The deals are mainly PlayStation 2 oriented, with Guitar Hero III wired bundles going for only $29.99 and the wireless bundle only $10 more. Along with the PS2 deals there's a PS3 bundle of GHIII for only $39.99, and a two pack of Guitar Hero On Tour for the DS ringing up at $69.98. I suppose you could call it a clearance sale, but that would ruin the spirit of the holidays.

Make sure you use the code BF2008 for the wired bundles and BF2K* for everything else, or you bargain hunting will have been for naught.

Red Octane's Black Friday Sale [Red Octane - Thanks Stephen]

We have learned that certain drum kit controllers manufactured for Guitar Hero World Tour have sensitivity issues. We believe that these controllers are limited to ones in the earlier manufacturing stages. While we believe that this was an isolated manufacturing issue, we are stepping our efforts to randomly test our drum kit controllers so customers can be assured they work properly. In the event any consumers do experience problems with their drum kit controllers associated with sensitivity issues, Activision will soon be offering a drum tuning kit that will enable players to fully optimize their drums.

That was part of an official statement from Activision, posted on Red Octane's customer support site. The statement then goes on to instruct players on what to do should their instruments be faulty or missing.

Our goal would be to immediately address any hardware issues Guitar Hero World Tour players have with the game. Consumers should visit the Activision Publishing customer support website at www.activision.com/support website or call 310 255-2050 in the U.S. where a customer care representative will assist them. Activision is fully committed to the highest quality manufacturing standards, and to satisfying every Guitar Hero World Tour fan so they can enjoy the best musical gaming experience ever created.

Good luck with that!

One PS3 gamer on IGN's boards says:

I went and started the drum trainer just to get a feel for the drums. I noticed right off the bat that the red pad only registered that I was hitting it softly even when I hit it hard. So when I got to the trainer about hitting certain accent notes harder I failed out every time, even if I hit the pad with all my might.

And a 360 player:

"Just picked up the full band version for 360, at first there was a problem with the pads registering, and the red pad just completely died a minute ago... Out of the box less than 3 hours..."

Activision has noticed the chatter and put up a sticky on its Guitar Hero boards directing perturbed gamers to customer support, and step-by-step advises them to make sure the instruments have batteries, are powered on and bound, that cables are completely attached and that the drum pedal is on a flat surface. It also suggests swapping your cymbals, if one doesn't register, to see if it's the cymbal pad or the kit overall. It ends with information on how to get a warranty replacement from Red Octane, and that's not a good sign.

Haven't seen much complaint with the other peripherals although one left-handed reader wrote to say that downstrum on the guitar seems to be an issue with his and a friend's set. Instrument interchangeability has me strongly leaning toward buying this kit. Let's hope this is either overblown or there's a good explanation for all this in the works.

Update: Reader Steven C. relates similar problems with the Wii version. He says his drumpads wouldn't register hits in freestyle mode, which shows you how hard you strike them. He has returned three sets in all. On the last one, one of the pads would set off other pads, sometimes turning on star power (which is supposed to come on when you crash both cymbals.) "Compressed version. Game is very fun, drums are buggy enough to negatively affect gameplay," says Steven.

Update II: Seems there are compatibility problems when using World Tour instruments on the PS3 version of Rock Band 2. See thread started here

Drum Topic on Guitar Hero Official Forums
Guitar Hero Customer Support
Drum Topic on IGN Boards (also here)

It might be, as GameSpot requests didn't bear informative fruit from RedOctane reps. You may just be buying the prestige of spending more money on trinkets you'll likely rarely (or never) use. But hey, what's a fifty between friends and the multi-billion dollar corporations who make our plastic junk?

Guitar Hero World Tour Deluxe Band Bundle [RedOctane via GameSpot]

Finally, Metallica is coming to Guitar Hero in a big way, with DLC being readied to release alongside their new album, Death Magnetic, which is guaranteed to completely make up for Saint Sinner...as if any album could actually contain such power.

As the title implies, Aerosmith band members have been added to the roster of playable characters. Joe Perry, Brad Whitford and Tom Hamilton are all available for your use with singer Steve Perry and drummer Joey Kramer appearing when needed for full Aerosmith action. As an added bonus, Aerosmith coverer DMC will also be around to join in the hijinks as a playable character.

A slew of Aerosmith hits are available on the 41 song set list (a partial list resides after the jump) which is comprised of about 60% of original Aerosmith material. The remaining 40% are songs by "opening acts" and include hits such as Mott the Hoople's All the Young Dudes (cover) and The Cult's She Sells Sanctuary just to name a few. new venues are also a feature and include not only the site of Areosmith's first concert, Nipmuc High School but many others including: Max's Kansas City, The Orpheum Theater, the Superbowl Half Time Show and Moscow.

It's true that this version of Guitar Hero has plenty of new material to keep fans interested, especially those of the Aerosmith fan variety, and it's no where near the cop out that was Guitar Hero Eighties. But, will it be enough to send people out to buy a full priced retail version? With the advent of all the recently available DLC, a new retail version that doesn't include anything new gameplay wise seems a bit of a risky move. But then again, I never underestimate the power of a new song list to sell copies. I'm hoping that some or all of these songs will be made available as DLC in the future, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

PARTIAL SET LIST
Nipmuc High School
Mott the Hoople – All the Young Dudes *Cover
Cheap Trick – Dream Police
Aerosmith – Make It
Aerosmith – Uncle Salty
Aerosmith – Draw the Line

Max's Kansas City
Joan Jett – I hate myself for loving you
The Kinks – All day and all of the night *Cover
Aerosmith – Movin' Out
Aerosmith – No Surprize
Aerosmith – Sweet Emotion

The Orpheum Theater
The Clash – Complete Control
New York Dolls – Personality Crisis *Cover
Aerosmith – Livin' on the Edge
Aersomith – Ragdoll
Aerosmith – Love in an Elevator

Half Time Show
Lenny Kravitz – Always on the Run
Black Crowes – Hard to Handle *Cover
Aerosmith – Back in the Saddle
Aerosmith – Beyond Beautiful
Aerosmith – Dream On

Moscow
The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary
Run DMC – King of Rock
Aerosmith – Bright Light Fright
Aerosmith – Nobody's Fault
Run DMC featuring Aerosmith – Walk This Way

By now I'm sure most of you are familiar with the seemingly odd transition of Guitar Hero from consoles to handhelds, namely the DS. When Guitar Hero: On Tour was announced a few months ago it left many of us scratching our heads wondering how they would pull it off. Even with the addition of pictures of the add-on peripheral it was still hard to imagine exactly what it would be like trying to play. I finally got my chance to check it out for myself a few days ago and despite former misgivings I actually found it quite fun.

The first thing I took a look at upon arriving was the "guitar grip" peripheral. It was a pretty sturdy little piece of a equipment that fits snugly into the GBA slot of the DS. The clear plastic cover is removable and the logo can be pulled out so you can customize the look of it. The strap is likewise customizable, no doubt providing plenty of opportunity for merchandising. As you may know, there are only four buttons in this iteration of the game and while some players may find this disconcerting, there is actually a good reason for it. With the DS literally strapped to your hand, it would make it impossible for you to be able to slide your hand to reach the fifth button. Then of course there is the space issue. After looking at it close up, it seems the addition of the fifth button would make it a bit crowded.

I started out with a little solo play and was surprised how easy it was once I got comfortable with it. I will admit that the peripheral seems a bit awkward at first, but once you figure out how to hold it in a way that is comfortable for you, it just becomes an extension of your hand. Strumming is done on the touch screen with a guitar pick stylus and you can pretty much strum anywhere on the screen for it to work. The whammy bar is also controlled here in the same way for those long notes. The rest of the gameplay is pretty straightforward GH: follow the notes and hit your keys.

Next I checked out the multiplayer game (multikart only) with a fellow journalist. It was fairly easy to get the two DSs talking and once it started it was all out war. The DS multiplayer has the addition of attacks that can be pulled out at opportune times to foil your opponents playing. Set their guitar on fire, make them sign an autograph, cut their strings, the viscous fun never ends! While these attacks were cool and added a nice variance to the game, I sometimes found it difficult to launch the attacks since you have to touch little icons on the strum screen. If you are anything like me and are concentrating on the moving dots, sometimes it's hard to look away long enough to touch the icons. I still managed to launch some attacks but it was to the detriment of my playing. Still, if you can manage doing those things all at once, the attacks are a lot of fun.

Other additions to the game include some new venues (subway, rooftop, parade, Greek Arena) and two new characters (Gunner Jaxon and Memphis Rose). Guitar hero: On Tour will feature over twenty five songs, twenty of them being exclusive to the DS and the remaining being staff favorites from Guitar Hero III. For a handheld game taken from a popular console title, I have to say I was pretty impressed by the graphics. They looked sharp and didn't leave me feeling cheated or that I was missing something. All in all I had a good experience playing and this should be a great title for Guitar Hero fans and since it's rated E it will be a great fun for your rockin' little ones too! Take a look below for a partial song list of twenty songs. The remaing five will remain a mystery until the game launches or someone leaks it. Which one do you think will happen first?

Subway
Do What You Want – OK Go
All the Small Things – blink-182
Spiderwebs – No Doubt
Are you Gonna Be My Girl – Jet
We’re Not Gonna Take It – Twisted Sister

Rooftop
All Star – Smashmouth
Breed – Nirvana
Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield
Hit Me With Your Best Shot – Pat Benatar
This Love – Maroon 5

Parade
Heaven – Los Lonely Boys
Helicopter – Bloc Party
China Grove – The Doobie Brothers
Rock And Roll All Nite – Kiss – *Cover
What I Want – Daughtry

Greek Arena
Jet Airliner – Steve Miller Band – *Cover
Black Magic Woman – Santana – *Cover
Stray Cat Strut – Stray Cats
La Grange – ZZ Top – *Cover
Youth Gone Wild – Skid Row – *Cover

It's not just about guitars. We'll include a lot of other instruments, vocals. It will help us expand internationally. It's the first game we've had in which we can use local content and local bands.

Guitar Hero IV Branching Out [IGN via Maxconsole][image]

Pro Wrestlers Torn Between Love Of 'Rock Band,' Love Of 'Guitar Hero' [MTV Multiplayer]

But we're left wondering, why the hell is that neck attached in the first place if you aren't using the frets? The LCD streams notes ala Guitar Hero, but the frets tower above the system, unused and waiting to scratch someone's elbow bad. Do we really need the whole guitar if we aren't using it?

Songs include Smoke on the Water, Rock this Town, Cherry Pie, Killer Queen, You've Got Another Thing Comin', Miserlou, Heart Shaped Box, Message in a Bottle, Jessica, and Surrender. And at $14.99, we can only assume that those songs absolutely rock through the system's tiny speaker.

Pocket Sized Guitar Hero Arcade Game [ChipChick via Technabob]

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

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

THIS IS A CALL TO ARMS. IT'S IN YOUR HANDS PEOPLE.

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.

Also of note, this mod requires no external power (like batteries) and it can be toggled on and off for the times when you don't want to be an evil awful horrible cheater.

HOWTO Hack Your Guitar Hero Whammy Bar [Gogglemarks via MAKE]

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

New Guitar Hero 2 Song Pack Hits Xbox Live [Shacknews]

Guess that rumor about the Halo theme appearing in Guitar Hero II as downloadable content wasn't wrong, just a tad premature. Hit the jump for the news release.

ACTIVISION AND MICROSOFT GIVE THANKS TO GUITAR HERO AND HALO FANS

In appreciation of Guitar Hero® and Halo fans alike, Neversoft, Bungie, Activision/RedOctane, and Microsoft have all joined forces to bring players the iconic Halo theme (MJOLNIR Mix) as a free playable song for Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock, exclusively for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The theme will be available from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 22nd.

The Halo theme was written, composed, and performed by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori; and the MJOLNIR Mix features guitars performed by the Grammy Award winning guitar hero, Steve Vai.

"It's a real pleasure to hear one of the best loved and most iconic themes from Bungie's Halo Universe in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock," said Marty O'Donnell, Composer and Audio Director for Bungie Studios. "As longtime fans of the Guitar Hero® franchise, it was great to collaborate with Neversoft and Activision/RedOctane to offer this exciting free download to our fans."

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

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

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, developed by Neversoft, is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB, and is currently available at North American retailers. For more information about the Guitar Hero® franchise, please visit the dedicated community site: www.guitarhero.com.

Halo Theme MJOLNIR Mix:

Written and composed by Martin O'Donnell (ASCAP) and Michael Salvatori (ASCAP).

Performances by: Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori

Guitars performed by Steve Vai. Steve Vai appears courtesy of Epic Records.

Halo 2 Soundtrack Album produced by Nile Rodgers.

Based on the Halo Universe created by Bungie Studios.

About Bungie

Bungie was founded in 1991 with two goals: to develop games that combine brilliant technology, beautiful art, intelligent stories and deep gameplay, and to sell enough of those games to achieve its real goal of total world domination. Over the past 10 years it has produced games such as the "Marathon" trilogy and the first two "Myth" games, hailed as classics by critics and gamers around the world. Bungie's "Halo" franchise is an international award-winning action title that has grown into a global entertainment phenomenon, selling more than 18 million units worldwide, logging billions of hours of multiplayer action on Xbox LIVE®, and spawning action figures, books, graphic novels, soundtracks, apparel and more. The critically acclaimed "Halo 3", released on Tuesday, Sept. 25th 2007, is the fastest-selling video game ever, achieving $300 million in global sales its first week, making it one of the most successful entertainment properties in history. More information on Bungie can be found at http://www.bungie.net.

Guitar Hero® Kramer® Striker Ultimate Bundle for PlayStation®2 Our Price: $199.99

Guitar Hero® X-plorer Ultimate Bundle for Xbox 360®
Our Price: $139.98

Guitar Hero® III R.O.E. Bundle for PlayStation®2
Our Price: $119.99

Guitar Hero® III Wireless Bundle with Rechargeable Battery Kit for PLAYSTATION®3
Our Price: $129.97

Guitar Hero® III Wireless Bundle with Rechareable Battery Kit for PlayStation®2
Our Price: $119.97

Guitar Hero™ Dual Rechargeable Battery Kit
Our Price: $29.99
Free Ground Shipping on Orders over $100.00!*

So we asked Red Octane—formerly huge commercial supporters of DDR—if they had any plans to expand their offerings. But we got nothing but bad news:

There are no immediate plans to create new dance pads outside of the current products available.

Guitar Hero III Single Recharge Kit [Red Octane]

It's not the end of the world, by any means. But I'm a gear guy and stuff like this makes me tear up a bit, even if the receiver is in the shape of a guitar pick.

Pics: Guitar Hero III's PS3 Dongle Dangles [gamelife]

Also of note: GHDS will match the 3D graphical style of the original series. To some this is great news, but I'd welcome the DS platform as a place to screw with these young traditions a bit, fight the man and all that jazz. Because does anyone out there have real expectations for the port? I've sort written it off as an amusing novelty.

Austin GDC '07: New Guitar Hero DS details [via cvg]

The only element we're not sold on is the whammy bar which, though coated with with rubber "to prevent screen damage," doesn't seem to work next to the strum bar. Activision, Harmonix, whoever-the-hell has the rights now—let's make it happen. But an FYI: as long as the fret buttons are in tact, I can just strum with the buttons. You know, if that will help or something.

Concept by Dan Moore.

I took apart a small switch, put a broken drill-bit into the upper part of the switch (not the electric, but the mechanical), because it is hard, so it won't break (it will be pushing the buttons). After that i cut the trigger-pad in half, soldered it (common GND!!) glued the button gums to the trigger pad, placed it to the switch as seen on the pic and glued the whole thing. It works perfectly!!!!!

How to make a PS2 Guitar Hero controller out of scratch [via engadget]

The drums were designed with care. Four pads with subtle color rings can be adjusted for play while either standing or sitting, while a foot pedal for the bass sits on the floor (where it can also be adjusted, from left to right). I played some Nirvana on MEDIUM DIFFICULTY BECAUSE I AM AWESOME, and I found the drums to be an even superior product to the excellent guitars we've loved for so long.

The heads feel just like practice drum pads, and Harmonix has done an excellent job making it feel like each pad is its own snare tone. The bass pedal is tough to time until you realize that it can be held down halfway between hits. Then it's smooth as a roadie's butt. (I'd assume)

But the best part—the part I didn't anticipate—is the feeling that using real drumsticks provides to the player.

Yeah, I sucked it up a bit at first, and then I may have started banging my head, glancing over at our lead guitarist as I introduced his solo. I'm faboying out, and I don't even care.

However, that won't stop publisher Activision for charging a full price $49.99 for the game, as several retailers have recently adjusted their pricing to that point as we approach the late July release date. With Guitar Hero II sporting 55 songs total—admittedly of varying quality and consumer interest levels—this full-priced, now seemingly half-stocked release is starting to look a little less attractive.

But that Rock Band, boy, does that look good. Let's hope Activision is paying attention.

Confirmed - No bonus tracks for Guitar Hero 80s [SlashGear]

It looks like Guitar Hero 3 for the 360, PS3 and Wii will indeed be hitting this fall, unfortunately the Wii version will be using the same guitar-shaped controller you've grown used to.

In an interview with IGN, RedOctan's co-founder and president Kai Huang said that the development team is exploring innovative ways to use the Wii remote, but that the basic controller will be the guitar.

"We are really excited about the Wii game because there are so many options for the Wii remote. However, you will play the game with a guitar peripheral and it will be similar to a guitar you've seen in the past."

He also confirmed that Guitar Hero III on Wii contains features included in other versions of the upcoming game - such as online play and downloadable music.

That's too bad. By the time this one hits I think just about everyone will have played the game. A new type of control would have been kinda neat. Brian Crecente

Guitar Hero III Wii using Guitar Controller [IGN]

So, it seems that all is not well with the recently released GH II patch for the 360. While many people have reported that the update fixed all their whammy bar issues, I have gotten quite a few emails claiming that the new fix has caused the game to freeze up and in some cases even given them the dreaded red ring of death. No official word from Red Octane yet on the situation, but I'm sure by the time Monday rolls around we'll hear all about it.

Of course, there is no solid proof that this particular patch is the cause of these issues, but it seems pretty likely considering the number of people reporting this problem, all of whom just downloaded the patch. At this point, if you were having whammy bar issues you can try downloading the update, but be warned that it might cause some issues with your system's functions. But, as they say, You rolls the dice, you takes your chances. Flynn De Marco

Good news for xbox 360 Guitar Hero II owners. The folks at Red Octane have posted a thread on their forums addressing the whammy bar response issue that cropped up soon after the game's launch.

A title update for Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360 will be available on Xbox Live at 4:00 am PDT on Saturday, April 14 that should resolve the situation where input from the whammy bar was not always recognized. Downloading the update should resolve this issue for all Activision Guitar Hero branded guitar models.

So if you were having problems with your whammy, don't go rushing to take it back to the store just yet. I've already gotten a couple emails from readers saying they downloaded the patch and it fixed everything up lickety-split. If the whammy bar was a problem for you, download that update and make sure to come back and let us know if it works for you. That is, if you can tear yourself away from your Living Room Rock God career long enough to do so. Flynn De Marco

UPDATE For Guitar Hero II On The Xbox 360 [Red Octane Forums]

I heard back today from Red Octane about the Guitar Hero 3 information buried on their site.

If you recall, there are two references to Guitar Hero 3 coming to the PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 this fall in the companies Knowledge Base on their website.

When I asked Red Octane about it this is what they said:

Thanks for the email and heads up on the link. We aren't able to share any further details at this time unfortunately, though when we're ready to make any official announcement, we'll definitely keep you informed.

Well, that sure as hell isn't a "no comment", it's not even a "it was a mistake". Sounds to me like we should be readying ourselves for more Guitar Hero goodness this holiday. Brian Crecente

Kotaku reader Ken got an official response from a customer service rep who provides details on the problem.

We have isolated this issue to two model numbers that can be found on the guitar's packaging. The numbers are 95065 and 95055. We are asking that customers who puchased their items from a retailer perform an exchange with that respective store (for a model number other than the defective two listed above). Customer's who purchased through our online story can complete an rma request for their defective item and we will exchange it for a fully function guitar controller. We do apologize for the inconvenience and will [resolve] these matters.

So, write it down, buyer beware, all that. Just don't stop rockin'! Michael McWhertor

Hands-On Mobile recently inked a deal with Activision to bring Guitar Hero to the cell phone, aka "mobile devices."

Besides going on and on about how much money the franchise made, there's really not a whole lot of information in the press release. Here check for yourself:

SAN FRANCISCO, April 2, 2007 - Hands-On Mobile, Inc., the world's leading developer of connected games and applications, today announced an agreement with Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), to bring the wildly popular Guitar Hero franchise to mobile devices.

"Guitar Hero is an epic game experience that has mushroomed into a cultural phenomenon," said Erik Pavelka, Vice President of Business Development, Hands-On Mobile. "We are thrilled to bring this award-winning franchise to mobile and to continue our successful relationship with Activision."

"The lifestyle of music is strongly immersed into our everyday culture, and having Guitar Hero on mobile platforms will now allow our dedicated fans the opportunity to passionately feel the music, anytime and anywhere," said Dusty Welch, head of publishing at RedOctane. "Hands-On Mobile has extensive experience and success in bringing established franchises to mobile devices, and we greatly look forward to extending the Guitar Hero brand to mobile users."

Since its launch in 2005, Guitar Hero quickly became one of the most popular console games, with Guitar Hero II topping the charts as the best-selling console and handheld game in dollars for the U.S. for the month of December, according to The NPD Group.

With Guitar Hero, Hands-On Mobile expands its current crop of top-selling mobile games and applications. These include the Activision franchise Call of Duty , as well as other top brands.

I've emailed the company to beg for some details, any details, about the upcoming mobile game. Could be kinda cool if it's pulled off correctly. Could be... Brian Crecente

Activision just made my day.

Guitar Hero II is prepping to hit the Xbox 360 on April 3 as we speak.

The 360 version of teh game will include 70 songs, HD remodeled characters, unlockable guitars and venues and "different gamplay modes." While the game will let you go online to compare scores, check your rank and download content, it won't let you take someone on over Live. At least they don't mention Live multiplay in the press release. Color me sad.

If you pre-order the game they are going to throw in a free Guitar Hero gig bag, which is all kinds of cool. Brian Crecente

Red Octane and Guitar Hero have been making headlines lately for a number of reasons. Their Xbox 360 port is due to hit soon. Parent company Activision registered trademarks for other Hero-style games. And development duties on the series have moved from Cambridge, Mass based Harmonix to Tony Hawk developer Neversoft.

Both Gamespot and GameDaily questioned Red Octane's head of publishing Dusty Welch to find out more about the future of the guitar god franchise. What'd he have to say? Not much! Keeping his Guitar Hero cards close to his chest, Welch offers a great deal of praise for Neversoft, but little info on the third game in the series, the rumored '80s Edition or what Drum Villian might entail. (Each Q&A appears to be e-mail based, as responses are nearly word-for-word to both outlets.)

What he does reveal is that we should expect more originally recorded tracks and that Xbox 360 owners should consider downloadable content from the first GH game "likely." Michael McWhertor

Q&A: RedOctane's Dusty Welch [Gamespot]
Exclusive: RedOctane Speaks Out on Guitar Hero's Future [GameDaily]

While this doesn't necessarily mean that the company is actively working on these two titles (they have plenty of Guitar Hero games to milk for the next few years), the filings from late last year may provide insight into where the new publisher of the series plans to move the game's direction. Or maybe they just get off on filing trademarks.

Also noted by Gamespot for indication that Activision may be looking to expand the franchise are related trademarks filed by previous publisher Red Octane last summer. These include Drum Hero and Keyboard Hero.

No word on when Konami will think about registering "Remember Guitar Freaks? That Was Pretty Good" but we're sure it's coming. Michael McWhertor

Activision calls dibs on Guitar Villain, Drum Villain [Gamespot]

Gaming Target reports that the latest issue of EGM has a look at Guitar Hero: 1980s Edition.

I'll give you a second to stop squealing. It's OK, I did that too. The game is already in production and due out this spring, according to the article.

No word on whether it will be hitting the Xbox 360 version as a download pack, but why wouldn't it? Brian Crecente

Magazine Watching: Big games in 2007 [Gaming Target]

Fortunately, I was wrong. I stopped by the Nyko suite yesterday at CES to get it from the source. Unfortunately, no working demo was available for me (of little faith) to try out, but the Nyko marketing dudes confirmed it flat out. Yes, the Nyko Play Adaptor will let you use your guitar controllers on the PlayStation 3, courtesy of a magical little toggle switch that solves the current hardware and software issues that are keeping thousands of PlayStation 2s still hooked up.

Hopefully, I'll get Nyko to get us a working sample. I currently have e-mails firing off every hour on the hour begging for one. Michael McWhertor

PS3 Charging Base, PS2 Controller Adapter Coming [Kotaku]

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.

Celebrities. They're just like us! They buy gelato, shop for groceries, divorce their trophy wives, and wait in line at the airport (note: all celebrity behaviors swiped from Us Weekly). And they play Guitar Hero, even if they're certified, world famous rock and rollers.

Like who? Jonathan "I'm the lead singer of Korn" Davis, the Donnas, that one guy from Incubus, another guy from My Chemical Romance, even SNL funny man Fred Armisen and NIN sad man Trent Reznor—they all love plucking away at plastic baby-sized geetars.

The Wall Street Journal has profiles and honest to goodness quotes from those folks, who, despite being well paid drummers in arena rocking bands, really fantasize about being well paid guitarists in area rocking bands. Michael McWhertor

When Being a Fake Rock Star Is Better Than the Reality

At least one Wal-Mart in Arkansas has decided to start selling Guitar Hero 2 nearly two weeks early, according to Neo-Gafers.

This picture of stacks of Guitar Hero II excited me so much I actually considered risking the near blizzard conditions of Denver to go buy one at my local Wal-Mart. Fortunately, I called first. The guy in the electronics department said they weren't out yet, but that would be probably next week. This despite the fact that the game isn't supposed to ship until Nov. 7

I wouldn't be so worked up about getting a copy of the game, despite my love of it, if it weren't for the fact that my review is technically due tomorrow and the promised review build still hasn't shown up. Oh noooooes! Brian Crecente