games  anime  |  toys
Destructoid is gaming news, community, videos, and sometimes love. Take the tour or jump in with Facebook:

 



Have you been looking for a far less efficient, but suitably awesome way to control your games? Let's say a guitar so you could jam out while performing a fatality? Yale School of Music graduates David Hindman and Evan Drummond have come up with a way to play Mortal Kombat III with a classical electric guitar. It's art. Called Modal Kombat, the artistic experiment "lies at the intersection between music, visual arts, and digital media that results in the defining of a new genre of audio-visual performance: the public guitar-controlled video game battle." Uhhhh...GUITARISTS FIGHTING EACH OTHER!!!

From the videos of the events that they hold it looks like the controls are cool, but not very functional. Of course they probably aren't supposed to be. The scheme seems to be designed more as a show or art piece than anything else. They play some Pong and Super Mario Kart as well, but again it seems less like actual controls and more like artistic experiment. It's a cool concept whether it works really well or not and they're doing live shows. If you'd like to check them out then you should head here and make sure you live in New York, California or Toronto. 

[Via noobde's Twitter]


Continue: More video stories





prev next

13 comments | showing # 1 to 13

mr spooky's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/05/2009 02:05
mr spooky
This is super strange they are playing at my old high school.
MODAL KOMBAT @ SOUTHWESTERN ACADEMY
FRIDAY. OCT 2, 2009
San Marino, CA

-Private Event-
TheStripe's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/05/2009 02:34
TheStripe
Wow, it's not really gaming, and it's not really music.

I figure I'll be alone on this, but . . . double meh.
whormongr's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/05/2009 03:24
whormongr
yes, you are alone on it
Xzyliac's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/05/2009 03:52
Xzyliac
Holy shit. Bad. Ass.

My mind is boggled by the possibilities if this were perfected. Dude the old game designer wannabe in me right is rearing his head again big time.

Also, thanks for posting a video I could watch.
s0lesurviv0r's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/05/2009 04:07
s0lesurviv0r
Wasn't this in a weekend destructainment post way back?
GWT's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/05/2009 05:45
GWT
I've seen something sorta like this before.
Only it was one guy, a guitar hero controller, and Devil May Cry 3.
RonBurgandy2010's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/05/2009 06:29
RonBurgandy2010
I think you posted the wrong video.
Im OK's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/05/2009 11:00
Im OK
This reminds of a thing I watched once on Screw Attack (back when I gave a crap about Screw Attack outside of AVGN, which I now watch directly from the Cinemassacre site these days, rather than through Screw Attack).

I don't remember the name of it, but it had two dudes playing a game. One of them was using a guitar and the other was on a DDR pad. When a third dude came in and asked them what they were playing, they said it was Mortal Kombat (the game itself wasn't shown). It was vaguely amusing.

I guess the difference here is that these guys are using actual guitars somehow? (And it's real and not a faked skit on some dumb web show?)
Modern Robot's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/05/2009 11:24
Modern Robot
This is nothing, there was a kid in japan who posted a video of himself playing as Cervantes in Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast with the damn Fishing Controller. He just kept casting, and casting...
XanderSan's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/05/2009 11:57
XanderSan
@Modern Robot: I was just thinking of that myself, although replaced with Crazy Taxi where you had to keep reeling to drive forwards, at least that's what I saw from an old Channel 4 late night show.
Mecha Six VII's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/05/2009 12:37
Mecha Six VII
ha ha, Modal Combat.
SHETROLL's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/20/2009 15:12
SHETROLL
SISSIES....TELL US...AND WHAT IS IT YOU HAVE DONE EDUCATIONALLY/CREATIVELY TO EQUAL THOSE WHO BURST FORTH AND DO...A GREAT SHRILLING SCREECH TO ALL THE DOERS IN THE WORLD. CONTINUE BEING ENERGETIC AND BOLD; EXPOSE YOUR GREATNESS
prev next

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

Comments policy

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?

Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!

 
New on Destructoid.TV play all videos

Loading
Loading Destructoid Videos


    Win this!
    Dive in! meetup+play for a chance to win a PC

    Dtoid Twitter    Got news?   tips@destructoid.com

    Reviews & Previews
    Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles review
    Left 4 Dead 2 review
    Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex review
    Arkedo Series - 02 SWAP! review
    EyePet review
    more reviews
    Chugging along with Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks
    Online Lessons 101 Monster Slaying in Monster Hunter Tri
    Hooking onto, under and above Just Cause 2
    PS3's 256-player MAG
    Rooms The Main Building
    more previews


    - The Dtoid Army is 50648 strong -

    Showing Cblogs with 3+ faps   show all

    Call for entries: do the wrong thing

    New to Dtoid? Read the survival guide




     Originals
    Chad Concelmo: The Memory Card .76: Brotherly love





















    More Destructoid Originals




     Popular now more






















    Team Destructoid   tips@destructoid.com
    Nick Chester
    Editor-in-Chief
    Niero
    Founder, publisher
    Jim Sterling
    Reviews Editor
    Hamza Aziz
    Community Manager
    Dale North
    News Editor
    Rey Gutierrez
    Video editor & director
    Anthony Burch
    Features Editor
    Colette Bennett
    Tom Fronczak Brad Nicholson
    Ashley Davis Ben Perlee
    Conrad
    Zimmerman
    Chad Concelmo
    Jonathan Holmes Jonathan Ross
    Brad Rice Jordan Devore
    Will Maddock Matthew Razak
    Dyson Joseph Leray
    Topher Cantler Samit Sarkar
         
      Dexter
    Adam Dork
    Daniel Lingen
    Hollie Bennett
    Joe Burling
    Mikey
    Stella Wong

    Josh Tolentino




     

     
      get involved

    register or login
    post a blog
    post a forum
    enter a contest
    contribute a news tip
    suggest a feature
    be a guest editor
    support

    new member's guide
    login assistance
    tech support
    report abuse
    email our editors
    read our dev blog
    nuclear crisis?
    keep in touch

    RSS feed
    Twitter
    Facebook
    Myspace
    Flickr
    Game nights
    Meetup+play online
    seriously

    about Destructoid
    advertising
    terms of use
    privacy policy
    jobs at MM
    buy our crap
    our network

    Tomopop
    Japanator
    Despingation?




    Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press
    living the dream since March 16, 2006