Activision finally confirms Guitar Hero: Van Halen

by David Hinkle on May 7th 2009 10:15AM

Those Van Halen boys are likely happy today, as it marks the end of their need for silence regarding their long-rumored video game: Guitar Hero: Van Halen. Activision has confirmed to Joystiq that the title is in development and will release sometime during the second half of this year. Activision could not confirm any songs, and only said the game will contain Van Halen's "greatest hits," as well as guest acts such as Queen, Weezer, blink-182, The Offspring, Queens of the Stone Age, and more.

We've put in word to Activision to clarify if the game will be all David Lee Roth, or if fans will also get some Sammy Hagar and some Gary Cherone love. Well, okay, maybe not Gary Cherone. Nobody liked that guy.

Update: Activision's Senior Vice President of Global Brand Management (whew!) told us, "Oh this is definitely Van Halen, not Van Hagar," which is a plus since David Lee Roth is back with the band and they just finished a successful tour. There's a very slim chance that the rockers might show up at E3, so keep your eyes and ears peeled.

Tags: activision, guitar-hero, guitar-hero-van-halen, Microsoft, music, Nintendo, rhythm, van-halen, Wii, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (113)

I'm the rock 'n roll clown and I do cocaine!

kukukukukukukkYEAAAHH!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy8hxcAvuqY

!!!eniacoc od I

That should be an unlockable character.

My video was banned from music television, cause you could see my junk... through my jumpsuit.

Enough.

Van Halen has a horrible catalog to try and base a game around. It should really only be based on 2-3 albums. Who the hell wants to play the keyboard heavy era or the Hagar era? NOBODY, not even Van Halen themselves.

All I can say is bring on Guitar Hero: Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch.

Brown M and M's, I think they were

There had better not be any freakin' green M&Ms.

They're packaged in with the game. You can throw your own fit. Super realistic.

Technically, it was brown M&Ms. :)

Technically they're all brown to some extent

Reminds me of my time as a roadie you see I was looking for one thousand brown M&Ms to fill a brandy glass, or Ozzy wouldn't go on stage that night. So, Jeff Beck pops his head 'round the door, and mentions there's a little sweet shop on the edge of town. So - we go. And - it's closed. So there's me, and Keith Moon, and David Crosby, breaking into that little sweet shop, eh. Well, instead of a guard dog, they've got this bloody great big bengal tiger. I managed to take out the tiger with a can of mace, but the shopkeeper and his son that's a different story altogether.....I had to beat them to death with their own shoes. Nasty business, really, but sure enough I got the M&Ms, and Ozzy went on stage and did a great show.

Actually the M&M thing was a rather ingenious way of making sure the contract had been read, as it included things like weight requirements for equipment and if the stage was ready to handle the load, well...

Might as well jump.

...the shark.

They did that a long time ago with the GH series. Pretty much the day Rock Band came out, Guitar Hero began its fall into obscurity.

Not obscurity, just crapfulness.

Just stop it already! Why can't you just release a full album as DLC or something? Why does it have to be an entire game? Your DLC selection totally blows and could really use this kind of high profile stimulation. Not every single band in existence needs it's own Guitar Hero game.....bejesus.

Except Joe Satriani and Pantera. They both need GH games.

I'm hoping this game bombs. Nevervision could use the wake up call.

They are gonna milk this until we have a "The Captain & Tennille Hero".

Mrspacecowboy:

I said the same thing about the Aerosmith game. For a long time it hovered below 1mil units sold. I was happy. I thought this would kill their single band-centric games, but I checked last week and that horrible shit of a game still pumped out 2.5 mil units. Aerosmith? give me a freakin break. Van Halen has about as equally boring a catalog (thought their hits are better) so this one will probably do about the same.

@ oolz: I think it helps that the game is only $10 now (GH:A, that is)

No,because it's not a just playing Van Halen in the game,it's an entire experience. For people who are Van Halen fans,it's huge. With GH: Metallica all the character models were of the actual band and all the set pieces,loading screens,everything was customized for Metallica fans about THAT BAND.

If you want to just play a few Van Halen songs in the game,then wait for DLC,but that's not what these Guitar Hero: *Band name* titles are and not WHO they are for. They are full experiences of a certain band for their fans.

Personally I would shit for Guitar Hero: Iron Maiden but that won't ever happen so,pants are clean for the time being.

The difference with GH: Metallica is that Metallica is still current and still putting out platinum albums and selling out shows. Metallica is still a relevant band today. Spanning generations as they entertain new and old fans alike. I'd be surprised to see any footage in the game of full Van Halen mocap sessions and band interviews. They haven't even put out a new album in just over 10 years. And so do you really think Activi$ion is really putting this game out solely or Van Halen fans? Yeah, that's why Queens of the Stone Age and Weezer are in it.

Metallica hasn't been relevant ssince "...and justice for all."

http://thetyser.com/

Dammit, I came here to post that. Heeeeeeyyyyeeeeeeeaaah

That's frigging awesome...

I'm not necessarily saying this is a bad thing, but... Weezer and The Offspring in a Van Halen game? Huh?

Weezer's logo is an homage to Van Halen's. Also, I'm pretty sure Rivers was in a hair band before Weezer.

You know who DOES need their own GH game? Journey, that's who!

I would have to buy the Guitar Hero: Journey game, but only because my wife is in love with that band. But I would only buy it if they promise not to digitize Randy Jackson's likeness into the game. Oh, and they would have to use Steve Perry, not that guy that's not important enough to have a memorable name.

"Don't stop, believing!"

Last time I got my hair cut that song came on, and when it did the stylist stopped mid-haircut, turns over to her co-worker and sez:

"Heeey, you hear this song?"

"Yeeeah! I love this song! Journey. Journey rules."

"Yeah, Journey rocks, such a great song!"

"I know, Journey is great!"

God I almost lost it. Also, pet peeve, when you work in a larger office someone always seems to find a way to say "oh looks like you got a haircut. Did you get one cut or all of them HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHA"

Also, pet peeve, when you work in a larger office someone always seems to find a way to say "oh looks like you got a haircut. Did you get one cut or all of them HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHA"

I believe you'd get your ass kicked sayin' somethin' like that, man.

Sounds like someone's got a case of the.......Thursdays?

zeppelin needs their own game. preferably rock band, but i'll accept guitar hero.

No. Stop.

Why? For Van Halen fans,this is huge. An entire game,every aspect,dedicated to their all time favorite band.

But i'm sure your word is gospel and they shouldn't make games if you aren't the primary audience,right?

"[T]he game will contain...guest acts such as Queen [and] Queens of the Stone Age..."

Quite possibly the only two reasons I will add this to my GameFly queue.

Agreed. Along with Weezer...give us the Blue Album already!

Hell yes! Imagine playing your guitar to Brian Mays solo!!!
Bring it!!!

There was nothing wrong with Gary Cherone. The band itself (and, of course, Eddie) was just down in the crapper by the time he came in.

Nobody could've saved the post-1996 Van Halen, and the proof is that both Sammy and Dave have not been able to revive the band to make a new album. All we got from them were another "hits" album, an embarrasing tour, and now another derivative GH cash grab.

So please, don't hate on Gary.

in fact, the two good songs on that album were great (fire on the hole and without you). Gary did an amazing job. The problem was the album, which was garbage, and the fact that he was no everybody's dave.

Check it:
http://www.vhnd.com/2009/05/04/more-on-guitar-hero-van-halen/

Oh for gods sake! STOP MILKING THE GUITAR HERO FRANCHISE!

Give your support to Harmonix instead!

If you bothered to play Guitar Hero: Metallica you'd see why bands are jumping on the chance for their own game. Animated characters of the band, they get to chose the song list, the venues, adding fun facts about the band, music videos, etc, etc. Some bands fully deserve one, especially the legnendary ones. I wouldn't be surprised to see a Led Zepplin game some day. And don't get so high and mighty about Harmonix. They are heading this route too. Rock Band:The Beatles ring a bell? And I'm sure this is just the beginning.

I for one will be buying this game. Van Halen rocks! Here's to hoping for lots of Roth!

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Activision finally confirms Guitar Hero: Van Halen

Reader Comments (113)

Posted: May 7th 2009 10:20AM AirIntake said

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