GUITAR HERO IS DEAD - YALE ALUMNI TO CONTROL VIDEO GAMES WITH REAL GUITARS

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Forget about using a plastic guitar to mimic your favorite band. What if you could use a real guitar just like any other video game joystick -- and thrash your opponent while you create original music?

Two Yale School of Music alumni calling themselves "Modal Kombat" have hacked into classic video games Pong, Tetris, Mortal Kombat and Mario Kart. On November 22 at The Monkey NYC, they'll make their characters move -- and battle against each other -- with a flurry of guitar-plucking.

The event, "Modal Mania - Modal Kombat Party" is a video-game battle/performance-art hybrid that's open to the public. The goal is to demonstrate that real guitars -- or other musical instruments -- can be viable video game controllers. The performance/party will celebrate and officially complete Modal Kombat's muti-city 2009 "Guitar Hero is Dead Tour". The festive atmosphere will include a performance of Modal Kombat's standard show plus some new guitar-controlled video gaming implementations.

Included in the ticket price will be an open bar before and after the show, formal and informal Q&A sessions with Modal Kombat members and opportunities for attendees to try out the guitar-controlled video game systems. New unreleased Modal Kombat apparel will also be on sale.