Kotaku: guitar hero iii: legends of rock

Guitar Hero III Virtuoso Pack Adds Guitar Heroes

Mike Fahey — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:20:00 MDT

Okay, NOW they can call the game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. How did Activision get away with this for so long without including Joe Satriani and Steve Vai? We probably should have set the company on fire for this gross oversight, but it's too late now. In two days Satriani's "Surfing with the Alien" and Vai's "For the Love of God" will be joined by Buckethead's "Soothsayer" to create the Guitar Virtuoso Track Pack, barely giving us time to gather enough pitchforks and torches to form an angry mob. We always miss the good angry mob moments, don't we?

The Guitar Virtuoso Track Pack will be available July 24th via PlayStation Store and Xbox Live Marketplace.

Top Gun Theme Free on Guitar Hero III

Brian Crecente — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:00:00 MDT

To celebrate Fourth of July, and perhaps move a few more Guitar Hero IIIs, Activision is giving away the Top Gun Anthem song via the Playstation Store and Xbox Live starting this Thursday.

Anthem is the guitar-heavy song from Top Gun, not to be confused with Kenny Loggins's Danger Zone. Unfortunately the free DLC won't include a heavy metal fro or aluminum parachute pants.

“TOP GUN ANTHEM” TO LAND ON GUITAR HERO® III: LEGENDS OF ROCK AS FREE DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT FOR FOURTH OF JULY

SANTA MONICA, CA – July 1, 2008 – Grab your wingman and fire up the F-14 for the announcement today of a special Fourth of July treat for Activision, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero III®: Legends of Rock fans. Beginning July 3, 2008, the legendary, GRAMMY® award-winning “Top Gun Anthem” will be available as a free downloadable song for the game.

The instrumental, guitar-heavy theme was immortalized in the hit film that inspired a generation of young men to awkwardly serenade women at bars, perform perfectly-timed “flipside” high fives and threaten to “buzz the tower.”

The song will be available as a free download to Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock mavericks and their wingmen everywhere for Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and in the PLAYSTATION®Store for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system on July 3, 2008.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock offers the ultimate rock experience with new wireless guitars, freshly added content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer modes allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true rock status as they riff through a star-studded soundtrack including master tracks by legendary artists such as Aerosmith, Guns 'N' Roses, The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine and Pearl Jam, as well as original songs by guitar icons Slash and Tom Morello. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is now available and is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB. For more information visit http://community.guitarhero.com.

Guitar Hero Wii Mono Lawsuit Settled

Mike Fahey — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:00:00 MDT

You may remember the class action lawsuit filed against Activision this past November on behalf of owners of the flawed, mono-only version of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. The lawsuit, submitted by Samuel Livingston of California, sought "actual damages, individual restitution, equitable relief, civil penalties, costs and expenses of litigation, including attorney's fees, and all further relief available." Well now Activision and Livingston have settled out of court, and Livingston made millions! MILLIONS! Okay, so he didn't get millions. What he, and every other owner of the defective version of the game got, was an extension on the replacement program until August 2008, and a free faceplate - the same faceplate they were already sending out anyway. Oh, and Activision promises not to make the faulty version of the game anymore. Wow. Next time Sam? Just fill out the damn form.

Activision settles mono sound suit [GameSpot]

Guitar Hero Vs. Open Mic Night

Mark Wilson — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:40:44 MST

Guitar Hero tournies have been floating around bars since the game's inception, and the trend has only grown since. But not everyone is so happy about the popularity of drunks pretending to be rockstars on stage—namely musicians. And while these comments were just from one guy who liked to jam at one bar, we have a feeling that he speaks for a multitude of others.

Yea, it's fun. Yea, it's cool and difficult to master (nowhere near on the level of a real musical instrument), and yea it's an escape from your miserable existance [sic] but it's not something I want to see LIVE ONSTAGE in a venue that should have a REAL musician Performing! Anyone who has even the slightest bit of culture and refinement would agree. GUITAR HERO belongs in the home, at house parties or in a Frathouse basement but it DOES NOT BELONG AT HUMPY'S GREAT ALASKAN ALEHOUSE, REPLACING OPEN MIC MONDAYS!!!!!

Oh, and Humpy's actually exists, by the way. This only gets better.

And I can play a guitar pretty Damn well...A REAL guitar that is..So you mean to tell me, watching some drunk ass GI or Fratboy attempting to play "Sweet Child O Mine" on a guitar shaped GAME CONTROLLER,. flubbing notes at that, is a more soulful experience then hearing me play and sing? IF so, FUCK YOU! That's what I have to Say...That says it all. Remember....We Reap what we sow and we've got some major fucking problems. I say we who do give a shit, need to vote with our wallets.
THIS IS A CALL TO ARMS. IT'S IN YOUR HANDS PEOPLE.

Well? You heard the man. Hit the link for the full message board rant and a multi-page response.

Now I'm Losing Gigs To GUITAR HERO! [HarmonyCentral]

GameStrata Launches Today, Tracks Your Stats

Mark Wilson — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:40:51 MST

For stat junkies, a new site is launching that will track your every move during online gaming sessions. Called GameStrata, the free site will follow your progress in console and PC games by the currently partnered companies Capcom, EA and Sega. What seems so promising is that the service doesn't just track simple kills or wins and losses. Instead, the site aggregates tons of detailed information, like shots fired per match, total amount of damage dealt or frags per minute.

The downside is that GameStrata registration is currently using a token system, requiring you to sign up in hopes of receiving an invite (similar to the moderate pain it was to first join Gmail). But we tested the service and received an invite with no problem after our registration. Here's the full list of games that GameStrata will be supporting at launch:

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (PC, Xbox 360, PS3) Battlefield 2 (PC) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC) Universe at War (PC, Xbox 360) The Club (Xbox 360) - Coming February 19th

GameStrata

Activision - We Are The Champions

Mike Fahey — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 09:00:12 MST

Activision is having a banner year, and they've got the NPD data to prove it. The company issued a press release this morning to announce that NPD Group data has placed them as the top U.S. console and handheld publisher from January to November of 2007, increasing its market share to a record 16.8% in the eleven month period, up 7.9% from the year before.

"We continue to see strong consumer response to our wholly owned and internally developed titles — Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare," said Robert Kotick, Chairman and CEO, Activision, Inc. "We are well positioned to continue our leadership position through the remainder of the year and are on track to delivering another record year of revenue growth and the most profitable year in our history."

Now that Activision has a larger market share than EA, how long before we get to start calling them an evil empire? Let me know, okay? I've got some great t-shirt ideas.

Activision Ranks #1 U.S. Console and Handheld Publisher January - November 2007, According to NPD
SANTA MONICA, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI) was the #1 U.S. console and handheld publisher for the first eleven months of calendar 2007, according to The NPD Group. The company increased its market share for the eleven month period to a record 16.8%, a 7.9% increase over the same period last year.

For the month of November, Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock and Call of Duty 4™: Modern Warfare™ were the #1 and #2 best-selling titles respectively in dollars across all platforms, according to The NPD Group. Activision also had five of the top-10 best-selling games in dollars, including Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for the PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and the Wii™ home video game system. Additionally, Guitar Hero has remained the #1 best-selling franchise in the U.S. since January, according to The NPD Group.

"We continue to see strong consumer response to our wholly owned and internally developed titles — Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare," said Robert Kotick, Chairman and CEO, Activision, Inc. "We are well positioned to continue our leadership position through the remainder of the year and are on track to delivering another record year of revenue growth and the most profitable year in our history."

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.

Wireless GHIII Guitars Early Next Year

Mike Fahey — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:20:03 MST

Those of you hunting for official wireless guitar controllers from Activision to supplement their Guitar Hero III experience can stop looking, because they aren't out yet. I was expecting them to be out on shelves with the game itself, but Activision has announced that wireless controllers for all four console versions will be heading to retail outlets in early 2008. This is excellent news for owners of the PS3 and Wii versions of the game, who at this point have to buy additional copies of the full package in order to get an extra wireless guitar, which works on paper - specifically Activision sales papers - but in execution kind of hurts players' tender wallets. Probably for the best that I wasn't able to find one, as I already have four fake guitars cluttering up my living room as it is. What I need is a guitar controller rack to display my instruments of destruction.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Wireless Guitar Controllers Hitting Retail Shelves in Early 2008
SANTA MONICA, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI) today announced that standalone wireless guitar controllers for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will be available at retail stores nationwide by early 2008.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock lets fans thrash and burn with new wireless guitar controllers available for each platform, including exclusive Gibson Guitar's Les Paul model for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo, and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. PlayStation®2 gamers will also get to shred on an exclusive shape, Gibson's Kramer guitar, popularized by hard rockers and known for its body design, pickups, electronics and construction for furious finger fretting.

Two Guitar Hero III Packs Go Live

Mike Fahey — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 09:20:12 MST

It has begun. Prepare to argue over song value in the comments section as two new Guitar Hero III song packs hit Xbox Live early this morning. The Foo Fighters Pack contains "The Pretender", "All My Life", and "This Is A Call", while the Velvet Revolver Pack consists of "She Builds Quick Machines", "Slither", and "Messages". All of the songs carry the "as performed by" label, which means that they are ~~crafty approximations of said songs and not original recordings~~ the original songs (pardon my initial confusion). Both packs carry the same old price tag of 500 Microsoft Points as piece as well. As Luke so succinctly put it, just as shitty as Guitar Hero II's DLC. Similar packs will hopefully be showing up soon on the PlayStation 3 version, only with a real money value attached to them, which will hurt more.

In Game Content: Guitar Hero III [Xbox Live's Major Nelson]

Blockbuster Renting GH Guitar

Mike Fahey — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:40:18 MDT

This is certainly something new for my local Blockbuster Video store, though your results may vary. The Blockbuster my roommate works at is renting the Guitar Hero controller for the Xbox 360 starting today. The controller rents separately of the game itself at $7.99 before tax, so, for the total package, you'll have to shell out $16 of your hard-earned monies. I cannot remember another time in the history of major retail game rentals that they've had a separate rental—or rental at all, for that matter—of a gaming peripheral. It's a testament to the popularity of the Guitar Hero franchise, I suppose. Keep in mind that Blockbuster tends to have its head up its ass when it comes to ordering games at their non Game Rush stores, so call ahead before rushing out to have your heart broken.

Guitar Hero III Guitar Problems

Brian Crecente — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:00:22 MDT

Forums on GameSpot and the official Guitar Hero site are getting hit with a number of complaints about faulty Guitar Hero III controllers. Apparently some of the buttons will flake out over time with some controllers. It seems that a lot of gamers suspect that the guitar's detachable neck is to blame.

There's a lot of speculation so far, but no official word from Activision or RedOctane, which is unfortunate. I contacted the company this morning for a comment and they've yet to get back to me. We'll update or do another post once we hear some sort of official word. What about you, have you had any problems? The 360 I demoed with was fine and the Wii guitar had a momentary problem but seems fine again.

Guitar Hero III: Problems with the Detachable Neck [Law of the Game]

Playing Wii Guitar Hero III

Brian Crecente — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:40:59 MDT

I know that Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is already out in stores, but I thought it might be interesting to check out the Wii version for those who haven't decided which system to buy the game for yet. I'll be unboxing and playing for about 30 minutes or so. Hit the jump to comment.

K, show's over folks. Thanks for watching and commenting.

Hot Guitar Hero Patents Exposed

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 18:20:00 MDT

When Harmonix released the first Guitar Hero on the PlayStation 2, many rhythm game fans wondered exactly how the company would fare once Konami's legal team smelled the patent violations in the water. Harmonix was noticeably quiet on comparisons to Konami's Guitar Freaks franchise, clearly an influence on Guitar Hero, but no indication that any bad corporate blood between the parties was ever publicly evident.

For the release of Guitar Hero III, however, we're starting to see some evidence of the licensing of Konami's patents for the ultra-successful Activision franchise, now at developer Neversoft. Gamasutra's Simon Carless explains the relationship between multiple parties, including one that, oddly enough, was originally in an MTV branded product, not unlike the upcoming Rock Band.

A fine piece of investigatin' by the gang at Gamasutra.

Exploring Guitar Hero III's Patent Secrets [Gamasutra]

Guitar Center Selling Guitar Hero III

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:40:04 MDT

One of our tipsters, who happens to work at national music retailer Guitar Center and will remain anonymous, let us know recently that his employer will be one of the many retailers stocking Activision's fake guitar playing game this holiday season. It appears to be the megastore's first attempt at selling video games, understandably, but, based on the pics we've been sent of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock arriving at the stock room, they're not just dabbling—they're buying in big amounts. The game also gets the front page treatment on GuitarCenter.com, with only the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2 versions appearing to be stocked.

It looks like an interesting experiment for Guitar Center, one that might have great crossover potential in-store. It will also surely push the number of times the question "Why don't they just play a real guitar?" is asked well into the billions.

NFS ProStreet And GHIII Demos Live

Mike Fahey — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 08:20:54 MDT

In a rare moment of synergy between the two competitors, EA and Activision have managed to bring the delicious combination of fast cars and rock and roll together on Xbox Live today, as demos for both Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Need for Speed ProStreet are both now available for your tiny dose of gaming pleasure. The GHII demo is a modest 545 MB while the racer clocks in at 655 MB. I'm currently downloading both, so if I any of my posts show up later on with missing images or spelling errors, you can blame one or both of them. Also live today is the European demo for Eternal Sonata, easily the prettiest RPG on the Xbox 360, and the best video game Chopin learning tool in the history of the gaming.

Target's GHIII PS2 Bundle

Mike Fahey — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:40:28 MDT

If you're one of the few PlayStation 2 stragglers who haven't already picked up a pair of Guitar Hero controllers via a previous installment of the game, you might want to hit up your local Target store on the 28th. They'll have a special exclusive Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock bundle available for the PS2, including the game and two specially designed guitar controllers, along with the standard guitar strap and sticker combo package. The whole deal runs for $109.99, which considering one guitar controller adds $40 to the game's retail price ends up saving you $20 or so if you purchased the whole shebang separately. Seeing as I already have four guitar controllers in my living room, I'll pass on this one, but it's a hell of a good deal all things considered.

Target Corp. Giving Fans More Reasons To Rock With Guitar Hero® III: Legends Of Rock Bundle
Exclusive to Target This Holiday Season, PlayStation 2 Bundle Will Feature Game and Two Specially Designed Guitar Controllers

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - October 18, 2007 - Target, Activision, and RedOctane are teaming up to form a supergroup this holiday season with the release of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock on Oct. 28. Aspiring shredders can head on into Target stores for an exclusive bundle that includes the game, two specially designed guitar controllers and a customization kit full of guitar straps and stickers. The bundle will retail for $109.99. Curious gamers can get a sneak peek of the game at this week's E for All Expo in Los Angeles.

"Guitar Hero isn't just a game, it's a social and cultural phenomenon," said Troy Peterson, Senior Buyer at Target. "Our exclusive bundle gives fans a chance to hit the ground running right out of the box with two guitars and lets players take advantage of the new multiplayer features in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock."

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will include explosive new content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. The third installment of the franchise is the biggest yet, including songs from such artists as Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses, The Killers, Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, The Who and KISS. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, published by RedOctane and developed by Neversoft, is rated 'T' for Teen by the ESRB and will be available October 28, 2007. For more information about the Guitar Hero franchise, please visit this dedicated community site: www.guitarhero.com.

Guitar Hero III Even Flow

Mike Fahey — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 10:20:27 MDT

GameTrailers just posted a slew of Guitar Hero II gameplay videos, including this one for Pearl Jam's Even Flow, a peppy, upbeat song about homelessness, along with videos of Pat Benatar's Hit Me WIth Your Best Shot and Lay Down by Canadian band Priestess. I chose Even Flow because it is the song I am most likely to fail at every time because I'll be busy doing my Eddie Vedder impression, which involves mumbling, rolling my eyes back into my head, and grinning like Batman's arch-nemesis the Joker. Not that I would have done too well in the first place, for as far as I am concerned that orange button on the guitar doesn't actually exist.

New Guitar Hero III Tracks Revealed

Mike Fahey — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 08:20:24 MDT

Looks like that leaked Guitar Hero III track list from a couple weeks back might be closer to reality than we thought. While the new press release from Activision doesn't reveal specific song tiers, it does add seventeen new songs, all of which were included on the rumored list. Still the leaked list has seventy songs, while I am only counting fifty-nine in the press release, so I'll leave it to you junior detectives to work out the discrepancies. Seven of the new songs are master tracks from the original artists, including Sonic Youth's 'Cool Thing', Aerosmith's 'Same Old Song and Dance", and The Killers' 'When You Were Young', which will be stuck in my head the rest of the day. Covers include White Zombie's 'Black Sunshine' and 'Devil Went Down To Georgia' made famous by the Charlie Daniels Band. Living in the south, I can tell you right now that if the Devil cover sucks the folks at Activision better start keeping an eye out for suspicious looking pickup trucks in their vicinity. You don't screw around with a song so important that it's projected onto a mountain with lasers every weekend. Hit the jump for the full list, new and old.

Activision Shreds Additional Songs To Setlist For Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock Master Tracks from Aerosmith, The Killers, Slipknot, and Sonic Youth Added
SUNNYVALE, CA - October 3, 2007 - Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today additional songs to be included in the main set list for the highly-anticipated title, Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock. While delivering more master tracks than ever before, strategic partnerships have been secured with all the major and independent record labels and publishers to allow unrivaled access to their vast catalogs of music, along with supplying artists' original recordings for even greater authenticity.

The additional tracks include:

· Same Old Song and Dance (by Aerosmith)
· Helicopter (by Bloc Party)
· Stricken (by Disturbed)
· Monsters (by Matchbook Romance)
· Before I Forget (by Slipknot)
· Kool Thing (by Sonic Youth)
· When You Were Young (by The Killers)
· Devil Went Down to Georgia (as made famous by Charlie Daniels Band)
· Sunshine of Your Love (as made famous by Cream)
· Holiday in Cambodia (as made famous by Dead Kennedys)
· Cliffs of Dover (as made famous by Eric Johnson)
· Hit Me with Your Best Shot (as made famous by Pat Benetar)
· Black Magic Woman (as made famous by Santana)
· Story of My Life (as made famous by Social Distortion)
· Pride and Joy (as made famous by Stevie Ray Vaughn)
· The Seeker (as made famous by The Who)
· Black Sunshine (as made famous by White Zombie)

In addition to the newly announced tracks, previously announced songs in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock include:

· Miss Murder (by AFI)
· Minus Celsius (by Backyard Babies)
· Sabotage (by Beastie Boys)
· Hier Kommt Alex (by Die Toten Hosen)
· Through Fire and Flames (by Dragonforce)
· In the Belly of a Shark (by Gallows)
· Welcome to The Jungle (by Guns N' Roses)
· Avalancha (by Heroes Del Silencio)
· Take This Life (by In Flames)
· Number of the Beast (by Iron Maiden)
· Ruby (by Kaiser Chiefs)
· Closer (by Lacuna Coil)
· Cult of Personality (by Living Colour)
· One (by Metallica)
· Knights of Cydonia (by Muse)
· Mauvais Garcon (by NAAST)
· Even Flow (by Pearl Jam)
· Lay Down (by Priestess)
· Bulls on Parade (by Rage Against The Machine)
· 3's and 7's (by Queens of the Stone Age)
· Suck My Kiss (by Red Hot Chili Peppers)
· Generation Rock (by Revolverheld)
· Raining Blood (by Slayer)
· Cherub Rock (by Smashing Pumpkins)
· Radio Song (by Superbus)
· The Metal (by Tenacious D)
· I'm in the Band (by The Hellacopters)
· Anarchy in the U.K. (by The Sex Pistols)
· Reptillia (by The Strokes)
· Paint It Black (by The Rolling Stones)
· My Name is Jonas (by Weezer)
· Slash's Original Boss Battle Recording
· Tom Morello's Original Boss Battle Recording
· School's Out (as made famous by Alice Cooper)
· Paranoid (as made famous by Black Sabbath)
· Cities on Flame (as made famous by Blue Oyster Cult)
· Slow Ride (as made famous by Foghat)
· Barracuda (as made famous by Heart)
· Rock and Roll All Nite (as made famous by Kiss)
· Mississippi Queen (as made famous by Mountain)
· Rock You Like a Hurricane (as made famous by Scorpions)
· La Grange (as made famous by ZZ Top)

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will include explosive new content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer game modes will also allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true legendary rock status. While continuing to retain all the key features from their prior legendary performances, fresh downloadable content will be offered on multiple platforms, and players can now shred to a killer set list from many of the most popular rock songs ever recorded.

For the first time ever, Guitar Hero fans will also be able to thrash and burn with new wireless guitar controllers available for each platform, including exclusive Gibson Guitar's Les Paul model for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo, and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. PlayStation®2 gamers will also get to shred on a new exclusive shape, Gibson's Kramer guitar, popularized by hard rockers and known for its body design, pickups, electronics and construction for furious finger fretting.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, published by RedOctane® and developed by Neversoft, is rated 'T' for Teen by the ESRB and will be available October 28, 2007. For more information about the Guitar Hero franchise, please visit the dedicated community site: www.guitarhero.com.

Everybody Loves Guitar Hero

Mike Fahey — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 14:00:09 MDT

RedOctane held a press event today, with company president Kai Huang on hand to make sure everyone knew that Guitar Hero III was coming out in a month. Nick McGlynn was on hand to get the crowd's opinion on the Guitar Hero series. He covers a nice cross section of the public here, from the very old to the relatively hot, to Maxim employees that don't qualify for either category. The appeal of Guitar Hero is near universal, even if you don't play. It's that karaoke crowd that Activision has to watch out for.

Thanks to Nick McGlynn for the video!

Leaked Guitar Hero III Track List

Mike Fahey — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:00:56 MDT

Over at Aeropause they've posted what they claim to be the final track list for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. The list contains all 8 tiers complete with boss battles and encores both co-op and solo, as well as an extensive list of bonus songs. It's an excellent list of tunes, and despite mad sad knowledge of music in general, I recognize every track in the main playlist, while outside of The Stone Roses I don't recognize a single band much less song in the bonus tracks. It pains me to see two of my favorite songs, One and Number of the Beast, are way down in tier 8, meaning that I'll be lucky to get to them on easy, nevermind anything higher. Curse my snausage fingers. It'll also be interesting to see how they handle The Devil Went Down To Georgia's fiddlicity, which is a new word I just made up. Use of said word costs a quarter. Hit the jump for the full alleged list.

Tier 1:
Foghat - Slow Ride
Poison - Talk Dirty to Me
Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Social Distortion - Story of My Life

Encore: Kiss - Rock and Roll All Nite
Co-op Encore: Beastie Boys - Sabotage

Tier 2:
Mountain - Mississippi Queen
Alice Cooper - School's Out
Cream - Sunshine of Your Life
Heart - Barracuda

Boss: Tom Morello - Guitar Battle
Encore: Rage Against the Machine - Bulls on Parade
Co-op Encore: The Strokes - Reptilia

Tier 3:
The Killers - When You Were Young
AFI - Miss Murder
The Who - The Seeker
Priestess - Lay Down

Encore: Rolling Stones - Paint It Black
Co-op Encore: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Suck My Kiss

Tier 4:
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
The Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK
Sonic Youth - Kool Thing
Weezer - My Name Is Jonas

Encore: Pearl Jam - Evenflow
Co-op Encore: Blue Oyster Cult - Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll

Tier 5:
The Dead Kennedy's - Holiday in Cambodia
Scorpions - Rock You Like a Hurricane
Aerosmith - Same Old Song and Dance
ZZ Top - La Grange

Boss: Slash - Guitar Battle
Encore: Guns N Roses - Welcome to the Jungle
Co-op Encore: Bloc Party - Hellicopter

Tier 6:
Santana - Black Magic Woman
Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock
White Zombie - Black Sunshine
Tenacious D - The Metal

Encore: Stevie Ray Vaughn - Pride and Joy
Co-op Encore: Matchbook Romance - Monsters

Tier 7:
Slipknot - Before I Forget
Disturbed - Stricken
Queens of the Stone Age - 3's and 7's
Muse - Knights of Cydonia

Encore: Living Colour - Cult of Personality

Tier 8:
Slayer - Raining Blood
Eric Johnson - Cliffs of Dover
Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast
Metallica - One

Boss: Lou - Guitar Battle
Encore: The Devil Went Down to Georgia

Bonus Tracks:

An Endless Sporadic - Impulse
Backyard Babies - Minus Celsius
Bret Michaels Band - Go That Far
Die Toten Hosen - Hier Kommit Alex
Dragonforce - Through the Fire and the Flames
Fall of Troy - FCP Remix
Gallows - In the Belly of a Shark
The Hellacopters - I'm in the Band
Heroes del Silencio - Avalancha
In Flames - Take This Life
Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby
Killswitch Engage - My Curse
LA Slum Lords - Down N Dirty
Lacuna Coil - Closer
Lions - Metal Heavy Lady
NAAST - Mauvis Garcon
Prototype - The Way It Ends
Revolverhead - Generation Rock
Rise Against - Prayer of the Refugee
Scouts of St. Sebastian - In Love
Senses Fail - Can't Be Saved
The Sleeping - Don't Hold Back
The Stone Roses - She Bangs the Drums
Superbus - Radio Song

Sorry I was a bit late with this, but writing on my own makes me very leery of rumors and unconfirmed information, and I tend to forget we have a rumor tag.

Interested in the Complete Guitar Hero 3 Set List? [Aeropause]

Guitar Hero III Rocks The Mac And PC

Mike Fahey — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 10:00:57 MDT

Rocking out with a big plastic guitar will soon no longer be purely the privilege of the console owning masses, as Aspyr announces an exclusive deal with Activision to develop and publish Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for the PC and Mac platforms this fall. Not only does this open up the game to a whole new segment of players, but if you've got a nice gaming laptop it essentially makes this the first portable version of Guitar Hero. On top of all of the regular features of the game, Aspyr's version will allow PC and Mac users to battle against each other in online multiplayer, perhaps allowing us to settle the Mac versus PC debate once and for all in glorious rock combat! Bring it on!

ASPYR MEDIA ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH ACTIVISION TO BRING GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK TO PC AND MAC
AUSTIN, TX Sept. 11, 2007 The rock gods have spoken, and gamers around the world will now be able to unleash their inner-rock star on two brand new platforms. Aspyr Media, in partnership with Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), today announced that the third iteration of the wildly popular Guitar Hero franchise, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, will be available to PC and Mac gamers for the first time ever this fall.

Being developed and published exclusively by Aspyr, the PC and Mac versions will match their console counterparts with explosive new content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. With more than 70 songs in the set list, and more original master tracks than ever before, players will be able to shred from many of the freshest and hottest artists today, along with many of the most popular rock songs ever recorded. Expanded online multiplayer game modes will also allow PC and Mac enthusiasts to rip head-to-head against players around the world and across either platform, raising the level of competition for true legendary rock status.

Working with such a wildly successful franchise and helping to strengthen an already powerful brand has us feeling like rock stars ourselves, only without the fame, money or musical talent, said Ted Staloch, Executive Vice President, Publishing for Aspyr. But even without Slashs chops, we still have what it takes to bring the best music game on the planet to PC and Mac gamers. Aspyrs expertise in developing and publishing for these platforms means that we will deliver a game that wails just as hard as it does on consoles but feels natural on this audiences chosen platform.

Providing the option for our fans to play Guitar Hero at their desk or on a laptop on the go is incredibly exciting, and were thrilled to now offer the ability to rock out literally anywhere and everywhere, said Dusty Welch, head of publishing at RedOctane. PC and Mac gamers can now shred as hard as their console counterparts do, and its a great opportunity to help promote musicianship and expand the growing number of Guitar Hero fans worldwide.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock on PC and Mac is rated T for Teen by the ESRB, and will be available this fall. For more information, please visit www.aspyr.com.

About Aspyr Media
Aspyr Media, Inc. is a leading video game publisher that creates, packages and delivers fun to millions around the world. Hailing from Austin, Texas USA, Aspyr strives relentlessly to ensure a quality experience for consumers and industry partners.

To fall deeper in love with Aspyr and its amazing line of products, visit www.aspyr.com and see just how much fun you can legally have.

Guitar Hero III 360 Demo With Tony Hawk

Mike Fahey — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:00:44 MDT

Well if this doesn't sell Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, nothing will. Activision has announced that the Xbox 360 version of Tony Hawk's latest magical skateboard adventure will ship on October 9th with a five song demo of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. The same demo will be hitting Xbox Live two weeks later, but 14 days sure is a lot of missed practice time, isn't it? The demo will take place on the Desert Rock Tour stage and will include the floowing tracks:
Lay Down (by Priestess)
Even Flow (by Pearl Jam)
The Metal (by Tenacious D)
Hit Me with your Best Shot (as made famous by Pat Benatar)
Rock You like a Hurricane (as made famous by Scorpions)

Mmmm, early Tenacious D. The other songs are nice to of course, but The D! Smart move, Activision. Very smart move.

strong>Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Demo to Debut on Tony Hawk's Proving Ground Gamers to Get Their First Licks in with the Purchase of the Latest Installment in the #1 Action Sports Franchise
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug 23, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -

Guitar Hero fanatics prepare to get the first fix of the upcoming Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock video game demo with the launch of Activision, Inc.'s (Nasdaq:ATVI) Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, slated to ship to stores on October 9. Players who purchase the Tony Hawk's Proving Ground game for the Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system from Microsoft will get an exclusive two week head start on experiencing the demo to this year's hottest music based video game before its release on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace.

"Music is such a huge part of skateboarding culture and pairing the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock demo with Tony Hawk's Proving Ground makes perfect sense," said Dusty Welch, head of publishing at RedOctane. "We're excited to bring together two highly anticipated games and give fans their first chance to rock out with the franchise that's taken the world by storm."

The demo features five tracks set in the Desert Rock Tour venue. Players will be able to rock out to:

- Lay Down (by Priestess)

- Even Flow (by Pearl Jam)

- The Metal (by Tenacious D)

- Hit Me with your Best Shot (as made famous by Pat Benatar)

- Rock You like a Hurricane (as made famous by Scorpions)

Both titles are in development by Activision's award-winning studio, Neversoft.

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground features deeper customization than ever before, including a Video Editor with full-featured editing tools and visual effects for creating "epic skate videos," and a fully customizable online Skate Lounge where players can skate with friends in the ultimate pad. In addition, players will have the freedom to skate from single player to online seamlessly, as well as the ability to utilize new gameplay mechanics such as Nail the Manual and Nail the Grab, and the ability to modify the environment on the fly, as they enjoy the most expansive skating experience ever. Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is scheduled for release October 9, and is rated "T" (Teen) by the ESRB. For more information visit http://www.thpgonline.com/.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock lets gamers fire up the fretboard, crank up the amp and get ready to rock like never before. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock drops players into the spotlight of the largest and most legendary rock concert ever. The star-studded soundtrack includes master tracks by such legendary artists as Guns N' Roses, Metallica, The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, and Pearl Jam, with added songs as made legendary by Kiss, Alice Cooper and Heart. Now drop that air guitar and shred the night away with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Available in late October, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is rated "T" (Teen) by the ESRB. For more information visit http://www.guitarhero.com/.

COD4 Dated, GHII International Tracks, and James Bond

Mike Fahey — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:24:56 MDT

Activision is kicking out some pretty big announcements to coincide with the 2007 Games Convention in Leipzig. First off we have an official, worldwide release date for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. November 5th is the day when players across the globe will get their hands on what could be the action game of the year. Then comes the announcement of the international track list for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, which features 11 master tracks (hit jump for full list) from artists I've never heard, such as Die Toten Hosen's Hier Kommt and Heroes Del Silencio with Avalancha. Finally they confirmed that there are new James Bond titles in the work from Treyarch, Vicarious Visions and Beenox for next-gen consoles, handhelds and Windows PCs. It's a lot to cram into one press release, that's for sure. Hit the jump and see for yourself!

ACTIVISION ROCKS GERMAN GAMES CONVENTION
Company Reveals Worldwide Release Dates for Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™, International Track List for Guitar Hero™ III: Legends of Rock, and New Details on Highly Anticipated James Bond™ Title

Leipzig, Germany - August 22, 2007 - Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) kicked off German Games Convention 2007 today with the announcement of the worldwide release date for Infinity Ward's Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™, a preview of the international song list for Guitar Hero™ III: Legends of Rock and new details on Activision's James Bond franchise.

Listen up soldiers, on Monday, November 5 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will begin deployment to retailers worldwide. Armed with more than 40 awards and honors from this year's annual E3 Business and Media Summit including "Best Action Game" from the Game Critics Awards, Infinity Ward's epic title is set to enlist gamers into the most intense, thrilling action experience ever. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will be available on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Windows® PC. A Nintendo DS™ version will also deliver the signature Call of Duty chaos of battle to handheld gamers.

Additionally, Activision revealed today an international track list for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. As a testament to the widespread anticipation of the hit franchise and global phenomenon, Activision's newest music sensation will include a diverse assortment of hit songs from across the globe, that include all master tracks from the following original artists:

§ Minus Celsius (by Backyard Babies)

§ Hier Kommt Alex (by Die Toten Hosen)

§ In the Belly of a Shark (by Gallows)

§ I'm in the Band (by The Hellacopters)

§ Avalancha (by Heroes Del Silencio)

§ Take This Life (by In Flames)

§ Ruby (by Kaiser Chiefs)

§ Closer (by Lacuna Coil)

§ Generation Rock (by Revolverheld)

§ Mauvais Garcon (by NAAST)

§ Radio Song (by Superbus)

Activision also confirmed that the company's newest blockbuster franchise, James Bond, featuring the world-renowned top secret agent 007 is in development by powerhouse studios Treyarch, Beenox and Vicarious Visions for next-generation consoles, Windows PC and hand-held platforms.

Activision, Gibson Partner For Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:40:27 MDT

For the release of Guitar Hero III, Activision is partnering with Gibson to include over twenty of the guitar manufacturer's most recognizable guitars. Activision is bringing the newly dubbed Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock to the PlayStation 2, Wii, Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 this fall, each with its own wireless guitar controller, with the PS2 receiving a new Kramer-styled axe.

In addition to the new controllers, Activision also formally announced the sequel's new modes, including
"grueling boss battles" and "expanded online multiplayer game modes." The company also promised an unprecedented number of original master recordings.

Additional details on the game and shots of the new controllers are available over at Gaming-Age.

Activision and Gibson exclusively hook up for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock [Gaming-Age]