Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Demo is Live

The Guitar Hero: Aerosmith demo has launched on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 we're told.

The demo includes Sweet Emotion and Dream On by Aerosmith, as well as Walk this Way by Run DMC and I Hate Myself for Loving You by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

Say what you will about artist-themed Guitar Hero games, at least you're getting four free songs out of the deal.

Sting In Guitar Hero: World Tour Confirmed!

Joining Jimi Hendrix and Ozzy Osbourne is Neil Patrick Harris rocker Sting. (Needs more tantric.) This was first leaked back in June when an a survey leaked the following names as in-game characters: Sting, Ozzy Osbourne, Ted Nugent, Billy Corgan, Jimi Hendrix, Travis Barker, Hayley Williams, and Zak Wylde. Says Sting about Guitar Hero:

I tried to play Guitar Hero and I’m not very good. My kids can do it.

Yeah, Sting has better things to do — like have sex with his wife FOR NINE HOURS.

Sting Appears [The Sun via Eurogamer]

New Guitar Hero World Tour Video

In this new video from Guitar Hero World Tour Billy Corgan - the lead guitarist for the Smashing Pumpkins - shows us some of the motion capture that he had to endure to get his likeness in the game. The game will be hitting stores on October 26th.

Noel Gallagher Says Guitar Hero Is Better Than Arse Goblin Humping

Besides writing songs and playing for British rock band Oasis, Noel Gallagher is a walking quote machine. So, you'd think he would have an opinion on something like Guitar Hero. Well, he does:

If it puts little plastic guitars into kids' hands and fires their imaginations, I think that's a good thing. It's harmless fun, innit.

I'd rather that genre of video games than somebody getting their fucking head chopped off with a samurai sword while getting fucked by a goblin up the arse with a laser. Do you know what I mean?

Um...

Noel Gallagher: exclusive interview [Music Radar via CVG]

The only thing better than original master recordings in a rhythm game is having the original artists go back and do the whole thing over again, and Guitar Hero: World Tour is boasting three separate re-recordings on its set list when the game hits store shelves. In addition to The Sex Pistols' "Pretty Vacant" and Motorhead's "Overkill", MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer has recruited a little help and hit the studio to re-record the classic "Kick Out the Jams". The new recording uses the original vocals from singer Rob Tyner from 1968, with Kramer, Alice in Chains (the press release says Alice "and" Chains) guitarist Jerry Cantrell and former Guns 'N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke.

I'm not quite sold myself. 1968 vocals with new music tracks? That's like serving vintage wine with Kraft singles. It still works, and is indeed somewhat palatable, but it isn't going to get you laid, which is the major reason people played rock music in the late 60's in the first place.

New Smashing Pumpkins In GH: World Tour DLC

It's another band rhythm video game first as Activision announces that Smashing Pumpkins will debut their new single "G.L.O.W." as part of a track pack for Guitar Hero: World Tour before the song is released to the general public. The song, which I highly doubt has anything to do with the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, will be part of a Smashing Pumpkins track pack, rounded out by "1979" and "The Everlasting Gaze". That makes four Smashing Pumpkins songs for Guitar Hero: World Tour, with "Today" shipping on the disc.

In addition to the music, Smashing Pumpkins front man and creepiest bald man in music since Peter Garrett from Midnight Oil Billy Corgan will appear in the game as a playable character, allowing players to experience the joys of being Corgan as they advance through their vocal or guitar careers. I say screw that. I want an entire band made up of Billy Corgan. Corgan on bass. Corgan on drums. Corgan selling refreshments at the concessions stand. It's the stuff nightmares are made of.

Neversoft Get Bitchy, Call Out Rock Band's...Cymbals

Neversoft, Harmonix, we get it. You guys make competing music games. There's beef. But is there really any need to get so damn...petty? Here's Guitar Hero director Brian Bright, on Harmonix's decision to include cymbals on their Rock Band 2 drum kit:

I don't know how far ahead they planned that - we obviously revealed [our drum kit] much earlier than they did...I've a feeling there was a: 'Oh s***! There's cymbals! How can we put cymbals on our kit?' That would be the easiest way without having to rewire everything and re-engineer the entire circuit board.

Brian. Harmonix invented Guitar Hero. They then invented Rock Band, which GH World Tour is now , for want of a better word, copying. Might be for the best if you keep the "innovation" smack talk to a minimum.

GH dev mocks Rock Band cymbals [Eurogamer] [Image: Corbis]

Brett Ratner's Guitar Hero Movie Idea Sounds Crappy

Hollywood director Brett Ratner (X-Men: The Last Stand, other tripe) has a dream. He wants to make a Guitar Hero movie. Listen to what Ratner has to say:

I love Guitar Hero and I think it’s a part of pop culture. I would love to do a Guitar Hero movie, if Activision would ever let me. I’m trying to convince them, but why would you have a movie screw up such a huge franchise? Not that I would make a bad movie. So that would be cool, to do a Guitar Hero movie.

We're pretty sure that Brett Ratner never sets out to make a bad movie. Shit just happens, you know? For those still interested in what he has to say (masochist much?), hit the jump for Ratner's plot idea:

Guitar Hero Lands Venue, Instrument Product Placements

Guitar Hero World Tour will allow gamers to score in-game sponsorship and gear from a slew of real world equipment manufacturers as they play through the game, Activision announced. The game will also feature digital recreations of Amoeba Music and Live Nation's House of Blues Sunset Strip for digital bands to jam on.

“Gamers have come to expect a certain level of realism in video games and by collaborating with key brands in the industry we’re able to deliver with Guitar Hero World Tour,” said Dave Anderson, Head of Business Development for Activision. “With the most advanced wireless instrument controllers, the in-game likeness of multiple multi-platinum recording artists and authentic on-stage gear, the game offers the ultimate rock and roll experience.”

I love that the game is getting real world venues to play in, but personally I don't think I care that much about whether I have EMG pickups or Guitar Hero Fake-O pickups. The list of gear manufacturers include: AMPEG, Audio-Technica, EMG Pickups, Ernie Ball, Evans Drumheads, Guitar Center, Krank Amplification, Mackie, Marshall, Orange County Drum & Percussion, Pork Pie Percussion, Regal Tip, Sabian cymbals, Vox and Zildjian drumsticks. But honestly, that seems more like a way for Activision to make some money off product placement than something that's going to add to the game.

Possible Explanations for This Dumbass Sears Ad

Look closely (full size on the jump). Reader Ian S. found this back-to-college ad for Sears in his local paper. Looking at this guy's set up, I'm betting the propmaster for this ad shoot is someone so out of it he refers to consoles generically not as "Nintendo" but as "the Sega." Because that's Solid Snake on the screen, and a 360 controller in our hip gamer friend's hands. So here are my thoughts for what might be going on.

1) Newton's Dirty Little Secret: It's a Sixaxis.
2) Check Out This Rad PS3 Casemod for Your Xbox 360!
3)'Intense' Driving Motion Controls Introduced to Metal Gear Solid 4 Cutscenes
4) MGS4 Now Supports Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Peripherals (lower right)
4) Sony Confounded by Standard DVD Players Kept as Heirlooms (console, under the small speakers)

I'm sure you've got your own ideas. Put 'em in the comments.

Brian Bright On Guitar Hero: World Tour - We're Bringing It

Before my hands-on time with Guitar Hero: World Tour the other day, I got a chance to sit down and share a beer with Neversoft's project director for the title, Brian Bright, a rather personable fellow who knows the entire history of the band Sisters of Mercy, which makes him okay in my book. Since we were sitting there discussing music anyway, I figured I'd ask him if he was worried at all about the competition. Well, first I asked him if he was concerned about Konami's Rock Revolution, which he said he'd never seen, neatly summing up exactly how much competition they're bringing to the genre.

But what about Rock Band? With an established fan base and a head start in the rhythm band genre, how can Guitar Hero: World Tour compete? Bright's simple answer? "We're bringing it."

Guitar Hero: On Tour Full Size Guitar Mod

Now this is more like it. GH:On Tour is all well and good, but it is hard to feel like yer actual axe-wielding rock warrior when you are hunched over a DS with a soppy-looking 'Guitar Grip' attached to your hand like a Nerf knuckleduster.

Eric Ruckman was so desperate to give the DS port of Guitar Hero the thrashing it so richly deserves that he scooped out the innards of his PS2 guitar and melded it with a DS. The DS touch screen is still used for strumming - the plectrum stylus works even better in this context - and the crafty sod even bolted on an FM transmitter to pump stereo sound through his hi-fi.

Hack Guitar Hero DS into a guitar controller [Hack-A- Day via Engadget]

Follow the jump for a video of the mod in action

Beer Goes Well With Guitar Hero: World Tour

Activision has beer, and they're not afraid to use it. By the time I showed up for my hands on with Activision's Guitar Hero: World Tour yesterday afternoon I had already accidentally downed one beer, having mistaken a bottle with a grapefruit on front of it as fruit juice, instead of the grapefruit-flavored beer that was actually hiding within the bottle. Sneaky beer. Then another was shared with Neversoft's project director Brian Bright upon arriving at Activision's booth for my appointment, which disappeared mysteriously without me remembering having imbibed it. Having an unnaturally low tolerance to alcohol for a man my size I was relatively tipsy by the time I got in to actually play the game, which should explain why I agreed to sing "Spiderwebs" by No Doubt.

The Activision Presser, With Special Guest German Guy

Isn't he dreamy? This, ladies and gentlemen, is Thomas Godoj, winner of the fifth season of Deutschland sucht den Superstar, which is essentially the German version of American Idol. I'm told that, unlike the American contestants, Godoj here actually has musical talent. I would have come to our country's defense but come on - Taylor Hicks? Really? I bet he couldn't belt out Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" near as well as Thomas did, which is exactly how Activision's Games Convention 2008 press conference came to an end...but how did it begin?

PS3 World Tour Rock Band Compatible

So far the Guitar Hero on the Wii has suffered from lack of extras and downloadable content, but that's all about to change. Screw the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Guitar Hero: World Tour - the Wii version lets you play with your Miis! A special Mii Freestyle mode was revealed at Activision's Games Convention 2008 press conference will allow Wii owners to jam out with their Miis, learning the game or just fooling about with friends who have come over to your house to try and figure out why you got the Wii version of the game.

But wait, there's more! The Wii version also gives players the ability to play air drums with their Wii remote / nunchuck combo, so ... yeah. There you go.

Microsoft - All Our Instruments Cross-Compatible Too

Yesterday we reported Sony's annoucement via the PlayStation Blog that all the major upcoming PS3 music games (Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour, and Rock Revolution) will be able to share instruments.

Not to be outdone (and concerned that the PS3 claim might imply the opposite for rivals) Chris Paladino from Microsoft used the Gamerscore Blog to confirm that the same was true of the XBox version of those games as well.

For the record, we also do that, so consider this an official announcement.

All the instruments from Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour, and Rock Revolution will be cross-compatible.

Let's hear it for common sense and compatibility. Up next — world peace.

Speaking of Instrument Compatibility... [Gamerscore Blog]

DragonForce Debuts New Single on Guitar Hero III This Week

As noted last month on Roadrunnner Record's website, Activision has confirmed that English speed metal band DragonForce is debuting a new single on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock as part of a downloadable track pack.

Heroes of Our Time, the debut single off their new album Ultra Beatdown, will come with Revolution Deathsquad and Operation Ground and Pound, both from DragonForce's third album Inhuman Rampage.

The three-song DragonForce Pack will the Playstation Store and Xbox Live on Aug. 21.