Kotaku: guitar hero iii

Guitar Hero III Gets Eyeliner Pack Thursday

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:30:55 MDT

Guitar Hero III owners — PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 only, natch — will get three new downloadables this Thursday with the "Interscope Track Pack." The bundle features tunes from Flyleaf, AFI and Marilyn Manson, with the last of three three coming to Guitar Hero as a remix by Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner. Truly a potpourri of sound.

Pricing wasn't provided in the press release, which is after the jump, but if you happen to like Marilyn Manson, Flyleaf and AFI, you probably can't go wrong. There's also a very strong possibility that you're wearing eyeliner right now, regardless of your gender.

ACTIVISION SET TO RELEASE TRACK PACK FOR GUITAR HERO® III: LEGENDS OF ROCK FEATURING DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS FROM INTERSCOPE RECORDS

SANTA MONICA, CA – August 5, 2008 – The distinctive chords of three hit artists from Interscope Records will soon take the stage in Activision Publishing, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVID) Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock. The three-song Intercope Track Pack will let gamers further expand and customize their Guitar Hero playlists and experience a variety of new tunes on August 7.

The pack will include the heavy lyrics of Flyleaf’s "Tina," the heartfelt track "Carcinogen Crush" from hardcore-punk turned goth band, AFI, as well as a remix of Marilyn Manson’s grinding, fast-paced "Putting Holes In Happiness" by Nick Zinner from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

The Interscope Track Pack, originally offered to purchasers of the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock soundtrack CD, will be available on August 7 for download on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®Store for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

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.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Dragonforce Song Pack Due Next Month For Guitar Hero III

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:40:00 MDT

As above. There's a notice on Roadrunner Records' site announcing that a Dragonforce song pack will be released for Guitar Hero III on August 21. It'll contain three songs: "Heroes Of Our Time", "Operation Ground And Pound" and "Revolution Deathsquad". And...yeah. Dragonforce. What, did your dog eat your Slayer song pack, Neversoft?

[Roadrunner Records, thanks Silenced!]

Yes, Guitar Hero III Downloads Will Work In Guitar Hero World Tour

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:40:52 MDT

The bad news? Activision is making Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. Wait, that's not the bad news. The actual bad news was that all those Guitar Hero III tracks you downloaded from either Xbox Live or the PlayStation Store won't work on your copy of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.

Here's a dash of good. Guitar Hero World Tour will support your existing GH III downloads, which begs the question "Why would you buy Guitar Hero: Aerosmith?"

GHIII Coldplay Pack Detailed

Mike Fahey — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:20:00 MDT

Get ready Guitar Hero II fans, for your doom (at least according to Luke) comes on June 19th, the official release date for the Coldplay track pack on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. The three-pack of songs includes the single "Violet Hill" from their upcoming album Viva la Vida, due out June 17th, along with two of the band's older tracks, "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face" form A Rush of Blood to the Head and "Yellow". Seriously, "Yellow"? Did that even have guitar in it? I'd head over to Amazon and check out the excerpt from the song to check but that would mean I voluntarily listened to it, and I made a pledge never to do so again after they played it on the local "alternative" radio station for the millionth time.

Anyone overly excited by this track pack? Speak up, so we might poke you with sticks and try to figure out what makes you tick.

Dragonforce 100% On Expert

Mike Fahey — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:00:00 MDT

Bear witness, ladies and gentlemen, to one man's triumph over Dragonforce's Through The Fire and Flames on expert, hitting every single note to achieve a score of 987,786 and 100%. Youtube user iamchris4life has been uploading videos of his performances for quite some time now, to the point where people were faking videos of him completing TTFAF, but this one is for reals. Watching this makes my hands ache.

Be warned, Chris uses some strong language at the end of the run, but he damn well earned it. Thanks everyone for sending in the tip!

Sony Tell Us Which God Of War Song Will Be Guitar Hero DLC

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:20:00 MDT

It was swell of Sony to bring a little parity to Guitar Hero's DLC, let PlayStation owners get their own console-specific, mascot-endorsed anthem to play with. While they made the initial announcement a few weeks ago, they neglected to tell us just which GoW song it would be. They have now: it'll be called "The End Begins (To Rock)", a guitar-heavy reworking of God of War II's title theme. There's a preview clip above (and it looks surprisingly excellent!), and if you dig it so much you just want to listen without playing, it'll be made available in "downloadable form" (an mp3, then) on the PlayStation Store as well. Both the DLC and song will be free, and they'll be part of the PSN update tomorrow.

Coldplay To Contribute To Guitar Hero's Demise

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:30:00 MDT

Coldplay are going to be in Guitar Hero. Coldplay. I'll give you a moment to emit a deep, remorseful sigh. As part of the promotional circus surrounding their latest album, the song "Violet Hill" will be made available as DLC for Guitar Hero III, though a date for its release has yet to be specified. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin says of the song, in all seriousness, "It’s not [all] about the piano shit". Come now, Activision. It wasn't enough to kill Guitar Hero, you now gotta whizz on its freshly-covered grave?

Coldplay to make 'Guitar Hero' debut [EW]

Guitar Hero Expert Beats Dragonforce Record Score

Leigh Alexander — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:30:00 MDT

What's your high score on Guitar Hero III's sore-finger finale "Through The Fire And The Flames?" At a 24-hour Guitar Hero marathon held by Blockbuster to benefit the nonprofit "Education is Freedom" children's charity, Grapevine, TX native Daniel Johnson blew away the Guiness World Record for a single-song high score.

Playing on Expert, no less, on an Xbox 360. So how many points, now?

Daniel scored 890,971 on the epic Dragonforce song, eclipsing the previous World Record set by Chris Chike by more than 10,000 points on his first attempt.

He didn't brag, though: "I’m glad that I had the opportunity to break the record and help people learn about Education is Freedom," said Johnson.

PS3 Guitar Hero Gets Free God Of War Song

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 MDT

360 owners got a free Halo song, it's only fair PS3 owners get a similar deal. And they are. An email just went out to PlayStation Underground members, announcing that on June 5, a "Free GoW song for Guitar Hero III" would be released. No word on just which song it would be. Surely this signals the beginning of a "free, exclusive track" arms race, which can only end when players are subjected to weekly updates like "The End Credits Music From Heavenly Sword" and "Bomberman Zero Main Menu: Ibiza Party Megamix".

[thanks everyone who sent this in!]

Amazon Rhythm Game Deals - GHIII $59.99

Mike Fahey — Wed, 21 May 2008 09:20:00 MDT

If you keep buying them, Amazon will keep posting them! Today Amazon is getting their groove on with deals on games involving dance and rhythm. The Deal of the Day? They've got the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock bundle on all systems for only $59.99 ($49.99 PS2), which is like getting the game and a free guitar...sort of.

Along with the Deal of the Day they are also holding Gold Box deals on games throughout the day, with the first - Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party for the Wii at $49.99 just about gone as I write this. The next deal starts at 10AM Pacific and looks to be Rock Band, with the remaining two consisting of a Singstar title, and possibly one of those trays for cooking bacon in the microwave. Remember my guessing problem?

Gold Box Deals At Amazon [Amazon.com - Thanks RyanRaven!]

Guitar Hero III Revisits Its Muse

Mike Fahey — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:20:00 MDT

Muse's "Knights of Cydonia" was one of those pleasant surprises for me in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. As someone who only turns on the radio to hear people arguing about politics, games like GH III are sadly my main source for discovering new music, and the Muse song completely grabbed me right from the start, going from "I guess I'll try this one" to a "Time for rock squats!" song in the span of a few minutes. Now the British trio is getting even more time in the spotlight as Activision reveals a Muse track pack for GH III, featuring two songs from their Black Holes and Revelations album, "Exo-Politics" and "Supermassive Black Hole", along with "Stockholm Syndrome" off of Absolution. The pack will be available on May 8th for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Feel free to suggest similar music to me in the comments section, as I am an avid lover of all things musical without a lot of patience for wading through radio nonsense.

Weezer Dude Recommends Real Guitar Over Fake Guitar

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 05:00:21 MDT

Musicians make music. Non-musicians stand in their living room, drinking beer in their socks, strumming on a piece of plastic. So what does Rob Zombie and that Weezer guy Rivers Cuomo think? While Zombie offered, "I don't play them, but I think it's awesome," Cuomo was a tad more critical:

I've never played it. I don't get those games at all. I mean, I haven't tried them. But they must be fun because people love them. But, to me, it seems like if you're going to put that much effort into playing something, you should just play a real instrument. [laughs]

Real instruments don't raise your Gamertag Score, dude.
Rob Zombie, Weezer Hate Guitar Hero [Joystick Division]

Def Leppard Debuting New Single In Guitar Hero (ie Videogames Killed The Radio Star)

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:30:00 MDT

Maybe Def Leppard don't know their downloadable content from their full-price retail products. Few weeks back they told a radio show that three of their songs would be appearing in Guitar Hero IV. And hey, they still might, but the timing of that interview and today's announcement that three of their songs would be appearing as DLC for Guitar Hero III has me thinking they're not as up-to-speed on their roman numerals as they are on the whole rock n' roll business. On April 24 (May 8 for Europe), the Def Leppard songs Photograph and Rock of Ages will be made available as DLC, along with new single Nine Lives. This last one's interesting because the song will be debuting in the game. Not on radio, not on TV, not even as a ringtone, but as a playable track in a videogame. Looking at that, you could say all kinds of things about the music business, but I'm just going to say it's pretty neat.
New Def Leppard Single to Debut in Guitar Hero 3; Other Leppard Tracks Tagging Along [Shacknews] [Pic]

Amazon Doling Out Wii Deals Again

Mike Fahey — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:00:00 MDT

Amazon is in the middle of another Gold Box Wii game day, where a different Wii game is available for a discounted price every couple of hours. This one sort of snuck up on us, so as of right now the deal of the day, Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games, is still available for the low price of $29.99. As for the timed special, so far all we've missed is Cabela's Big Game Hunter for $19.99, which is really no big loss. As this post goes live we're smack dab in the middle of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for $64.99, with new games coming at 2pm and 6pm Pacific time. Who knows what wondrous values await us?

Amazon Gold Box Wii Games [Amazon.com - Thanks Andrew!]

Charlie Daniels - Guitar Hero Perverted My Song

Mike Fahey — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:40:00 MDT

Looks like not everyone is happy to have their songs included in Activision's Guitar Hero series. Charlie Daniels of the Charlie Daniels Band recently got a chance to see the cover of "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" from the third installment of the game, and was a might pissed, mainly at the fact that in the game, the devil can win.

I want any of you parents out there whose children have this game to know that I did not grant these people my permission to pervert my song and am disgusted with the result. Unfortunately I lost the publishing rights on the song many years ago in a settlement with a former partner and the license to Guitar Hero was granted by the company who now owns the publishing.

Journey with Charlie Daniels into the dark side of Guitar Hero...

Actually the game really has a dark side complete with grotesque monsters on stage with the band, strange, eerie lighting effects and all manner of weird things popping up on the stage.

So very torn here. Part of me wants to tear into Mr. Daniels for being behind the times and go into a spiel about Guitar Hero being one of the more innocent games in the industry. I want to tell him that children playing Guitar Hero more than likely never even see these images, so intent on the fret bar than the scenery is just to keep onlookers interested.

The other part of me recognizes that Charlie wrote some of the greatest songs of all time, Devil included, and I should probably just let it go unless I want to get my ass seriously kicked. I live in Georgia, where in the summer they regularly project one of his songs onto the side of a mountain with lasers. Lasers! Not a good place to be dissing the man.

Instead, I leave you with Charlie Daniel's parting words from his soapbox entry last Friday.

At this time I don't know if I have any legal recourse, probably not, but I wanted you folks to know that I vehemently disagree with what has been done to a piece of my work. And would like to pass along a little advice to parents of young children.

This game looks innocent enough but if you have a child who is playing it, take the time to sit with him or her while they're playing along and take a serious look at the images on the screen.

You may be surprised at the world they're being exposed to.

And after the surprise wears off, snatch the guitar from their hands and show 'em how it's done, and whatever you do, don't mention to Charlie that the devil is a playable character. Might be too much for the old boy to handle.

Guitar Hero - Soapbox [Charlie Daniel's Band Official Site via Terry Frank - Thanks Chris!]

Zoey 101 and Roxy Hunter Get Their Guitar Hero On

Brian Crecente — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:00:37 MDT

On Friday Roxy Hunter's Aria Wallace and Zoey 101's Victoria Justice spent the day playing Guitar Hero III on the Xbox 360 with fans during a Game with Fame event. The two were in Los Angeles to celebrate the upcoming Nickelodeon Kids' Choice awards. I wonder if they realize the game's a lot easier if you face the screen?

[Photos by Amy Graves/Getty Images/WireImage]

RedOctane Making Up For GHIII Wii Problems With Freebies

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:20:00 MDT

Anyone who picked up Guitar Hero III on the Wii, you've had problems. Multiple problems. Our hearts go out to you. And while nothing anybody can ever say or do will give back to you the hours spent playing a game with 20th-century sound output or weeks spent waiting for replacement discs to arrive, RedOctane sure would like to try. Seems users who sent their "busted" GHIII discs back to Activision, then were forced to endure the long wait for Pro Logic discs to be shipped back, are being sent guitar faceplates. Rather snappy fire-and-phoenix-ones, too, may I add. How poignant.

Whats this Brown box doing here? [WiiNintendo]

Did Konami Inspire Gibson's Patent Suit?

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 23:00:07 MDT

Last week, Guitar Hero III came out in Japan. The game sold something like 3,000 copies fore both the PS3 and the PS2. Ouch. Not surprising as guitar-based music games were popular in Japan nine years ago. Nine years ago? As game site Next Generation points out, that's the same number that guitar manufacturer Gibson pulled out for its legal suit. As Next Gen points out:

1999, hmm? A quick visit to our good friend Wikipedia reveals that Konami's GuitarFreaks game made its debut in Japan in 1999, meaning it was most likely in the production and planning phases since 1998 at the latest.
My guess is that someone in the Gibson corporation's marketing department heard of GuitarFreaks in 1999 and immediately checked to see if Konami had filed a patent in the US. When their search revealed no results, they filed a patent themselves, and waited patiently. For nine years. How utterly slimy.

The mind boggles. Truly.
This Week In Japan [Next Generation]

Win $2000 For Rockin' Out

torif — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:20:06 MDT

If you're looking for a way to while away your boredom this weekend, or like the sound of becoming supreme national Guitar Hero champion, Play N Trade is looking for you. On Saturday, March 14, the 125 Play N Trade stores across the United States will be holding a nation-wide Guitar Hero III contest. The grand prize is $2000!!!... in store credit. But, nevertheless, that's $2000 more you'd have to spend on games than you would have had by not entering. Runner up gets a PS3, Guitar Hero III bundle, and $500, while third place gets a Guitar Hero III bundle and $200. And by dollars, I once again mean store credit. Keep in mind these are the national prizes - there's no word on anything for being the best in your Play N Trade store, other than a hearty handshake and bragging rights to all your friends. Full tournament rules and more information at the website.

Play N Trade Guitar Hero III Tournament

GHIII Sets Dropkick Murphys Free For St. Patty's

Mike Fahey — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:00:20 MST

St. Patrick's Day in the states is all about dressing in green, getting drunk, and - Activision hopes - playing Guitar Hero III with your friends. To this end they've put together a special song pack in honor of the holiday, featuring three songs from the Celtic band Dropkick Murphys. Available sometime in mid March, the pack will consist of "Famous for Nothing," "(F)lannigan's Ball" and "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya.". The pack will be available via Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network for the low, low price of completely free! You'd be hard-pressed to find a better way to celebrate national drinking day, plus the Guitar Hero controller doubles as a bludgeon just in case any actual Irishmen show up and start causing a fuss. Also, don't forget today's not free Modern Metal Pack, featuring the Deftones' "Hole in the Earth," Avenged Sevenfold's "Almost Easy" and Thrice's "The Arsonist."

ACTIVISION UNVEILS NEW DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT IN MARCH FOR GUITAR HERO® III: LEGENDS OF ROCK
Modern Metal Pack to Feature Chart-Toppers from Avenged Sevenfold, Deftones and Thrice Dropkick Murphys On Tap for Free Download Available in Time for Dropkick Murphys On Tap for Free Download Available in Time for St. Patrick's Day Celebrations

SANTA MONICA, CA - March 6, 2008 - New downloadable songs for Activision Inc.'s Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock are set to storm living rooms across the globe with the release of two new track packs.

Available today is the Modern Metal pack which let's players jam to master recordings of Deftones' "Hole in the Earth," Avenged Sevenfold's "Almost Easy" and Thrice's "The Arsonist." The track pack is now on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and will be available later today on PLAYSTATION®Store for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

Additionally, Activision will be kicking off the St. Patrick's Day celebrations with a special free track pack from the popular Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys that will be available mid March. Straight from the band's sixth album, The Meanest of Times, the Dropkick Murphys pack will include master recordings of "Famous for Nothing," "(F)lannigan's Ball" and "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya." The track pack will be available for free to download on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PLAYSTATION®Store.

Finally, Guitar Hero Wii Gets It Right

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:30:00 MST

Poor Guitar Hero III on the Wii. It's had some problems. If it wasn't mono-only sound, it was lawsuits over mono-only sound, and if it wasn't lawsuits, it was botched sign-ups for replacement discs to fix mono-only sound. So it's only right Activision try and make amends. A good place to start is this new Guitar Hero III bundle for the Australian market, which features not only the correct, Dolby Pro Logic II sound output, but also a second guitar controller. No price given just yet, but since the existing one-guitar pack goes for AUD$140, this should come in at just under AUD$200.

Activision Now Offering Refunds For GHIII Wii

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 20:30:00 MST

So you bought Guitar Hero III on Wii, you got it home, and found out it only played in mono. Urgh. From there, things only got worse. Well, if you're jack of the whole fiasco, Activision are now offering you the chance to hit the big shiny red button on the whole sorry mess and bail out. If you visit the company's support page you're now given the option of a full refund for your purchase, which you can then take, return to your nearest gaming store and buy a game that doesn't give you months of customer support drama.
Guitar Hero® III Wii Refund [Activision]

Guitar Hero III Wii Disc Swap Plan Leaves Gamers Discless

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:40:47 MST

When Activision shipped Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for Wii sans promised Dolby Pro Logic surround sound, audiophiles were pissed. Rightly so, we thought. The ensuing replacement plan, which would provide affected Wii owners saddled with mono sound with a replacement disc, was welcome, but was soon followed by the bitter taste of bad customer service.

Now that those seeking a remastered copy of Guitar Hero III are getting their fulfillment forms, they probably find themselves thrice screwed. Seems Activision will take a good three to four weeks to supply Wii owners with a working-as-promised copy and only after they've sent in their current discs. No doubt those in possession of the Wii version of the game will enjoy staring at their empty DVD cases for a good month.

Looks like another case of EA and MTV getting something right with Rock Band, with Activision leaving customers high and dry. Thanks for the pics, Mike.

Wireless GHIII Guitars Dated, Priced

Mike Fahey — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 09:40:21 MST

Since Guitar Hero III's launch back in October, I have been on a quest for standalone wireless guitar controllers. Having purchased the game by itself thinking I would be satisfied playing while tethered to my Xbox 360, the videos of GH fans jumping off furniture soon swayed me to the wireless cause. My quest hit a snag when I realized the wireless controllers weren't out yet, but Activision promised they would be on the shelves in early 2008, and now they may be delivering on said promise. According to a source over at Primotech March is the month in which retailers will begin receiving shiny new standalone wireless guitar controllers for Guitar Hero III, with the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions running $69, and the Wiimote-embedded Wii version $10 cheaper at $59. Then shortly after we all run out to snag ours, Activision will no doubt reveal all new guitars for GHIV that will make us feel like idiots for buying these. Woot!

Guitar Hero 3 Standalone Guitars Priced, Dated, Pictured [Primotech]

Update: Activision reminds us that they have not actually officially announced anything about new wireless guitars but have confirmed that this information isn't accurate.

The Super Bowl Halftime Show We Want To See

Mike Fahey — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:20:47 MST

The Serious Sports News Network has just revealed that rock superstar Tom Petty will avoid the normal, overproduced Super Bowl stage show, instead opting to take on "Through the Fire and Flames" on his Nintendo Wii.

"I just figured, why waste all that time? Why make everyone sit through an insufferable halftime show again?" said Petty, who is very excited about the game between the Giants and Patriots. "Instead, I'm just going to bitch DragonForce on 'expert,' which should be enough show for everyone."

Of course this isn't real news, but for just a brief, shining moment our collective hearts soared, our minds reeling with the heady possibilities. I actually dropped this link on several of the Kotaku staff, who were absolutely crushed when I told them it was fake. Wilson was almost in tears as he said, "Thanks for shattering our lifelong dreams that we just realized we had." *sniffle*

Petty to just play Guitar Hero III for Super Bowl halftime [Serious Sports News Network]

GHIII Classic Pack Now Available

Mike Fahey — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:40:37 MST

The trio of Guitar Hero III songs that had me waxing nostalgic on my innocent days of youth has now arrived on Xbox Live. 500 Microsoft points nets you the Classic Rock pack, which of course contains Journey's "Any Way You Want It", Foreigner's "Jukebox Hero", and Boston's "Peace of Mind". All three songs carry the "as performed by" tag in front, so you are actually getting the original songs and not some poor hack trying to walk in Steve Perry's footsteps. Even the most vocal opponents of the Guitar Hero DLC pricing policy have to admit that this is one hell of an offering. The pack hasn't shown up on the PlayStation 3 as of this writing, but rest assured it will get there before too long.

Guitar Hero Goes $1 Billion

Mark Wilson — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:30:44 MST

Around 26 months ago, Guitar Hero was an instant cult classic. Today, it's officially a $1 billion franchise. Apparently this milestone comes in video game record time (not partially fueled by the ease with which developers can churn out new versions of the game). In addition, since the launch of Guitar Hero III, users have downloaded five million songs (we're guessing they mean just for GHIII, but the press release is a bit unclear). If so, that total is double the figure that Rock Band has released (granted, GHIII has been out longer).

Activision pats themselves on the back after the jump. Rock Band awaits penalties for extended celebration.

Guitar Hero(R) Franchise Surpasses $1 Billion in North America in Record 26 Months, According to the NPD Group Calendar Year North American Retail Sales for Guitar Hero(R) III: Legends of Rock(TM) Set New Industry Record
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan 21, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI) today announced that the Guitar Hero(R) franchise has set an industry record, surpassing $1 billion in North American retail sales in just 26 months, according to The NPD Group.

Additionally, Guitar Hero(R) III: Legends of Rock(TM) was the #1 title in units and dollars for calendar year 2007, making it the #1 best-selling video game of all time in a single calendar year.

Since its initial release in fall 2005, the Guitar Hero franchise has sold in excess of 14 million units in North America alone, according to The NPD Group. In 10 weeks since the game's launch, consumers have already downloaded more than five million songs.

"Guitar Hero is one of the biggest brands and one of the most powerful distribution platforms in all of entertainment today," said Michael Griffith, President and Chief Executive Officer, Activision Publishing, Inc. "Guitar Hero's popularity with broad audiences is a confirmation that video games have become a true mass medium."

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.

Activision Support Exposes Email Addresses Of Guitar Hero Owners

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:20:00 MST

We've received a handful of messages from upset gamers today who had their personal e-mails exposed to the hundreds, possibly thousands, of recipients of a customer service update from Activision on Guitar Hero III issues. In just one of the e-mails that was forwarded to us, an impressive 860 recipient e-mail addresses were listed in the mail's 'To' field, ensuring that all who received updates on their replacement discs for the Wii version of Guitar Hero III had access to the e-mail addresses of the rest.

That's potentially bad news for consumers, who may have had their personal e-mail information sent to others, opening them up to heavy spamming. It may also be bad news for Activision, as the e-mail blasts may violate the company's online Privacy Policy. That policy states that Activision has "taken steps to assure that all information collected will remain secure and in its original form" and that "Access to all personal information is strictly controlled."

If you're one of the many that have a complaint about Activision's handling of your information, they instruct you to contact the company's Business and Legal Affairs/Privacy Policy department at (310) 255-2000.

Play Guitar Hero III On Super Bowl Weekend To Win Stuff

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:20:00 MST

If you're not the sporting type, perhaps you'll want to spend your Super Bowl Sunday (and the weekend before) enjoying Activision's "Rock Your Party" festivities, which is essentially an excuse to play Guitar Hero III on Xbox Live. No money and big prizes are at stake, with some lucky winner grabbing the grand prize, an LG 50" 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV, an Xbox 360 Elite and a BoomChair - Wi-FX Wireless Gaming Chair. You might also win a Guitar Hero guitar controller faceplate signed by Slash. Imagine how exciting that would be—or how much you might profit when flipping it on eBay!

You can even test your skills against Neversoft developers, who will be shackled to their Xbox 360s on a Sunday from 12-4 PST. Poor saps. The details are in the release after the jump but for anyone interested, keep in mind its for US and Canada based gamers only. Sorry, Mexico!

GUITAR HERO® III: LEGENDS OF ROCK — ROCK YOUR PARTY WEEKEND ON XBOX LIVE® ANNOUNCED

Fans Celebrate the Culmination of the Football Season as They Play for Prizes and Play with Game Developer Neversoft

SANTA MONICA, CA. - Jan. 18, 2008 - Gridiron fans get ready to rock out and win prizes on Xbox LIVE® with Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock! Activision announced today that Xbox LIVE will host the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock - Rock Your Party Weekend, a special event happening the weekend of the big game, February 1-3, 2008 for U.S. and Canada residents. The 72-hour event gives players the chance to prove their axe grinding skills and includes a Play & Win Sweepstakes that offers gamers who register and play, the chance to win a multitude of prizes. Before the big game, fans can test their talents against Neversoft, developers of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, from 12 - 4 p.m. PST on Sunday, February 3.

Some of the prizes up for grabs include Microsoft points, Guitar Hero® Gear and an Xbox 360® wireless guitar faceplate signed by Slash. One lucky grand prize winner will take home the Ultimate Home Gaming Center, which includes an LG 50" 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV, an Xbox 360 Elite and a BoomChair - Wi-FX Wireless Gaming Chair.

Fans can register for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock - Rock Your Party Weekend on Xbox LIVE by downloading the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock GamerPics exclusively through Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Players can also register by visiting http://www.xbox.com/rockyourparty/, where they can get additional details regarding terms, conditions and official rules.

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://www.guitarhero.com/.

Journey To Boston With Foreigner - New GHIII DLC

Mike Fahey — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:20:29 MST

While they haven't been officially announced yet, three classic rock tunes have shown up on the leaderboards over at GuitarHero.com, which is pretty much a dead giveaway that they're on the way. One of the first Guitar Hero III download packs I feel is truly worth the cost, the three new songs are Journey's "Any Way You Want It", Foreigner with "Jukebox Hero", and Boston's classic "Peace of Mind". These are three songs I listened to so many times in my youth that I can actually smell them, if that makes any sense. The scent is the heady mix of incense and pot smoke slipping from under my older brother's bedroom door in the middle of the night, and the crinkled pages of the first Playboy I ever discovered in a dumpster behind my elementary school, which I secreted home to try and figure out what was wrong with those women's chests and how they could possibly urinate without the proper equipment. Even to a seven or eight year-old, these three songs are linked inexorably to sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. We'll keep you posted once Activision makes with an announcement.

Guitar Hero III Community Leaderboards [Activision - Thanks eddie200x!]

RedOctane Wants You To Play Music

Mark Wilson — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:40:22 MST

The story doesn't seem like a big deal: RedOctane partners with NAMM (the giant International Music Products Association) to promote music awareness and creation in the "Wanna Play?" campaign. Big whoop, right? But when you realize that RedOctane is NAMM's first ever video game industry partner, the story's significance shifts a bit. In partnering for cross promotional events and kiosks, not only is NAMM acknowledging RedOctane's ability to recruit youngsters to play music (and buy real instruments), they are also publicly acknowledging RedOctane's (and Guitar Hero's) legitimate seat at the giant table that is the musical world. It's like they're holding hands in public or something and NAMM is totally cool with it.

RedOctane Adds GHIII Backing To Music-Making Campaign [gamasutra]

Ellen Plays Guitar Hero III... Damn This Writers Strike!

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:40:00 MST

If you thought the crush of primetime reruns being aired due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America's strike was bad, you're obviously not watching talk shows. They're still limping along, sans scribes. Sure, some late night programming finds a way to keep the bar high, but when Ellen Degeneres is forced to fill her show with a full run through of Heart's "Barracuda" on Guitar Hero III (and on easy, no less!) the impact of the strike can be fully felt. It's as boring (and awkward) as you'd expect. The one thing you might not expect is the sensation of raw sexuality oozing from a woman in relaxed fit jeans and a cashmere V-neck, as she wields her toy axe to the screeching delight of hundreds of women and maybe two unlucky boyfriends. By the way, there's no kicker.

PlayStation Store Update: Catching Up With The 360 Edition

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:20:48 MST

The North American PlayStation Store took a breather last week, but with this week's update, PlayStation 3 owners are finally able to partake in a face-melting attack of downloadable content for Rock Band and Guitar Hero III. Xbox 360 owners will snort "Old!" at much of this week's DLC goodies and PS3 types may wonder aloud "That's it?" as the update is light on anything that's not downloadable music. Hit the jump for the full list of new additions to the PlayStation Store.

Games
NFL Tour '09 Network Demo (free)

Expansions and Add-ons
Guitar Hero III Tracks ($2.49 each) - "Ernten Was Wir Säen" by Die Fantastischen Vier, "Antisocial" by Trust, "So Payaso" by Extremoduro

Guitar Hero III Warner/Reprise Track Pack ($6.25) - "No More Sorrow" by Linkin Park, "Sleeping Giant" by Mastodon, "Pretty Handsome Awkward" by The Used

Rock Band Tracks ($0.99 to $1.99) - "Attack" and "The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars, "Dirty Little Secret" and "Move Along" by All-American Rejects, "Song With A Mission" by The Sounds, "Limelight" by Rush, "Hard to Handle" by the Black Crowes and "Gimme Three Steps" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Need for Speed ProStreet Unlockable Cars ($1.99 to $2.49) - Shelby GT500 ($1.99), Chevrolet Corvette Z06 ($2.49), Lancer Evolution ($2.49), BMW M3 E92 ($2.49), Ford GT ($2.49), Chevrolet Camaro Concept ($2.49), Dodge Viper SRT10 ($2.99)

Game Videos
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Japanese Launch Trailer (free)

Activision to Harmonix: I've Got The Honey If You've Got The Money

Mark Wilson — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:40:35 MST

Most of you have heard by now that Harmonix and EA wanted to get Guitar Hero III controllers working on the PlayStation 3 version of Rock Band (to satisfy the dual-interest gaming population). Activision is not to keen on the idea and stopped the idea in its tracks...no pun intended. And now they are going on record explaining just how EA can rectify the situation (hint: it starts with an "mmm" and ends in a "money").

Unfortunately for Rock Band users, Harmonix has been unwilling to discuss an agreement that will allow us to provide that option in a manner that maintains the high standards people have come to expect from Activision...[and] we believe we should be compensated for the use of our technology.

Wow, sometimes the corporate BS is so shamelessly blatant that it needs not explanation or ridicule.

Standoff hits a sour chord with gamers [boston.com]

Activision Phones In Some Guitar Hero III Downloads

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 19:30:00 MST

Guitar Hero III fans itching for a hobbled together trio of new tunes are going to be thrilled as Activision announced today the next batch of downloadable tunes for Guitar Hero III will bring original recordings of "No More Sorrow" by Linkin Park, "Sleeping Giant" by Mastodon and "Pretty Handsome Awkward" by The Used. These three will be part of the cleverly and memorably named Warner/Reprise Track Pack and made available before the end of the year.

In addition to the three songs I've never heard of listed above, tracks from—according to the press release—popular European bands Extremoduro, Trust, and Die Fantastischen Vier will be available as single song downloads. Finally, holiday classic "We Three Kings", as recorded by Steve Ouimette, will also hit sometime in December.

Nothin' but the hits!

Smoking Pot Gets Your Guitar Hero eBayed

Mark Wilson — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:40:13 MST

Some of you may have already heard about the Canadian teen who was caught smoking pot. His dad, upset over his son doing drugs, put the copy of Guitar Hero III for Wii—that was being saved as a Christmas present for the boy—on eBay. The auction mentioned:

While I doubt this will keep him from ever smoking pot again, I think it will make him think twice before doing illegal drugs on my property.

The game went for a whopping $9,100,01...which will inevitably lead to loads of problematic-youth-spawned gaming paraphernalia flooding the eBay markets. Lesson learned!

Pot-smoking son punished with eBay auction [thestar] Thanks MrPants!

Activision On GH: Not So Fast MTV

Brian Crecente — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 20:00:03 MST

Not since Soap have I been so amused and confused.

Yesterday Harmonix told PS3 owners of Rock Band that the reason Guitar Hero 3 controllers wouldn't work on their game was because Activision blocked it. Not so fast says Activision in a statement emailed to us moments ago:

The recent announcement by MTV Games/Viacom's Harmonix division that Activision is blocking Sony from releasing a patch and their plea to enable Rock Band software to work with Guitar Hero hardware paints a very misleading picture.
In fact, Harmonix and its parent company MTV Games/Viacom recently declined Activision's offer to reach an agreement that would allow the use of Guitar Hero guitar controllers with Rock Band. We have been and remain open to discussions with Harmonix and MTV Games/Viacom about the use of our technology in Rock Band. Unfortunately for Rock Band users, in this case Harmonix and MTV Games/Viacom are unwilling to discuss an agreement with Activision.

Activision's top priority is to provide consumers with a seamless marriage of best-in-class hardware and software. We are focusing our efforts on innovating hardware and software that are designed to work together, work flawlessly and provide an enjoyable gaming experience.

OK, so MTV and Activision can't reach an agreement, that we can agree on. But why? The obvious answer is money. We've asked Activision if that was indeed the case, but have not yet heard a reply.

Sony, for their part, have decided to stay the hell out of this whole mess.

Sony: We're Staying Out Of This Harmonix-Activision Thing

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:20:24 MST

When word broke yesterday that a Rock Band patch that would have addressed Guitar Hero III controller compatibility on the PlayStation 3 was being blocked by Activision, internet tempers flared. Many of our readers expressed outrage, some of it directed at Sony. "Why should Activision get to dictate whether this patch comes out or not? Last I checked, they don't have any say - Sony does," wrote commenter Keeb13r. Others, like Rabidsquirrel and Kuraudo pointed to Sony's hands being tied. Constant presence Scazza even felt a bit sorry for the console manufacturer. No word on tears.

1UP reports that those pointing fingers at Sony won't get much in the way of results directing their ire in that direction. "This is a matter that needs to be resolved between Harmonix/MTV and Activision regarding Intellectual Property," an SCEA rep said to the site, but pointed out that coming to an "amicable resolution" would be in the best interests of PlayStation customers.

Sony Claims Neutrality Over Rock Band Patch [1UP]

Activision Blocks Rock Band Patch, Kills GHIII Guitar Support

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:40:00 MST

That Rock Band update that would have added Guitar Hero III controller support for the PlayStation 3 version of the game isn't coming—at least, not until Activision says so. The mega-publisher has taken its figurative ball and is going home, according to Harmonix, indicating to Sony that it certainly does not want to share its controllers with Rock Band. While it's quite clear that RedOctane considers supporting its competition a "headache" and an "open standard" for music controllers a "crock," that's not going to sit very well with the thousands of PlayStation 3 Rock Band rockers who find themselves bassist-less.

Harmonix reps broke the bad news to PS3 owners of Rock Band on the official community forums this morning.

Two weeks ago, Harmonix created a software patch for the Sony PLAYSTATION 3 version of Rock Band that allowed for guitar compatibility and support for third party peripherals, including enabling use of Activision's Guitar Hero III controller with Rock Band. The compatibility patch was submitted, approved and had been scheduled for release by Sony on Tuesday, December 4. Unfortunately, Activision objected to the compatibility patch's release. The patch remains with Sony, but we have been told that it will unfortunately not be released due to Activision's continued objection.

Harmonix reps further expressed their desire for a more open guitar controller platform, indicating it would allow support for any third party publisher to use its Rock Band peripherals. The full official response from the Harmonix team is at the official community site.

The silver lining to this horribly depressing decision is that I certainly know now that I'll have no desire to pick up any future Guitar Hero games. Thanks, Activision and RedOctane! You just saved me hundreds.

PS3 Guitar Compatibility - UPDATE 12/12/2007 [Rock Band Forums]

8-Bit Guitar Straps

Brian Crecente — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:00:13 MST

I Am 8-Bit and Couch have teamed up to sell these spiffy Space Invader-infested guitar straps, perfect for dangling faux guitars from your neck between sets on Rock Band or Guitar Hero.

The vinyl straps feature a swarm of Space Invaders at either end in either blue or black and sell for $33 a pop. Best part? It's wearable art.

"I am 8-bit by Couch" Rock Band/Guitar Hero Strap [Couch]