Hasbro Power Tour Guitar - Dust or Magic?
There has been a lot of hype in the toy world, surrounding Hasbro's release of the Power Tour Guitar. It has even managed to make headlines on Engadget. But will it be Dust or Magic, is hard to say. I personally was excited about the toy when I saw it in class. However, I am definitely not the target market, which I believe is for a ten year old boy. My initial concern is that the child will become frustrated and discouraged when they receive feedback from the guitar that is not positive. (I am not sure if the guitar boos, but I do remember there is a negative reaction of some kind, if you do not play the tune correctly.) Also, the design is not child friendly. I know that it is modeled after the classic Gibson style, but I feel as though an "On" switch is really needed, especially given the demographic.
However, after all of that being said, I have to lean toward the magic end. I was just reading up on the product, and it allows you to play along with mp3 tracks, as well as create your own mp3 tracks! Now that we are moving towards a mac world, where creative software like Garageband is becoming a staple, and open-source learning is flourishing, creativity is flowing among children. They feel empowered and want the control to express themselves, whether its blogging or creating music, kids want to say how they feel. So, my final answer is: Magic!