Joystiq

'I am Murloc' track creeping onto Guitar Hero 3 tomorrow

Christopher Grant — 2008-06-25T15:14:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360

Though the corporate merger between Activision and Blizzard is still some months off, that hasn't stopped the two from getting awfully cozy lately, spending long, wine-filled evenings in each other's embrace, the soothing sound of Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain cascading against their warm bodies ...

... before we get too far, that reminds us: L70ETC's number-one hit single (for WoW players) "I Am Murloc" will be available for Guitar Hero 3 on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 platforms beginning tomorrow. Apparently the song is promotionally related to this weekend's Worldwide Invitational in Paris - not to mention that upcoming game announcement - but we know what it's really about. It's business time.

[Via WoW Insider]

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Guitar Hero III DLC brings Kaiser Chiefs, Sex Pistols, Kasabian

Scott Jon Siegel — 2008-06-12T23:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Rhythm

Following the Motörhead set earlier this month, more Guitar Hero III downloadable content lands on the PS3 and Xbox 360 today, with the three-song Isle of Wight Track Pack now available on both consoles for purchase and download.

The pack features "Problems [live at Brixton] by The Sex Pistols, "Shoot the Runner" by Kasabian, and "I Predict a Riot" by Kaiser Chiefs. The set costs 500 Microsoft Points, or $6.25 USD on PS3. For a taste, check out the above video for Kasabian's "Shoot the Runner." It's kinda rockin'.

[Via X3F]

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Rumorong: Rock Band tracks not on South Park: Season 11 DVDs

Alexander Sliwinski — 2008-05-16T17:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Rhythm, Business

The website which reported that three Rock Band tracks would be packaged with the South Park: Season 11 DVDs has now taken that bit of info back. TVShowsonDVD.com says that a Paramount representative informed them the information was incorrect, but that there will be other bonus materials in the release. South Park's eleventh season had the infamous "Guitar Queer-o" episode.

Considering South Park had an entire episode about Guitar Hero, it would have been a little weird if the DVDs came with Rock Band downloads. However things got mixed up, it's a little sad to see the info turn out false -- unless the "bonus materials" end up being Guitar Hero III tracks.

[Via X3F]

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New Def Leppard single to hit GH3 before retail

Kyle Orland — 2008-04-11T11:50:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Rhythm

We've known for a while that inclusion on a video game soundtrack can help drive music sales, but usually the song in question is actually available for sale when it appears in the game. Not so for Def Leppard's new single, "Nine Lives," which will premiere as a downloadable Guitar Hero III track before it's available at retail or other online services. No F-f-f-foolin'!

The track, which comes as part of a Def Leppard pack along with classics "Rock of Ages" and "Photograph," will be available on April 24th in the U.S. and May 8th in the U.K. The album "Songs from the Sparkle Lounge" follows soon after on April 28 (digital download) and May 5 (physical disc).

"I know from personal experience how much more you get into the music by playing the game," said Def Leppard Lead Singer Joe Elliott in a press release. "Guitar Hero is extremely popular with all kinds of music heads, which includes a lot of our fans - and we think releasing Nine Lives this way first is just fantastic!"

[Via X3F]

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Activision settles suit over Wii Guitar Hero's mono sound

Kyle Orland — 2008-04-08T14:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Rhythm

Those replacement discs and free guitar faceplates that Activision has been sending to jilted, mono-version buyers of Wii's Guitar Hero III are now enshrined in law. Gamespot is reporting that the publisher has officially settled the class-action lawsuit brought late last year by gamers who were angry over getting fewer sound channels than they were promised by the game's marketing and packaging.

The settlement stipulates that wronged parties will be able to get a replacement disc and a free faceplate through Aug. 31. It might not quite be the full profit stripping that the original suit sought, but we suppose it is something to have the replacement program enshrined in the law.

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Guitar Hero III squeezes out version for BlackBerry

Alexander Sliwinski — 2008-04-01T22:20:00+00:00

Filed under: Rhythm, Business, Mobile

Poor Bessy, the Guitar Hero cow is getting her teats squeezed raw by Activision. Hands-On Mobile announced another addition to the GH III oeuvre as the "number one selling" mobile version of Guitar Hero III became available for BlackBerry smartphones. Come on Bessy, just keep squirting.

According to Hands-On the mobile version of Guitar Hero III has achieved 7.5 million song downloads in less than six months and will be available on the nation's top four mobile carriers by April. Oh well, more power to 'em. Observing someone play GH III on a phone can't possibly be more awkward than it'll be watching someone play the DS version of GH III on the subway in the morning.

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Tabulator: Guitar Hero / Rock Band guitar compatibility

Ross Miller — 2008-03-24T19:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Features, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Rhythm

In light of today's official Rock Band Wii announcement, we asked Harmonix if there was any chance the Guitar Hero 3 controller would be compatible with Rock Band (and vice versa). The response was less than hopeful, with Harmonix telling us it's up to Activision -- in other words, no. On the bright side, it gives us an opportunity to update our Guitar Compatibility Guide. Check it out after the break.

Xbox 360
Rock Band Stratocaster	Yes	No*	No**
Guitar Hero 3 Les Paul	Yes	Yes	Yes
Guitar Hero 2 Xplorer	Yes	Yes	Yes

PlayStation 3
Rock Band Stratocaster	Yes	No
Guitar Hero 3 Les Paul	No	Yes
Nintendo Wii
Rock Band Stratocaster	Yes	No
Guitar Hero 3 Les Paul	No ***	Yes

Notes:
* Can navigate menus, but during the songs the green button is stuck down, orange is red, and everything else is dead
** Interestingly, the drums are recognized, so you can actually navigate menus using them, but playing songs is a no go.
*** From Harmonix spokesperson: "Support for the GHIII guitar peripherals in Rock Band on the Wii was not possible without Activision's permission. Therefore, any questions regarding lack of compatibility with GH III hardware should be directed to Activision."

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Dropkick Murphys pack now available, free in Guitar Hero III

Justin McElroy — 2008-03-13T08:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Rhythm

Just in time for your weekend St. Patrick's Day celebrations (you're not really going to party on a Monday are you?) comes a trio of Dropkick Murphys songs for Guitar Hero III, available right now on Xbox Live and (we're assuming) a little later in the day on PSN.

The pack includes "Famous for Nothing", "Flannigan's Ball" and "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya", all master tracks and all from their album The Meanest of Times. Now, before you go complaining that they're not the DKM songs you would have chosen, you should know that the pack is free, free, totally free. Not bad for a holiday usually only good for "you're not wearing green" pinches from the 55-year-old woman in accounting.

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Rock Band outsells Guitar Hero III on Xbox 360 in January

Alexander Sliwinski — 2008-02-15T12:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Business

IGN reports January's NPD data shows that the Rock Band bundle on Xbox 360 barely beat out Guitar Hero III in sales for the month. This would be the first time Rock Band has been able to catch GH III on any of the platforms it is available on. Although it would be easy to dismiss the accomplishment because GH III had already sold millions before Rock Band was even out of the gate, it does mean consumers don't think of Guitar Hero as the end all music game.

Despite Rock Band's higher price point for the full bundle, it appears gamers are willing to spend the extra cash for the "platform." Sales of the game have been steady and the the constant flow of DLC has come back to MTV/Harmonix in a river of cash. With the announcement by Activision of retail game Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it's become clear that Activision and MTV/Harmonix have very different ideas on how to establish longevity for the franchises.

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Joyswag: Win Guitar Hero III on your platform of choice

Christopher Grant — 2008-02-11T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Joyswag, Rhythm

[Update: Entry period is over, folks. We're selecting our winners and contacting them by email, so go check!]

We've been feeling generous lately, so we're kicking this week off with another giveaway. This time, we're handing out five copies of Guitar Hero III. Yup, five ...

The well-dressed folks at Best Buy (they put on that launch party, remember?) set us up with three copies on each of the major now-gen consoles (that's Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3 for those of you who've been stuck in a time capsule), and we're giving away the two PlayStation 2 copies that Red Octane sent over, for a grand total of five full copies of the game (we're talking guitar and game disc). So, here's how this is going to work: You'll have five days to leave five comments for up to five chances to win one of five copies of the game.

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment on this post letting us know which console release you want AND your favorite guitar solo of all time (note: in accordance with federal law, "Stairway to Heaven" will not be considered an acceptable answer)
You must be a US resident, 18 years or older. (Which isn't very rock 'n roll, we know ...)
Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day. If you enter this giveaway more than once a day you'll be automatically disqualified, etc.!
This entry period ends in five days at 2:59pm ET Friday 2/15/08.
For complete rules you can tattoo up your arms, click here

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Today in Joystiq: January 10, 2008

Ross Miller — 2008-01-10T23:59:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Rhythm

You show one wood carving and all of a sudden an influx of tree-related game paraphernalia come into the tip line. Okay, so we really only got one tip -- from Patrick, who made a maple veneer faceplate for his Guitar Hero III controller. And to be honest, we're impressed - now do it for our Rock Band drum kit. Check out the highlights for today:

Joystiquery
Off the Grid reviews Horse Fair Card Game
X3F Week in Review: January 4, 2007 - January 10, 2007

News
GameTap Thursday: A new Sam & Max, what Moai could you ask for?
Crysis patch clamps water tessellation (finally!)
Portal 'First Slice' extended demo free for NVIDIA customers only
Burnout 3 coming to Xbox Originals Jan. 14
Smash Bros. Brawl's Multi-Man gets online co-op
CES 2008: NATAS honors Stormfront for original Neverwinter Nights
US Army hosts first ever Halo 3 Xbox Live tournament
Sony Japan discontinues 20GB & 60GB PS3
Valve acquires Left4Dead dev Turtle Rock Studios
Microsoft: Xbox 360 back compat 'winding down'
Crazy curved Alienware monitor perfect for Crysis
CES 2008: Hands-on with first public showing of Space Siege
GameStop sales increased 35% over last holiday
CES 2008: Conflict Denied Ops aims at non-existent 'casual FPS' market
They are amused, UK breaks game sales records
Gates: Xbox will be "most reliable" game system
TGS 2008 dated Oct. 9-12
Curt Schilling leaving baseball for game development

Rumors & Speculaiton
WiiWare launching in March, according to developer
Analysts sound off: What does Blu-ray winning mean to the PS3 and gamers?
Rumor: Microsoft looking to buy Logitech
Rumor: Vib Ribbon coming to Euro PSN

Culture & Community
NPR takes a condescending look at stories in games
FBI pays visit to nuclear reactor-building gamer
Do you want a Portal 2?

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Guitar Hero champ plays Guns n' Roses song with Slash on real guitar

Ross Miller — 2008-01-06T22:54:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, Microsoft Xbox 360, CES

Closing out this year's CES keynote, Microsoft's Robbie Bach invited Guitar Hero champion Kelly "TipperQueen" Law-Yone on stage to play Guns n' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" on Guitar Hero 3. Not willing to be outdone, keynote speaker Bill Gates brings out Slash - of Guns n' Roses fame - to play "Welcome to the Jungle" on a real guitar. We'll leave the real vs. virtual guitar debate to you and South Park. Instead, we'll just spend our time wishing for this performance - and The Office parody from earlier in the keynote - show up as online video soon.

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PSN Thursday: mostly jammin', a little juking

James Ransom-Wiley — 2008-01-03T20:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3

Today on PSN a double dose of Rock Band tunes finally squeezes its way through the pipeline, bringing with it a mess of Guitar Hero III tracks. If toy instruments aren't your forte, consider investing in some new cars for ProStreet (how can you resist a bimmer for a mere $2.50?) or shed those pads and wrap your arms around a real man in the free NFL Tour demo. That, or sit back and watch be jealous that Japan is actually playing GT5 Prologue.

Euro folk can peep this week's "surely not" offerings over on PS3 Fanboy. Full details of the US update are posted after the break.

Add-on Game Content

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

"Ernten Was Wir Säen" - Die Fantastischen Vier ($2.49)
"Antisocial" - Trust ($2.49)
"So Payaso" - Extremoduro($2.49)
Warner/Reprise Track Pack ("No More Sorrow" - Linkin Park; "Sleeping Giant" - Mastodon; Pretty Handsome Awkward" - The Used) ($6.25)

Rock Band

"Attack" - 30 Seconds to Mars ($0.99)
"The Kill" - 30 Seconds to Mars ($0.99)
"Dirty Little Secret" - All-American Rejects ($0.99)
"Move Along" - All-American Rejects ($0.99)
"Song With a Mission" - The Sounds ($0.99)
"Limelight" - Rush ($1.99)
"Hard to Handle" - The Black Crowes ($1.99)
"Gimme Three Steps" - Lynyrd Skynyrd ($1.99)

Need for Speed ProStreet

Shelby GT500 ($1.99)
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 ($2.49)
Lancer Evolution ($2.49)
BMW M3 E92 ($2.49)
Ford GT ($2.49)
Chevrolet Camaro Concept ($2.49)
Dodge Viper SRT10 ($2.99)

Demos

NFL Tour '09 (free)

Game Videos

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Japanese Launch Trailer (free)

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Best of the Rest: Griffin's Picks of 2007

Griffin McElroy — 2008-01-02T02:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Features, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (Wii)

For a port of a two-year-old game, RE4: Wii Edition didn't have a whole lot going for it. It had the same extra features as the PS2 port of the game, not-so-updated graphics, and slightly lower reviews than its original iteration -- and yet, somehow, just by changing how the game is controlled, Capcom created an entirely new adventure. When the peculiar controls for the Wii were first announced, this is the type of interactivity that I imagined from the future games for the system -- responsive, accurate, and realistic. The only way they could have made the gunplay feel any more natural would have been to package the game with an actual gun, which you shot at the on-screen zombies. Once.

Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl (DS)

Haters be damned -- I'm a Pokéfanatic. As such, my Best of the Rest list wouldn't be complete without this year's edition of the handheld monster catching series. Sure, certain elements of the game haven't changed since the days of Pokémons Blue and Red (two of my favorite games of all time), but the things I love about the series remain intact, and in some cases, improved. The music is amazing, the number of the titular creatures are increased, and the Squirtles are bluer than ever.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (DS)

At first consideration, casual puzzle games and role-playing games seem like two great tastes that, together, taste like stale poison. Casual games are supposed to be short, singular experiences that you can pick up and put down when need be; RPG's require you to embed yourself into the couch so you can soldier on until the next save point. Somehow, Puzzle Quest takes some of the best qualities of these two fields and blends them spectacularly, creating a clever hybrid genre. With the addictive character customization abilities of an RPG, and the even more addicting Bejeweled-esque gameplay, they might as well have titled it Heroin: The Game.

The Bigs (Xbox 360)

To those offended by the lack of sports titles on our Top Ten list, I offer you this consolation. It might lack the realism of MLB '07 and MLB 2k7, but it makes up for it with over-the-top gameplay and arcade style controls. Add on an incredibly enjoyable career mode and some incredible Angels in the Outfield-esque diving manuvers, and you've got the NFL Blitz of America's greatest pastime.

Crackdown (Xbox 360)

Crackdown, for me, was pretty hit-or-miss. The game was really only enjoyable when playing online co-op, and even then, the main story mode got pretty stale after a short time. Everything else, however, was buttercream. There's more ways to waste time in this city-sized sandbox than you could ever imagine, especially with the release of the "Keys to the City" content patch. I can't tell you how many hours I spent playing Crackdown Donkey Kong, cackling at my teammate's futile attempts to climb a skyscraper as I dropped dump trucks on him from its summit.

Disappointments

Mass Effect (Xbox 360) -- Mass Effect is in no way, shape, or form an unpleasant experience. It's a great way to spend 20 hours. It's an incredibly deep galactic chronicle. It's an evolution of narrative in video games. However, it is a terrible game. Does that make sense? The elements that make it a video game are terrible. The gunplay is clunky and unresponsive, as are the rest of the combat controls. The character customization and equipment screens are cumbersome and remarkably confusing. It seems as if BioWare designed the game so that the action would be something that happens between conversations and story development, an unfortunate reversal of the usual video game formula.
Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360) -- Not only does it feature one of the worst soundtracks ever featured in a Guitar Hero game (I only really enjoyed about five or six of the songs), but Activision managed to mangle both the art style and sense of humor that I loved so much about the first two versions of the game. Sidenote: Rocks the 80s was also junk, but I wouldn't label that as a disappointment, as my hopes for a Guitar Hero game composed entirely of 80s music were decidedly low.
Blue Dragon (Xbox 360) -- Somehow, the math just didn't add up. Any game being worked on by the creator of Final Fantasy and the developers of Chrono Trigger should be the most legendary RPG ever. How did Blue Dragon end up a repetitive, boring, ugly mess? We may never know.

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Guitar Hero III DLC: The Used Mastadon roams Linkin Park

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2007-12-14T20:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Rhythm

Well, perhaps the song selection will make more sense to you than the headline. Still not content with the initial track list in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Activision has revealed the contents of the rock 'n rhythmer's next set of downloadable content (but not the price, so no accusing them of pitching a con-tent just yet). Right, on to the content:

The Warner/Reprise Track Pack (master recordings)

"Pretty Handsome Awkward" by The Used
"Sleeping Giant" by Mastadon
"No More Sorrow" by Linkin Park

Single song downloads (courtesy of "popular European bands")

"So Payaso" by Extremoduro
"Antisocial" by Trust
"Ernten Was Wir Säen" by Die Fantastischen Vier

"Free, exclusive rock rendition" of a holiday classic

"We Three Kings" by Steve Ouimette

In fitting with tradition, you can expect the Warner/Reprise/Wrist Slasher Special track pack to cost $6.25 when it appears on the Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Network sometime in December. We'll let you know as soon we've confirmed the prices of the individual songs.

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Rock out with your block out: i am 8-bit guitar straps

Christopher Grant — 2007-12-11T22:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Peripherals

You're a rebel. You don't listen intently for thoughtful gift ideas before hitting the mall months ahead of the holiday shopping season. No, you march to your own tune - a tune, which we should add, is more than likely generated by clicking brightly colored plastic buttons on a plastic guitar - and you wait until the last minute to get your gift ideas from a blog, a video game blog, of all places.

Relax, you're amongst peers. Which is why we just had to show you these vinyl guitar straps with that i am 8-bit aesthetic we know you're so crazy about. Yeah, it's really a Christmas present for yourself, but you've been good this year, right? We thought so.

[Thanks, Kevin]

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Joystiq Holidaze: the guitar compatibility guide

Ross Miller — 2007-11-21T21:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Features, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Rhythm

'Tis the season for shredding plastic guitar controllers in a virtual environment for screaming, adoring virtual fans - do you know if your plastic axe can rock with your game? Through playtests and corroboration via other sources, we have combined three handy charts (one for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and now Wii) to let you know what guitar controllers work with what games.

First, the Xbox 360:


Rock Band Stratocaster	Yes	No*	No**
Guitar Hero 3 Les Paul	Yes	Yes	Yes
Guitar Hero 2 Xplorer	Yes	Yes	Yes


Rock Band Stratocaster	Yes	No
Guitar Hero 3 Les Paul	No	Yes

The Nintendo Wii, for that matter, also has a pretty easy-to-read chart:


Rock Band Stratocaster	Yes	No
Guitar Hero 3 Les Paul	No	Yes

So the PS3 and Wii guitars just don't play nicely together - they're punk rockers like that. The compatibility of each guitar and game can be updated later through software, but there's no guarantee either Rock Band developer Harmonix or Guitar Hero 3 developer Neversoft will put forth the effort.

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PSN Thursday: (Motor)storming through Uncharted territories

Ross Miller — 2007-11-08T17:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Action, Driving, Online, Rhythm

You've heard us talking about Uncharted: Drake's Fortune before, both in positive and less-than-positive lights. Now you'll get to decide for yourself. As planned, the demo for this PlayStation 3-exclusive title is heading to the PS Network today, along with a demo of College Hoops 2K8.

Additionally, Sony is giving Motorstorm fanatics some more content. The Devil's Weekend add-on ($5.99) includes a new track (Devil's Crossing), five new vehicles with three styles apiece, and The Devil's Weekend festival with nine new races. For Guitar Hero III, the Foo Fighters and Velvet Revolver packs that were previously announced for Xbox Live will also be available on the PS3 for $6.25 apiece.

An assortment of game videos and movie trailers, a new wallpaper featuring Call of Duty 4 is available for free, as well as three new themes (Classy Pink, Pixel and Nature) to spice up your new firmware update. More details after the break.

Update: Sony notes on the PlayStation blog that the Uncharted demo will only work on American PS3 systems due to a bug. The demo is still undergoing localization and will see official release in other territories at a later date.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Demos:

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (free)
College Hoops 2K8 (free)

Add-on Content:

MotorStorm Devil's Weekend ($5.99)
Guitar Hero III Foo Fighters Pack ($6.25)
Guitar Hero III Velvet Revolver Pack ($6.25)

Game Videos:

MotorStorm Devil's Weekend video (free)
Ratchet & Clank Future: ToD launch trailer (free)
Devil May Cry 4 TGS Trailer 2 (free)
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 Trailer (free)
Burnout Paradise "Carson GT" Trailer (free)
Burnout Paradise "Manhattan" Trailer (free)

Movie and Blu-ray Disc Trailers:

One Missed Call Trailer (free)
Sweeney Todd Trailer (free)
Hostel Part II Trailer (free)

Misc.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Wallpapers (free)
Three (3) themes: Classic Pink, Pixel and Nature (free)

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Metareview: Guitar Hero III (Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, Wii)

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2007-11-02T19:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Metareviews, Rhythm

The battle of the fake bands is about to commence, with Activision's instrument protagonist series swinging the first ax. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock seems to have struck a chord with most reviewers, prompting them to praise its track list and resort to awful music puns (see: above) to convey their satisfaction. Boss battles and some strumming sequences raise a few eyebrows, but at least Neversoft manages to handle the third entry in the franchise without drawing out Brett Ratner references. What say you to that, Rock Band?

1UP (90/100): "There's really not a whole lot to 'get' about Guitar Hero, but whatever there is, you absolutely have to get it right. If the song selection stinks, or if the note layouts are boring or don't make musical sense, or if the strum/fret timing is off...then the whole game suffers for it. These are the three critical components, and Neversoft absolutely nailed them. In fact, aside from a few misguided artistic choices and a new 'boss battle' feature, the developer transition would be virtually invisible to anyone who wasn't keeping up with the news. They 'got' Guitar Hero, and they got it good."
Games Radar (80/100): "It's hard to argue with Guitar Hero III's place in the series canon. By going real with the songs, next-gen with the graphics and online with the gameplay, it leaves the wishlist relatively barren. At the same time, it's not delivering us much new on the gameplay front, and in fact lags a bit in terms of smart strumming mechanics. Neversoft would do well to remember that the game doesn't play itself, and we need to be challenged/satisfied with how and what we shred."
Gamespot (80/100): "Sure, the difficulty can be vexing, but the game never loses that sense of 'just one more song' addictiveness, even at the height of its challenge level. Once you start playing, you'll be hooked for hours at a time, both online and off. It might ultimately just be more Guitar Hero, but that's hardly a bad thing--in fact, it's a great thing."

Gallery: Guitar Hero 3

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Rock Band strat may not rock with Guitar Hero 3

Ross Miller — 2007-10-27T01:06:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Peripherals, Rhythm

Although various guitar models provide disparate tonalities, string action, etc., they all still let you pluck through the arpeggio intro to Green Day's "Good Riddance" (we only wish it had such a power). Such is not the case for the virtual world of Guitar Hero 3 and Rock Band.

According to early tests conducted by IGN, the most compatible controller is Xbox 360's Guitar Hero 2 X-plorer model, which works with both upcoming titles, although you cannot use the special effects due to the lack of a five-way switch. The GH3 Les Paul controller works with everything except the PS2 version of GH2 (played on a PS3, natch) and, like the X-plorer, cannot activate effects.

Rock Band's Stratocaster, however, does not work with any Guitar Hero title on the Xbox 360. (IGN has not been able to test the PS3 version yet.) A statement released by Harmonix said, among other things, that they "welcome any 3rd party software that wishes to support Rock Band guitars. If a 3rd party guitar / music game does not support the Rock Band guitar controller, questions regarding this should be directed to the game manufacturer." There is no word yet from Guitar Hero publisher Activision. And when everything is finalized, we'll be sure to make you an colorful, easy-to-read compatibility chart.

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