Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Zeppelin's Jimmy Page uncomfortable lending master recordings to rhythm gameshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/05/zeppelin-frontman-uncomfortable-lending-master-recordings-to-rhy/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/05/zeppelin-frontman-uncomfortable-lending-master-recordings-to-rhy/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/05/zeppelin-frontman-uncomfortable-lending-master-recordings-to-rhy/#commentsFiled under:


Many of us could write entire volumes of songs and bands we'd like to see in one or both of the reigning emperors of the rhythm genre, Rock Band and Guitar Hero -- we'd wager that included in everyone's wishlist is a track or twelve from the legendary early 70s rock outfit Led Zeppelin. Unfortunately, Zeppelin front man Jimmy Page recently hung a definitive "No Stairway" sign on the genre, citing his hesitance to lend game developers the band's valuable master tracks.

The reasons behind Page's apprehension are unknown -- perhaps it has to do with the recent news of the easily misplaceable nature of master recordings. We hope the group's co-founder can be persuaded to part with the recordings before the siren call of "Immigrant Song" swoons the games' developers, forcing them to include earnest but unsatisfying covers of Zeppelin's bigger tracks. Discerning ears know -- there really is no rock-scream like a Robert Plant rock-scream.

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]]>activisiondlcguitar-heroharmonixjimmy-pageled-zeppelinledzeppelinmaster-tracksrock-bandstairwaystairway-to-heavenGriffin McElroy2008-07-05T11:35:00+00:00Ohio library now loaning video gameshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/01/ohio-library-now-loaning-video-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/01/ohio-library-now-loaning-video-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/01/ohio-library-now-loaning-video-games/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Eager bookworms visiting the Washington-Centerville Public Library in Centerville, Ohio, will face exposure to the new-fangled "video game" entertainment medium, as the library will now be loaning PS2, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 games. According to the Dayton Daily News, the library will carry two categories of games: Titles aimed at families, and ones aimed at players aged 10 and up (sans adult-only games). Each game will be available for one-week loan with the option of one renewal.

You can check for yourself which games are available in the library's online catalog, though the Dayton Daily News has gone and confirmed the presence of Guitar Hero, Kung-Fu Panda, Madden NFL 08 and, err, Iron Man. That one's probably meant to frighten the kids into reading books again.

[Via Shacknews]

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]]>Guitar-HeroIron-ManLibraryLoanMaddenLudwig Kietzmann2008-07-01T19:55:00+00:00Guitar Hero III getting free 'Top Gun Anthem' DLChttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/01/guitar-hero-iii-getting-free-top-gun-anthem-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/01/guitar-hero-iii-getting-free-top-gun-anthem-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/01/guitar-hero-iii-getting-free-top-gun-anthem-dlc/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In celebration of this week's Fourth of July holiday, Activision plans to serenade Guitar Hero III players with in-your-face patriotism and ambiguous homo-eroticism -- that's right, the "Top Gun Anthem" will be available as a free download on July 3rd. The film's instrumental theme, obtainable from both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, is sure send your fingers up and down your instrument as you dream of being Val Kilmer's wingman. No, Tom Cruise's wingman!

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]]>ActivisionDLCGuitar-HeroGuitar-Hero-IIILegends-of-RockMusicPSNTop-GunXbox-LiveLudwig Kietzmann2008-07-01T11:55:00+00:00McFarlane Toys casting Guitar Hero in plastichttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/mcfarlane-toys-casting-guitar-hero-in-plastic/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/mcfarlane-toys-casting-guitar-hero-in-plastic/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/mcfarlane-toys-casting-guitar-hero-in-plastic/#commentsFiled under:


You have room on your desk, right? Right there between the Varia Suit Samus statue and Battle Armor Skeletor sits a space just begging to be filled. Now, McFarlane Toys, whose figs have more in common with plastic sculptures than actual toys, has announced plans to fill that space on your already crowded desk with figures based on Guitar Hero this November.

Already known for creating figures based on other video game properties such as Metal Gear Solid and Halo, McFarlane Toys has announced a manly lineup of four Guitar Hero personalities, each featuring 15-18 moving parts and a price between $10-15. The first wave of plastic rockers will include Johnny Napalm, Lars Ümlaut, Axel Steel, and God of Rock, while Casey Lynch and Judy Nails cheer lead the first wave from the sidelines.

Gallery: Guitar Hero McFarlane Toys

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]]>guitar-heroguitarheromcfarlanemcfarlane-toysmcfarlanetoystoysJason Dobson2008-06-27T10:00:00+00:00Activision and MTV Games in talks for Beatles cataloghttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/activision-and-mtv-games-in-talks-for-beatles-catalog/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/activision-and-mtv-games-in-talks-for-beatles-catalog/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/activision-and-mtv-games-in-talks-for-beatles-catalog/#commentsFiled under: ,


While we may find ourselves favoring Rock Band's a la carte offerings far more than Activision's band-themed bundles, we're not sure whose model will win in the long run. Take the Beatles for example: getting the notoriously protective (note: they're not even on iTunes) band's tracks onto either offering (or both!) would be a huge coup, to be sure, but wouldn't Guitar Hero: Beatles be more attractive to the license holder than some downloadable tracks for Rock Band?

FT.com revisits the pursuit and reports that, perhaps unsurprisingly, Beatles "representatives have held discussions with both Activision and MTV Games" in pursuit of a "final deal [that] would be worth several million dollars" and "could be reached in a matter of weeks." Well, we'll be here in a matter of weeks ... say, E3 would be a really nice time to announce something. We're just sayin' ...

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]]>ActivisionGuitar-HeroMTVRed-OctaneRock-BandThe-BeatlesChristopher Grant2008-06-23T13:09:00+00:00Coldplay's new single, two more tracks coming to Guitar Hero IIIhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/coldplays-new-single-two-more-tracks-coming-to-guitar-hero-iii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/coldplays-new-single-two-more-tracks-coming-to-guitar-hero-iii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/coldplays-new-single-two-more-tracks-coming-to-guitar-hero-iii/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Just in case you hadn't heard via, oh, every manner of media possible, British rockers Coldplay will have a new album, Viva la Vida, on shelves (and your favorite music download service) June 17. Today Activision announced that a dose of Coldplay DLC will hit Guitar Hero III two days later on June 19.

The Coldplay track pack will contain three songs, including "Violet Hill," the first single from Viva la Vida. "Yellow" and "God Put a Smile on Your Face" from the album A Rush of Blood to the Head round out the set. Activision has yet to price the goods, but three-song packs have historically run 500 MS points via Xbox Live and $6.25 on PSN.

[update: Activision sends along confirmation that the Coldplay track pack will, in fact, set you back 500 MS points or $6.25 on XBL and PSN, respectively.]

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]]>activisioncoldplaydlcguitar-heroguitar-hero-iiipsnxblmxbox-liveRandy Nelson2008-06-13T16:30:00+00:00Guitar Hero III DLC brings Kaiser Chiefs, Sex Pistols, Kasabianhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/12/guitar-hero-iii-dlc-brings-kaiser-chiefs-sex-pistols-kasabian/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/12/guitar-hero-iii-dlc-brings-kaiser-chiefs-sex-pistols-kasabian/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/12/guitar-hero-iii-dlc-brings-kaiser-chiefs-sex-pistols-kasabian/#commentsFiled under: , ,


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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]]>activisionactivision-blizzarddlcguitar-heroguitar-hero-3guitar-hero-iiiScott Jon Siegel2008-06-12T23:00:00+00:00Counting Rupees: You drink their milkshakehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/06/counting-rupees-you-drink-their-milkshake/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/06/counting-rupees-you-drink-their-milkshake/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/06/counting-rupees-you-drink-their-milkshake/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks contribute Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming:

Guitar Hero IV is on its way, and with it are coming individual games themed around Metallica, Aerosmith, and others. This follows the strategy highlighted by Activision CEO Robert Kotick last year, in which the executive promised shareholders to fully "exploit" the company's franchises on an annual basis. The immediate response of gamers was almost exclusively negative, not least because the prospect has connotations of poor quality and high pricing. Although Activision may be the only company to announce its strategy so publicly, it's hardly the only adopting these kinds of tactics. If it irritates gamers so much, why do companies in the industry do this? And is it as bad as it seems?

I would argue that the answer isn't as clear-cut as it looks at first glance. Let's start with why companies do this in the first place. Perhaps unsurprisingly, most people would immediately answer, "To make more money." Yet the logical implication - that "more money" comes from game players out there who are actually still purchasing these games - doesn't always come concurrently. If games were really being driven into the ground to the point that they lacked any redeeming features, no one would buy them; so there must be some value here for somebody. In short, this is more of a shorthand argument amounting to what a given gamer no longer finds interesting, is something in which no one should still be interested.

Additionally, it's worth noting that many of the "sequels" in question are not, in fact, pure sequels. Take Guitar Hero's single-artist titles - although there are quite a few numerically, they're really distinct flavors. Is a Metallica fan really likely to also purchase an Aerosmith game? Probably not - even though the two games are from the same franchise, there's really not a lot of overlap between the two. By creating the two products separately, Activision has probably done these fans a favor: They no longer have to purchase a package of bundled songs they may not be remotely interested in.

"Gamers should be careful not to confuse pursuit of low-hanging fruit with malice."
Perhaps the best theoretical argument against copycat games is the notion that they crowd out innovation, suppressing new and interesting ideas that would otherwise break through into the industry. Unfortunately, I think this view is also often misguided. Companies ultimately make games that they think people want to buy. This means that, frequently, they will chase trends, developing titles that ape other successful games that sold well. Almost as frequently, they will chase those trends too late: the substantial lag between conceptualization, development, and ultimate sale means that consumer tastes may very well change before a game comes out. For example, there are way too many MMOs out there right now for the potential population of players - yet many of those have already been in development for so long that it made more financial sense to complete them than to drop them entirely. (I remain surprised that there are developers continuing to make so many of them.) Yet this is ultimately a problem with consumer tastes and fashion; if publishers weren't chasing that specific trend, they'd be chasing a different one. The sad fact is that edgy, interesting, cutting edge games have the same problem that movies of that variety have: Not that many people are interested in them, because the money is in the mainstream.

Finally, the gaming industry is, in many respects, largely built on iteration. Admittedly, some genres, like the RTS, have failed to move much beyond even their most ancient predecessors - you'd be hard-pressed to find substantive conceptual differences between Command & Conquer 3 and the first game in the series. But most progress in gaming, like that in so many other industries, is methodical, the slow accretion of new feature upon new feature. Transformative, innovative change is just uncommon, whether in gaming or, say, physics. And the financial incentive to go after nice, large markets is substantial. Gamers should be careful not to confuse pursuit of low-hanging fruit with malice.

As co-editors of A Link To The Future, Geoff and Jeff like to discuss, among many other topics, the business aspects of gaming. Game companies often make decisions that on their face appear baffling, or even infuriating, to many gamers. Yet when you think hard about them from the company's perspective, many other decisions are eminently sensible, or at least appeared to be so based on the conditions at the time those choices were made. Our goal with this column is to start a conversation about just those topics. While neither Geoff nor Jeff are employed in the game industry, they do have professional backgrounds that are relevant to the discussion. More to the point, they don't claim to have all the answers -- but this is a conversation worth having. You can reach them at

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]]>ActivisionCounting-RupeesGuitar-HeroGuitar-Hero-AerosmithGuitar-Hero-MetallicaGeoffrey Brooks2008-06-06T15:15:00+00:00Try Guitar Hero: On Tour one week early at Toys R Ushttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/06/try-guitar-hero-on-tour-one-week-early-at-toys-r-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/06/try-guitar-hero-on-tour-one-week-early-at-toys-r-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/06/try-guitar-hero-on-tour-one-week-early-at-toys-r-us/#commentsFiled under: ,

Some of us here at Joystiq still remember the first time we played Super Mario 64, at a Toys "R" Us kiosk set up a month before the game and the Nintendo 64 system were officially released. Compared to that, a four-hour long in-store sneak peak for Guitar Hero: On Tour might not seem as revolutionary, but hey, we'll take what we can get.

Players eager for some portable shredding can head to their local TRU between noon and 4 p.m. on June 14 -- one week before the game's June 22 release. Besides getting the opportunity to "prove their shredding skills on the most diverse set list of master tracks ever offered in a Guitar Hero game," as the release puts it, attendees will also receive a "complimentary Guitar Hero sticker, dog tag, and temporary tattoo." Caution: Wearing all three at once may actually transform you into a rock god, accidentally raining rock-infused destruction on the surrounding area. You've been warned.

[Via Press Release]

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]]>Activisionguitar-heroguitar-hero-on-tourToys-r-usKyle Orland2008-06-06T13:15:00+00:00PSN Thursday: Novastrike, Civ Rev demo, Commando 3, much morehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/psn-thursday-novastrike-civ-rev-demo-commando-3-much-more/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/psn-thursday-novastrike-civ-rev-demo-commando-3-much-more/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/psn-thursday-novastrike-civ-rev-demo-commando-3-much-more/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Big fat update this week. For starters, it's time for PS3 owners to jump in the pool and try out the Civilization Revolution demo. So far, our thoughts are positive, but conflicted. PC Civilization players will jump right in and notice some major changes, but will console gamers find joy in the methodical (yet incredibly streamlined) Civ gameplay?

Enough thinking, what about some twitch action? The free God of War theme for GH III is available today, along with the PSN's first game self-published by a developer, Novastrike. Also, storming out of left field is Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3. There's also a couple other nice additions in this week's update, so check it out after the break.

The PS3 Fanboy's got your European PSN update on their site, but be sure to bring chocolates. They like chocolates.

Qore Digital Magazine:
  • Qore Episode 001: June, 2008
Downloadable Games:
  • Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 ($10)
  • Novastrke ($10)
Add-on Content:
  • GH III God of War theme (Free)
  • GH III: Motorhead track pack -- "Stay Clean," "(We Are) The Road Crew" and "Motorhead" by Motorhead.
  • Rock Band DLC
Game Demos (free):
  • Civilization Revolution
  • Battlefield: Bad Company MP
  • NASCAR '09
Game Videos:
  • Guitar Hero III - God of War add-on
  • Resident Evil 5 Spring Trailer 2008
  • Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 Trailer
  • LEGO Indiana Jones Trailer
  • Dead Space Story Trailer
  • Fracture Trailer and Behind the Scenes "Story"
  • Hail to the Chimp: 3:00AM
PS3 Themes:
  • Retro
Game Music (Free):
  • God of War "The End Begins"
PlayStation Store for PC:
  • SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2 ($16)
  • SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2 trailer
  • SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2 TV Spot 1
  • SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2 TV Spot 2
  • SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2 Wallpaper (x4)
  • SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2 music tracks (x5)

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]]>civilization-revolutioncommando-3ghiiigod-of-warguitar-heroguitar-hero-iiinovastrikepsnpsn-storepsn-thursdayAlexander Sliwinski2008-06-05T20:20:00+00:00Five new Guitar Hero III track packs in June, Motörhead up firsthttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/five-new-guitar-hero-iii-track-packs-in-june-motorhead-up-first/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/five-new-guitar-hero-iii-track-packs-in-june-motorhead-up-first/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/five-new-guitar-hero-iii-track-packs-in-june-motorhead-up-first/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Fret no more, for there is new reason to hold onto thy fret! Activision has announced that five new downloadable track packs for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will be made available in the month of June. The first pack, a trio of songs from British band Motörhead, is already available on the Xbox Live Marketplace, and should follow on the PlayStation Network later today.

The only other release announced thus far is the Isle of Wight pack. The Isle of Wight is not, you'll note, a band, but a music festival held in 2007. Three of its "most memorable performances" have been converted into colorful note charts, with Kasabian, Kaiser Chiefs and The Sex Pistols providing the music. So, in summary:

Motörhead Track Pack (5 June / 500 MS Points / $6.25)
 Isle of Wight Track Pack (12 June / Price unconfirmed, but likely to be same as above)

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]]>ActivisionDLCGuitar-HeroGuitar-Hero-IIIKaiser-ChiefsKasabianMotorheadPSNSex-PistolsXBLMXbox-LiveLudwig Kietzmann2008-06-05T13:25:00+00:00God of War track hits PS3 Guitar Hero III todayhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/god-of-war-track-hits-ps3s-guitar-hero-iii-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/god-of-war-track-hits-ps3s-guitar-hero-iii-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/god-of-war-track-hits-ps3s-guitar-hero-iii-today/#commentsFiled under: ,

Having mastered every single one of Guitar Hero III's songs (including that one), perhaps you and your freakish, mutant fingers are yearning for some new notes to enliven those increasingly soporific shredding sessions. If you've got a PlayStation 3 copy of Activision's guitar 'em up, why not grab the promised God of War track, "The End Begins (to Rock)," from the PSN later today? It's epic, it's free and it sounds like this.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

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]]>ActivisionGod-of-WarGuitar-HeroGuitar-Hero-IIIMusicPSNSCEALudwig Kietzmann2008-06-05T08:00:00+00:00Rock out! Guitar Hero: On Tour DS bundle spottedhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/rock-out-guitar-hero-on-tour-ds-bundle-spotted/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/rock-out-guitar-hero-on-tour-ds-bundle-spotted/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/rock-out-guitar-hero-on-tour-ds-bundle-spotted/#commentsFiled under: ,


Toys 'R' Us has given us the first look at a definite must-have for any on-the-go wannabe rock god. Priced at $179.99, the limited edition Nintendo DS Guitar Hero Bundle includes the game, Guitar Grip, and a swanky two-toned silver & black DS Lite with silkscreened Guitar Hero logo. (You know, in case the stylus strumming and shouts of "Star Power!" don't give away what game you're playing.)

The bundle goes on sale June 29, one week after the, er ... "light rock" version of Guitar Hero: On Tour. Given all the evidence, we're pretty much convinced Nintendo is going for some kind of record for "most bundles and color variations of a handheld gaming system ever."

[Via 1UP]

Read - Joystiq hands-on: Guitar Hero: On Tour

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]]>activisiondsguitar-heroguitar-hero-on-tourlimited-editionnintendoRandy Nelson2008-06-03T23:55:00+00:00Guitar Hero: Metallica coming before Q1 2009http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/guitar-hero-metallica-coming-before-q1-2009/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/guitar-hero-metallica-coming-before-q1-2009/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/guitar-hero-metallica-coming-before-q1-2009/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Wedbush Morgan analyst -- no, not that one -- Edward Woo uncovered some interesting news after sifting through an Activision SEC filing this week. According to the filing (via Gamespot), the company plans to launch Guitar Hero: Metallica in Fiscal 2009, which, for Activision, is anytime between now and March 31, 2009.

No other details are known about the game other than its existence. Will it be guitar-only or multi-instrumental a la the upcoming Guitar Hero World Tour? Regardless, we're guessing that long-awaited new single won't debut on Rock Band anymore.

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]]>activisionbreakingnewsguitar-heroguitar-hero-metallicametallicaRoss Miller2008-06-02T16:15:00+00:00Joystiq hands-on: Guitar Hero: Aerosmithhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/joystiq-hands-on-guitar-hero-aerosmith/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/joystiq-hands-on-guitar-hero-aerosmith/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/joystiq-hands-on-guitar-hero-aerosmith/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


click to enlarge

It's Guitar Hero III ... now with lots more Aerosmith! Seriously though, at Activision's hands-on debut event for the stepping stone to Guitar Hero World Tour, we couldn't help but feel a strong overwhelming sense of déjà vu.

That's probably because, for all intents and purposes, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is GH3 with polygonal likenesses of the legendary rockers, a story mode that follows their rise to fame, lots of their songs, and a few tracks from other bands to sweeten the deal.

Gallery: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (Xbox 360)


click to enlarge

It's Guitar Hero III ... now with lots more Aerosmith! Seriously though, at Activision's hands-on debut event for the stepping stone to Guitar Hero World Tour, we couldn't help but feel a strong overwhelming sense of déjà vu.

That's probably because, for all intents and purposes, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is GH3 with polygonal likenesses of the legendary rockers, a story mode that follows their rise to fame, lots of their songs, and a few tracks from other bands to sweeten the deal.

Gallery: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (Xbox 360)

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]]>activisionguitar-heroguitar-hero-aerosmithhands-onhandsonjoystiqfeaturesneversoftredoctaneRandy Nelson2008-06-02T13:00:00+00:00Joystiq hands-on: Guitar Hero: On Tourhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/joystiq-hands-on-guitar-hero-on-tour/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/joystiq-hands-on-guitar-hero-on-tour/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/joystiq-hands-on-guitar-hero-on-tour/#commentsFiled under: ,

You've heard about the game. You've seen the crazy "Guitar Grip" peripheral. You've wondered: "Can the DS really pull off a proper Guitar Hero?" Last night we sat down, strapped a DS to one hand, and held a special pick-shaped stylus in the other to answer that question for you ... and ourselves.

Surrounded by a gaggle of other gamers having their first go on the game, we heard shouts of "Rock on!" and "Star Power!," cementing in our minds that this was going to be an even more atypical Guitar Hero experience than we had imagined. Fortunately, it was a lot like the Guitar Hero experience we've grown to love over various console incarnations, too.

Gallery: Guitar Hero: On Tour (5-30-08)

You've heard about the game. You've seen the crazy "Guitar Grip" peripheral. You've wondered: "Can the DS really pull off a proper Guitar Hero?" Last night we sat down, strapped a DS to one hand, and held a special pick-shaped stylus in the other to answer that question for you ... and ourselves.

Surrounded by a gaggle of other gamers having their first go on the game, we heard shouts of "Rock on!" and "Star Power!," cementing in our minds that this was going to be an even more atypical Guitar Hero experience than we had imagined. Fortunately, it was a lot like the Guitar Hero experience we've grown to love over various console incarnations, too.

Gallery: Guitar Hero: On Tour (5-30-08)

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]]>activisiondsguitar-heroguitar-hero-on-tourhandsonjoystiqfeaturesredoctanevicarious-visionsRandy Nelson2008-05-30T13:00:00+00:00Guitar Hero: On Tour's disturbing demo videohttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/28/guitar-hero-on-tours-disturbing-demo-video/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/28/guitar-hero-on-tours-disturbing-demo-video/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/28/guitar-hero-on-tours-disturbing-demo-video/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Good news: There's a video that demonstrates what the gameplay for Guitar Hero: On Tour is going to be like on the Nintendo DS. Bad news: The video is painful to watch. Like, cringe inducing to the point that you may break your neck as your head tries to bury itself into your body.

We don't know if this video was even officially released; as of this writing, the versions on both GameVideos and GameTrailers were user submitted. We checked with contacts at both sites but, to the best of our knowledge, Activision didn't send this out in any official capacity (after watching, it's pretty easy to guess why).

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]]>dsguitar-heroguitar-hero-on-tourAlexander Sliwinski2008-05-28T23:00:00+00:00Guitar Hero III Mobile sells a millionhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/28/guitar-hero-iii-mobile-sells-a-million/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/28/guitar-hero-iii-mobile-sells-a-million/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/28/guitar-hero-iii-mobile-sells-a-million/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Guitar Hero III Mobile has sold over a million units according to publisher Hands-On Mobile, which had previously announced that the game had also seen over 7.5 million song downloads in under six months. Mobile phones are one thing, but we still have to wonder whether we'll see people playing Guitar Hero DS on the train in the morning.

As there's obviously a market for this title, we might as well mention that the June song pack for the game will feature "Stricken" by Disturbed, along with covers of "Talk Dirty to Me" by Poison and "Rock and Roll All Nite" by KISS. We want to try and understand why people download GH Mobile, but we just hope Phase is doing as well.

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]]>ghiiiguitar-heroguitar-hero-iii-mobileguitar-hero-mobilehands-on-mobileAlexander Sliwinski2008-05-28T20:00:00+00:00Activision CEO introduces Guitar Hero World Tourhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/28/activision-ceo-introduces-guitar-hero-world-tour/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/28/activision-ceo-introduces-guitar-hero-world-tour/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/28/activision-ceo-introduces-guitar-hero-world-tour/#commentsFiled under: , ,

At the All Things Digital 6 conference, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick took the stage for an interview with Kara Swisher. During the session, Kotick introduced and showed off to the audience Guitar Hero World Tour. "I tried to get [Yahoo and Microsoft execs] Jerry Yang, Steve Ballmer, Sue Decker and Bill Gates to play Guitar Hero, but they weren't interested."

Instead, Kotick had Paula Abdul pull four people from the audience -- one of them just happened to be legendary skateboarder (and Activision franchiser) Tony Hawk -- to play an unnamed Lenny Kravitz song (we're guessing "Are You Gonna Go My Way," since it was used in the trailer). We've embedded the video, which features some in-game footage, after the break.

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]]>activisionbobby-kotickbreakingnewsguitar-heroguitar-hero-ivguitar-hero-world-tourkotickRoss Miller2008-05-28T18:00:00+00:00Brett Ratner to make game-based movieshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/27/brett-ratner-to-make-game-based-movies/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/27/brett-ratner-to-make-game-based-movies/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/27/brett-ratner-to-make-game-based-movies/#commentsFiled under:

You may have noticed Guitar Hero popping up in some unexpected places, like last week's American Idol finale or in the new Mariah Carey video "Touch My Body." What may come as a surprise is who you have to thank for the product placement: None other than Brett Ratner, responsible for the epic Rush Hour trilogy and for murdering the X-Men franchise. Ratner's new branding company has tasked itself with melding popular culture and marketing.

Ratner's gaming connections won't end with plastic guitars though: The director says he'll "be doing movies that come from videogames," specifically citing his access to the Activision brain trust. We've already begun hoping for Call of Duty while fully expecting Soldier of Fortune: Payback.

[Via Eurogamer]

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]]>activisionbrett-ratnerguitar-heromoviesJustin McElroy2008-05-27T11:15:00+00:00