is a Finnish music video game created by Unreal Voodoo in which players use the keyboard to play along with scrolling on-screen musical notes to complete a song, and is a clone of the Guitar Hero video game series. Frets on Fire was the winner of the Assembly (demo party) 2006 game development competition.
Frets on Fire is free and open-source software. The game is written in the Python programming language and is licensed under the GNU General Public License, though the game incorporates other free and open-source code under other licenses. The game’s included song files and some internal fonts are proprietary, and their redistribution is not permitted.
Frets on fire

Download and play Frets on Fire

Best to download version 1.2.451 and NOT the last version!

To download Frets on Fire version 1.2.451 for PC click here
To download Frets on Fire version 1.2.451 for MacOSX click here

Changing Frets on Fire Interface

Mod or modification is a term generally applied to computer games. Mods are made by the general public or a developer, and can be entirely new games in themselves. They can include new graphics, new items, weapons, characters, enemies, models, modes, textures, levels, story lines, and music.
Games running on a PC are often designed with change in mind, and this consequently allows modern computer games to be modified by gamers without much difficulty. These mods can add extra replay value and interest. The Internet provides an inexpensive medium to promote and distribute mods, and they have become an increasingly important factor in the commercial success of some games. Developers such as id Software, Valve Software, Bethesda Softworks, Crytek, Relic Entertainment and Epic Games provide extensive tools and documentation to assist mod makers, leveraging the potential success brought in by a popular mod like Counter-Strike.

Download the MOD file from here (enter the code and press the blue download icon)

I want more songs!

Click here for large packs (long download)
Single song download (need to register)

Repurposing computer keyboards

Repurposing computer keyboards is an easy and effective way to dive into physical prototyping. Also, it’s probably the least expensive way to begin experimenting! Keyboards are useful because many kinds of software can be controlled with keyboard input. We can build a physical interface that doesn’t look like a keyboard, and still pass keyboard commands (keystrokes) . This technique has been used at Interaction-Ivrea in a number of interesting projects.

instantSOUP keyboard hack
To take a step by step tutorial, Follow InstantSOUP - Keyboard hack guide (soundpad) (Click here)