PlayStation-owning country music fans can now breathe a sigh of relief. Or, sing one.
Since late 2006, PlayStation 2 owners have been able to sing along karaoke-style with their favorite rock artists on the popular game SingStar .
Until the end of 2008, players who are fans of country music were left crooning along with ABBA and Weezer. But now, with the recent release of SingStar Country , musical gamers can boot scoot with Brooks & Dunn, have a good time with Alan Jackson or walk the line with Johnny Cash.
"We had contemplated country for a while thinking how to enter the country market and make the game really appealing," said Rob Alvarez, product marketing manager of Sony Computer Entertainment. "Country, being one of the most successful genres of music, was appealing to us. We were looking at country because we wanted to widen our demographic. It happened to be our best-selling title this holiday season."
SingStar cartridges are sold individually and in bundles that include two microphones. After plugging in the mikes, players select songs from the menu, the artist's video that corresponds with the selection starts to play and the words appear at the bottom of the screen. The game records performances for playback at the end of the songs.
Alvarez said he thinks the game is successful because it is versatile — one to eight people can play, different game settings accommodate different skill levels, and multiple activities are offered, including duets, head-to-head contests and group sing-alongs.
"If you lack experience in singing, you can still have a great time. It's a party game — the easy pick-up-and-play music game," he said.
It's more than just a gameMuch research went into selecting songs and artists to appear on SingStar Country , Alvarez said. The company wanted to make sure a broad range of country singers was represented so that it could maximize appeal among country fans; among those included are Faith Hill, Taylor Swift, Willie Nelson and Brad Paisley.
As far as the songs, they had to be instantly recognizable.
"We picked songs that are super popular that people can sing so when they get the game they can enjoy the experience right out of the box," Alvarez said.
Troy Gentry from Montgomery Gentry said he enjoyed SingStar Country right away. Because two of his duo's songs are included on the game he already knew the words.
"I did pretty well," he said. "What I did learn is you don't have to be able to sing on pitch to keep up with the game, you just have to sing within the line.
"It's kind of hard when you're trying to keep up, but it was fun. I sing that song every night. But obviously they used the studio cut, and we get on the road and we start singing it all the time and we change the little styles to keep it interesting. Going back and having to sing the original version was kind of an eye opener."
Gentry also sees more potential for the game than just a fun thing to do at parties.
He said aspiring singers could use the game to help fine-tune their vocals.
"I have heard that NASCAR drivers go out and buy the NASCAR games because they are set up just like the tracks," he said. "They use that as a simulator and as a tool for driving when they aren't at the track.
"This is a good useful tool for someone who wants to be a singer as far as learning to sing on pitch, because you can play it back," Gentry said. "You can use it to help better yourself."
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