Ubisoft recently released a subscription service, Rocksmith+, that is trying to turn the gamified guitar-learning program into a monthly paid service - presenting fans with an ever-evolving learning platform for lessons, workshops, and learning tools wrapped in a video game format. The new service was meant to release last year, only months after Rocksmith+ unveiling at E3 2021, but now it's finally here.Rocksmith is like Guitar Hero in that it provides fun gameplay while listening to music, but unlike Guitar Hero, Ubisoft's title hopes to teach gamers real-world guitar and bass skills. It offers lessons and full songs for players to join in with real instruments while learning from on-screen tools and tips. In Rocksmith+, players can play over 5,000 songs from a library of rock, pop, hip hop, country, Latin, and R&B songs, and according to a trailer debuting at the Ubisoft Forward event today, more is to come.
Ubisoft Wants Rocksmith+ to be Widely Available
Players can take their real acoustic, electric, or bass guitars and connect them to Rocksmith+ with the proprietary Real Tone USB cable, which uses a 1/4" jack for a reliable connection and offers effects modeling and virtual tones. However, it does cost an additional $29.99, so as an alternative players will be able to use the wireless Rocksmith+ Connect mobile app to connect in an amp that records audio for the game. Several third-party audio interfaces can also be used to connect guitars to the PC game, although support is not guaranteed.
No matter which option the player uses, the game recognizes the tones played and inserts them into a timeline where personalized feedback can tighten up playing and teach new tips and tricks. With this feature, the game analyzes the player's performances and provides suggestions for songs and exercises to practice, meanwhile tools like Riff Repeater and Adaptive Difficulty allow for a faster and more comfortable learning process. At this point, Ubisoft hasn't added the requested feature to create entirely original songs to the game. However, the new Rocksmith Workshop allows players to create and share content by adding arrangements from the song library.
Rocksmith+ Subscribers Get Tool and Song Updates
A subscription to Rocksmith+ provides access to an updated set of tools, and as of this writing there's no need to worry about paying for expensive DLC or microtransactions. An expanding music library is also included in the service, which means that genre or artist-specific packages are not needed. The interface is an updated version of the original 2014 game's UI, providing all the necessary elements to play along with the song and get feedback.
Creating a subscription service with this concept is a smart move for Ubisoft, since every guitar player would acknowledge that learning the craft is a lifelong journey. Financially, it is going to be invaluable to keep subscribers hooked. Rocksmith+ is available for $14.99 with a monthly subscription (or $39.99 for three months, $99.99 for a year). The companion app, Rocksmith+ Connect, will be available for free on both App Store and Google Play in the near future, with preregistration available on Google Play. However, Ubisoft has already released a free Rocksmith+ Connect Tuner App to both storefronts. For those who previously owned Rocksmith 2014, Ubisoft offers an extra month on three-month subscriptions, and an extra three months on a 12-month subscription.
Rocksmith+ is now available on PC, and is in development for Mobile.