Rumor: Activision preparing Guitar Hero: Van Halen

by Ludwig Kietzmann on Mar 6th 2009 3:54PM

Psst.

You wanna be privy to some exclusive, top secret information? Though it may sound like our usual brand of preposterous, blogger rabble rousing, we have reason to believe that Activision is working on ... another Guitar Hero game. It's true! Sources say that this next Guitar Hero will come out after the next Guitar Hero comes out.

...

Alright, so we have a few more details beyond that evergreen speculation. Let's switch to third-person! Joystiq has been informed that Activision's next artist-oriented Guitar Hero release will be based around Van Halen. According to Joystiq's source, the game is set to arrive sometime after Guitar Hero: Metallica and will include several songs hailin' from the Californian rock band's catalogue, including "Jump," "Panama" and "Hot for Teacher." You can also expect a smattering of songs from other bands, like Judas Priest's "Pain Killer," Tenacious D's "Master Exploder" and Weezer's "Dope Nose."

Activision was unable to lend the leaked information any more credence, saying, "The RedOctane/Guitar Hero team is currently focused on the upcoming release of Guitar Hero Metallica, as well as the recently announced titles Guitar Hero Greatest Hits and Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits, and does not comment on speculation or rumor." We didn't bother asking if Creedence is in it.

Tags: activision, guitar-hero, guitar-hero-van-halen, redoctane, rumor, van-halen

Reader Comments (89)

Will it be Van Halen or Van Hagar?

The only reason I like the way GH is doing disc games instead of all DLC is because I can sell, trade, and borrow the games. Can't do that with DLC.

My hatred for Guitar Hero is growing by the day. Stop killing the genre.

This is exactly why Rock Band and Harmonix are the class of the genre and have the better game. Stop screwing the consumer. DLC is there for a reason. If people want access to a band, they buy it. They don't want a random collection to add clutter and force MORE disc switching.

Oh, is The Beatles: Rock Band going to be DLC now? Because I'm pretty sure that's not what the press release said. In fact, I think it said there would be a $250 limited edition bundle.

The Beatles has extenuating circumstances. They are the biggest band in the world, half their members are dead, there are sticky rights issues and they are from a time when masters were done properly for RB/GH.

None of those reasons make any practical sense. You're going to have to explain your reasoning further because I don't see how any of it makes a Beatles game more tasteful than a Guitar Hero game.

Arg, typo. Basically because they are so famous and the songs so well known covers would be intolerable. Being dead prevents them from rerecording the songs. I made a typo with were instead of weren't. HMX has said a few times that it is going to be different from a regular RB game. If we don't have proper masters then it makes sense that they would have to change the gameplay.

The licensing issues is really not too relevant here. Heck, GH:VH might have the same problem.

Guitar Hero is not a dead cow! It is a lot of fun and has many features that aren't present in Rock Band. Yes the DLC isn't as great, but come on we're getting Queen this month.

worst - picture - ever

The only good that will come from this is the 50 bajillion videos on youtube of people trying to sing Diamond Dave's actual vocals from Runnin' With the Devil.

do these guys not know what DLC is? GH: specific band, is really gay

If you had actually played Guitar Hero Aerosmith, you might have figured out that it works well as a complete package and a tribute to the band.

Yes, because the pinnacle of Aerosmith's career was playing in the Super Bowl Halftime show with Britney Spears.

Since Activision took over Guitar Hero, there just as many Rock Band games as there are Guitar Hero games that are out or have been announced.

Guitar Hero:
GH III
GH World Tour
GH Aerosmith
GH Metallica
GH On Tour
GH On Tour: Decades
GH Greatest Hits
GH Van Halen (rumored)

Rock Band:
Rock Band
Rock Band 2
Rock Band AC/DC
Rock Band Track Pack 1
Rock Band Track Pack 2
Rock Band Classic Rock Track Pack
Rock Band Beatles
Rock Band for PSP

So STFU about Activision milking the franchise when Harmonix is doing the same thing.

You are forgetting GH 1 and 2, even though that was before the Harmonix/Red Octane split.

But the big issue I have with your logic is the fact that Rock Band Track Pack 1, Rock Band Track Pack 2, and the Rock Band Classic Rock Track Pack are already available as DLC. Harmonix isn't milking the franchise when they are offering the DLC content in disc form to consumers without an internet connection.

The AC/DC track pack would have been DLC, but the agreement stated that it had to be in disc form and had to be sold exclusively at Walmart. And even the AC/DC track pack can be downloaded to the hard drive and used with Rock Band 1 and 2.

Hell, even Rock Band 1 can be downloaded to the hard drive to keep you from having to switch discs. I'm sure when Rock Band 3 is announced Rock Band 2 will be able to be downloaded to the hard drive as well.

And GH: Greatest Hits is bullshit. They are taking songs that have been played to death, throwing vocals, drums, and bass in there, and selling it for $60. If that isn't milking I don't know what is.

forget my first sentence. apparently i can't read.

Track packs don't count. They only include DLC and most are importable to RB2 or are released for platforms without DLC. Without those it goes HMX: 4, NS: 7/8.

Track packs are still separate SKUs.

But the track packs are separate SKUs. So people need to stop bitching about how Activision has a shit ton of SKUs when Harmonix has pretty much the same amount.

Fuck. I meant to reply to the one above me.

Funny how harmonix is holding back on rock band for 09 as Activision just furiously spits out Guitar Heroes, increasing peoples hatred for the brand :D, thus strengthening the public view of rock band

Rock Band has two spinoffs coming out this year and no main series games.

Most people don't hate Guitar Hero, as evidenced by the fact that its central games sell more than Rock Band's.

The only spin-off is the PSP one i guess, and I wouldn't consider that milking. Don't consider the Beatles one because that has been confirmed as a stand-alone separate game from Rock Band :P

"he only spin-off is the PSP one i guess, and I wouldn't consider that milking."

"Don't consider the Beatles one because that has been confirmed as a stand-alone separate game from Rock Band :P"

Except it's called "The Beatles: Rock Band"

Oh, my apologies, I just looked it up and saw the article confirming it yesterday. I remember reading here though that it wouldn't be a rock band game, guess i was wrong :/

"Update: Speaking to an MTV representative, we confirmed that despite the "collaborative decision" to append the Rock Band brand, The Beatles will remain a "custom, standalone, dedicated game experience." MTV and Harmonix are not willing to discuss matters regarding DLC or song importation yet."

Now it's not a rock band game :p lol

It's still called Rock Band and it works with Rock Band's instruments. I know Harmonix is as quick to justify their own actions as their crazy fans are, but they can't have it both ways.

it would be nice if you idiots realized the outrageous amount of money you are paying for DLC in comparison to buying a guitar hero SKU.

if you buy a single track its $2, if you buy a 3-pack its $5.49...

think about that pricing scheme

in guitar hero metallica you are getting 49 tracks for $60. That's 80 cents a track as opposed to 50x$2=$100. if you cant see the value in this then you are a dumbass. i am always excited to see a new full game come out. also as another person has pointed out you can RETURN these games (not that i ever return any game, but the option is there).

I have all gh's and rb's and i partake in DLC in both games. i just dont understand how everyone misses the value of buying a whole new game. granted i hate changing discs too and would love to see Acti incorporate exporting but this is way to easy to deal with. you are complaining because you have to get up and change a disc, wtf cares. if they allow exporting then you cant sell the game back to gamestop if you so choose.

quit crying about milking cause thats all any of them are doing. this goes for any popular game genre (i.e. HALO)

Granted DLC isn't the most affordable option, but being able to export tracks off previous titles is great.

If GH let me do that, that would be wonderful. However, they don't. Nor do they intend on letting me.

Maybe Activision doesn't want people renting Guitar Hero and getting to keep the songs for five dollars. Who can blame them for that?

@jdawg

You fail to realize that while $60 for 48 songs, compared to $96 for the same amount on Rock Band is a deal, you're forgetting the option of picking and choosing what you want. RB2 came with 104 songs for $60. 58 cents a song is a steal, but would I have bought all 104 songs as DLC? Hell no. Not many people would have.

Discs always have a higher value, cause they're throwing every genre out there to have a wider audience, whether you like it or not. Then you can go choose which DLC you want. Even with the single band games. GH:A had 25 Aerosmith songs + 9 mostly filler masters for $60. How is that a deal?

i didn't fail to realize anything

bottom line is you are getting better value out of discs. that's all i said, I'm not worried about your pickiness. Aerosmith is the worst example. of course you wouldn't buy 100 songs as DLC cause it would cost $200 or $180. rb2 came with 84 songs. and aerosmith has about 42 songs on it.

also buying a disc is kind of cool anyway since you will stumble upon music you might have otherwise never came across. i can think of numerous songs that i listen to now on my mp3player that i discovered through RB or GH.

Screw disk swapping. No more money for you GH.

I don't even really care for Van Halen or Metallica anyway.

(Is Roto13 a member of the GH Defense Force?)

It's just really annoying to see so much hypocrisy flying around. People hauling random excuses out of their asses. "Oh, it's ok because you'll probably be able to export the songs." "Oh, it's fine because it's the Beatles." "Harmonix is allowed to do whatever they want because they're Harmonix." Come on. Double standards are bullshit.

Roto makes a good point.

Yet another case of Activision exploiting the dim-witted masses with something that should just be DLC

HAIL HARMONIX
HAIL HARMONIX

on the contrary... it is harmonix exploiting the dim-witted masses. they made them both and they also are raping you and your mom's wallet on DLC

It's like the Tony Hawk series but 3 times as fast.

Guitar Hero - the next Tony Hawk franchise

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Rumor: Activision preparing Guitar Hero: Van Halen

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