It's something Red Octane and Activision are thinking about, RO's founder Kai Huang telling the Seattle Times "[a monthly subscription is] definitely one of the things we would love to do. There are a lot of issues around music licensing. Consumers want it; I know I want it. We're trying to make that happen."

Keep trying! And then let Rock Band copy it. Then make it $10 a month to access the whole catalogue, albums and all. Then come get me.

'Guitar Hero' founder excited about future [Seattle Times, via 1UP]

Huang, co-founder of Red Octane and parent of the Guitar Hero franchise, went so far as to predict that this generation would be the last to own physical media. In five or 10 years, he said, everything would be digital download-based.

Moore — current head of EA Sports and former overseer of all things Xbox — agreed for the most part. He said that the console model of video games (where you get one complete game on a disc for $60) was a "burning platform." As in, do you stand on a burning platform and face certain death or jump into the waters of digital distribution and face probable death?

Clearly, you want the digital distribution. Right?

Despite Moore and Huang's faith in the future of digital distribution, however, both developers are releasing three to four disc-based games on console a year. Complete with plastic peripherals which cost even more money to manufacture than video game software, mind you.

Huang explained Red Octane's Activision's motivation behind ubiquitous releases as accessibility. "We need to give [our users] channels to access additional content," he said. Not everybody is ready for the DLC revolution, apparently, so they have to keep putting out physical media for the next five to 10 years. Or however long it takes for my physical-media-dependent generation to die out and accept digital everything.

Young had a slightly different take on the digital future. He would, because he develops games almost exclusively for the iPhone like Rolando and Eliminate. Young said episodic content doesn't work because you can't chop a complete game into tiny pieces. Rather, said Young, game makers should be looking at ways to monetize usage. To him, this means making a game that's free to play and then finding ways to trick you into microtransactions. Like shelling out for extremely nerdy clothing for your virtual avatar in a free-to-play role-playing game.

It all comes down to the fact that the video games industry is risk-averse. If console makers believe that the next generation of gamer won't shell out for $60 for a disc that gets scratched up eventually anyway, then we can expect the next iteration of console to not have a disc tray. And when that happens, maybe we can all stop shelling out for plastic guitars and a new copy of what's essentially the same football game every year.

In an interview with Digital Spy, Kai Huang, president and cofounder of RedOctane, said the studio has "definitely been evaluating Microsoft's Natal technology, along with a lot of other different technologies."

Natal is very interesting because there's so many different things you can do with it, whether it's the motion detecting, maybe sensing how you're playing, or the ability to use it for interactivity purposes and taking advantage of it for party purposes. I think the technology is very exciting. We're evaluating it, and I think it's likely that sometime in the future we'll have those technologies integrated into our games.

Rock Band also is considering Natal, saying they'd look at the technology for inclusion in Rock Band 3.

Guitar Hero May Use Natal Technology [Digital Spy]

The drums themselves look a lot like the old drums except for one key feature: the cymbals, which now look normal, as opposed to something you'd find on an electronic kit from 1986. Course, other people will say they look less like normal drums and more like Rock Band drums, but hey, to each their own.

As far as the 22 new tracks go, it's an eclectic mix, elevated in this writer's humble opinion solely by the inclusion of "Maiden, Mother & Crone".

Attack! Attack! UK - "You And Me"
Bon Jovi - "You Give Love A Bad Name"
Darker My Love - "Blue Day"
The Duke Spirit - "Send A Little Love Token"
Elton John - "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)"
Face To Face - "Disconnected"
Garbage - "Only Happy When It Rains"
Kaiser Chiefs - "Never Miss A Beat"
Kiss - "Shout It Out Loud"
Love and Rockets - "Mirror People"
My Morning Jacket - "One Big Holiday"
Nirvana - "Lithium (Live)"
The Police - "So Lonely"
Rammstein – "Du Hast"
The Rolling Stones - "Sympathy For The Devil"
Sonic Youth - "Incinerate"
Screaming Trees - "Nearly Lost You"
Sublime - "What I Got"
The Sword - "Maiden, Mother & Crone"
Thin Lizzy - "Jailbreak"
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "American Girl"
The White Stripes - "Blue Orchid"

Guitar Hero 5 Official Track List [IGN]
The Official Store Blog » Blog Archive » Guitar Hero 5 Drums Pictures [Red Octane]

It's more of a teaser website than anything else, with no sign of a logo and no information whatsoever. You've got your turntables situated in front of a cheering crowd, and should you touch said turntables the crowd cheers louder, making the whole thing a testament to the importance of having a sound off button on your website. Adding to the interactivity is a sign up box, where you can submit your information in order to be the first to know when new information is released about the game.

If you're interested, I would suggest turning down your speakers, hopping over to http://djhero.com/, submitting your information, and then fleeing as soon as humanly possible.

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]

To interface with your drum kit, however, you will need a midi to USB cable, which you most likely don't have. RedOctane provides a link in their support center article where you can submit a ticket for information on how to receive said cable. Not quite as good as having all peripherals work out of the box, but at least they're trying.

Guitar Hero World Tour Drum Tuning Kit [RedOctane - Thanks Nick!]

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]

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.

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

The PS3, Wii and 360 bundles will set you back $189.99. The PS2 bundle is 10 bones less, $179.99. Presumably these all include the game, guitar, drums and a mike. Gamestop just put the info up on its website, and Gaming Bits caught the scoop, noting that the bundle is $20 more than the Rock Band Special Edition bundle.

If you want to buy just the guitar and the game, you can get those for $99.99 and $59.99/$49.99 respectively. The release date is Oct. 27, 2008.

Guitar Hero: World Tour Priced at Gamestop [Gaming Bits]

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]

Whats this Brown box doing here? [WiiNintendo]

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.