By Brian Crecente

Last night Harmonix made E3 history, hosting a private concert at LA's historic Orpheum Theater with The Who. Frontmen Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend took the stage to the thunderous applause of the more than 1,000 invited guests. The front six rows of the venue were packed with hand-picked VIP.

We landed a seat front-row center next to MTV Multiplayer's Tracey John, GameLife's Chris Kohler and analyst Michael Pachter thanks to a bit of VIP pass flashing and general running when the door opened.

When the lights flared up Townshend and Daltrey were joined by keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick, bassist Pino Palladino, drummer Zak Starkey and guitarist Simon Townshend. The group worked through their music for an hour or two taking breaks to joke with the crowd and tease audience members.

At one point Townshend, who insisted on saying that Viacom was throwing the party, asked who in the audience was responsible for the color selection of the fret keys of the Rock Band guitars. When the designer, who was sitting in the front row, jumped up and waved his hands around, Townshend said the colors were awful.

Later Townshend said that everyone should buy their children the new Aerosmith Guitar Hero bundle, then a second later added, oh, that's the other one.

That's right, one of my bets came true. After the concert wrapped up a roadie throw out Starkey's drumsticks and I managed to snag one. Then, walking out of the venue I bumped into former AC/DC drummer Chris Slade and after talking to him for a few minutes, snagged a pic with him.
I think I can cross "best night ever" off my lists of things to do in my life.
Hit the jump to check out two very short video snippets of the group pumping out power rock. And then pause a moment for "it" which they totally killed with their curtain-dropping performance of Pinball Wizard.

If you think you stand a chance you just need to make a video of yourself rocking out, then register on the Release Your Rockstar site and upload the video. Every week the site will host a montage of the best. The videos will also get their own links on the site. The one that gets the most attention, through blog posts, views, diggs, whathaveyou wins.

The winner gets a character created in his or her likeness in the next version of Guitar Hero, a new video camera, a laptop and a trip to Neversoft in California. Runner's up prizes include "VIP rock experiences", GH controllers, games, consoles faceplates and HD screens.

Hit the jump for the full release.

Release Your Rockstar

Activision Scours Internet for Hardest Rockin' Mortal to Feature in Next Guitar Hero!

The right planets have finally aligned. The time has come for the world's rock messiah to come forth and offer up face-melting salvation to the masses. Activision is looking to finally crown the one true Guitar Hero and create a character in his or her likeness to be featured in the next Guitar Hero! Anyone can shed their mortal coil and see themselves scorch the stage like their glorious icons.

How do you do it? It's very simple: make a video recording of yourself imbuing anything from a guitar to a Guitar Hero controller to a tennis racket with the mystical power of rock; shred to the best of your ability to your favourite rock song and administer lordship over the universe through whatever axe you choose to wield. Then register on www.releaseyourrockstar.com and upload your video.

Every week we will take the best clips and put them together in a righteous montage that may very well offset the Earth's axis. The videos will also stand alone as their own competitive submissions. The video which receives the most diggs, blogs, views, and online postings will win its creator the Grand Prize, not to mention eternal glory—a character created in his or her likeness in the next incarnation of Guitar Hero!

We'll give you a new video camera and laptop so you can document the entire experience once we fly you out to Neversoft in sunny California! Runner's up prizes will include an incredible VIP rock experience on our dime as well as loads of Guitar Hero prizes like controllers, games, game consoles, faceplates, and HD screens. This is your chance to prove to the galaxy your insane skills and to prove it over and over again, right in the faces of your fellow gamers, as your likeness wails on stage in Guitar Hero.

The store lets you sort all of the games' music by a selection of categories, view original album art for the masters recordings, listen to song previews and check out some extended information about specific songs, like the difficulty rating for each instrument.

We had a chance to check it out in Harmonix suite during the Game Developers Conference earlier this year and were pretty impressed. The menu allowed you to sort by artist, song, genre, album, pack and the difficulty of the song.

Selecting the Music Store from the main menu brings you to a slick interface that allows you to quickly look at new releases, a list of songs available for purchase, song packs and, eventually, entire albums for sale. The front page of the Rock Band Store will also include a sizable box that can show off cover art for the latest album, pack or song and an place where Harmonix can add a message to gamers.

Hopping into the list of songs, gamers can quickly sort by a number of options. When a song is selected on the list, located on the right side of the screen, box art for the music swings down on the left side. It can also show the album name, genre, year it was released and other information.

Hopping into an actual song will bring up an option to preview a snippet of the music as well as a break down of the song's difficulty for each instrument. It will also include a listing of which DLC pack the song is part of.

When Mark and I checked it out at GDC we were very impressed with what we saw, the store will not only help gamers sort through what is increasingly becoming an unmanageable selection of songs, it also looked really damn neat.

Electronic Arts today announced the line-up of artists who will be making musical appearances in their upcoming Sims 2 expansion pack FreeTime. Among the list is English siren Natasha Bedingfield who actually rerecorded her recent single Pocketful of Sunshine for the game in Simlish. That's right, the song was translated to the Sims invented tongue and then she had to learn and sing it. Sounds kinda cool, though my wife's convinced she's just babbling.

Bedingfield's music video was also recreated using a Sim singer look-a-like and all of the same moves. Check out the video above for a brief interview with the singer and some voiceover outtakes. I've posted the full Simish music video on the jump.

I wrote up a pretty nice three-page package on Rock Band and Guitar Hero 3 for the Rocky Mountain News before I left for Australia. Most of it is geared to a pretty general audience, meaning it's a lot of explanation, impressions and factoids, but one of the stories in the package is pretty packed with interesting details for even hard-core gamers.

I spoke with Paul DeGooyer, MTV's senior vice president of home entertainment, music and games, not once but twice to write With 'Band' in hand, MTV eyes evolution. (My harddrive crashed and I lost all my notes :( ).

In the story DeGooyer touches on some interesting things, including MTV's take on whether Rock Band will be coming to the channel as its own television show, how the Grateful Dead helped tweaked the game and Metallica's deal for the game.

Hit the jump for the details.

On Metallica:

MTV and Harmonix have plans to release new music weekly for the game, eventually pushing the game's library into the thousands. And DeGooyer says that musicians, both established and up-and-coming, are lining up to get their music into the game. Some artists may even forgo the traditional route of MTV or radio and premiere new songs directly on Rock Band.

"There are a couple of things we've committed to, one of them with Metallica for example," he said. "They've reserved the right to give us their first single from their new album for the game."

In other cases, musicians might release music to the game to tie in with a new record or tour, he said.

On Grateful Dead:

Musicians have been fans of Harmonix's games almost since their original Guitar Hero hit stores. With MTV backing them, musicians are getting more hands-on time with the game earlier in the process.

The Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, drummer and quite an audiophile, even had his hand in some of the design work. "We presented the game to the Grateful Dead, and Mickey Hart, the drummer, had some suggestions about the audio and about what could be implemented and we used some of that," DeGooyer said.

DeGooyer said he helped show off the game to musicians at Abbey Road Studios, setting up Rock Band in famed Studio Three where Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon was tracked.

"Everyone who was working in the studio, from engineers to musicians, stopped by to try it out," he said.

On Rock Band TV:

While Rock Band has MTV's full support, the television network is being very careful not to overdo it. Specifically, they are holding off on any Rock Band-themed television shows, for now.

"The risk is that a show would be put together that's not very good, " DeGooyer said. "We need the right concept, one that looks at how gamers engage with the game. There really isn't this impetus to put the wrong show up. The game speaks for itself."

That last bit, which didn't make the final cut of my Rocky story, may be DeGooyer saying they're not doing a Rock Band television show, but the implication was most certainly that they weren't doing one yet.

With 'Band' in hand, MTV eyes evolution [Rocky Mountain News]

Finger Eleven lead singer Scott Anderson is a huge gamer, so he's pretty stoked that his band is the first to offer a free live concert in high definition on Xbox Live Video Marketplace. Through January 6, gamers in the U.S. can download the 58-minute set from the Berkeley Church in Toronto. The concert includes hit songs "Paralyzer," "So So Suicide," "Falling On," and "Lost My Way."

"It's pretty awesome," said Anderson. "Anyone who's tried Xbox Live Video Marketplace for a while, they've been waiting for this type of thing...I live in Canada, so I've been waiting for this type of HD content for a long time. It's a full hour of a show we did a few months ago. It's so cool. It's a couple clicks away. It's a platform that I endorse, literally. I love it, man. I'll load it up and see my face and probably cringe, but it's cool. We're living in the future, man. There's no flying cars yet, but it's still pretty cool."

Anderson has been a passionate gamer his entire life. He said he doesn't discriminate against any platform, since he's not a fan boy of any console in particular. In fact, if he had to pick a favorite gaming medium, it'd be the PC.

"I'm playing a lot of Team Fortress right now," said Anderson. "That's such a nice game. I just cracked open Hellgate. I've been waiting for that for a while. World in Conflict is something that really kicked me in the nuts. I keep real current."

Anderson said he has every system known to man, but he doesn't have one of those gaming museums.

"I have the current stuff and I have an 8-Bit Nintendo kicking around somewhere," said Anderson. "I love a bad ass RPG as much as a first-person shooter. I'll play anything that's well done."

While Anderson always has his laptop with him for PC gaming, when he's on tour with the band, it's all about Xbox 360. The luxury bus has not one but two gaming lounges for the band members to play Halo 3 on.

"We play split-screen system link and that keeps eight of us busy," said Anderson. "It makes things heated. Everyone takes it very seriously. Even the guys who aren't hardcore gamers have some Halo shops. It's nice because every other band we'll make a party of it before the show or after the show and before the bar. We play pick-up games and get wasted on the bus."

Anderson recalls the launch day of Microsoft's hit game. The band was on tour and in New Jersey, of all places. He said they were in line before midnight to be among the first to own the new game.

" I wanted to pull a big rock star thing and cancel everything around Halo 3's launch, but we happened to have three days off then," said Anderson. "We stayed up until 4 or 5 a.m. just breaking everything in, checking out the new maps, weapons and other stuff just like everybody else that day. It's fun because you get to play videogames with your buddies on a big expensive tour bus. Not since high school have I had the chance to get together with eight buddies and play games. I love the fact that that's part of my job. I was actually working at that point because we were on tour. It's a good life."

When it comes to Halo 3, Anderson was pretty disappointed with the game, which he didn't believe lived up to the overwhelming hype.

"The multiplayer's not broken so I'm sure we'll be playing that forever, but I'm disappointed that I had to wait so long for just an okay game," said Anderson. "Maybe it was tested to death, I don't know. It was as long as the wait for Episode 2 of Half-Life II, but at least that was worth it. I spoil myself because I play everything, so it really sets the bar high when you play the really good stuff. And Halo 3 didn't meet my expectations."

The band is currently taking a short break, playing lots of games. But Xbox Live gamers can enjoy their music for free for the next two months.

My son the rocker, even when he's happy he's got to have an attitude. Despite the photographic evidence, he was elated to see this arrive on our doorstep. Now to break the news to him that we leave for Australia this Saturday. And yes, Virginia, the GHII 360 controller does work with Rock Band.

The Guitar Hero III soundtrack alone will run you $60. Guitar Hero II? $54. Guitar Hero? $43. That's because these aren't honest to goodness soundtracks, but rather a collection of all of the songs in one download list. In other words, you're paying a buck a pop for every song on the list. Kinda cruddy.

Oh, they did create an iTunes Essentials for Guitar Hero... but it's not discounted either. The 25 songs run you $24.75.

I just received a package today. Inside was a portable record player, a riddle and a red record from the "Riggs Records" label. The record is a single by Tainted Coil called Corpse of Hope.

Growing up in the 80s I knew immediatly there had to be a message hidden on the record if I played it backwards, I didn't even have to read the riddle. But while I've found the message I can't quite make it out. It seems to repeat three or four times something about Legends or Legend. And no, I don't think I hear the words Guitar Hero.

Hit the jump for the riddle and then help me figure it out.

Since the beginning of time 'twas written in stone, that the mystery to The Age of Metal would surface from the unknown. As the recipient of the ancient tools within, you have the power to unlock this riddle with a simple spin.

Rock must run through your veins, else solving this puzzle will be met with head pains. With primeval secrets at your fingertips, you possess the gift to propagate the fidelity from your mortal lips.

Escape the clutches of convention and let yourself travel to another dimension. Find your destiny and protect your soul, but for now it is time to Rock 'N Roll.

It's got to be Rock Band or Guitar Hero 3, maybe Jam Sessions, right? Or maybe that's too obvious. Oh, the record has the words "Tainted Coil" cut into on both sides. One side also has this number: 470-666. Curious.

Back in 2000, pop diva Mariah Carey and big time comedian Sanma Akashiya did a series of canned coffee ads together. For those keeping score, that's before Mariah Carey went bat shit insane. (She has since worked things out!) Here they are promoting coffee and the PlayStation. Sanma himself has recently being doing Nintendo Wii ads — that, and hosting something like ten Japanese TV programs every week. Brian Ashcraft

Mimi Selling Coffee [TV In Japan]

Grammy nominated R&B singer Amerie (above) comes out as a big nerd and outs fellow singer Kelly Rowland. Good for her. We like nerds. Besides admitting to reading "science magazines," Amerie confesses:

I am addicted to The Sims. I live out a virtual life online. I think it's seriously cool, but I guess it's kind of dorky... I've got Kelly Rowland into it too, and now we hook up in the game. Beyonce tried to join us, but she wasn't into it.

Beyonce: singer, actress, The Sims hater. Brian Ashcraft

Amerie Likes Games [Contact Music, Thanks Funky J!]

By: Brian Crecente and Michael McWhertor

They've been called fanboys, gaming's fab four and Microsoft employee wannabes, the game-inspired rock band The Xbox Boys crashed onto the gaming scene earlier this year with a set of catchy tunes and an oddly religious fervor for the Xbox 360.

But that fervor doesn't seem as odd when considering that many of the band members have or had ties to New Hope International Church, a Bellevue, Washington-based Christian church that hopes to "turn lost people into fully devoted Spirit-filled disciples of Jesus Christ in our city and all over the world."

When contacted for comment, band front man and church couples minster, Brendan Aye, said that "none of The Xbox Boys work for MS or any marketing companies. Just a bunch of fanboys who like music and gaming (maybe too much)."

Aye, who said he is not part of the band but takes care of their "business/Internet dealings", did not return emails in response to questions about the group's ties to New Hope International Church.

Reached by phone Wednesday, the band's lead singer, Phil Fischer said that the band was "not a religious thing, it was just an Xbox thing."

"We are just in love with the Xbox. This has nothing to do with our religion at all."

The band lists four members in its group, P-Box, B-Box, Beat Box and D-Box. But none of them use their real names. Fischer confirmed this afternoon that the group is made up of: guitarist Bryan Barrows, AKA B-Box; Seattle-area drummer, Bryan Lash, AKA Beat Box; bassist Dave "Kitz" Sproull, AKA D-Box, and himself, a 37-year-old Seattle singer song-writer and former church music minster.

Lash is also a former member of New Hope International Church and Sproull says in his MySpace page that he is a local student worship leader

Fischer said that while the group has nothing to do with religion, its members are Christian. "We aren't ashamed of that, but this is about our love for a console."

According to the official Phil Fischer website, Fischer, who up until recently was a church couples minster with Aye at New Hope International Church, decided to drop his first solo album, "Wounded Soul" and devote his life to God about five years ago.

"I now use my talents to serve Jesus Christ, who without him, none of this would be possible," Fischer writes on his site. In his "Six Promises to You Lord" Fischer says he will "worship you in bars, dancehalls, taverns and other places to reach non-believers."

On the official Xbox Boys site, Fischer, also known as P-Box, lists a different set of laws, laws of the "Keepers of the Orb":

1. Uphold gaming integrity for all gamers of the world
2 .Bring the power of the Xbox to all countries by performing and showcasing the games and consoles
3. Make sure that all age groups and all peoples of Earth have access to the X-Box console and to its games."

These laws, the site says, were delivered to the four band members in the woods of Bellevue, near Microsoft's campus, from a voice "sounding like a thousand horns all at once, but also as quite(SIC) as a single violin note".

The voice also delivered a prophecy, according to the site:

"For thousands of years I have watched, and waited for this moment. I give you three laws to follow. But there are ten total. The final laws the Xbox boys are to uphold are to be written by Microsoft itself when the final prophecy is to be revealed. The final prophecy is that you four, four of integrity and honestly, will receive an endorsement contract by Microsoft. You will perform shows; sell merchandise, and UPHOLD THE LAWS OF GAMING AND THE INTEGRITY OF MICROSOFT. THIS IS THE final prophecy."

The band's official site currently hosts two music videos, one dedicated to Xbox Live and the other to the killing of the final boss in Gears of War. Both are catchy, though bland, pop-rock pieces.

What is unclear is if the messaging of the Xbox Boys band is a deliberate tie-in to Christian themes because the band is, in fact, a Christian rock band or because their leader has such strong ties to religion and Christan rock. A source close to the band said that whichever the case is, Fischer does want to use the money earned from The Xbox Boys to help fund his ministry work in other countries.

Again, Fischer denies this, and asked that the story not run because he feared his budding fan-base wouldn't believe the group is strictly secular.

Erika Doss, a professor of Art and Art History at the University of Colorado Boulder and soon to be chair of Notre Dame's American Studies Department, says it's not unusual for a ministerial group to borrow the language of the people they are trying to reach in order to connect with them.

Doss, who studies the issue of religion and pop culture, said the Xbox Boys site seems to be filled with religious themes.

"It's rare when you listen to Christian music that you would hear the word Jesus," she said. "But everyone usually gets it, there's this pervasiveness of Christian rhetoric."

And the fact that the Xbox Boys aren't upfront about their religious ties isn't unusual either, she said.

"They are appropriating the current technological means in order to proselytize on behalf of their faith," she said. "They are appropriating the whole culture's rhetoric under (their) vision statement."

Doss said she is a little concerned with their possible duplicity, but said proselytizing is about "bringing people to the light through any means possible."

"If they are really about proselytizing then I have some problems with that because they are not being up front about it."

Luke Plunkett contributed to this story.

If gaming with NSFW naked ladies is not your thing, then how about gaming with glam rock disco inspired pop stars? Jake Shears and Babydaddy from the Scissor Sisters will shoot up the Halo 3 Beta on May 30, 2007 at 11:00 BST from their hotel in France. And they're doing this right before a concert that same night. The Scissor Sisters and Halo go way back — To February, actually! The band helped launched Xbox Soundtracks with a remixed version of She's My Man for the Halo Wars trailer. Press release after the j-u-m-p. Brian Ashcraft

Scissor Sisters Take on Master Chief As Xbox Soundtracks Takes Off
Jake and Babydaddy to play gamers from across Europe on the Halo 3 Multiplayer BETA via Xbox LIVE
LONDON, 23rd May 2007 -It was revealed today that chart topping superstars, Scissor Sisters, will be taking on gamers from across Europe in a unique Game with Fame event on the Halo 3 Multiplayer BETA via Xbox LIVE™.

The band, who launched Xbox Soundtracks in February with their remixed version of "She's My Man" cut to the Halo Wars trailer will be playing members of the 6 million strong Xbox LIVE community at 11.00 BST on 30th May 2007 direct from their hotel in France before going on stage later that day as part of their latest tour.

Since they unveiled the programme at the Xbox Big Day Out 2007 earlier this year, the band have been joined by the likes of Roger Sanchez, Enter Shikari, Backyard Babies , DJs Russ Cuban and The Nextmen who have all created tracks inspired by the amazing next generation, high definition graphics of Xbox 360 games.

Gamers or musicians who fancy taking part themselves can also do so by creating the ultimate Xbox game soundtrack and uploading it to the Xbox Soundtracks site by 31st May 2007. Our judges will pick their favourites then the public will get to vote for the best on Xbox.com/music. The winner will make gaming history with the chance to lay down their track in a Universal Music studio. The competition opened earlier this month and hundreds of entries have already been received.

To take part simply visit www.xbox.com/music, download the trailer, score your music and upload it back to the site. Entries shortlisted will be shown back on site from 6th June - 4th July so visitors can view and rate the tracks created. The winner will be announced on 11th July 2007. For full details visit the Xbox Soundtracks site.

To take part in the Game with Fame session with the band simply email the following information to scissorsistersparis@gamewithfame.net:

· Name
· Age
· Nationality
· Gamertag

The Halo 3 multiplayer beta is available to audiences worldwide via Xbox LIVE until 10th June at 07:59 BST.* It provides audiences worldwide with an exclusive early look at some of the multiplayer elements of Halo 3 on Xbox LIVE. Gamers who are interested in experiencing the multiplayer beta of Halo 3 can participate through the purchase of the critically acclaimed, Xbox 360-exclusive title Crackdown™, which was launched in February. The specially marked copies of Crackdown will act as a key for gamers to participate in the Halo 3 multiplayer beta. In addition to giving gamers their first opportunity to get their hands on the new levels, weapons, vehicles and game types, the multiplayer beta will also provide valuable data that Bungie will use in continued development.

*The Halo 3 multiplayer beta will require gamers to have access to an Xbox 360 console equipped with a hard drive as well as an Xbox LIVE Gold Membership.

Scissor Sisters [Gay Gamer]

The next Guitar Hero will feature wireless controllers, a multiplayer battle mode, a playlist that will include Tenacious D and appearances on the Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Wii and Xbox 360, Activision announced today.

"The development team at Neversoft has been exceptional, and we've been able to incorporate a host of fresh new online and multi-player game play modes, along with exciting content into this version of Guitar Hero that our fans have been asking for. Also, many of the top bands and songs we've tried to get in the past are now on board, and we've definitely got some giant aces in the hole to say the least," said Dusty Welch, head of publishing at RedOctane. "In addition, offering a new line of Gibson wireless guitars for each platform is going to truly add to the authentic rock star experience like no other."

The upcoming game will use Gibson Guitar's Les Paul and Kramer models for the controllers and include several new features including boss battles and online multiplay.

The game's initial list of songs include:
* Paint It Black (by The Rolling Stones)
* Cherub Rock (by Smashing Pumpkins)
* Sabotage (by Beastie Boys)
* The Metal (by Tenacious D)
* My Name is Jonas (by Weezer)
* Knights of Cydonia (by Muse)
* Rock And Roll All Nite (as made famous by Kiss)
* School's Out (as made famous by Alice Cooper)
* Slow Ride (as made famous by Fog Hat)
* Cult of Personality (by Living Colour)
* Barracuda (as made famous by Heart)

Sabotage! Barracuda! My Name is Jonas! The Metal! That's quite an eclectic mix. Brian Crecente

Activision Shreds New Details on Next Guitar Hero(TM) Game
Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Come Out, the Third Installment of Guitar Hero Rocks to a Whole New Level

SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 23, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ — After warming their amps in the basement garage to rocking sold out shows at Stonehenge, fans of Activision, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ATVI) wildly popular Guitar Hero(TM) franchise will now be able to shred like never before with the next iteration of the game that will be available this fall. The new game will be released on the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system and PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360(TM) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Wii(TM) video game system from Nintendo.

Turning it up to 11, Guitar Hero fans will channel their inner rock god using Gibson Guitar's Les Paul and Kramer models as the industry standard. In addition, players will experience an incredible number of newly added features and explosive content including a new multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a bevy of exclusive unlockable content and authentic 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 gnarliest rock songs ever recorded. Delivering more master tracks than ever before, strategic partnerships have been secured with all the major and independent music record labels and publishers to allow unrivaled access to their deep history of music catalogs, along with supplying artists' original recordings for even greater authenticity.

The initial list of face-melting awesomeness includes:

* Paint It Black (by The Rolling Stones)
* Cherub Rock (by Smashing Pumpkins)
* Sabotage (by Beastie Boys)
* The Metal (by Tenacious D)
* My Name is Jonas (by Weezer)
* Knights of Cydonia (by Muse)
* Rock And Roll All Nite (as made famous by Kiss)
* School's Out (as made famous by Alice Cooper)
* Slow Ride (as made famous by Fog Hat)
* Cult of Personality (by Living Colour)
* Barracuda (as made famous by Heart)

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. The exclusive Gibson guitars will include innovative features such as removable faceplates that will allow fans to later personalize their guitars and make it their own, and a new button color design that will be integrated for an even greater authentic feel and rock experience. Gibson Guitar's Les Paul model will be the battle axe of choice, and an industry standard for all rock gods on the Xbox 360(TM), PLAYSTATION(R)3 system, and Wii(TM). After much anticipation, PlayStation(R)2 system fans will also be receiving a new exclusive shape as well, the classic Kramer guitar, also a Gibson brand, popularized by hard rockers and known for its body design, pickups, electronics, and construction for furious finger fretting.

"The development team at Neversoft has been exceptional, and we've been able to incorporate a host of fresh new online and multi-player game play modes, along with exciting content into this version of Guitar Hero that our fans have been asking for. Also, many of the top bands and songs we've tried to get in the past are now on board, and we've definitely got some giant aces in the hole to say the least," said Dusty Welch, head of publishing at RedOctane. "In addition, offering a new line of Gibson wireless guitars for each platform is going to truly add to the authentic rock star experience like no other."

The next iteration of Guitar Hero, published by RedOctane(R) and developed by Neversoft, is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information about Guitar Hero, please visit the dedicated community site www.guitarherogame.com.

To gamers Rock Band, Harmonix's music game featuring a drummer, two guitarists and a vocalist, might seem like Guitar Hero 3.0, but that's not true for the people behind it.

No, Rock Band isn't just a game, not to MTV, not to Universal Music and certainly not to Harmonix.

To them Rock Band is a new way to experience music, launch bands and become one with your favorite songs.

"In the past, people listened to music. Then, in 1981, the music industry and pop culture was changed forever with the birth of MTV: Music Television," said Jeff Yapp, EVP of MTV Program Enterprises. "People began watching music as well as listening to it as we introduced the concept of the "music video." Fast forward to 2007 and MTV is set to revolutionize the music industry once again with Harmonix's Rock Band - an all-new platform for music fans and gamers alike to interact with the music and artists they love like never before."

In an interview Monday Yapp said this idea was in part behind MTV's decision to buy Harmonix late last year.

"Harmonix was a perfect fit for MTV because we are constantly looking for ways to engage our passionate audience and music fans through deep and immersive experiences," he said. "Throughout their history, Harmonix has successfully provided the type of interactive music experiences our audience is looking for through the games they've created - Frequency, Amplitude, the Karaoke Revolution series, and of course - the hugely successful Guitar Hero series. "

"Rock Band signifies the evolution of not only our audience but also of MTV and its media model. Music is at the core of everything we do at MTV. It's the hub of our audiences' social relationships and an incredibly important method of self-expression for them," Yapp said. "In today's world of social networking, instant messaging, digital downloading, and blogging, Rock Band represents a significant leap forward towards connecting our audience through their love of music."

And this isn't just a big deal to gamers and MTV, it's also a new way for labels and publishers to promote their artists and songs, said Mark Pinkus, Senior Vice President, Strategic Marketing, Custom Products and Synch Licensing from Warner Music Group's Rhino Entertainment.

"Being a personal fan of Guitar Hero, I'm thrilled to be working with Harmonix, MTV and EA," said Pinkus. "Many of us grew up discovering music on MTV, now we look forward to discovering music on MTV's Rock Band."

Don Terbush, vice president of film and television for Universal Music Enterprises, said his company was among the first music labels to recognize the value of video games.

"We were one of the first major labels when the Playstation 2 came out to recognize the benefits of being involved with video games," he said. "It was great exposure for our artists. We saw that the medium has greater potential."

And the lables are showing their support both by providing master recordings for the game and perhaps one day using the upcoming game to launch new songs or albums.

Alex Rigopulos, co-founder and CEO of Harmonix, said that Rock Band is the game they've been "dreaming of making for years," the game that fans have been begging Harmonix to make since the day Guitar Hero was shipped.

Rigopulos describes the upcoming game as Guitar Hero expanded in ever direction by ten. (Shouldn't that be 11?)

"We've created a complete band experience where a guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, and a singer can perform together on custom guitar, drum and microphone peripherals," he said. "We've also added online gameplay, so that a group of people can collaboratively come together and form a virtual band online, and compete against other bands.

"Unlike Guitar Hero, which primarily used cover version of the songs in the game, we're partnering with all of the major record companies, who will be providing original multitrack master recordings for use of the game, so that the musical experience is as authentic as possible.

"We're also working with a number of absolutely huge rock artists who have been previously "untouchable" in the world of videogames. We'll have more to say about that in the months ahead.

"Finally, we've really ratcheted up the graphical impact of the experience on the next-gen consoles."

While Rigopulos said he couldn't talk details about what music would be included with the game he did say it would be essentially a game about rock and roll, but one that touches on all of that rich genre's other influences from classic rock and modern rock to punk and metal.

Rigopulos said he couldn't talk details about expansions for the game but said they have "very, very ambitious plans" in that area.

And in making Rock Band, Harmonix has had to be very careful about what sorts of music to include. In Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero 2, the songs just had to have strong guitar sections, but in Rock Band all four parts, vocal, two guitars and a drum, need to be represented and fun to play.

"It's a different process," he said. "In Guitar Hero it was all about the guitar. In the Rock Band game it's no longer about the guitarist, it's about getting everyone involved, it's about what music is going to be great, not just individuals but for everyone. It's about finding songs that have riffs the whole band can play."

David DeMartini, vice president and general manager of EA Partners, said that neither the price nor the way the game might be sold have yet be determined.

"We haven't made a decision about how the product will be bundled or if it will be bundled or if we will sell the instruments individually," he said.

Rigopulos added that everyone involved in the game is sensitive to how much a gamer might be willing to pay for a game.

"Price sensitivity is something we are thinking about very carefully," he said. "It is at the forefront of our minds when we are making decisions about how to package the game."

While Rigopulos couldn't talk game mechanic specifics he said that user created content is of "obvious interest" he also said that the drum kit for the game is going to be every bit as cool as the guitar controllers.

"Suffice it to say, I'm a drummer myself," he said. "I was personally hell bent to make sure this was a real piece of hardware and not just some toy. It's a pretty impressive piece of hardware."

Finally, Rigopulos said online lag shouldn't be a concern for gamers.

"We have a brilliant technical solution to the latency problem," he said. "We have created seamless high-end play over the net."

Leading up to the release of Rock Band, MTV will be pushing the game on not just their network but also Country Music Television and VH-1.

"The net result of all of this is that we're taking music games to an entirely new level," Rigopulos said. "We really believe that Rock Band is more than a game, that it will fundamentally change the way people experience the music they love, by making them active participants in the music-making."

We already knew that Rock Band was going to feature a drum kit, bass and lead guitars and a microphone, but the official press release just hit with a bit more details, including that fact that the game is hitting this holiday.

Both EMI Music Publishing and Warner/Chappell Mussic will be opening up their catalogs for the game and EMI, Hollywood Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Enterprises and Rhino Entertainment are going to be supplying master recordings for the game.

"Harmonix was founded to create new ways for everyone to experience the pleasure and satisfaction that comes from playing music. Our work on Guitar Hero was an instrumental step toward that goal," stated Alex Rigopulos, co-founder and CEO of Harmonix. "But Rock Band is Harmonix's most ambitious project to date, and it will take music gameplay to an entirely new level. MTV has given us the freedom and the resources to really swing for the fences and make the game we've always wanted to make."

"Our vision for Rock Band is to completely change the way people interact with and enjoy the music they love," said Jeff Yapp, EVP, MTV Program Enterprises. "By joining forces with EA and the music industry's largest record labels and publishers, we are striving to create a groundbreaking new platform that allows people to connect with their favorite music and artists in ways they never have before."

"Rock Band is a revolutionary new way for gamers and music fans to experience music," said David DeMartini, vice president and general manager of EA Partners. "The team at EA Partners is thrilled to help MTV and Harmonix launch this incredible game on the global stage and get it into the hands of gamers worldwide."

Oh, and the site has officially launched. Brian Crecente

Rock Band

CAMBRIDGE, MA - April 2, 2007 - Harmonix, developer of the blockbuster Guitar Hero franchise, MTV: Music Television, a division of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), and Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced Rock Band, an all-new platform for music fans and gamers to interact with music like never before. Rock Band will allow gamers to perform music from the world's biggest rock artists with their friends as a virtual band using drum, bass/lead guitar and microphone peripherals, in addition to offering deep online connectivity. Built on unprecedented deals with the world's biggest record labels and music publishers, the music featured in Rock Band will span all genres of rock and include many of the master recordings from the biggest songs and artists of all time. Rock Band is slated for release on PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in holiday 2007.

The leading music publishers - EMI Music Publishing and Warner/Chappell Music - are allowing unrivaled access to their catalogs of incredible songs for use in Rock Band. The record labels - EMI Music, Hollywood Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group's Universal Music Enterprises and Warner Music Group's Rhino Entertainment - have agreed to supply master recordings by their artists for use in the game.

"Harmonix was founded to create new ways for everyone to experience the pleasure and satisfaction that comes from playing music. Our work on Guitar Hero was an instrumental step toward that goal," stated Alex Rigopulos, co-founder and CEO of Harmonix. "But Rock Band is Harmonix's most ambitious project to date, and it will take music gameplay to an entirely new level. MTV has given us the freedom and the resources to really swing for the fences and make the game we've always wanted to make."

"Our vision for Rock Band is to completely change the way people interact with and enjoy the music they love," said Jeff Yapp, EVP, MTV Program Enterprises. "By joining forces with EA and the music industry's largest record labels and publishers, we are striving to create a groundbreaking new platform that allows people to connect with their favorite music and artists in ways they never have before."

"Rock Band is a revolutionary new way for gamers and music fans to experience music," said David DeMartini, vice president and general manager of EA Partners. "The team at EA Partners is thrilled to help MTV and Harmonix launch this incredible game on the global stage and get it into the hands of gamers worldwide."

As previously announced, Electronic Arts will serve as the exclusive distribution and marketing partner for Rock Band, managing distribution for the game in US, Europe and Australia.

For more information on Rock Band and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockbandgame.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

We mentioned a month or so ago that this Nerdcore Rising documentary was in the works. Now that I've had my first glimpse of it, I think I'm starting to want to go see it. It follows MC Frontalot on his first national tour and uses the footage to trace the roots of Nerdcore Hip Hop.

I chatted with MCF abit at Penny Arcade Expo last year. He seemed like a pretty nice guy and he was hanging with his mom, which just so rocks. She seemed as bewildered as anyone about her son's tremendous success in this niche music genre. Brian Crecente

My son Tristan and have been playing Guitar Hero 2 on and off since the game came out.

Shortly after the game's release The Ant Commandos sent me one of their Shredder guitars for my son, who is 5-years old, to test out.

The idea, was that the guitar was supposed to be easier to play for a child because it was smaller. I had heard that the it was really just a design flaw that they turned into a specialized product and wanted to figure out which was true.

It turns out, according to my son, that it's a little bit of each.

While he found the Shredder easier to strap around his shoulder and hold onto, the buttons still posed a problem.
Despite that he was still able to, after just a little bit of practice, nail enough of the Shout out the Devil Bass line to make it through the game with me.

And there is something so very cool about playing through Shout at the Devil with your 5-year-old, whether or not he's playing a real guitar.

A little post song interview confirmed that Tristan is a big fan of the strummer, which he insists is easier to use than on the regular-sized guitar, the smaller body and the shorter neck.

The one thing he wasn't a fan of was the buttons, which weren't changed at all for this smaller guitar. He found them both too small and too big. On the one hand he said he thought if the buttons were bigger he would have an easier time pushing them, but on the other hand if they were smaller it would be easier to switch from one button to the next with his tiny fingers.

Personally, I think if the buttons were a tad narrower he would have less trouble switching between them during a song.

Overall Tristan gave the Shredder four out of five stars, pointing out that while he loved the guitar, it had some controller issues.

As a parent, I'd say that it's worth getting the smaller guitar for your younger children if you're really into Guitar Hero and they like the game too.

My son loved Guitar Hero well before he received the Shredder, he just could never play it.

The smaller guitar certainly won't remove all of the hurdles for a child who wants to get his shred on, but it will remove some of them.

Some know him from CDs and countless mixtape appearances, where he's gone by aliases ranging from "Daddy Fat Sacks" to "General Patton." (Even if they're only half as clever as most of those currently making the rounds on Xbox Live: What up NuTBuST3R and AzzHat69?)
Others, courtesy of starring appearances in films Idlewild, ATL and Who's Your Caddy? Still more as: "Hey, aren't you that other guy from Outkast... can I get Andre's autograph?"

Call him what you will though: Chart-topping rapper/producer Big Boi, renowned for classic albums like ATLiens, Speakerboxx and Stankonia, isn't just one of hip-hop's most talented acts. He's also an avowed gamer keen on kicking blinged-out ass as a playable brawler in EA's upcoming rags-to-bitches rap industry brawler Def Jam: Icon. We recently caught up with the Dirty South legend so he could drop a little science on our lily-white asses, in-between flying elbows and spinning clotheslines:

Q: What's up with you and videogames: From cartoons to movies and self-run record labels, you don't have enough side projects going on already?

A: Yeah, man, I was asked to do the Def Jam: Icon game over a year ago. I had experience with the first two, and I was like yo, let's do it. So they came down and scanned me and I got my special moves, then came back and did my voice-overs for story mode. I've actually been playing the game all day today - it looks great.

Q: Seriously - you don't keep busy enough without this shit?

A: Yeah man, it's a lot we got on the plate. I'm just finishing up a movie - Who's Your Caddy? - and now working on a solo record, finishing song titles, laying down cuts and things for that. Def Jam: Icon's gonna be a good addition to the collection, and my kids are getting a real big kick out of it more than anybody.

Q: So you're a big videogame head, eh?

A: Oh yeah, most definitely. When you're out here on the road, on the tour bus, you know that's all you do: Just listen to music and play games. I've been gaming since I was like, you know, very young - Atari days.

Q: Atari, huh? That's pretty dope, grandpa! But given all the hype, what system are you feeling today: PlayStation 3, Wii or Xbox 360?

A: Well, actually I'm a PlayStation man. I played the hell out of PlayStation 2, and I'm looking for a PlayStation 3 right now. I ain't got a chance to play the Wii yet, but I ain't gonna lie, I got a 360 as well. I try not to play favorites too much cause they all got sick games for them...

Q: Oh, please. Stop being a pansy and call a spade a spade: You must have some sense of who's going to come out on top of the console wars...

A: Man, you really can't tell at this point - the Wii and PlayStation 3 ain't had enough time to establish themselves, they just came out. If I had to pick a personal favorite though, I'm going with PlayStation - I've been playing that since the jump.

Q: Any favorite titles you like to play in the off hours: Maybe Hello Kitty Roller Rescue, Snoopy vs. the Red Baron... hell, even some Pokemon?

A: Naw, mane... It's all about a little Madden 07. I'm the reigning champ - I'll put a little ass whoopin' down on anybody who want some.

Q: Speaking of ass whoopings, you put some serious ones down in Def Jam: Icon. Are you really that violent in real life?

A: Nah, unless I'm made to be that mean, you know. I'm a really cool guy, I'm all about positive vibrations. You don't fuck with me, I don't fuck with you. But when it's time to kick some ass, I won't lie - I'll bring that old whooping stick out.

Q: What do you think of your character in the game - he got some moves on him, or what?

A: Oh hell yeah, he's great. It looks just like me right down from the tattoos on my neck to some jeans, t-shirts and Nike boots. That's ass whooping material, and he just come out swinging, you know. He'll split your dome.

Q: There are a lot of rappers in the game who might be known for talking a little shit now and then. Anyone's ass you especially want to beat?

A: No, no, no... I got love for everybody, man. But all their asses is going down, you can count on that. I'm cool and all, but when it comes to gaming, I'm all about me - I gotta come out on top, you know?

Q: Mind sharing some advice on how people who pick your character can play you best or most authentically?

A: You just gotta come out fast and furious, you know, man? You can't come out half-steppin'. The game is, like, so detailed from every move to when a player gets struck, and their facial expressions change and how they look, you really just gotta smack first, ask questions later. My character's a tough cat, so you just gotta come wit it, hey-ey-yay!

Q: If you had to pick a few fellow rappers/fighters to back you up in the game, they'd be?

A: I'd probably get Ludacris, TI and Lil' Jon. We all from Atlanta, you know what I'm saying? We just trying to keep that Dirty South thing going.

Q: We hear ya - it's definitely been a good year for the region. Why's there been so much interest in the South lately anyway?

A: It's the sound right now, man, you know - people just want to hear something different and something new, and the South is providing that for the world right now. Just like we gonna flip shit up in this new Def Jam: It's a straight takeover. People can't hate on that: In games or on the charts, right now, we're the ones who've got the ball.

Q: Any other games besides Def Jam: Icon you'd love to give a shout out too?

A: Aw man, I gotta call out Bully. I loooove that game. I started playing it a couple weeks ago, and it's tight - you're a private school kid in this boarding school, gotta run jobs, make money and shit. It's like an adventure game kinda sorta, and I'm down with that. It's not what I'd usually play, but it's funny as hell, you know?

Q: Ever play any of the other hip-hop games that've come out before: 187, Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style, Getting Up or Saint's Row...?

A: Heh, I ain't want to, man, you heard? I stick with the best. I played that Def Jam game and that was it - I wasn't hearing anything else.

Q: Are you glad you're finally getting a shot at digital stardom?

A: Oh yeah, man, yeah. You know, my main thing has always been music, so when it's time to come and branch out and trying something new that'll get people's attention, I just try to come and do my best.

Q: Hip-hop and games go way back, long before the Def Jam titles though... what's up with that?

A: It's just a part of the culture. From having different soundtracks playing behind you when you jamming on NBA Live or them Grand Theft Autos to now integrating everything in Def Jam: Icon, it's just a natural evolution. In Def Jam: Icon, you have it to where the surroundings behind you are interactive: manhole covers, gas pumps, cop cars, helicopters... you can use those as weapons. It's just real fun, man, a way to escape that just make sense in the context.

Q: I hear the backgrounds bump to the beat as you fight?

A: Man, that shit is the dopest shit about the game, you know what I mean? You can hook your iPod up to it and the game moves to that, if you playing Anita Baker or Johnny Cash or whatever your preference is. They did a great job of designing that.

Q: Make any contributions to its musical repertoire?

A: Yeah, I got like three songs on there. I got Kryptonite, and another song called What's that Smell, and another song called DDT. DDT and What's that Smell are two original compositions too. The best part when you're making them is that it's for a fighting game, so you can say whatever you want to say, and beats hit hard, so you know the background's going to jump to the 808.

Q: Last, but not least, let's say somebody were to step to you in real life - are you going to bring the heat like you do here in this game, or let the bodyguards handle it?

A: Naw, if anybody mess with me, I'ma slap the shit out of him. For real... as long as he alone. My secret move is the backhanded bitch-slap, closed-fist...

While we're playing with the Wii, big brother site Gizmodo is drooling over the Zune, nerdy (but still sexy) sister site Lifehacker is making everything easy-peasy and den-mother site Gawker is bitching. About something. The latest addition to our family? Say hello to Idolator. It's a music blog, sure. But isn't focused on tour dates for example, but rather, snarking on manufactured buzz and music in the digital space. And they even got a manifesto! Rock on. Brian Ashcraft

America's Disappointing Music Nerds [Idolator]