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Ben Heck Makes One-Handed Guitar Hero

Written by Mark C. Barlet

Published on 08 May 2008

Today at Games for Health, the ever famous Ben Heckendorn made an announcement today that we here at AbleGamers things is great. Taking a challenge from a fan, Ben was able to take the very popular game Guitar Hero, and adapt it for people with only one hand!

For those that live in a cave, Guitar Hero, and those games like it, requires you to have both hands to play, one to push the buttons, and the other to "Strum" the giant plastic guitar. Well this has left a lot of disabled gamers out, and left on the sidelines of the popular Rock Band parties. Well Ben took on the challenge, and made a food pedal for the "strum" action!

Now this is not going to bring GH and RB to all disabled gamers, but it is one step closer for some.

When asked if this would ever become a commercially available product, and not the handmade one off, he said, "I am not sure, maybe if the demand is there." Ben said it took him about 8 hours to make, and he said he MAY post the directions on his website sometime in June, so we will look for them.

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Comments

0 #5 I need your product! — Kyle Doiron 2008-05-27 23:32

Guitar Hero has been a phenomenom for a few years now. I have purchased every Guitar Hero game sinse the beginning including Rock Band. All of these games were for my girlfriend. The problem is, I have not been able to play along because I only have use of my left arm. I have cerebral palsy. Recently, I have rigged up an old guitar by drilling a hole through the srum bar and attaching a string with a loop for my foot through the other end. Mind you I am getting 80 to 90% on medium, but the current set up is awkward. I get frustrated because my foot slips and I miss notes. Please help Me!

0 #4 One-Handed delight — Eleanor Robinson 2008-05-22 14:55

The video is really great. It captures the feeling of the actual performance!!

0 #3 Co-founder Games for Health — Ben Sawyer 2008-05-11 13:21

So I finally did get a chance to play it as I had to do a TV interview while using it and I have to say it's surpassed my expectations for how easy it is. The whammy bar takes some getting used to and I never quite got the hang of it but I felt if I had an uninterrupted hour I could. The biggest problem I have was the tendency to want to tap to the beat vs. the times the beat wasn't the point of emphasis for the guitar. When I could concentrate on the notes vs. the drum beat I was able to do decently.

The pedal has a really solid feeling to it and the whammy bar is super solid.