1

Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 3 Our Communication & Progress with FMIC .................................................................. 4

Applied Theoretical Approach ............................................................................................ 6 Preject ................................................................................................................................. 8

Our Own Experience with Guitars .................................................................................. 9 Research Areas.............................................................................................................. 10 Condensation of Research............................................................................................. 12 Choice of Direction ....................................................................................................... 12 The Origin of Ideas, Concepts & Research .................................................................. 14 Concept Idea ................................................................................................................. 15 Working Title ................................................................................................................ 15 Concept Purpose ........................................................................................................... 16 Technological Foundation ............................................................................................ 16

New Arenas ....................................................................................................................... 17 The Arena Map ............................................................................................................. 18

The Guitar Arena .............................................................................................................. 21 Description of the Electric Guitar ................................................................................. 21 Types of Guitars ............................................................................................................ 22 The Overall Electric Guitar Sound ............................................................................... 23 The “hands-on” Equipment Issue ................................................................................. 23 Distribution of Electric Guitars & Equipment .............................................................. 24 Companies & Brands .................................................................................................... 26 Fender Musical Instruments Corporation ..................................................................... 26 Squier ............................................................................................................................ 27 Young Players and Beginners ....................................................................................... 27 Fender Amplification .................................................................................................... 28 G-DEC and B-DEC....................................................................................................... 28 Fender’s Storytelling & Branding ................................................................................. 29 Storytelling as a Means of Positioning ......................................................................... 30 Fender & Users ............................................................................................................. 30 Futuristic Fender ........................................................................................................... 31 CASE: Make History – The New American Standard ................................................. 32

Rock U Guitar Arena Potential ......................................................................................... 33 Selling More Guitars – Skill vs. Money Spent ............................................................. 33 Exposure of Existing Products & Brands ..................................................................... 33

Critical Guitar Arena Issues .............................................................................................. 34 What Music does Rock U include? ............................................................................... 34 Rock U & Sound ........................................................................................................... 34 Fender & Branding ....................................................................................................... 35

The Game Arena ............................................................................................................... 36 Research Sources .......................................................................................................... 36 Investment & Criteria for Success ................................................................................ 37 Characteristics of Consoles vs. PC’s as Game Platforms ............................................. 37 Economy Discussion ..................................................................................................... 38 Gaming & Entertainment .............................................................................................. 38 Translation in Game Controllers ................................................................................... 39

2

Translation of Game Content ........................................................................................ 40 Music & Games ............................................................................................................ 41

Rock U Game Arena Potential .......................................................................................... 41 Critical Game Arena Issues .............................................................................................. 43 Software Tool Arena ......................................................................................................... 45

Use Patterns .................................................................................................................. 46 Domestication of Software Tools ................................................................................. 47 Plug-ins ......................................................................................................................... 47

Rock U Software Tool Arena Potential ............................................................................ 47 Critical Software Tool Arena Issues ................................................................................. 48 Education & Learning Arena ............................................................................................ 50

Guitarist Definition ....................................................................................................... 50 Playing with other People ................................................................................................. 51

Rehearsing on Your Own.............................................................................................. 52 Progress ......................................................................................................................... 53 Accomplished Guitarists’ Skills ................................................................................... 53 Notation......................................................................................................................... 53 Defining Music ............................................................................................................. 54 Motivation & Flow ....................................................................................................... 55

Rock U Education & Learning Arena Potential ............................................................... 56 Critical Education & Learning Arena Issues .................................................................... 57 Scenarios & a Critical Dialog ........................................................................................... 62

The Premise of a Dialog ............................................................................................... 62 The Content of the Dialog............................................................................................. 62 The Structure of the Dialog & Involved Actors............................................................ 63 Content & Structure of the Scenarios ........................................................................... 63 The Expected Outcome of the Dialog ........................................................................... 64

Reflections on our Work ................................................................................................... 65

3

Introduction Rock U is a conceptual design for an interactive guitar learning system1 that we have

developed for Fender (Part of and backbone in the concern FMIC- Fender Musical

Instrument Corporation), the world's leading brand in electric guitars. This report will

describe and discuss the development process and the concept. We will take our point of

departure in the preject phase and discuss how and why we came up with and chose the

Rock U concept. Then we will describe the initial concept idea and discuss how we used

it to approach further research. We will then explore the arenas and networks related to

Rock U and discuss how they relate to each other, to Fender and our concept. Finally we

will sum up our findings and their implications for further development in relation to the

Rock U concept.

In our section on the preject phase, we will discuss how we used an open ended approach,

research and creative and cooperative design methods to find an interesting problem or

idea. We will recount the methods we used, who we interviewed, where we went and

how we worked and discuss how we worked our way to a focus, creating and discarding

ideas along the way.

We will then describe and discuss the Rock U concept as an idea and how that became a

guiding tool and driving force for our further work. We will discuss our initial evaluation

and describe the concept using the idea with and in method. Here we will establish the

concept as an overall frame and identify technical and contextual problems and

challenges.

1 See Presentation02 Appendix Rock U Options, this is a document recently sent to Fender’s Scandinavian management.

4

With our concept as a guide we have identified 5 different arenas and networks within

them that are relevant to Rock U. The arenas we will analyze have been selected by us on

the basis of either being concerned with delivering one or more of the same type of

values as we think Rock U could benefit from or because they contain skills and/or

resources critical to developing the concept. Each analysis will yield points and come to

its own partial conclusions expressed as potentials and critical issues.

Following up on the analysis of the arenas we will re-evaluate Rock U in greater detail

using 4 different variations of the concept to illustrate important choices and

vulnerabilities. This will serve as the conclusion of the report and discuss the interplay

between the arenas in relation to the concept. This is not a part of this report, but

presented in the oral presentation and defense. These concepts will be discussed in a

scenario context, where we hope they are going to be the launch and center of discussion

in a critical dialog aimed at realization, with FMIC representatives and experts from the

arenas. If this dialog ever becomes a reality, it will take place after the delivery of this

project.

We will attempt to let the iterative nature of the process be evident throughout the report,

however, in the interest of clarity we have chosen a fairly linear structure for the report,

going along a single axis from “no idea” towards a “concept in context.”

Our Communication & Progress with FMIC2

From the very beginning we have had a close, informal and open connection with Knud

Damgaard (KD) the Scandinavian Sales Manager located in Roskilde, Denmark. We

have communicated with him through two main interviews at his home, through emails

and over the phone. He has been our source on FMIC issues providing us with equipment

and information from him or through him to other actors in the concern. He has been

enthusiastic about working with us from the beginning, but has also given us useful,

critical feedback.

2 Examples of communication with Fender can be found in Appendices 23, 60, 65 and Presentation02

5

Through KD we have introduced our work and ideas to the Scandinavian General

Manager Tony Axelson located in Sweden. He too has shown interest and enthusiasm,

and he has also given us feedback. On request we have created an abstract outlining the

concept idea and potentials. Alongside this we have, also on request, sent a presentation

of DTU, a presentation of our department Design & Innovation and our individual

résumés. We have also on request sent a follow up to the abstract, going further into

detail about FMIC’s role in the development, business potential and the concept’s

relation to the existing product MTV-Games RockBand in which FMIC is involved.

Furthermore we mailed a powerpoint presentation containing a more visual version of the

abstract with additional possible detail-design features of the concept. TA will on June

23rd 2008 be presenting our concept proposal for the international (US) management on

an already scheduled meeting and here we expect three scenarios (based on statements

from KD): 1) They will find it interesting enough to start looking further into the

development themselves and maybe ask us to join and continue our work 2) they will like

the idea but ask us to further develop it before deciding whether they want to devote any

further resources of their own. 3) they will refuse the project. We are of course very

excited about the outcome of this meeting but it is far from certain that it will ever

become a reality. Possible reasons for this outcome is presented in the report. Our hopes

of success in the sense of realizing the concept lies with our own beliefs about the

concept’s potential alongside the so far quite positive feedback from the Scandinavian

regional management.

6

Applied Theoretical Approach During our time of studying Design & Innovation at DTU, we have been trained in a

theoretical understanding and practical use of theories from fields structured around

engineering, innovation and product and product/service-system development.

In particular we have been following a socio-technical approach. This is because we

believe that problem identification and solving concerning product development has a

value in the use and contextual conditions that make up the product, its purpose and

performance. The theory suggests extensive contextual research and makes us able to

comprehend, condense and structure a large amount of data and observations in a

meaningful way. The following theory apparatus have been used, and we have explained

our understanding of the terminology in appendix3.

In our research we have partly been inspired by SCOT (Social Construction Of

Technology) 4 5 and used methods like ‘roll a snowball’ and ‘follow the actor’6 and tools

like interpretative flexibility, meningstilordninger and stabilization7 in order to get a

better understanding of the observations we have made.

Contextual research analyses have been structured via ANT (Actor-Network Theory) 8 9.

We apply network theory and translations to understand how elements or actors like

human actors, products, services, media, companies and phenomena such as use patterns,

communication, needs, wishes, opinions, discourse, domestication10 11 and stabilization

3 See Appendix54 Our Use of Theoretic Terminology worksheet 4 Hanne Lindegaard &Yutaka Yoshinoka (2004) ‘Aktører I designprocessen – introduktion til Social Construction Of Technology’ Lyngby: IPL 5 Bijker W.E. (1995): ‘Of Bicycles, Bakelites and Bulps – Toward a theory of Sociotechnical Change’. Cambridge Massachusetts: The MIT Press 6 Both from Hanne Lindegaard (2005) ’Brug af feltarbejde i en socioteknisk designproces’. Lyngby: IPL 7 Also covering ‘closure’, see Our Use of Theoretic Terminology worksheet 8 Bruno Latour (2005): ‘Reassembling The Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network Theory’; Oxford University Press. Page 1-17 9 Michel Callon (1986) ‘The Sociology of an Actor-Network: The Case of the Electric Vehicle’ chapter from ‘Mapping the Dynamics of Science and Technology’; London; Houndmills. Page 19-34 10 Hanne Lindegaard &Yutaka Yoshinoka (2004) ’Brugskontekst og brugspraksis – domesticering af produkter og teknologi i dagliglivet’ Lyngby: IPL

7

are related to each other. The translations are used alongside punctualizations, and helps

us to see how networks are structured and how they change and new relations are formed.

We will also use development arena12 theory to grasp different actor-networks, their

established interrelation and how they can be connected. Actor-worlds13 help us define

how problem understanding and changes are structured when viewed from different

points in the networks. We also use path-dependency as a way of describing stabilized

corporate development frames within the arenas.14

For conceptualization, idea generation, idea structuring and idea development we use

certain approaches. The idea-with/idea-in method, morphology, the research-ideas-

concept process structure combined with iterative process understanding.15 16 17 18

In order to evaluate concepts we will use scenarios where the methods of back tracing

and road mapping are applied. On the one side we can use them to see the potential and

span of the concept. On the other side we can use them in a critical dialogue, where

relevant actors from the different arenas can discuss and impact the concepts in order to

end up with a concept that is strong in many dimensions.19 20 21

11 Magrethe Aune (2002): ’Users versus Utilities – The Domestication of an Energy Controlling Technology’ München. Page 383-405 12 Ulrik Jørgensen & Ole Sørensen (2002): ‘Arenas of Development – A Space Populated by Actor-Worlds, Artefacts and Surprices’. Chapter 7 in Knut Sørensen & Robin Williams “Shaping Technology, Guiding Policy: Concepts, Spaces and Tools’; Cheltenham: Edward Elger Page 197-222 13 Et. Al. 14 Ulrik Jørgensen (1997): ‘The LEGO Brick system under reconstruction’. Article for the workshop “Path Creation and Dependency” CISTEMA 15 Claus Thorp Hansen & Mogens Myrup Andreasen (2003): ‘A Proposal for Enhanced design concept Understanding’. Proceedings from the conference ‘International Conference on engineering design’, Stockholm. 16 Claus Thorp Hansen & Mogens Myrup Andreasen (2002): ‘The content and Nature of a Design Concept’. Proceedings from the conference ‘NordDesign’, Trondheim. Page 101-110 17 Claus Thorp Hansen & Mogens Myrup Andreasen (2005): ‘The content and Product Idea’. Proceedings from the conference ‘ICED 05’, Melbourne. 18 Claus Thorp Hansen & Mogens Myrup Andreasen (2006): ‘The content and Product Idea’. Proceedings from the conference ‘NordDesign, Reykjavik. Page 32-41 19 Kees Van Der Hejden (1998) ‘Scenario Development’ chapter from ‘Scenarios – The Art of Strategic Conversation’ John Weiley and Sons page 219-272 20 Phillip van Notten (2005): ‘The Future Shocks: On Discontinuity and Scenario Development’ article in ‘technological Forecasting and Social change’ page 175-194

8

Preject

Our process started by choosing to do something with guitars. We both have an interest in

guitars and thought that creating a guitar concept would be an exciting way to spend a

semester. We were very eager to apply our skills to something we both loved. So we

contacted a guitar shop in Copenhagen called Aage Jensen, who we knew had a line of

low cost guitars produced in China, hoping that we might get to design a guitar that

would be put into production and sold in Denmark. As it turned out, they were too busy

and declined the cooperation but instead referred us to the Scandinavian regional sales

manager of Fender Knud Damgaard (“KD”). Much to our surprise KD was very

enthusiastic about working with us and we were extremely excited to be working with

Fender, the world’s leading brand in electric guitars and basses.

Now we did not have any specific idea of what to work with and so we expanded our

focus to the guitar arena in general. Conversely, Fender did not have any specific tasks

they wished us to deal with. The result was a totally open ended approach to a project

relevant to the guitar arena, where we could identify possible concept areas that would be

a potential business for Fender. At our introductory meeting with KD in his home one

sentence stood out:

» Fender’s biggest wish is to create a new icon as big as the Strat22

.. or the Tele23

.

Or just even the Jazz-bass or P-bass24”«

This became our goal, to create an icon. As described later, much to our own surprise, our

concept would not turn out to be a guitar design. We entered into a creative and intuitive

state where we through our experience, internet search and interviews tried to discover

21 Kees Van Der Hejden (1998) ‘Scenario Development’ chapter from ‘Scenarios – The Art of Strategic Conversation’ John Weiley and Sons 22 Stratocaster, guitar model by Fender - the best selling and best known guitar ever produced 23 Telecaster, guitar model by Fender – the first mass-produced electric guitar, also very famous. 24 Bass models by Fender – the first electric basses ever build. Both of them “Stratocasters” of electric basses, and actually has a longer distance to competitors as there are not many other bass icons, and the competitors in fact don’t sell nearly as many.

9

interesting directions to investigate. What we were looking for was ideas, problems to

solve, something that felt potentially iconic, innovative and realistic.

Our Own Experience with Guitars

Before we go further into describing our research, we will explain our own experience

with the world of guitars which has been a key element in the project. Both of us have

been playing guitar for several years (11 and 16) and have owned several different

guitars. We both have experience with composing, playing in bands, live performance,

recording, mixing and editing. We have also both been taking guitar lessons at music

schools for some years. Kristoffer is a recording artist with his band Mavourneen, who

currently own more than $60.000 worth of music equipment.

In addition to the understanding we have obtained from our own experience, we have

been part of a network of friends, band mates, learning guitarists and so on. From this we

have naturally observed many use patterns and phenomena and identified many

problems, needs and solutions to these. We submit that it is fair to say that our initial

knowledge is relatively high and has in many cases been able to substitute knowledge we

in other projects would only be able to by obtain by fieldwork and research. When treated

with caution and verification this has been a very giving element to our research and

means that we have been able to accumulate and understand new knowledge faster than

normal.

The caution about this experience is a potentially negative effect on the innovative

process, because of our pre-established thoughts and ideas about the guitar. Of course we,

as experienced users ourselves, are subject to a degree of domestication and stabilization

of use and ideas of the guitar. We have tried to be aware of this from the very beginning

of the project and have put a lot of effort into trying to think radically, to not trivialize

and to not take anything for granted. Therefore, our own knowledge has been used

mainly for factual research and we have made every effort to be open and neutral when

dealing with users’ needs, wishes, behavior and opinions. This caution is hopefully

verified in the light of our research and use of it.

10

Research Areas25

Our starting point was a brainstorm over areas to be investigated. The research and

interview process continued throughout the project and the transition from preject to

project is in this case a fluid one. We used the roll a snowball method to keep digging in

promising directions and establish new network nodes around us to supply input to the

project. We used the follow the actor method and as often as possible also tried to “be”

the actor. When outlining research areas we used three main methods as displayed in

these examples:

Freeform list or Conceptual approach:

Guitars & Girls, computer game sales, distribution, shops, custom guitars, trends,

learning in general, boys’ games vs. girls’ games, games and learning, idol worship,

guitar entertainment and boredom, guitar use in the home, guitars and genres, branding,

the guitar as an identity forming artifact…

Titular or Headline Approach:

Guitars - design, functionality, materials, manufacture, history, models, distribution…

Fender - history, organization, brands, products, impact, identity, business…

Guitar culture – bands, idols, guitarist icons, genres…

Channels – live concerts, television, internet, albums, singles, radio, events…

Guitar playing – techniques, theory, defining skill…

Guitar Learning – instructional material, classes, teachers, institutions…

Interviews with Relevant Actors:

Knud Damgaard / Fender

Females who play guitar

Males who play guitar

25 See Appendices 26, 31, 51, 52 for a small selection of successful and unsuccessfull examples of research

11

People who stopped playing guitar

People who play Guitar Hero (a popular video game that uses a guitar shaped controller)

People who develop computer games

Guitar stores; sales people, managers

Teachers in music schools

Students in music schools

Musicians for whom the guitar is a secondary or tertiary instrument…

Much of our work is based on interviews taken from informal and often spontaneous

conversations. A lot of the information we deal with is not about hard data but about

casual observations, opinions and feelings (meningstilordninger). Therefore we will use

quotes and excerpts extensively in an effort to reflect and preserve the nature of the

statements. Naturally there is a slight barrier in the sense that all quotes are translated

from Danish into English, which somewhat decreases the quality of this reflection.

Basically there will be three types of quotes as exemplified below:

“I used to take lessons a couple of years when I was in my early teens. In the beginning I

followed the lessons quite carefully, trying to get a good start […] But as time went by, I

did less and less homework. I think I’d rather play my own stuff, instead of learning the

theory all the time […] I wanted to play real music faster […] The teacher was very nice

and patient, but I always felt bad when I had not prepared for the lessons.” –KNLB

(Kristoffer Buch, Author)

“Taking guitar lessons is useful […] [but] you need to pay so much attention […] it’s

expensive […] the transportation […] the scheduling […] all those things make it more

boring.” –Rep. (repeated in multiple interviews from multiple sources in many

variations)

“You are not just buying a guitar you are buying a dream […] the desire for a lifestyle,

the desire to resemble your idols. That is what sells guitars.” –KD (single source, in this

case Knud Damgaard)

12

Condensation of Research

The open-ended approach speaks for a broad research and analysis from which ideas are

born and concept proposals are shaped. During the initial research and brainstorming, the

following possible promising work areas were forming and getting our interest:

‘videogames and guitars’; ‘girls’; ‘education and learning’; ‘guitar icon’; ‘customization’;

‘alternate functionality’26. This classification and condensation was gradual and was not

present from the onset of the project but rather emerged as the amount of research

became unmanageable and/or new broad research areas presented themselves as a result

of interviews, research or ideas. Our chosen focus ended up being a mix of Computer

Games and Education & Learning, but the investigation of and brainstorming over the

other areas still have had value in the rest of the project.27

Choice of Direction

Based on a qualitative suggestion, we believed there was a lot of potential in ideas that

basically involved a computer or video game that facilitated learning to play a real guitar.

We believed the game could offer a combination of existing means of learning guitar,

which would result in something totally new. The game offers privacy in the home

environment, but also feedback that does not come from the student him/herself.

Additionally, we felt the game element could provide a motivating entertainment value.

26 See Appendix58 Possible Work Areas 27 Appendices 01, 03, 06, 07, 08, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 20, 21, 26, 27, 36, 38, 42, 48, 50, 52, 53, 56, 70 all contain concept development oriented sketches, work sessions, texts and research.

13

The idea had been suggested in several interviews and

users enthusiastically confirmed interest in the concept,

whether they were male, female, active guitarists, ex-

guitarists or non-guitarists. The notion that it might be

interesting to investigate making a game/guitar mix of

some sort seemed especially obvious when talking to

users of Guitar Hero (especially those who also play

music). In fact the notion is so prevalent that bloggers have been and still are complaining

about people asking why gamers who play Rock Band and Guitar Hero do not devote

themselves to real instruments.28

We have also seen trends on the gaming development arena that show tendencies towards

such a “game.” Previous research and work with signal analysis29 indicated that in a

technical sense everything about it looked doable. Our research on Fender showed us that

they had already moved into fields of education and gaming, and that they nurture a

brand of being a company bound by tradition to innovate and not be afraid to break new

ground. Last but not least we saw a strong access to empiric research and felt that we had

the ability to establish the necessary network of people around us to explore a project of

this kind with satisfactory depth and validity.30

It was not just a question of ticking off boxes. It was a gradual process and we often use

the term resonance when we discuss why we chose this conceptual direction. We

encountered a convergence of meningstilordninger in many different nuances. The idea

itself seemed obvious but at the same time new and exciting to virtually all the people we

talked to.

28 http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/11/people-i-hate-w.html -11/05/2008 http://czircon.livejournal.com/984058.html -17/06/2008 29 http://people.bu.edu/edlarson/KZOO_05_Wavelets.pdf This is a document we used in connection with the mentioned previous project (which is in a sense still ongoing but currently on pause). 30 See Appendix43 Interviewee List

14

The Origin of Ideas, Concepts & Research

Before we go further in our reporting, we will go deeper into describing why we so far

have not described the actor-networks or development arenas very carefully, but will do

so later on when we move on from the preject.

We argue that our work, approaches and analysis cannot be described efficiently using

linear chronology. When an area was investigated, the new knowledge is reflected back

on which new areas and actors we then had to investigate or known ones that we needed

to investigate further. The approach is illustrated in the figure below:

Focused

Research Content &

Fit Idea

Concept

Idea

PROJECT

15

For our process it holds true that ideas are born both before, during and after research and

they almost inevitably give rise to more research. The need for deeper research in both

specific areas connected to the idea and broad research that can lead to further innovation

and lift the idea up to a stronger concept. The idea might come out of an understanding of

needs that the idea can propose solutions to. But additionally, as the idea grows and

condenses, one sees even more potentials it can support (content on the figure), which

strengthens and verify the idea. This approach is illustrated in the lower section of the

figure.

As mentioned, the approaches illustrated in this two section model are equally weighted

in the conducted work. And therefore they should be viewed not only parallel, but

completely tangled together. This is especially the case because the ideas change their

nature over time and often melt together with other ideas to form new ideas or concepts.

Concept Idea

In the following we will describe our concept idea. We are using a modified and

simplified version of the Idea With & Idea In model to do so because the concept at the

“conclusion” of the preject phase was not clearly detailed enough that we feel it properly

fits the model’s duality. The purpose of our model, which we will call Concept Purpose

& Technological Foundation is aimed at identifying relevant development arenas and

introduce our arena-based context analysis rather than identifying vulnerabilities.

Working Title

We chose to dub our concept ROCK U as a reference to being a university of rock. Also

we liked the aggressive sound of the name being close to F*** You – proper rock’n’roll –

and the association to the song We Will Rock You by Queen which is very pompous, a

rock classic and frequently used to build expectations and create drama at sporting

events.

16

Concept Purpose

The purpose of our concept is to teach people to play and enjoy the guitar in the privacy

of their own home in a new and exciting way. We want to reach a large audience. We

want to create a concept that revolutionizes the way people learn how to play guitar. We

want to develop a concept that is able to deliver the kind of feedback and interaction that

make repetitive games like Guitar Hero entertaining. We want to create a flexible

practicing tool that will allow experienced guitarists to create their own exercises and

focus their training. We want to create something that can teach beginners to play the

guitar. We want to create something that can be profitable. We want to create something

that will strengthen the Fender brand and increase guitar sales.

Technological Foundation

We want to use a game console or PC. We want to use basically any fairly standard

electric guitar. We want to use a screen and speakers or headphones. We want to use

computing hardware or software to interpret input from the guitar, and give feedback via

signals of sound and graphics.

17

New Arenas We choose to think about our concept as not having an existing arena on the basis that

nothing like it has been realized and marketed yet. Instead we have chosen to depict the

emerging Rock U development arena as a composite of 5 different arenas: the Music

Arena, Guitar Arena, Education & Learning Arena, Game Arena and the Software Tool

Arena. They will be described in detail later. We aim at describing how the concept could

perform on each of the arenas. As outcome of this process we will construct a new

composite arena, at least in abstract, on which we can place and evaluate different shapes

of the concept. Here we arrive at the problem formulation for this report:

“If we attempt to put ourselves in Fender’s place and were to create a product based

on the Rock U concept idea, what problems and potentials would we need to pay

special attention to as seen in an arena perspective?”

In the following we will treat the purposes and foundations of our concept idea as

hypotheses that we will analyze in different arena contexts. The approach is illustrated in

the figure below:

18

The Arena Map

In our investigation and analysis of the arenas, we have tried to demarcate them and see

established network relations, stabilized phenomena and translations. We have used

products, services and actors (and their actor-worlds) like users, companies and experts as

the main elements in this network outlining because they are surrounded by characteristic

behavior and relations. Also populating the arenas are standards, laws, physical spaces,

business, money and knowledge. These elements are selected, related to each other and

analyzed in their relation and importance towards the concept frame of Rock U. This way

we can see the potential strengthening of relations that the concept could establish

through translation. Also, critical issues and limitations for the concept will be emerging

from this analysis.

Another and equally important use of the arena map and analysis is the identification of

already established relations between elements present on more than one arena. This way

we can see how the arenas already relate to each other and therefore also get a clearer

view on where they are initiate different and incompatible. On the arena map we have

graphically applied a circle to each arena wherein the elements are placed. The arenas

overlap and create cross fields that represent how they interrelate. This has been very

useful in our work and has had the effect that we have chosen to describe certain guitar

related phenomena and elements in the other arenas in which they have equal inclusion.

In addition, we have chosen to describe the General Music arena through the other four

arenas because we are mainly interested in its relations to them. Furthermore, the

concept’s inclusion of “pure” Music Arena elements is very open and so we felt that

devoting an independent section to it was less important than exploring the other 4 arenas

more in depth.

Rock U as a concept frame is in definition related to all arenas and is therefore centrally

positioned. It stands alone as we have not identified any sufficiently similar products

besides GuitarRising, a product that has not yet been launched. Although similar in some

ways we don’t consider it to be the same As Rock U.31 It is also again mentionable that

31 Appendix 37

19

Rock U will not necessarily end up including all arenas as we will describe in the section

about a scenarios and critical dialog.

On the following page we show the arena map. The areas that are of most concern to us

are the intersections right around Rock U and the Guitar Arena where Fender are located.

In some cases we will go beyond these areas if we have found especially important

networks or translations.

20

21

The Guitar Arena

Description of the Electric Guitar

An electric guitar is a type of guitar that uses inductive pickups32 to convert the vibration

of its steel-cored strings into electrical current. The strings’ resonance is affected by the

frame - the body and neck33 – as the vibration caused by the strings plants back into the

strings. The signal that comes from the guitar is sometimes electronically altered to

achieve various tonal effects34 prior to being fed into an amplifier35, which produces the

final sound in a live situation or for recording.

Mark Knopfler Jimi Hendrix Strat Eric Clapton

32 See Appendix16 Description of the Electric Guitar 34 See Appendix16 Description of the Electric Guitar and Appendix09 35 See Appendix02 Amplification

22

This diagram gives an overview of how guitar sound is translated, through which media and to whom.

Types of Guitars

The electric guitar is a covering a heterogeneous array of different types of guitars36 with

different types of functionalities and configurations of materials37 and components. This

36 See Appendix16 Description of the Electric Guitar 37 See Appendix16 Description of the Electric Guitar

23

makes users able to choose between different base sounds created by the guitars’

construction and modification of the sound via simple electronics38 placed in the guitar. It

also relates to playability in the sense that some guitars are good for different styles of

playing. Guitars also differ in prize range which reflects in the quality of craftsmanship

and/or rarity which are often interrelated39. Guitar designs are fairly stabilized and

archetypical designs are widely copied.40

The Overall Electric Guitar Sound

A very important issue of the guitar is the sound, and the way people expect the guitar to

sound41. The amp and speaker’s coloring of the signal are crucial in the understanding of

the guitar sound, and this is also where guitar amps differ from e.g. Hi-Fi amplifier for

music playback or head phones. These medias

are made from different types of components

and are fit to a more full range sound, and this

can conflict with what the understanding of

the raw electric guitar sound is.

The “hands-on” Equipment Issue

There is more to guitar playing than the playing itself. As the sound is important, the

equipment that creates it is also important. Choice of guitars, effects and amps is for

many guitarists translated into a hobby. Of course, the sound is central for the hobby, but

there are also the patterns of collectors and identification tendencies.

38 See Appendix16 Description of the Electric Guitar 39 The first relates to the visual appearance, sound and feel of play. The latter relates to specially manufactured guitars, limited editions, custom made guitars and rare vintage (old, ‘good’ batches related to decades characterized by different means of design and production). 40 See Appendix Preject Phase Guitar Focus 41 The electric guitar sound has a relatively narrow frequency range – compared to the drums and bass – very midrange. This has stabilized and has been domesticated to be the “normal”. An acoustic guitar like the western has a different, more full formant sound spectrum because of its increased acoustic resonance, where the electric guitar has a very thin acoustic sound. The guitars’ role in matter of frequency range e.g. a rockband has also stabilized, of course with exceptions where the guitar sound is “special” e.g. very “bassy” or very “bright”. The rockband sound is an institution that differs a lot from e.g. a classical orchestra. – Interview with KD, AT, SD.

24

There is a vast amount of gear in all kinds of price range, and a part of this is original

vintage gear or reissues of this. It falls back on the stabilizations towards sound, and

many people will seek the original. There is a great puzzle in managing amps, stomp

pedals42 and so on and as this is original it might look and feel cooler than taking “the

easy way out” of digitalization by using software emulation.

Guitar Rig is a good example on how this analog-digital matter is translated in a

successful way43. In this product the analog and hands on functionality and user behavior

are incorporated into a digitalized product gaining the qualities of this world.

Distribution of Electric Guitars & Equipment

The most common way of buying an electric guitar is through instrument stores, varying

in size, some are parts of chains. Normally the stores have either specialized in one type

of instruments or cover a more broad selection of products used in playing music. This

include electric and acoustic guitars, basses, keyboards, pianos, amplifiers, drums,

PA/Live equipment, studio equipment, violins and alike, brass and woodwind

instruments and the vast selection of accessories uses in these areas. Normally when you

buy a guitar, especially when you buy your first guitar you will be offered a package

deal44 or a discount on some extra equipment. Sometimes you will just be made aware of

the extra equipment and the salesperson will recommend the essentials.45 In contrary to

these specialized vendors, supermarkets sometimes sell guitars46.

42 See Appendix22 Effects and Digitalization 43 See Appendix22 Effects and Digitalization 44 See Appendix04 Buying an Electric Guitar 45 See Appendix04 Buying an Electric Guitar and Presentation01 Appendix User Scenarios, Equipment and Relations 46 See Appendix04 Buying an Electric Guitar and Appendix05 The ALDI Case

25

Guitar package Instrument shop

The internet has founded for online instrument sales. On websites, people can view and

read about the instruments. Additionally, they can search more information about the

guitars, read reviews from users and professionals and participate in debate forums.

www.aage.dk – leading Danish instrument shop

26

Companies & Brands

Fender or FMIC (Fender Musical Instruments Corporation) as the company is called is

the largest player on the market, and their total business is 3 times larger than the closest

competitor Gibson. These two companies are characterized by being inventors and

manufactures of the worlds most famous, sold and used guitar models – in this area they

are not so far from each other and they both have a fair share of classics, but Fender has a

broader range of products. Besides having their individual brands, Gibson and especially

Fender have bought up other established brands47 through the years, even going beyond

guitars. The company also manufactures different other instruments and types of

equipment48.

Still, other brands have survived. Though not the most successful models, other brands

too have their classics. And smaller brands, including those bought by Gibson and

Fender, often produce niche guitars49. Some buyers do not want to buy well-known and

widely used guitars, they want something special. So, there is still competition on the

market.

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation

Fender was founded in California 1946 by Leo Fender. Fender offered the first mass-

produced solid-body Spanish-style electric guitar50, the Telecaster; invented the first

mass-produced electric bass, the Precision Bass (P-Bass); and popular Stratocaster (Strat)

guitar. The company manufactures51 different electric guitars and basses, but also other

47 See Appendix28 FMIC Icons, Brands & Products 48 See Appendix28 FMIC Icons, Brands & Products

49 See description later in this section 50 While Fender was not the first to manufacture electric guitars, as other companies and individuals had produced electric guitars since the late 1920s, none was as commercially successful as Fender's 51 See Appendix28 FMIC Icons, Brands & Products

27

instruments52. In addition, they have bought several other established brands of guitars

and equipment53.

Squier

The Squier brand has been used by Fender since 1982 to market inexpensive variants54 of

Fender guitars. The Squier name adorns many inexpensive guitars based on Fender

designs but with generally cheaper materials, hardware and less careful craftsmanship.

Squier guitar package, note the slogan “Stop Dreaming, Start Playing!”

Young Players and Beginners

Because the cost price is so much lower, Fender uses Squier as their “beginner’s guitar”

brand, often included in package deals. As beginners, most people do not want to invest

largely in equipment because they might loose interest and therefore get stuck with this.

Additionally, a beginner will probably not be able to recognize the better quality and not

be able to use it to its full potential. Besides cheap guitars, the young buyers are met with

signature artists they relate to55, and even Hello Kitty models56. As a product of its own,

52 See Appendix28 FMIC Icons, Brands & Products 53 See Appendix28 FMIC Icons, Brands & Products 54 Intended to compete with the rise of Stratocaster copies, as the Stratocaster was becoming more popular. 55 See description of signature artists in general in Guitarist icons worksheet. Se specific Squier signature artist described in Squier Signature artist worksheet.

28

Squier guitars are a profitable asset for Fender. But it is also a way of capturing guitar

players from the beginning, spreading the word of the classic models, making people get

used to Fender guitars. When the beginner advances and starts searching for a better

guitar, Fender wants them to want to buy a real Fender. Fender has established:

Squier > Mexican Fender > American Fender > Custom Shop.

“Besides making people buy FMIC products in all price

ranges, we want them to buy the American built guitars

because we make the most profits on those.57

”

Fender Amplification

Like with guitars, Fender have created some of the most used and acknowledged

amplifiers like the Tweed Amp and Twin Reverb. Their sound and appearance are among

the most copied and they are in the big classics league with Vox AC30, Marshall JMP.

G-DEC and B-DEC

In the same way as with Squier guitars, this small amp which can

back up rehearsing with drumbeats, bass lines and guitar

effects58, places Fender in the role as supporting beginners. As it

covers many products, it is relatively cheap, easy to use and practical. As with Squier,

beginners do not to the same degree as experienced need, know of or appreciate the value

of more expensive and complicated gear. But G-Dec is actually relating to all guitarist

that need a quick and compact training device. KD who is also a professional and active

guitarist said that “I actually use the G-Dec when I warm up for rehearsals and when I

need to refresh my scales”.

56 See Appendix40 Hello Kitty 57 According to KD, FMIC daily produces estimate 600 American build guitars, 1200 Mexican build and 10.000 Asian build. Roughly 50 % of the profits come from sales of the American instruments. 58 See Appendix28 FMIC Icons, Brands & Products

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Fender’s Storytelling & Branding

Objectively viewed, facts are that Fender has created some of the most significant and

ground braking products and inventions. Their instruments have been used by some of

the biggest artists, used to create some of the most famous recordings, concerts and

sounds ever. These stars have become icons59, that people want

to resemble in every way. They even get custom made guitars60

made and are associated with them and vice versa. Fender

produce what is widely accepted among the best in quality and

has been able to produce some of the instruments with most

value for the money paid. Fender uses these facts to brand

themselves as the mediators of rock’n’roll music, the premise

for the existence of this whole movement.

“Fender – the spirit of rock’n’roll”61

As the producer of icons the value of Fender as a corporation is much more than their

production facilities, their connections, their knowledge and their know-how. Their most

lucrative asset is their name and their brand.

“The Fender brand, the name and the designs, is worth more than the entire

corporation.”62

This brand represents certain products that they offer, but most of all, it represents a

dream and a lifestyle. This contains the vision of rock’n’roll, artistic expression and the

idea of electric guitars. The popular dream of becoming a star.63

59 See Appendix24 Fender Bass Performers; See Appendix25 Fender Guitar Performers; Appendix32 Gibson Guitar Performers

60 See Appendix28 FMIC Icons, Brands & Products 61 www.fender.com 62 Interview KD 63 See Appendix01

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“You are not buying a guitar, you are buying a dream […] the long for seeking

an identity, the long for resembling your idols. That is what sells guitars.” KD

Storytelling as a Means of Positioning

“History is a matter of interpretations”

We have spoken about facts and storytelling that nurtures on these facts. But another fact

is that Fender has not been alone. Other brands have also made guitars that have a

significant sound, has been used by famous artists, has a recognized top quality, that are

economical and so on. They too have created designs and inventions that have

contributed to the shaping of rock’n’roll and everything that has emerged from this. Users

know of this side of the story too, and this is exactly why Fender uses so much energy

into their storytelling, constantly reminding people of their name. Fact is that they have a

leading position, so the stories are successful.

Fender & Users

In extension of the nurturing of the historic relic and value, Fender is putting effort into

activating the users, an approach is written into the companies

strategic goals and values64. A great example can be demonstrated by:

“Your Heroes have made sonic history on our instruments for

years – now it’s your turn. Are you ready?”65

This is a slogan from their MAKE HISTORY campaign on the Fender

homepage. The campaign is directing attention towards the New

64 See Appendix28 FMIC Icons, Brands & Products

65 www.fender.com/makehistory

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American Standard 2008 product line. Also, there is an established online community

with forums where the Fender identity is nurtured. Another initiative is the Fender

University where people can learn to play guitar, see the Fender facilities and get fully

enrolled in the Fender identity.

Other aspects of this user activation is the mentioned Squier entry level campaign, using

slogans like

“There’s Magic in the Breed”66

and “Stop Dreaming, Start Playing!”

Futuristic Fender

And there are more things that show Fender is not and cannot only look backwards,

leaning on old inventions. They are strongly trying to be up front and innovative on the

one side, and to brand themselves as such on the other side. Although Fender is subject of

heavy path-dependency, they are in a special position because they operate on such a

stabilized and back striving arena that on the other side demands what every other arena

or market demands: development, innovation, improvement.

And therefore they develop new amplifiers, design the VG Strat, enters Rock Band, tried

to introduce the Toronado guitar67, produces cheaper guitars, establish Fender University

and so on. But the new guitars are tough to introduce, people still want the old stuff:

“You cannot alter a Strat or a Tele […] people want the flaws of the original

models […] the vibrato system on the Strat is kind of poor, but you cannot sell

Strats with new systems […] you can’t put humbuckers on them […] what you

can alter has to be invisible, and even in this case, innovation is extremely

difficult.”68

66 http://www.squierguitars.com/ 67 An almost unknown electric guitar model aimed at competing with the Gibson Les Paul. KD told us that it was hardly selling, and was quickly taken off the market. 68 Interview KD and Interview Aage Jensen sales assistent

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So how can they make the task of expanding sales, creating growth on the guitar sales? KD

puts it this way:

“Some new guitar design are long shots. We don’t necessarily expect them to sell, but

just to create some fuzz, making people remember what the “real” Fender models

were all about.”69

Fender does however create new products like the VG Strat70 and new amplifiers like the G-

DEC

CASE: Make History – The New American Standard

In 2008 Fender launched an extensive campaign to promote the “New American Standard”

where the greatest top models are presented once again: The Stratocaster, the Telecaster, the

P-Bass and the Jazz Bass. What is stunning is that they have almost not changed. The

improvements are limited to a slightly thinner finish on the body and neck, a new case and a

slightly altered bridge. The Pickups on the Strat can be chosen to be a humbucker, but this has

been an option before.

“The New American Standard guitars are more or less the same” KD

69 Interview KD 70 A Stratocaster with built-in emulation and hexaphonic PU, which allows it to interface well with computers as a MIDI instrument and emulate vintage Stratocaster sounds.

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What Fender does accomplish is drawing attention, and still, in the matter of innovating their

flagship models, even small changes are remarkable. The changed features were pre-tested on

small batches of guitars, especially the Mexican models.

Rock U Guitar Arena Potential Our intention is to create a new frame for guitar playing, translating elements from this

network and configuring them in new relations to obtain new results and meanings.

Rock U in the estimated form would be able to act as substitute equipment associated

with playing guitar. Devices like the metronome and tuner are built into the product, and

there is no principal need for an amplifier, effects or cabinet to generate the sound. This is

done via software or hardware processing and played through the user’s already acquired

equipment like the home stereo, television set or headphones. There is a possibility in

distributing Rock alongside the sale of a guitar, maybe in bundled packages, with cheap

guitars, with more expensive guitars or other equipment. Conversely a cheap guitar could

also be bundled in a game package.

Imagining Fender as the main associate with Rock Band, there lies a potential for Fender

to create new business on the product/service Rock U delivers. Here we present the

directly guitar related potentials.

Selling More Guitars – Skill vs. Money Spent

Simply by making people better at playing guitar, there is a greater chance they will buy

more guitars that increase in price which is a goal in the Fender products strategy.

Exposure of Existing Products & Brands

As is the case for Fender guitars in Rock Band and for Gibson Guitars in Guitar Hero,

Fender will have a platform for exposing the guitars, amps, famous Fender artist, etc.

With on-line connection, it will be possible to link to Fender shops/Showrooms, Fender

artists, Fender news etc.

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Fender have already entered the beginners and educational areas with products and

services like G-Dec, Fender University, Squier-beginners. This brand could be expanded

and interrelate with the Rock U concept

Critical Guitar Arena Issues

What Music does Rock U include?

We have distinguished two issues in this matter:

1) What kind of music is compatible with the concept

We need to understand which genres fit the concept, or closer; what elements

from the genres are we able to support? What do the users want to play via the

concept?

2) What genres does Fender wish to promote?

Fender guitars are used in a broad array of genres. But Squier is their beginners’

brand, and the concept is partly related to beginners. Jackson is their metal and

high-tech brand, and the concept could also address this audience.71

Rock U & Sound

In order to make successful translations, we must relate to the existing world of guitars so

that users can relate to it and use it in their network and to support their established needs.

So, we are also very much supporting domesticated behavioral patterns, processes and

contextual conditions surrounding guitar playing.

71 See Appendix28 FMIC Icons, Brands & Products

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This is a reason to be aware of the sound issue. There lies a danger in punctualizing the

sound, e.g. in the scope of making technical analogies with SingStar that makes a simple

A/D conversion. This punctualization does not necessarily encompass the users

understanding of how the guitar should sound, and care should be put into creating the

frames for the sound generating. Taking this view further, the quality of the Hi-Fi

equipment the user has already got could vary in quality, making some existing setups

inadequate. Or maybe the user could even be stuck with obsolete guitar equipment.

We also substitute a lot of elements like amplifier and effects with processing on a

computer and use a home stereo system or a television set. The use process concerning

dealing with equipment, the feeling of using “real” gear is an issue that we must consider

important.

Fender & Branding

If the product turns out not to be good or fulfill a certain goal of quality, the branding effect

for Fender could work in a negative direction. Their development investments would be in

vain, and the name, brand and identity could be degraded if it shows that they have making a

too drastic breakout of their corporate path-dependency.

Technically, we cannot restrict the guitar as controller to be only guitars from Fender – any

electric guitar can be used. A possible negative effect of this could be that players become

interested in guitars but are not necessarily interested in Fender products. Also, there could be

complications if the virtual guitar universe in the game would only contain Fender guitars.

Fender would risk coming off as being domineering and corporate which does not really gel

with the whole rock and roll attitude and would thus hurt the brand. This caution builds upon

our description, that the real life music universe is a more heterogeneous compilation of

brands, artists and users.

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The Game Arena In this section of the report we are going to deal with the video game arena. We will examine

different types of platforms in order to make a choice on where Rock U could fit. We will

give insight into the knowledge base and financial nature of the video game arena and discuss

this in relation to our concept. In game arena terms, our concept uses an electric guitar as a

controller. We will discuss stabilizations and developments in entertainment value, game

controllers, hardware and game contents. This gives a picture of translations that indicate

contextual support for a concept like Rock U and can strengthen it. We will then sum up by

commenting on and discussing critical issues and potentials.

Research Sources

To gain insight into the game arena our main sources have been two industry professionals

from Denmark’s leading game developer IO-Interactive. Thor Frølich is the lead level

designer and has been with the company from before the release of their first title, Hitman. He

has seen the company grow from a staff off less than 14

to more than 150. He is also an inactive guitarist. He does

not play Guitar Hero or Rock Band.72 Jesper Donnis is a

programmer and game designer and is a more recent

addition to the company. He is an avid Guitar Hero

player and a non-musician. In both cases we have

focused on discussing the concept in detail through

prolonged informal meetings in an effort to ensure we

had a mutual understanding of perspectives. We have

played Guitar Hero73 and other games together and

discussed the concept on several occasions. We consider

them both to be highly qualified and relevant

72 Appendix 64 73 Appendix 34, 44, 49, 63 for notes and examples of work with JD

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interviewees. The second installment in the iconic Hitman series74, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin,

has sold over a million copies for both PS2 (2.73) and X-box (1.13).75 The Hitman series also

spawned a Hollywood movie of the same name.

For additional insight we have consulted Emanuel Greisen76 who is the chief developer and

co-founder of Gamalocus Aps, he is a skilled programmer and mathematician.77 He is a non-

musician and does not play GH or RB.78

Investment & Criteria for Success

The game arena is characterized by being a high risk, big budget economy and an expanding

market79. It is knowledge based and labor intensive. Titles can run for years in development

and then more often than not sell the vast majority of the copies they are ever going to sell

within the first few moths following their release. A prevalent

goal is to create a successful game that can translate into a

series80 e.g. Mario. Series often allow developers to save time

and costs as they can recycle code and creative content. Today

there are slightly less than 900 titles that have sold more than a

million copies for a given platform.

Characteristics of Consoles vs. PC’s as Game Platforms

The console is likely to be placed in the living room or

other relaxation area. PC's are often on desks and in

work areas. When programming for a console you know

the exact platform your software needs to run on.

Consoles have a fairly strong price to performance ratio

74 For a quick and fun look at Hitman as being iconic see Appendix41 Hitman, a Modern Gaming Icon 75 http://vgchartz.com/worldtotals.php?name=hitman&console=&publisher=&sort=Total -17/06/2008 76 Appendix 46 77 It is quite common for game programmers, especially if they deal with graphics, to be highly skilled at mathematics. 78 Gamalocus are working on the second installment of their massively multi online browser based PC strategy series Call of the Warlords, titled Call of the Kings. He is also MR’s former employer. 79 See Appendix61 Radio debate 80 E.g. Mario, The Sims, SingStar, GuitarHero, Command and Conquer,

38

when it comes to sound and graphics compared to a PC, mainly because it is easier to reliably

push the performance envelope with consoles.81 Typically a console will be connected to a

color TV, which means sound and color can usually be displayed in a decent quality82. A

major difference in scripts is that the vast majority of PC titles require installation and

sometimes they do not work, whereas console games require no installation and always work.

“Consoles simply have a more fun and relaxed vibe” –TF

Economy Discussion

Financially consoles and PC’s are also quite different. One important difference is that

pirating is significantly less of a problem for consoles. Programming for consoles like the Wii

and especially PS2 and 3 is a more specialized skill set and so it is generally more expensive,

however, the X360 is basically a PC and so it requires fairly little time and effort for a skilled

PC programmer to be able to make the switch.83 PC's vary greatly in hardware setup and it is

costly and time consuming to develop software so it will work with an acceptable variety of

setups.84

In general it is fair to say that in the modern world of game development big titles require big

budgets, regardless of platform, running up into many millions of dollars.85 For many games

this means that it is solely because it is fairly easy to translate the X360 version to PC that it is

feasible to release a given title for PC, as the sales for consoles are much higher.86

Gaming & Entertainment

The main reason people play games is to have fun. Games deliver this as they on the one side

enroll the player in a certain universe87 of his or hers interest and on the other side set up tasks

81 Interview JD, TF, EG 82 Interview JD – Gamedesigner IO-Interactive; Interview TF – Lead Level Designer IO-interactive 83 Interview EG – Programmer, Chief Developer Gamalocus 84 Interview JD – Gamedesigner IO-Interactive; Interview TF – Lead Level Designer IO-interactive 85 Interview JD– Gamedesigner IO-Interactive 86 See Appendix55 Platform Sales Comparison 87 Sports, knights and dragons, modern warfare, space wars against aliens, Mario fantasy land, Sims artificial ‘real world’ etc.

39

and problems that the user must solve. Generally it presupposes repetitive behavior and

attention about a more or less visible goal or story.

This combination speaks to the user’s imagination and basic desire for being good at

something, mastering it, completing it – winning. An essential quality of the game is the

evaluation of the user’s actions, the feedback on whether or not the tasks are completed

according to the rules of the game. This is important, because the player needs this to mirror

his or her actions in and in many cases compare this with the performance of other players.

So, the social element is driven in part by common enthusiasm for the universe and in part by

the task solving competition. What is characteristic about this description is that it is

connected with male behavior that reflects in certain types of games that speak mainly to a

male audience.88

A more female look at the entertainment and social value of gaming is that people have fun

together. There are still elements of competition present and the common enthusiasm about

the universe is equally important. But the main purpose is not winning, but participating. A

game like The Sims89 has no clear definition of completion but rather unending evolution and

is popular among female audience. SingStar is placed in homes often in a fun and party

related situation where the participation is in focus.90

Translation in Game Controllers

The Nintendo Wii is representative of an important and fairly recent translation within the

game arena, namely a break from the trend of focusing on increased hardware performance in

terms of speed and graphics and a destabilization of game controller use and design.91 The

Wii console focuses on providing new gaming experiences by changing how players interact

with the games. Instead of a conventional switch or potentiometer based controller the Wii

88 See Appendix33 Girls’ and Boys’ Computer Games 89 The best selling PC title of all time. The installments of the series on the million sellers list total 46.6 million copies. http://vgchartz.com/worldtotals.php?name=sims&console=PC&publisher=&sort=Total 90 VK observes that especially with Sing Star the girls tend to focus on what song is being chosen, whereas the boys are only concerned with how high the score is. This he call position play and function play respectively. Also See Appendix14 Console Games for Girls 91 For a look at traditional game controllers see Appendix29 Game Controllers

40

has an accelerometer based wireless controller system able to detect movement in three

dimensions. Musical games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band and Sing Star also use special

controllers to deliver a new gaming experience. The Wii Fit exercise “game” takes on a

special relevance in relation to Rock U, because it is extremely successful, uses expensive

specialized hardware. 92 Common to almost all successful game controllers is that they are

reliable and accurate.93

Translation of Game Content

What characterizes the destabilization of game controllers is their relation to objects and

actions from the real world which they simulate. This is happening in a parallel translation of

the game content, where the boundaries of what games are meant to do are pushed. In order to

be good at traditional games, the construction of fictive knowledge94 and skills95 and

performing fictive actions96 are accomplished. The outcome of a game is fictional in the sense

that when the game is turned off, the accomplishments disappear97, at least until you turn on

that game or similar games again. However, there are valuable outcomes in the real world, the

main one of course being pure entertainment for the user. There is also valuable social activity

around the game, but still concerning the fictive world98. Finally, many games provide

fragments of knowledge usable in the real world99 but are not connected with any physical

activity.

The translation is a new focus on the user obtaining entertainment through usable knowledge

and the performing of (somewhat) real world actions or activities100 through long term use.

This could be called ‘skill learning games’ that differs from traditional learning games101 by

92 For a more detailed look at new trends in game controllers see Appendix30 Game Controllers the New Generation. 93 A guitar coupled with a pitch and timing detector may not be. E.g. cheap guitars tend to lose their tuning, signal ambiguity. 94 How the game works; physics, opponents behavior, consequence of actions. 95 Controlling the gamepad 96 Actions are performed within the game on the screen, through activation of buttons on the gamepad. 97 Winning, killing opponents, clearing areas, collecting coins etc. 98 Playing with friends, playing online, communities and debate forums. A common activity. 99 Sports strategies, manager role, historical facts, 100 GuitarHero, SingStar, Wii games 101 Used in schools for learning math, language, etc

41

having the physical actions involved. In spite of a relatively strong discourse within the

teaching academia that supports learning games,102 mass market, true skill learning games are

still rare and we have only identified Wii Fit.103 This “game” is activated by doing a real

workout and the user actually gets physical training and understanding.104

Music & Games

Another interesting translation is to describe how games like Sing Star, Guitar Hero, Rock

Band, PianoHero etc. connect music and playing music with games very closely. This world

is portrayed through a limited theoretical understanding and skill development105, but also the

feel from aspects like live shows, artist looks and movement etc.

Games have long been associated with music but the tie is becoming continually stronger as

music based games have really taken off and the games have had a positive effect on music

sales. By translating music into a game the music as a product benefits by having its value

renewed and increased because users can enjoy the music in a new and interactive format.

Music games have thus become the second largest platform for online music sales second

only to iTunes service.

Rock U Game Arena Potential Jesper Donnis of IO Interactive expressed that a learning product like Rock U could likely

have a longer shelf life106 than conventional games and calmly stated that he would not at all

be afraid of losing money on the investment with a budget of DKK50 million (roughly $10

million) .107

102 Madeleine Rygner Holm, teaching student, music major. 103 GuitarHero provides a very limited training of real guitar skills, but has been widely criticized for not simulating real guitar playing, and even degrading and complicating the acquisition of real guitar skills – Nishiki. Sing Star requires real vocal skills, but has no educational approach, and is not concerned about necessarily doing things right, even allowing for fairly decent results by cheating. 104 See Appendix30 Game Controllers the New Generation 105 Rhythm, pitch, playing together, instrument roles 106 In this context “shelf life” means how long the game will keep selling. JD’s argument is that he sees Rock U as having the potential to create a strong niche and that it is not central to its value that the graphics engine be “all new and shiny.” 107 Then again it is not his money ☺

42

We consider game fundamentals like making repetition entertaining and feedback on input

measured against preset rules beneficial for the entertainment and educational purposes of

Rock U. Translation of the guitar as a game controller is made more easily understandable by

the domestication of music in games, skill building in games and use of artifact controllers

already present in the arena.108

Since it is possible to convert an X360 version to a PC release, we believe the consoles are the

most attractive platforms but that the PC is a possible later option if Rock U manages to sell

well and we can implement satisfactory anti-piracy measures and possibly value increasing

on-line based content. E.g. the implementation of specialized hardware like the guitar-to-

platform interface which will be needed may translate well into an anti-piracy measure.

Like all of the above mentioned products Rock U stands

out by using a new type of controller and delivering a

new “gaming” experience. While Rock U does rely on

good graphics, conceptually it does not rely on latest

generation graphics - meaning it is likely to work well

with Wii and perhaps even PS2.109 If it is technically

possible a PS2 release might be attractive as this has been

the platform for which most copies of Guitar Hero III

were sold in spite of the disparity between the age of the

console and the game.110

108 Like Sing Star it allows users to employ already learned real world skills. Like Wii Fit it breaks the

boundaries of traditional gaming and builds real world skills in the privacy of your own home. Like Rock Band and Guitar Hero it relates to and immerses you in a music filled universe where you are at the center. Furthermore it introduces you to and lets you take part in the already established guitarist community. 109 The commonality between Wii and PS2 is that they are slower than X360 and PS3. Furthermore, a PS2 has no hard drive which may be very problematic in relation to music depending on the structure of soundbanks and pre-recorded content. 110 See Appendix67 Sales, Pricing and Penetration

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The game could be sold alongside a guitar in the instrument distribution context, but it could

also be imagined that the a guitar could be bundled with a game in the videogame distribution

context. We recognize that Rock U bundled with an electric guitar may be expensive in a

game context even if the guitar is a cheap one. Guitar Center does, however, sell a fairly

impressive Squier bundle for $200 complete with guitar, amp, an instrument cable, electronic

tuner, instructional DVD, guitar stand, gig bag, and picks.111 It seems realistic to us that Rock

U should be possible to market with a fair margin for $200 per unit and of course or less to

those who already own a guitar. Furthermore, an electric guitar unlike most controllers has its

own value that translates outside the game arena.112

Critical Game Arena Issues Using an electric guitar as a game controller is not entirely unproblematic, especially using

any electric guitar. Compared to the controllers described above an electric guitar has a very

ambiguous and messy output113. Through testing and research we have determined that single

note pitch detection on a real time scale is not a problem, so what we have left is chords and

double-stops.

The importance of the issue of detection and signal processing will be discussed further in the

section about learning. Where we discuss exactly what nuances of guitar playing we will

reasonably need to be able to detect reliably and how fast it really needs to be.114

Guitars were never intended to be game controllers. In video games it is pivotal that users can

get started right away. Everything should be intuitive and more or less self explanatory.115 To

many non-guitarists a guitar is not as intuitive or familiar as a game controller or even a

piano. There is a high entry level connected with guitar playing, and for complete beginners

even ringing out a single note can be a challenge. This will be explored further in the learning

arena.

111 http://www.guitarcenter.com/Squier-by-Fender-Stop-Dreaming-Start-Playing-SE-Special-Strat-Pack-With-Squier-SP-10-Amp-104486238-i1177837.gc 11/06/2008 112 For an example of a guitar starter bundle see Appendix: Guitar Starter Bundle 113 As described in the Guitar Arena 114 Also See Appendix57 Possible Solutions to Real Time Domain Pitch Detection 115 Interview(s) – JD, TF, EG, VK, TD

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Rock Band and Guitar Hero have sparked quite a bit of controversy because of the association

with playing instruments. Some people show great animosity towards the games and even go

so far as to say that they cheapen and threaten the art of playing a real instrument.116

Therefore if Fender were to release a “game” like Rock U it – and consequently the Fender

brand - may run the risk of falling victim to a similar critique if it is not evident and obvious

that users actually learn to play the guitar by using the finished product.

116 http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/11/people-i-hate-w.html -11/05/2008

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Software Tool Arena Basically we are talking about arranging and modifying music, so we explored the part of

the software tool arena that allows you to do that. The way we define a software tool is

that it is a piece of software that helps the user perform a certain task.117 The goal of a

software tool is to deliver functionality in a problem solving capacity. It is mentionable

that the computer has become one of the dominant devices for playing, storing, sharing

and otherwise handling music collections118 and the internet has a great role to play in

this development. Recording guitars and music is nowadays mainly done on computers

that are used to capture the recordings, and subsequently used for various kinds of

editing. This is all done by software tools.

As part of our work we have consulted Peter Hove119, Søren Deleuran120, Anders

Trolle121, Emil Høiriis122 and Sune Jorn123. We have participated in recording sessions,

discussed the nature of the arena and used musical software tools to experimentally create

and structure exercises specifically

for Rock U.124

We are not aiming at developing

high end software tool. In addition,

the tool functionalities we are

looking for, based on our research

117 In some ways a tool is the opposite of a game. Tools solve tasks for users where games make users solve taks. 118 iTunes, windows media player. 119 Peter Hove guitarist 120 Søren Deleuran – part time professional composer, experienced Cubase user. 121 Anders Trolle – Experienced musician, has attended musical school since early childhood, studying music for 10 hours or more every week since age 9, plays multiple instruments, Cubase user. 122 Emil Høiriis 123 Sune Jorn – Guitarist, Cubase user, Pro Tools user. 124 During May MR and SD worked in SD’s home studio. There will be a finished audio example of an A-minor pentatonic exercise available for listening at the exam, the purpose of which is to illustrate how scale exercises may be made to sound more like real music.

46

and interviews, is found in computer games in the form of level editors,125 and therefore

development resources, means of distribution and user interaction is closely related to

that found in games.

Use Patterns

Many software tools are developed for professionals and experts and relate to an already

existing field of work126. Most tools have a similar specific point of departure, language

and an audience that understands the point of departure. Our findings were that the tools

in the music related genre are fairly complex to use and understand.

Two of the dominant actors on this arena

are Pro Tools which takes its point of

departure in a tape recorder and Cubase

which is translated from sheet music

notation.127 Both are means of recording

music, and they do share a lot of common

functionalities and use scripts. But they

are still very different128 and their

appliance relates to different use patterns.

A choice of one over another is somewhat qualitative and user-lock-in related.129

125 Level editors are sometimes included in games and stem from tools that game developers create themselves in order to edit the content of their games. 126 MS Word is a software tool familiar to most that has been translated from the typewriter and is now a modern text editing tool with functionalities never even dreamt of in typewriters. 127 Super Sound clerk, Aage Jensen clerk, SD 128 This is reflected in Cubase and Pro Tools having different interfaces but offering extremely similar functionalities. Graphically they now both superficially resemble a studio mixing table for multi track recording and editing but their differing origins are reflected more clearly in their workflow scripts. The number one challenge in software tools is to construct an interface and workflow script that grants the user freedom to use the functionality as he or she pleases while the user is allowed to access the functionality of the tool in an intuitive and practical manner. 129 Depends on what the user is first introduced to and what people in the users network are using, suggesting and able to support.

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Domestication of Software Tools

The similarities between some tools allow users to learn new tools easier. On the contrary

because tools are complex and often have a very broad and deep functionality the

interfaces and workflow scripts translate to a lock-in of the user-base as certain patterns

have domesticated. The amount of learning that needs to take place in order to use the

tools to their full potential is a considerable investment for the user and by changing the

tool the user forfeits some of his or hers investment.

Plug-ins

Software tools rarely exist completely independently of other tools and for large

platform-tools it is common to have plug-ins. Plug-ins most often specialized tools that

can be used within a larger tool. Guitar Rig130 is a tool that allows you to modify your

guitar and bass sound and can be used as a plug-in in both Cubase and Pro Tools. This

kind of compatibility may be crucial to take into account if the tool in Rock U needs to be

integrated with e.g. Rock Band.

Rock U Software Tool Arena Potential The task of structuring a musical exercise within the confines of an already set frame like

Rock U is in many ways a far simpler task than recording, editing and mixing music for

publication. This limited degree of freedom means we should have an opportunity to

create a much simpler interface and deliver a much more limited functionality without

compromising the goal of delivering value to the user.

What we would be looking to do in Rock U is an implementation of a tool that creates

value for guitarists who want to focus their efforts either with regard to certain techniques

or specific pieces of music. Technically this should be entirely possible.

It appears very plausible that the tool could be structured in such a way as to compliment

and increase the learning value of Rock U, especially with regard to notation and theory.

130 See Appendix22 Effects and Digitalization

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It could greatly increase the overall appeal and longevity of Rock U by implementing a

virtually endless supply of exercises, especially if users are able to share them.131

Critical Software Tool Arena Issues With Rock U we do not have a clear point that is familiar to the users from which to

translate the tool use situation. To a certain extent we are asking musical students to

become their own teachers, and de-scription of the use of the game can in the worst case

scenario make users acquire bad habits. Therefore we will need to either teach users to

structure exercises or relate the tool use to a sufficiently similar and simultaneously

familiar tool use situation. The vast majority of software tools run on PCs and uses a

mouse and keyboard setup. Thus it may be difficult to successfully translate common

interfaces from this arena to a controller based setup.

Professional software tools for editing music are generally expensive if viewed in a game

arena context. However, given a tool of a limited scope, in game and development terms

this could translate as a refined version of a level editor which will likely need to be

created for developer use.132 This should significantly reduce the cost of implementation

of a tool like this, though all other things being equal it should increase the overall cost of

development.

One of the most critical points in relation to the implementation of a tool of this nature is

the handling of copyrighted material. If users are able to structure their own exercises

they will inevitably, perhaps even predominately, use the tool to structure exercises that

allow them to rehearse songs that are protected by copyright. This is especially important

if a file sharing service is included in Rock U. On the other hand publishing Rock U

exercises of existing material is a potential source of revenue for music publishers, so

they may have a positive interest in the venture. Translations of copyrighted music

131 If the tool is structured in a MIDI-like fashion the individual exercises potentially take up very little storage space. 132 TF, JD

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material are tricky but are handled routinely e.g. song books, mobile phone ring tones,

etc.

What is likely to become one of the main issues in the development of Rock U for Fender

is Fenders pre-established relation to RockBand. At this point, we have not been able to

thorough information about their relationship, but we know they are developing guitar

prop controllers for the game and Fender guitars are used by the avatars. What we do

know is that Rock U naturally must not conflict with RockBand. A good outcome would

be if there could be a synergetic effect, e.g. Rock U becomes an extension of the already

successful RockBand, drawing on the pre-established publishing, distribution and

marketing platform. A bad outcome (for us and Rock U) would be if Fender do not want

to gamble the success of RockBand or that they do not want to perform with two products

simultaneously on a - for them - foreign arena of games. Again, their corporate path-

dependency shows to be crucial for us to understand and Rock U to comprehend.

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Education & Learning Arena

In relation to the education and learning arena we are going to discuss musical education

and learning in relation to guitars and interactive media. We are going to concern

ourselves with users, newbies and learning flow. We will present two working definitions

of music and discuss how Rock U may teach and evaluate according to these. We will

also further discuss input detection and feedback in relation to learning.

In our exploration of the education and learning arena we have interviewed and consulted

Nishiki Sano133, Thomas Duus-Henriksen, Valdemar Kølle134, Sune Jorn, Nina Johansen,

Madeleine Holm and Anders Trolle135. We have tried teaching guitar to children, who

had never played before in direct relation to the project136 and have watched many hours

of instructional videos aimed at various skill levels and genres pertaining not only to

guitar but also to bass and drums.137 Furthermore we have listened to many hours of

audio instruction and exercises pertaining to ear training and singing.138

Guitarist Definition

Before we describe educational situations and context, we want to make a definition of

how we structure the heterogeneous actor group of guitarists. The first punctualization is

to differentiate guitarists and non-guitarists. The first know the basics139 of the guitar,

know how to fret chords, coordinate hand movement etc. The latter do not know these

things and are therefore a special group. We choose to differentiate guitarists who know

the basics into three categories: Beginners, experienced and experts.140 Those are still

133 Appendix 47 134 Appendix 49 135 Appendix 45 136 See Appendix72 Teaching a Guitar Lesson, an experiment 137 See Appendices 35 & 73 138 See Appendix 20 Ear Training Research & Thoughts 139 DEFINITION: Barred chords A-shape and E-shape, pentatonic scale in at least 1 position and some open chords. 140 Beginners have very limited knowledge of theory and practical issues like techniques, chords etc. They have difficulty coordinating hands and playing in rhythm. Experienced can play guitar really well and knows a great deal of techniques, chords, riffs. Some will know theory as well. They will most often have

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heterogeneous groups of actors in many ways. Also note that they are differentiated via

fictive boundaries as there is a truly fluid transition between the groups.

Playing with other People Music can be a private matter and held privately. But in many cases it is in fact a truly social

thing. Examples are numerous; bands, choirs, live concerts, karaoke, parties with music,

dancing etc. So, the social part relates to many aspects, also learning. This is because of

feedback, motivation and push141 similar to that acquired when in relation with a teacher.

A band creates an environment that supports the guitarist skill development in many ways.

The band partly depends on the guitar player, and can give feedback on the inputs and

performance of the guitar player. From the guitarist’s point of view the band provides backing

music that shows what works and what does not for the guitar role and this backing music is

again affected by the input from the guitar.

“Many guitarists receive little instruction and instead learn by doing. The most common

setting for this way of learning is playing in a band. This is one of the strongest (if not the

strongest) factors that keep people playing and developing because it is voluntary, socially

enjoyable and obligating at the same time.” – Rep.

When taking guitar lessons, you are in contact with other people and also when playing in a

band, music is a social activity. This makes the learning guitarist and his social network

interdependent, which includes physical transportation, scheduling and a demand from people

to deliver a certain amount of participation.

Other actors that are not necessarily a direct part of the music are friends, parents, neighbors

etc. They too can provide feedback in another perspective than people who know more about

band experience, and know the basics of other instruments. They can be professionals in spite of their limited skills. Still have many things to learn, but also acquired skills that needs to be learned. Experts have extraordinary skill level, and master many aspects of guitar playing. They will often have a thorough understanding of theory in one way or another. Will not need to learn new things but rather rehearse and perfection known stuff. 141 In order not to disappoint other band members, musicians are often “forced” to take on more difficult music. Songs do not necessarily have a homogenous difficulty level, meaning that e.g. while the bass, drums and vocal parts are easy the guitar part might be really difficult and vice versa.

52

different kinds of music terminology and theory. It can be a more qualitative feedback on

whether the guitar player is evolving or whether the music played is sounding good or bad.

“I rehearsed every day, and my mom would tell me it sounded great.

My 50 year old neighbor who we shared a wall with would

occasionally tell me that “last night I could hear that you played that

Stairways To Heaven much better than last week” – she actually

thought I’d put on a record which of course made me proud”

But as with taking guitar lessons142, there are also viewpoints and situations from where there

are drawbacks with other people entering the evolving guitarist’s process. The band has the

same “negative” practical (time consuming, transportation, money on rehearsal room etc.) and

committing (obligatory preparation, expectations) factors.

“The Next-door-neighbor phenomenon is what I call it when someone

is afraid of being loud and holds themselves back because they don’t

want other people to hear and judge – like when they don’t want to go

nuts because the neighbors can hear them”

Rehearsing on Your Own

This is a very common phenomenon; people buying a guitar, sitting at home, playing songs,

maybe singing as well. It is part of any guitarist’s learning experience however on its own it

can for some people be ineffective with regard to progress as it relies heavily on self

motivation, self evaluation and often lacks structure. For some beginners it can be completely

fruitless if they do not know where to start. For beginners the guitar can be a complex

instrument and the basic task of tuning and stringing a guitar can seem daunting. There have

even been cases of people trying to return a guitar with a broken string because they had no

clue how to fix it143 (for experienced guitarists tuning and stringing is completely routine).

142 Appendix 71 143 Interview KD;

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Progress

In a learning situation progress is a very important factor. Many people have a desire to

express themselves musically, they may lack the skill to do so, thus if the skill progress stops

or moves too slowly, they feel they are not getting any closer to their goal of expression and

stop playing.144

“The motivation of simply getting better, seeing that light at the end of the tunnel is what

drives students to keep up practicing […] but if that process is too slow, you will probably

stop or need to find motivation elsewhere, e.g. in a band”145

Accomplished Guitarists’ Skills

In order to train people to become real world guitar heroes146 we have investigated exactly

what defines the accomplished guitarist. This is a qualitative definition gathered from

interviews with guitarists, music teachers and theorists. There are many viewpoints to what

music and guitar playing is, depending on people’s beliefs, genres etc. Therefore we have

focused on retrieving as much of a common definition as possible.147 What is characteristic is

that guitar skills – when first basically understood - are not a matter of having or not, it is very

much a matter of how well you master them. The overall ability of a guitarist cannot be

expressed as a single value. Being a good guitarist has several facets to it and being good at

one aspect of guitar playing does not necessarily mean being good at others. 148

Notation

Physical media to translate the information within the music to the guitar player is in general

notations printed on paper;149 notes, tabs, scale- and chord notations. These media contain

144 Interview TDH; 145 Interview TDH; 146 Also See Appendix39 Hallmarks of the Accomplished Guitarist 147 Appendix10 148 See Appendix66 Rock U User Parameters 149 Or on a monitor, black/white board depending on the situation

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most of the information needed to play the music in the desired way.150 Most people will not

be able to sit down and play along smoothly. The many different signs and their variations can

be very complex to read and the task of translating them from symbols into movement of the

hands and fingers is difficult. Each type of notation contains different qualities that make

them good at some parts of learning or rather relate to certain users’ behavior151.

Many students find these difficulties so severe that it takes away the joy of learning.

Especially because learning notations can make progress slow in the beginning compared to

playing the music that you want the way you want to. In this case the media are transformed

into actors that destabilize or suppress the initial learning curve. This is because many

students react by quitting and also because beginners often do not have the musical

understanding required to see the advantages of notation.

Defining Music152

During an interview with music theorist Nishiki Sano153 we asked him to define music,

and he answered: “The right note at the right time.” Seen in the context of a piano and

classical teaching this definition works quite well and means that you play clean,

harmonic notes from the chromatic scale in time with the beat. As Nishiki also expressed,

music is a craft and an art and it is normally taught as such with a master and an

apprentice. NS also explains that there are fairly few books on the subject of teaching

music to others.

With guitars, where control of the string is very direct, it is entirely possible to play the

same piece in time and on pitch in many different ways. Therefore we should have a

150 E.g. note pitch, length of notes, vibratos, bends, hammer on / pull off, slides, scales, chord structure 151 E.g. the traditional notes can provide a very detailed description of the music, is very domesticated and widespread. But they are also quite abstract and difficult to learn. Tabs provide a graphically closer connection to the actual guitar, but have a limited level of detail and may not be as efficient as notes when the player has reached a higher level. 152 Appendix15 153 Nishiki Sano is a trained classical conductor with 20 years of experience as a music teacher (mainly piano) and is currently writing a master thesis at ITU on musical learning in Guitar Hero and understands and practices programming himself. He is working on a analysis on musical skill development when playing GuitarHero with a thesis that states this is degrading the actual musical and instrument oriented skills.

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second definition that is: “The desired sound at the desired time” which refers more to

what the guitarist wants to play rather than what he should be able to play. It is within

this definition that we can more easily address concepts such as vibrato, bends,

improvisation, overtones, use of effects, performance etc. Many qualities within this

sphere may be impossible for the console to evaluate in a constructive fashion. This is

especially true in rock, where expression often involves “breaking” the rules of pitch and

timing.

“You can make Joey Satriani154

lick off scales.. that just haven’t got any feeling or

soul […]I like to play things backwards, to play them wrong.”

Motivation & Flow

According to psychologist Thomas Duus-Henriksen who works professionally with

edutainment and learning software, there is a flow involved both in learning and in games

that must be paid careful attention to. This “flow” is a metaphor for the rate at which the

user is presented with, allowed to and expected to employ new concepts and tools. The

term flow is used as a reminder that while it is most interesting if there are shifts and

variation in content it must also be smooth and continuous enough so that it “carries” the

user through. If the flow changes too suddenly in difficulty it may well result in the user

becoming frustrated or bored and giving up.

Musicians and music teachers generally agree that the only way to get really good is to

play a lot. This means that Rock U should captivate and motivate users to play and to

keep on playing, to keep them hanging on. With all current methods the user is required

to muster a lot of self motivation and discipline with regard to practice. A guitar teacher

will give students homework and an instruction video will tell users to pause and practice

until they are “confident” in both cases leaving the user more or less to his own devices.

This is problematic because many exercises, like practicing scales, do not sound very

much like real music at all and can be boring and repetitive. The really positive thing

154 Famous extremely technical guitarist.

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about the Rock U setup is that it can do a large number of the exercises with the user

while at the same time providing a clear cut evaluation. There need not be a break or

pause and the user need not be alone in the sense that Rock U will react to what the

player is doing and provide backing music, rhythm and visuals. In the Game Arena we

were very set on having a near instant reaction from Rock U but in relation to learning

this is actually not all that important. Real people do not react in tens of milliseconds, so

as a teacher Rock U could be able to get by with a reaction time of perhaps 500ms or

more as long as it is accurate in its evaluation.155

In relation to structuring a good flow for learning how to play the guitar as opposed to

many more narrowly focused games there is an additional challenge. With many learning

games, Thomas Duus-Henriksen explains, as a developer you cannot expect the majority

of users to go through all the content. Users come to the game with different

backgrounds, ambitions and motives - guitars and Rock U is not going to be an exception

in this regard – and thus they value various parts and levels of the content differently.

Rock U Education & Learning Arena Potential

The Rock U platform could make it possible for users to evaluate themselves by

recording and replaying their music while showing what notes were used and how the

timing relates to the rhythm. The fact that playback supported by analysis for self

evaluation is a constant option in Rock U is of great value and can really set Rock U

apart from other teaching products.

For very clear cut and repetitive exercises Rock U can act as a constant guide, provide a

sense of completion and delineate clear boundaries. This is one of the areas where we

believe Rock U can benefit from employing game elements156. Balance and synthesis

between entertainment and learning value in this respect will be crucial to Rock U157.

155 DSP and detection is discussed in Appendices 19 and 57 156 Many games are thoroughly enjoyable even though they, on the players' side, have only minor variations on a theme. The game format allows us to explore many exercises in a new perspective. Scores, in-game

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The goal of our concept is not to replace playing in a band or taking lessons, rather

establish a synergy. It can be a supplement to playing in a band or taking lessons. It

should provide users with the skill and confidence to play in a band and motivate to go

further into education through lessons.

One solution to the problem of difficulties with notation is to come up with a system of

communication that is intuitive to beginners but does not hamper the development of learning

conventional notation. A natural place to start would be to use the interactive platform to

emulate a real teacher or fellow guitarist explaining the music verbally and demonstratively.

Critical Education & Learning Arena Issues

Based on genre alone, content can become wholly uninteresting if not presented in the

right context158. This means that it may be a good idea to embed a branching structure

within the difficulty structures that allow for choice between genres. Alternatively a

genre focus could be chosen for all of Rock U. This will narrow the user appeal but gives

a more manageable curriculum and opens for a variety of genre based editions of the

product.

One of the biggest challenges may be the entirely uninitiated users, who have never

played guitar before. So, basic knowledge can be an entry level precondition.

Using the definition 'The right note at the right time' there is no doubt Rock U can help

users develop their guitar skills in a beneficial direction both on a practical and

theoretical level. The first definition is good at getting at the basis of the craft aspect

reactions, animation, sound, progress bars, level completion, intensity and difficulty shifts, granting and restricting access to content are all tools that game makers routinely use to create excitement and give users a sense of progression. 157 It is entirely possible that a more entertaining exercise will be more effective in the long run than an educationally more direct one, as the user will be more likely to keep repeating the entertaining one. 158 If a user wants to learn to play metal he will likely need to know the E-minor pentatonic scale intimately in order to do so effectively. However, he may not realize the value of the E-minor pentatonic exercises if he is not made aware that they will help him play metal and can see and hear them clearly in a metal context.

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however pitch, volume and timing do not cover it all. In relation to the artistic aspect it

can also help with understanding composition and harmony. However, when it comes to

rock music and to playing the guitar in general, we may need to also employ the “The

desired sound at the desired time” that allows for more personal and qualitative freedom.

We consider this is one of the strongest issues in the concepts credibility. It is very

important that the final product is communicating what it can and cannot teach, both in

promotion and during use, users must be aware if what they learn is tools or guidelines

for “full” guitar playing which is constituted by personal style, message and performance.

In relation to the artistic aspect there is at least one major vulnerability, namely that a

guitar played through a TV/console/headphones setup like Rock U may not react and

sound like playing the same guitar through a real guitar amplifier, as mentioned in the

guitar arena section. Here though, we are more concerned with the issue of the users

evaluating themselves and practicing nuances like intonation based on input to output

reactions that will not sound exactly the same once they switch to e.g. an amplifier and

pedal setup.

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Conclusion

Conceptual results from the arena analysis

Gathering together the conclusions from the different arena analyses we need to explore

how potentials and critical issues from the different arenas relate to each other.

The guitar arena moves at an entirely different pace than the game arena. This means

Fender will have to assess what skills and resources they will need to acquire and how

they need to acquire them in order to be able to cope with this new type of product and

product development. The Rock U concept is based on an obvious idea and similar

products seems to be emerging, which means time may be limited if Fender is to try to

secure a first mover advantage as the first on the console market.

There are strong indications that the game arena is ready for new types of content. Fender

already have some experience with the game arena through Rock Band but more

importantly in relation to the game arena Fender have a major advantage in that the brand

is so strong on the guitar arena. Guitarists buy games too and we find it highly unlikely

that guitarists will be quick to dismiss a title that claims to deal with real guitar learning if

it bears the Fender brand. Furthermore, Fender can open up new distribution channels

that most actors on the game arena may not have access to. As we have learned

throughout the project, Fender’s participation in RockBand is a crucial issue to be dealt

with. Because this is where they enter the game arena - and with success – Rock U must

fit RockBand. And it could be welcomed as an extension of this path in one end of the

spectrum or being discarded in the other, this is all up to Fender. As we have had two

different time plans – one for the bachelor project, one with Fender – we still do not

know the answer to this question.

The less serious image of video games may reflect poorly on the Fender brand as a

dedicated and serious guitar manufacturer. Turning music into a game may signal that

one does not take music seriously. Computers are notoriously bad at handling soft

boundaries and the rigid frames that game worlds often pose may gel poorly with the

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expression oriented, artistic aspects of music. A limited software tool made for creating

exercises, if interpreted as an attempt to make a fully fledged recording and/or composing

tool, may support this rigidity and lack of appreciation for nuance.

The benefits of the combination of free self evaluation and rigid computer evaluation

may turn out to be a genuinely good guitar teaching method. If the art and craft duality of

music is effectively communicated to the user it is entirely possible that - as most

musicians already accept - you should know something about the rules so you decide

when to bend and break them according to taste and not due to lack of ability. When

evaluated by people the distinction between personal taste and technical appreciation may

not be as clearly translated. Furthermore, rigidity need not equal condemnation. The

privacy and impersonal nature associated with software evaluation and the less serious

nature of game evaluation hold several advantages compared to personal evaluation.

Also, even the possibility of rigid feedback coupled with the endless patience of a

machine should hold value to guitarists who find themselves at a skill level where a

willing audience is hard to come by.

Creating a successful game is a challenge in and of itself. Creating a successful learning

game may be even more difficult. The relationship between what makes a learning game

entertaining and what makes the same game educational must be in perfect alignment.

Not only will Fender with Rock U be entering further into a highly competitive arena of

games, they may also be doing it the hard way as learning games are not always very

successful and therefore profitable.

Conversely the ability of games to translate fairly repetitive activities into something

voluntary, entertaining and captivating holds great potential in relation to guitar practice.

As we see Rock U it is possible to have the educational and entertainment aspects in

alignment, which leads us to believe that the edutainment nature of the concept, could

translate into an advantage. There are millions of guitarists who already enjoy playing

and learning with their guitar at home and they may well enjoy doing so in a new way.

Unlike many teaching subjects that have been unsuccessfully translated into learning

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games, playing and learning music is already a hobby, so in many respects it does not

require a great deal of translation in order to be entertaining.

Licensing music for use in games is potentially difficult. Features that allow users to

create their own content and share it may be a legally tricky affair. However, contracts

that can clear things up a great deal may be established if Fender is able to translate their

connections to the music arena into bargaining power. On the other hand there is a great

potential for the music industry to re-launch their main product – the music – with added

value as the Rock U functionality delivers if used with popular music. There is also the

potential of creating a new platform for creating and promoting music in a new form.

All in all there is no real doubt as to whether or not it is technically possible or not. The

critical questions in that regard are how fast and how expensive it is going to be.

However, there are questions of nuance that may be equally important. There exists the

question of how well the use of different techniques can be detected and how well sounds

and effects can be reproduced by software and consoles, all of which can probably only

be resolved through testing and the involvement of DSP experts. If critical points are

found with nuance it should be possible to establish testing parameters and clear up

uncertainties.

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Scenarios & a Critical Dialog

As we will describe in last section Reflections, we have been eager to make detailed

conceptualization from the point where we founded the idea of Rock U. However, the

amount of work related to investigating several arenas has proven to be a very big task

for us and because of our desire to make this thorough we have not had neither time nor

space to do thorough detailed conceptualization also. We see this as a strength of our

work. In this section we will describe how we want to proceed in the developing towards

a final, realizable concept. This will also be presented in the oral defense of this project.

The Premise of a Dialog

Our task as design-engineers is to make the foundation of a new product for our

‘employers’ FMIC. Part of this task is to facilitate a development process that can help

FMIC to get an overview of the concept and process. We aim at having already created

enough interest of our concept to make the international management initiate a

realization-strategy. A first purpose of the dialog is to give FMIC a better insight in the

potentials of the concept. FMIC as a corporation does not have the necessary knowledge

resources and competence to create a product like the one the Rock U concept suggests

because of the merging of elements from different arenas in which Fender is not or only

vaguely included. We want to initiate a solution oriented and critical dialog concerning

choice of, weighting of and coupling of elements from the arenas we have analyzed. We

will construct scenarios to be used as pivot points of this dialog.

The Content of the Dialog

The central issue we wish the scenarios to deal with is how feel and weighting of the

content is structured. The question is: What is the balance between game elements, tool

functionality, education and Fender’s own role159 as representative of their branding

strategies, participation in Rock Band and the world of guitars?

159 It is plausible to consider that Fender through its established network, internal and external, have the competence and resources to e.g. develop hardware. Another aspect could be the already established brand

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The Structure of the Dialog & Involved Actors

We apply the back tracing method to construct the scenarios, as this allows us to directly

incorporate the level of ambition of the concept by taking our point of departure in the

end result. Because we later want this to result in a trustworthy road map (or set of these)

we find it useful to initiate the dialog with an array of fictive results, concepts, and the

road leading to them.

The credibility of the concept as a success in a realization scope does not alone depend on

the “right” weighting of content but also as a mobilization of the “right” people in the

“right” configuration with the “right” resources available. Ideally the dialog would kick

off with a meeting with representatives from the FMIC management, marketing and/or

development departments along with gaming-, hardware-, software and educational

experts who are interested in and know about the project.160 This way the scenarios could

be discussed in a qualified forum.

Content & Structure of the Scenarios

We want to create 3-4 scenarios each containing the description of a concept. These

concepts are products of our research analysis and conceptualization, and are therefore all

serious and plausible in this scope. The individual concept will vary in a list of

parameters that relates to each of the arenas. They will also contain specific variations

towards the interrelation with RockBand.

The concepts are presented as scenarios where the back tracing and road mapping allows

the dialog attendees to see what is necessary in order to realize the individual concepts.

This is mobilization and structure of resources; human, corporate companies, knowledge,

financial, marketing, etc.

of supporting beginners, rehearsing and education through assets like Fender University, Squier, G-DEC, which could be represented in or extended through the concept.

160 A natural constellation could be the Scandinavian management and a selected panel of the people we have already engaged in dialog like NS, JD, TF, EG and TDH.

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The Expected Outcome of the Dialog

Through the dialog, the issue of what the role of FMIC could and should be will be

addressed: How do they perform in the process of developing the concept? In the creation

of the product? In the management of the product like ownership and related services?

One goal is to find out how Fender should organize, acquire knowledge and competence

within the company and make use of external competences in cooperation with other

actors. Realistically speaking Fender will probably have a pretty clear picture of what

they want to do going in to the dialog. Still, another very important effect lies in the

introduction of representatives from the difficult actor worlds present on the arenas.

Hopefully the participants will understand each other’s arenas and the markets,

development traditions, infrastructure, cautions and criteria of success. This will

potentially have – although maybe limited – an influence on the choice of strategic

descicions FMIC make.

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Reflections on our Work Even though we started the project with clear intentions of deliberately and consciously

using our academic tools (which we have done) we found it hard to manage the duality

between reporting to a company and reporting to a university. Especially in the final

writing of the report we found that much of the writing we had done under way, while it

was highly relevant to the project, had become very practically oriented, detailed and to a

certain extent more aimed providing a basis for realizing Rock U for Fender. As a result

we experienced difficulties in detaching ourselves from the process of actually doing the

project and reverting to a theoretical, analytical perspective.

Initially this was extremely annoying and it felt like we were no longer doing anything of

value. It felt like we were no longer designing, engineering and innovating, which was

slightly frustrating. It was only further along in the process of writing in a purely

analytical perspective that the feeling of frustration subsided and the value of taking a

step back became clear. Essentially we had gotten a bit lost in all the technical details, the

complexity of contextual relationships, design ideas and uncertainties that needed to be

eliminated.

As students working with a large multinational corporation, experts and highly qualified

professionals from different industries it is easy to be overwhelmed and drawn into a fast

paced world, where people make decisions, extrapolate thoughts and ask very specific

questions very quickly. When working in such an environment it sometimes appears as if

expertise and routine to a certain extent shortens if not completely replaces reflection on

the big picture. “Yeah, yeah, we get it, we like it so far, now what about this detail? How

can this be done? Can you put a number on that?”

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As our concept was well received in by the Scandinavian management and we learned it

would be brought to the attention of Fender’s American corporate management, things

took on an air of urgency that lead us down a path of frantically adding details and

striving for an ever more finished concept. In hindsight we feel that our appreciation of

the academic work has grown as the reflective analysis has led to much more clear and

precise definitions of conceptual potentials, problems and challenges. The backpedaling

we were forced to do in order to get our nose out of the concept development details and

into an academic perspective has yielded an overview we would otherwise not have had.

If this report has made sense to you, we feel we may have gotten the best of both worlds.

All in all no matter what the outcome it has been a truly exciting project to work on.