GamesRadar - Guitar Hero II

Rock Band to Get Rob Zombie, Wolfmother, Morningwood, And More (News)

Oct 23, 2009

WorthPlaying writes, "Grammy Award-nominated American metal rocker and former White Zombie frontman Rob Zombie adds to his Rock Band DLC catalog (currently "War Zone") with three new tracks for the Rock Band platform, including "Dragula" and "Superbeast," from his debut solo album, Hellbilly Deluxe, as well as "Burn," from his new album, Hellbilly Deluxe 2, to be released Nov. 17. Zombie also has a film currently playing in theaters – Halloween 2, which he wrote, directed and produced."

GameStop starts huge Guitar Hero, Rock Band sale (News)

Jul 7, 2009

Ben Kuchera of ArsTechnica writes:

"The great thing about Guitar Hero and Rock Band packages is that they come in OMG-XBOX-HUGE packages. Why is that a great thing? Because boxes that big cost retailers money to store, which means that, with new rhythm games coming by the end of the year, it costs more to keep them around than it does to sell them at a huge discount. That means it's time to blast out existing inventory at OMG-GAMEBOY-MICRO prices. Let's take a look at what you can grab.

You have the name of the game, the system, the old price, and the price that the bundle is on sale for. If you don't have the game, or if you just need to pick up a few instruments to have as extras, this is a great time to do so."

Jack White and Jimmy Page diss 'Guitar Hero' video game (News)

Jun 23, 2009

Both Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) and Jack White (The White Stripes) spoke last week at a press conference in Los Angeles detailing their forthcoming 'It Might Get Loud' documentary, according to NME.

When asked for their thoughts on the popular video game music genre, the band members didn't exactly have any kind words to say.

"It's depressing to have a label come and tell you that ['Guitar Hero'] is how kids are learning about music and experiencing music," Jack White said. Though he said he doesn't care "which format people should get their music in…if you have to be in a video game to get in front of them, that's a little sad."

Gamestop.com Music Blowout Sale (News)

Jun 9, 2009

Gamestop.com is running a huge blowout sale for many different bundles of Rock Band, Rock Band 2 SE, and Guitar Hero.

Prince Talks About Guitar Hero, Turned Down an Offer to be in the Game (News)

May 1, 2009

Slashgamer: "Prince is considered to be one of the greatest musicians of our time. Honestly, even if for some reason you can't stand him, it's hard to argue his greatness, just look at his achievements. The artiest has won seven Grammy Awards, one Golden Globe and even an Academy Award for his work on Purple Rain.

Even with his legendary work, comes controversy. Without me getting to much into it, just go to his Wikipedia page and look under 'controversy.' With that said, PBS asked Prince on his thoughts about Guitar Hero. Although he didn't necessarily criticizes the rhythm game, he just doesn't think it should be a substitute for playing an actual guitar."

TalkRadar 43 - Not for adults? (Feature)

Mar 20, 2009

DOWNLOAD (Right-click, select "Save Link/Target As")MySpace | iTunes | TalkRadar forums 03-20-09 | 1:51:34 | Intro song by AnamanaguchiWARNING: Explicit ContentTalkRadar Archives

The Top 7… games you either love or hate If you’re in the middle, you’re in the crossfire.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars ReviewRockstar's small step backwards is still a giant leap ...

Gibson Loses Guitar Hero Lawsuit (News)

Mar 2, 2009

A California court has thrown out a lawsuit filed by legendary guitar maker Gibson against Activision for allegedly violating a patent with their Guitar Hero games.

Former Sega of America President Bernard Stolar lands new job at Vivo Products (News)

Feb 17, 2009

Consumer electronics manufacturer Vivo Products has announced a couple of changes in their corporate lineup today. Bernard Stolar has been appointed to Chairman of the Board and Kelli Richards assumes the role of VP Business Development&Content Partnerships.

Vivo currently boasts three products including a Jillian Michaels Flash Drive, Gene Simmons Axe, and the Vivo Video player. The famous Axe guitar from the legendary front man of KISS, Gene Simmons is forever immortalized in plastic by Vivo for use in Rock Band and Guitar Hero games on the Playstation 2 and Playstation 3 consoles. Jillian Michaels has her likeness on 2gb flash drives that are a compliment her Fitness Ultimatum Nintendo Wii game. The Vivo Video is touted as "the ultimate all-in-one mp3 and mp4 player".

School of Rock: Guitar Hero & Rock Band Summer Camps Announced (News)

Feb 7, 2009

Power Chord Academy, the nation's leading summer camp for amateur musician training, is excited to announce the addition of two new Summer programs!

GameROCKERS is an exclusive 3-day cutting edge game-musician program for the new age of musicians who play Guitar Hero or Rock Band. iROCKER is a 1-day version of the GameROCKERS program.

Gene Simmons AXE Controller Launches (News)

Dec 4, 2008

...Gene Simmons has a lot to say about it.

"I never do anything half way. My AXE controller is the closest thing you can have to being onstage in KISS. I created and designed the Gene Simmons AXE bass guitar and I can't wait for the fans to experience it for themselves," said Gene Simmons. "The Gene Simmons AXE guitar is such a recognizable symbol - people have been asking for a gaming replica ever since Guitar Hero was first introduced."

Gene Simmons Axe Guitar For Rock Band And Guitar Hero (News)

Dec 3, 2008

dailygamesnews.com - Gene Simmons and the Interactive Game Group have come together to offer gamers the chance to play their very own 'Axe Guitar' in Guitar Hero, or Rock Band.

Nickelback slam Guitar Hero (News)

Nov 20, 2008

MCV: 'Rock Star' combo blame rhythm action titles for lack of new US bands

Tongues out for the Kiss Guitar Hero controller (News)

Oct 29, 2008

"Want something that looks just that little bit more authentic when you're playing Guitar Hero?

How about a three-quarter replica of Gene Simmons' guitar from Kiss?

Yes folks. You too can paint your face black and white and strut around the living room with your unfeasibly long tongue hanging out as you get to grips with the latest Guitar Hero game..."

Excerpt quoted from PS3 Attitude

Logitech Answers Guitar Questions of Cross-Game Compatibility and Other Platforms (News)

Oct 25, 2008

Yesterday, Logitech revealed its new $250 wireless guitar controller for Guitar Hero for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3. However, there were some questions about whether or not the peripheral would see a release for the Wii or Xbox 360, or if it would work with other non-Guitar Hero branded games. And now, those questions no longer remain unanswered.

Activision pooh-poohs Rock Band's Success (News)

Sep 19, 2008

Ever since Sunday, Rock Band 2 has been the talk of the town. Xbox 360 owners have been digging deep into the game's new set list, as well as the online battle of the bands, instrument challenges, and revamped World Tour mode. You'd think that maybe we've all started to forget about a little franchise known as Guitar Hero, but according to Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, you'd be wrong. He would like to take a moment to remind you that Guitar Hero is still the world's number one music franchise.

'Guitar Hero' movie isn't happening...yet (News)

Sep 17, 2008

Director Brett Ratner has been plenty vocal about wanting to develop a movie based on the game Guitar Hero. But Activision, the company that owns the franchise, isn't going for it. "I'd really like to do it, but they're not letting me," he tells EW.com. "I expressed my interest, but because it's such a success, it's like now there's no reason to make a movie about it."

Ratner is a big fan of the game, incorporating it into videos he's directed for Miley Cyrus and Mariah Carey, and he envisioned a story about a small-town kid who dreams of fame and wins a Guitar Hero competition. "The game is wish-fulfilling, everyone can be a rock star."

But despite the setback, Ratner is not giving up hope. "I might prevail," he says. "I usually do."

Peak Products Introduces Wooden Guitar Controller (News)

Aug 15, 2008

GiN Reports: "Peak Products, a gaming peripheral company dedicated to providing the best in instrument quality gaming controllers, announces Starpex, the first-ever full-size, wood, PS2 /PS3 Guitar controller with the look and feel of an actual guitar. Starpex boasts an instrument-quality, highgloss lacquered finish with a hardwood body, neck, and headstock handcrafted by a leading guitar manufacturer giving the authentic guitar experience that Guitar Hero and Rock Band enthusiasts crave."

Real Wood, Full-Size Guitar Controller for PlayStation Rock Band and Guitar Heroes (News)

Jul 31, 2008

Not content with the plastic miniature guitar you're forced to use when you pretend rock out? Well, if you're a PlayStation 2 or 3 owner with an extra $180 lying around, you can pick up this new wooden guitar that works with Rock Band and all of the Guitar Hero games.

Destructoid Exclusive: Rock Axe, the guitar controller to end 'em all (News)

Jul 14, 2008

Dick McVengeance of Destructoid says,

"Let's face it: the Guitar Hero controller is not the ideal item for the game. It'd be nice to hold a full-sized guitar in your hands. We've seen people build custom controllers and put them on eBay, but those were one-off deals, and usually rather expensive."

Even Hendrix plays Guitar Hero (News)

Jun 10, 2008

Music Radar writes: "Sadly, we'll never know if Jimi Hendrix would have been any good at Guitar Hero, but thanks to Activision, the game's developers, we now have a reasonable idea of what he'd have looked like wielding its dedicated controller.

To celebrate the fact that there will be two Guitar Hero performances on the main stage at this year's Isle of Wight Festival, Activision has re-branded the bronze statue of Hendrix that sits in the grounds of the island's Dimbola Lodge, turning Jimi's guitar into the aforementioned video game peripheral."

MTV Multiplayer: Miley Cyrus Caught Smashing 'Guitar Hero' Instruments (News)

Jun 4, 2008

MTV Multiplayer writes: "Hollywood director Brett Ratner continues to plug the "Guitar Hero" series. Ratner has been spotted directing the latest music video for kid pop sensation Miley Cyrus.

In the video, she'll apparently be smashing instruments to express her anger. That includes the same guitar bundled with "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.". A Miley Cyrus fansite has an extensive series of pictures from the video shoot, including the "Guitar Hero" smash."

Rock Acts Ringing Up Sales Via Video Games (News)

May 26, 2008

Games like "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero III" have proved their ability to breathe new life into classic rock sales. But can they do the same for new music?

Last month, Motley Crue decided to find out. The band placed its new single, the title track from "Saints of Los Angeles," for sale as a downloadable track on "Rock Band" well in advance of the album's release date, which has been pushed back to June 24. The only other place to obtain the track was iTunes.

According to data provided by the band's management, Tenth Street Entertainment, the track was downloaded more than 47,000 times via the Xbox 360 version of the game alone in the first week after it became available.

By comparison, the same track received slightly more than 10,000 downloads via digital services like iTunes and Amazon, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The Ant Commandos announce new music gear (News)

Apr 15, 2008

As games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero continue to gobble up market and mind share, it's a safe bet gamers are going to continue to see more manufacturers trying to one-up the originals with their own take on the fake instruments. To that end, longtime guitar crafter The Ant Commandos is back with a new line-up of gear coming this spring.

First are two new wireless products, The Widow Maker Wireless Bass Guitar and The Double Range Guitar, compatible with Rock Band and Guitar Hero 1, 2 and 3 for the PS2 and PS3.

Gibson and Activision Issue Statements in Relation to Wal-Mart and Others Guitar Hero Lawsuits (News)

Mar 22, 2008

Gibson Guitar are suing both Wal-Mart and other major consumer retailers in relation to them selling Activision's Guitar Hero series of games. It should getting very interesting, but in the meantime the parties have each issued press releases.

Activision: Gibson Patent Claims 'Disingenuous' (News)

Mar 20, 2008

Activision has released a statement in response to Gibson Guitar's claims that the publisher's popular Guitar Hero series of games infringe upon one of its patents.

Activision said in a statement released on Thursday, "Gibson's lawsuit is a transparent end run around an impartial court that Activision asked on March 11 to rule on patent assertions that Gibson knows have no merit."

"Our Guitar Hero retailing partners have done nothing wrong. We will confront this and any other efforts by Gibson to wrongfully interfere with Activision's relationship with its customers and its consumers."

The Dallas Mavericks Launch 'Guitar Hero Challenge' (News)

Mar 17, 2008

On Thursday, March 20th, the Dallas Mavericks will launch the Guitar Hero Challenge where aficionados will have the chance to show off their skills on the AT&T Plaza outside the South Entrance of American Airlines Center. The grand prize, the chance to play Guitar Hero during a quarter break at a First Round Playoff game, two-tickets to the game, an autographed Mavs Authentic jersey.

Gaming's greatest Fatties (Feature)

Feb 22, 2008

Just in time for Black History Month, GamesRadar is proud to present a completely unrelated article about fat people. Chubbies are everywhere these days. Your next door neighbor could be a fatty. More than likely, your mom is one, too. Oh, Snap! ...

Porn star Regan Reese sucks -- at Guitar Hero (News)

Feb 8, 2008

Dredging the depths where tenuous links are concerned, the folks over at AVN.com have produced a new Guitar Hero video feature starring none other than porn star Regan Reese.

The strictly cerebral feature, known as "Lingerie Guitar Hero," includes a heavily tattooed Reese attempting to put the porn moves on Guitar Hero II's "Sweet Child O Mine" by legendary rock warblers Guns N' Roses.

The Healing Power of Guitar Hero (News)

Jan 23, 2008

While the Nintendo Wii continues to garner headlines for its many alternative uses, occupational therapists at the Select Specialty Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana are investigating the potential of Guitar Hero in physical rehabilitation.

Certified occupational therapy assistant Kelly Colwell first noted the healing potential of Guitar Hero while working with a patient who had injured his elbow and lost range of motion in his arm.

Guitar Hero Goes $1 Billion (News)

Jan 21, 2008

Mon Jan 21 2008, by Mark Wilson

Around 26 months ago, Guitar Hero was an instant cult classic. Today, it's officially a $1 billion franchise. Apparently this milestone comes in video game record time. In addition, since the launch of Guitar Hero III, users have downloaded five million songs. If so, that total is double the figure that Rock Band has released.

Kotaku posted Activision's official announcement.

Guitar Hero - Guitar Hero Air Guitar Rocker 01-09-08 (Video)

Jan 9, 2008

The sequel to Guitar Hero has 55 new songs and the option to jam with friends on bass, rhythm or lead guitar tracks. Unless you hate rock, you need this game.

Introducing The MTV Rhythm Game Track Finder (News)

Jan 9, 2008

In 2008, the team at MTV Games are proud to present to you the MTV Rhythm Game Track Finder, your beacon in the confusing swirl of rhythm games.

The regularly updated database will allow you to search any artist and any song to find out which rhythm games it is in and to compare song lists for any major music-based video game.

The database currently indexes song lists for more than two dozen rhythm games, including a range of SingStars, Guitar Heroes, Dance Dance Revolutions, Rock Band, and lesser-known favorites such as FreQuency, Elite Beat Agents and the Donkey Konga series.

ArtGuitar and Peavey Make "Real" Guitar Hero Controllers (News)

Nov 17, 2007

Guitar Hero may be a great game, but it doesn't help the ego if you are thrashing with a little plastic toy in your hands. For the music loving gamers who love their guitars, ArtGuitar and Peavey are making 17 limited edition PS2 Guitar Hero controllers - with fantastic artwork and housed in a real high-quality Peavey guitar.

NPD: 2007 Sales So Far - Plus Top Sellers of the Year (News)

Nov 16, 2007

The best selling games in units sold, across all platforms, for the year are as follows, with more year-to-date sales data available at the source.

Â¿ Halo 3 - 3,700,000
Â¿ Madden NFL 08 - 3,200,000
Â¿ Guitar Hero II - 2,800,00
Â¿ Wii Play with Remote - 2,500,000
Â¿ Pokemon Diamond - 2,100,000
Â¿ Pokemon Pearl - 1,500,000
Â¿ Spider-Man 3 - 1,400,000
Â¿ Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock - 1,400,000

Activision Announces Guitar Hero Bundle Pack for the Playstation 2 (News)

Nov 7, 2007

Activision has announced a dual pack with Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II games for only $59.99 USD for the Playstation 2 . Just buy a guitar of your choice for the Playstation 2 and you will be all set to rock on with two games for the price of one.

Gears Wins Big at Golden Joysticks (News)

Oct 26, 2007

Tens of thousands of gamers voted for the true people's awards, held Friday in London, which highlighted the elite titles from the past year across a diverse range of categories.

Undoubtedly the big winner at this year's awards was Microsoft and Epic's stellar third-person shooter Gears of War, which took four top honors. Gears triumphed in the Ultimate Game of the Year, Xbox Game of the Year, The Nuts All-Nighter and the Editor's Choice categories. It also placed third in the 1Xtra Soundtrack of the Year and The GameTribe Online Game of the Year categories.

Codemasters received the UK Developer of the Year award for 2007 sponsored by Next-Gen.biz, while Game took the prizes for Retailer of the Year. Nintendo took the Publisher of the Year award ahead of Microsoft Game Studios and Codemasters, while the Wii was labeled Innovation of the Year.

Guitar Hero a hit at WSVG (News)

Aug 29, 2007

Introducing a new title into a national videogame league is never easy. The game has to be easy enough to pick up, but at the same time offer a competitive level of expertise that only a few in the world can obtain.
The World Series of Video Games is hoping that Guitar Hero will be the next game to propel competitions to epic proportions.

Guitar Hero is one of those games which does fit into the national competition level. Anyone can pick it up, but only a select few can master it. With that in mind it looks like Guitar Hero is setting itself up to be the next big competition ticket next to heavy weights like Quake IV and World of Warcraft.

Guitar Hero III Bundles Priced for Australia (News)

Aug 29, 2007

In only a few months, gamers will be able to get their guitar on as Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock comes rocking onto the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 2, and Playstation 3.

The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game will ship for A$169.95 (roughly $137 US), while the Wii version will put you back A$159.95. The PS2 bundle is set at A$149.95. Each of these bundles will include the game and a wireless guitar controller. Extra wireless guitars will cost A$79.95 for the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii. Activision is also planning on selling the game as a separate item for the PS2 and the 360, which will cost A$69.95 and A$89.95 respectively.

Guitar Hero II for the PS2 and Xbox 360 cost A$149.95 and A$159.95 at launch, respectively, both packaged with wired guitars.

American Sales: 360 outsells PS3, Madden 08 sells 1.6 Million units led by 360 version (News)

Aug 23, 2007

The Wii, Xbox, GC and PSP versions of Madden 08 Â¿ combined - accounted for fewer than 10% of the 1.6 million units sold while 360 version sold them most and 4 times the PS3 version.

-- 8/18 ---- 8/11 ------ Net Change
NDS 131,930 / 126,277 / +3%
Wii 89,280 / 86,469 / +4%
360 59,118 / 52,484 / +13%
PSP 53,206 / 55,160 / -4%
PS3 47,928 / 41,499 / +15%

GameRevolver.com to host Guitar Hero Tournament (News)

Aug 10, 2007

www.GameRevolver.com is hosting a Guitar Hero Tournament to be held over Xbox Live in September. The prizes are pretty sweet and it is easy to enter! Check it out

LEGO Guitar Hero controller that actually works (News)

Aug 7, 2007

Today, this intricately crafted LEGO Guitar Hero controller appeared on the internet, and GamerSquad's jaw duly dropped.

Obviously, constructing a replica of Guitar Hero's Gibson Explorer-inspired controller using just LEGO is a feat worthy of applause on its own, but get this: it even works with the game.

US Chart for Week Ending 28th July 2007 (News)

Aug 2, 2007

Software and hardware sales in the US from VGchartz. Guitar Hero II takes the number one spot for software sales while the Nintendo DS was the best-seller for hardwares.

Hardware: Console Weekly Total
DS - 140,151 (-4%) 13,730,938
Wii - 95,171 (-3%) 3,974,505
PSP - 59,483 (-9%) 8,864,934
PS2 - 54,701 (-10%) 44,524,847
PS3 - 43,498 (-4%) 1,738,147
X360 - 34,174 (+5%) 6,607,403
GBA - 23,725 (-0%) 40,768,173
GC - 1,656 (-2%) 12,697,057
Xbox - 11 (-58%) 15,933,106
Total 452,570

Man builds robot to play Guitar Hero II (News)

Jul 24, 2007

Readers, say "hello" to the Guitar Heronoid, a creation brought to you by robotics enthusiast Rafael Mizrahi and the letters 'W', 'T' and 'F'. The purpose of Mizrahi's bizarre invention? Simple - to play the PlayStation 2 version of Guitar Hero II more perfectly than any human being ever could.

PS3 & Resistance at Top of Current US Best Sellers (News)

Jul 17, 2007

Following last Monday's price drop the PS3 is top of this week's Amazon.com best sellers list while Resistance: Fall of Man tops the software chart. The top ten selling titles comprise of five Nintendo platform games, one PC game and two apiece for Xbox 360 and PS3. Click through for a rundown of top sellers by platform.

"Guitar Hero is still relevant," says Activision (News)

Jul 16, 2007

Next Generation sat down with Activision Senior Vice President of Marketing Bill Kassoy on Friday to discuss Guitar Hero, EA's competing Rock Band, and casual games for Wii. "There was a lot of unmet demand due to controller shortage with the release of the first Guitar Hero," Kassoy said when asked about the franchise's massive success. "As a result, we invested heavily in ramping up production of Guitar Hero II to meet demand." Activision, the number two independent game publisher, says the ...

Guitar Heroes Bring Down the Lightning (News)

Jun 7, 2007

Storm shocks videogame rockers :

During a thunderstorm Thursday, a lightning strike knocked two Thistle Lane residents to the floor while they were playing the videogame "Guitar Hero II" for PlayStation 2.

Ben and Chris Bergin, ages 19 and 14, respectively, were jamming to "Message in a Bottle" by the Police on their guitar controllers when a bolt of lighting touched down near the house, and the charge found its way into the house's wiring.

"I actually looked over at my brother because I thought he hit me in the chest with something," Chris Bergin said.

The boys were not injured in the incident, though both controllers are completely fried.

Rock Band a Guitar Hero "imitator" says Activision (News)

Jun 1, 2007

During a conference call today Gamasutra reports that Activision execs took a swipe at EA and Harmonix' Rock Band, saying that it "wasn't surprising that [Guitar Hero] has attracted imitators." Sorry, what? In case you didn't know, Harmonix is also the original developer behind the Guitar Hero franchise, which has since been pawned off to Tony Hawk's dev Neversoft. Now, we're not big suited money men - in fact the closest we get to a secretary is sending the intern to fetch the Burger King ...

Win! A chance to play Download Festival (News)

May 30, 2007

Wednesday 30 May 2007 Love Guitar Hero II? Wish someone other than the cat/your little sister would watch while you play it? How about playing to the same crowd as Iron Maiden, My Chemical Romance and Linkin Park? Thought you might like that. Well, we've teamed up with RedOctane to offer a pair of tickets to Download Festival, with the chance to do exactly that. Download is being held at Donington Park, Castle Donington, on 8-10 June and Guitar Hero performances will take place on the Third ...

Additional Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80's Songs (News)

May 22, 2007

Activision has announced additional songs for Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80s.

Some of the songs included...well, read the news post and see for yourself.

Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s Announced (News)

May 10, 2007

Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s will feature visually stunning retro rock venues and hipster characters, unlockable guitars, intense game play modes, and most importantly 30 awesome new songs to experience the ultimate rock star fantasy.

Now Playing on PS3, Guitar Hero1 and 2 (News)

May 8, 2007

Want to play Guitar Heroes 1 and 2 on your shinny new PS3? Pelican has released a new adapter that just might solve all your problems.

Retailers begin to list, price, and date Guitar Hero 80s expansion (PS2) (News)

May 4, 2007

Destructoid notices that GameStop (among other retailers) has finally listed Guitar Hero II Rocks The 80s Expansion Pack. The game is listed for $39.99 and has a release date of July 18, 2007.

Like a hurricane prepared to rock you, rumors of this party (and money printing) gold mine have been swirling around for quite some time. While no details have been revealed, one can speculate that the game will contain music from 80s, and not a collection of Norwegian black metal as previously speculated.

Guitar Hero II Video Contest and National Tournament (News)

May 3, 2007

Play N Trade announced today the launch of its first National Guitar Hero II video contest and live-in store national tournament reports TeamXbox.

From now until June 16, consumers are invited to submit their Guitar Hero rock videos to YouTube at www.youtube.com/pntgame for a chance to win an Xbox 360 Guitar Hero bundle or a $50 Play N Trade in-store gift card, and have their video posted to the Play N Trade Web site.

Local rounds of the Guitar Hero II tournament will be held on June 16 at participating Play N Trade stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. On June 23, local winners will compete for the title of Play N Trade National Guitar Hero II Champion by playing "Free Bird" at the "expert" level on an Xbox 360. Local winners will be determined by single elimination in the best two out of three matches, and the national champion will be determined by points.

'Piano Hero' gets Cease and Desist (News)

Apr 6, 2007

The creator of Piano Hero, Nicholas Piegdon, has been sent a Cease and Desist letter from Activision, the publisher of the Guitar Hero games.

Activision asked that Nicholas stop using the name in regards to his game. Piano Hero is an open source game and due to Nicholas's lack of legal expertise in the area and "time, money, or energy", he has decided to comply with the request.

The entire letter from Activison and Nicholas's reply can be found at the link.

Nine gems of gaming merchandise (Feature)

Apr 4, 2007

Working as a games journalist has its good points. There's the fame, the money, the endless barrage of adoring, screaming women who follow you whenever you walk down the street... oh, wait a minute, that's being a rock star. Um... ok, well at least there's still the free stuff we get sent 'most every day. The quality varies considerably, but there are some real gems of PR merchandising that would probably be worth loads of money on eBay. Of course, by contract we're not allowed to sell them, ...

New Game Releases for the Week of Apr. 2, 2007 (News)

Apr 2, 2007

Some notable game releases include Guitar Hero II for Xbox 360, Enchanted Arms for the PlayStation 3, Prince of Persia 2: Rival Swords for the Nintendo Wii, and yet another Sims expansion pack on the PC - Sims 2: Celebration.

Check out the latest list of new video game releases (USA) for the week of 4/2/2007 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 (PS3), Nintendo Wii, Sony PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC (USA)!

GDC: EA signs Guitar Hero developer (News)

Mar 7, 2007

Electronic Arts has signed a deal to publish Guitar Hero developer Harmonix's next game, the company revealed at its GDC press reception. "I'm delighted to announce that after a long period of discussion Electronic Arts has reached an agreement with Harmonix and MTV to produce the next great thing from the makers of Guitar Hero, which will be... to be announced," joked EA Partners general manager David DeMartini. "We are fantastically excited to have a relationship with MTV and ...

EA to Publish Next Harmonix Game (News)

Mar 7, 2007

It seems that industry giant EA has entered an agreement with MTV and Harmonix to publish their next game. Harmonix, developer of rhythm based games is best known for their Guitar Hero series. Though the rights for that IP have been sold to Activision the developers have big plans for their next title.

Ruined endings - part one (Feature)

Mar 2, 2007

The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Epic quests need epic endings, and theres not much that's more epic than a giant red thing fighting an oversized golden award trophy. The dragon trophy decimates the Vishnu-armed creature by breathing white stuff on it, and the fate of the world is put in your hands. But the games over, so good luck with ...

Guitar Hero 2 mourns arch rival (News)

Jan 25, 2007

Air guitar is dead. Thats the claim being made by Red Octane, who say their game Guitar Hero 2, has killed it. To mourn its passing, they held a mock cremation in East London, with gothic pallbearers and "tributes" from Slash from Guns ‘n Roses (second right), Buddy Holly (third right) and Ace Frehley from Kiss (far right) - or rather, some enthusiastic lookalikes. “The game was released with the tagline ‘Kiss your air guitar goodbye,” explains Red Octanes Dave Noble. ...

Guitar Hero dev rocks new gig (News)

Jan 23, 2007

Harmonix, the developer behind the plastic axe-wielding PlayStation wonder, Guitar Hero, has revealed that it's working on a brand new music project, with producer Daniel Sussman saying that it's a "bigger and more ambitious endeavor than we felt we could pursue within the bounds of the Guitar Hero ...

Guitar Hero II - Six-string Showdown (Feature)

Jan 19, 2007

You know Guitar Hero II is a fantastic game. Maybe you've read our review, maybe you've heard from a friend or the clerks at the game store - they can't be clueless and snide all the time, can they? - or maybe you're already rocking out to its melodious mayhem. Whatever, the case, you immediately came to one conclusion... You need a second guitar controller. Because just like Jack Black when he realized you can rock twice as hard if you sing while inhaling as well as exhaling, it has dawned ...

The Top 7... games you've never played right (Feature)

Jan 2, 2007

The Silent Hill series It's a safe bet that we all play games the same way: lights on, volume at a reasonable level, perhaps other stuff going on in the background as well. For most games, that's totally cool. But there are some that you have not even begun to experience. Yes, some games demand that you completely alter your surroundings and let the mood seep through your skull, soaking every cell in your body with excessive atmosphere. So, we mined our collective memories and came up with ...

GamesRadar's potentially annual Platinum Chalice awards 2006 (Feature)

Dec 22, 2006

It's the end of another great year for gamers. Two new systems launched. Two handhelds waged bloody battle. And next gen gaming got a big kick in the pants - thanks to a year of lonely rule by the Xbox 360. PC gaming fought fire with nukes, waging its battle against the console-based onslaught. In short, it ruled. How do we handle this? We're handing out our gleaming Platinum Chalice to those games and systems which gave us the business. No boring list of 37 different strategy games, divided ...

FIFA Ousts Gears Of War From Top Of UK Charts (News)

Nov 28, 2006

There have been no new entries in the UK top ten this week, but considerable movement, as soccer simulation FIFA 07 moves up three places to reclaim the number one spot. The PlayStation 2 version is now outselling Pro Evolution Soccer 6 on PlayStation 2 by a factor of 3:2, while the Xbox 360 version of Konami's title is outselling its FIFA 07 equivalent by the same ratio.

Xbox 360 exclusive Gears of War was the most obvious victim in the shuffle of positions, with sales down by 45 percent on its debut week Â¿ although it remains the only single format exclusive in the top ten.

Meanwhile, the newly released PlayStation 2 version of Call of Duty 3 kept the game afloat in the top ten for Activision, while the new Xbox 360 version of movie tie-in Cars did the same for THQ. Girl's toy license Bratz: Forever Diamondz proved to have the best week in the top ten though, with sales up by 45 percent Â¿ led by the Nintendo DS version which accounted for 80 percent of all sales for the title.

Outside of the top ten, Nintendogs: Labrador & Friends re-entered as high as number thirteen, making for five Nintendo published titles in the top twenty. The highest new entry though was PlayStation 2 exclusive Guitar Hero II at number sixteen, which sold almost three times more than during its predecessor's debut. Home console movie tie-in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow re-entered at number twenty-three, boosted by sales of the DVD release of the movie.

There was no place however for other Christmas titles such as Warhammer: Mark of Chaos from Namco Bandai/Deep Silver, Cricket 07 from Electronic Arts, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Party Edition from Eidos, Sonic the Hedgehog from Sega or movie tie-in Happy Feet from Midway. Many of these titles stand a good chance of charting in the top forty next week, although others will no doubt be lost in the traditional Christmas rush of new titles.

Guitar Hero II (Review)

Nov 24, 2006

Friday 24 November 2006 Confession time: we can't play Guitar Hero on Normal mode any more. Yeah, you read that right: not 'don't', but 'can't'. Other games? Yeah, sometimes we like them easy. But in Guitar Hero, Normal just doesn't give us that buzz; that twitchy jolt of adrenaline that comes when your conscious brain shuts down and your fingers fly over the plastic. Orange notes are our drug, and we've been desperate for a fresh fix for months. OK, we'll explain. Play on Normal in Guitar ...

Guitar Hero II (Review)

Nov 22, 2006

For everyone who's ever played air guitar along with Aerosmith's Joe Perry or strummed along with Slash from Guns n' Roses, Guitar Hero II is your game. Sure, a guitar sim sounds like the type of goofy game that would only fly in Japanese arcades, but theres something special inside that plastic mini-guitar that deserves a place in every gamer's library. This first one rocked; this sequel improves upon the original in every possible way. The beauty of Guitar Hero - both last year's original ...

Adaptor solves Guitar Hero II woes (News)

Nov 8, 2006

A Guitar Hero II adaptor has been revealed that will solve the problem encountered by many gamers who found that third party guitar controllers for the original game failed to work when they started spinning the rock-out sequel. The affected peripherals include the first Freedom V wireless guitar, the Rocking V and the Shredder from peripheral producer The Ant Commandos. The adaptor sticks into the PS2 controller port, with the guitar peripheral or its wireless receiver plugged into the other ...

Guitar Hero II goes cordless (News)

Nov 8, 2006

Nothing ruins a rockin solo like knocking over your tasty beverage with the tangled wire from your Guitar Hero controller. Luckily, you won't need to be strapped down by wires any longer as Nyko Tchnologies has announced the release of Frontman, a wireless guitar controller for the PS2. With a 25 foot range, you'll be free to swing, sway, and headbang to your heart's content without the fear of falling on your face as you thrash through your favorite solos. The Nyko axe enters a space already ...

Join Harmonix at their own Guitar Hero II release party! (News)

Nov 7, 2006

Harmonix is auctioning off two passes to this exclusive, private party for the release of Guitar Hero on November 18th. Win the auction and you can come be a rockstar like them.

This is also for a good cause. The proceeds of this auction are going to the Music Rising charity, to replace instruments lost in the Gulf Coast region, lost due to hurricanes and flooding.

Guitar Hero's Second Tour Set to Rock (News)

Nov 7, 2006

The original Guitar Hero didn't receive much in the way of advertising, and yet the game did phenomenally well. Now with a stellar property on its hands, RedOctane and Activision are stepping up the marketing big time. We speak with Dusty Welch, Head of Publishing for RedOctane.

Nowadays in the gaming industry, there are very few surprise hits anymore, but 2005's Guitar Hero was a phenomenon as such, exceeding everyone's expectations, including publisher RedOctane. This led to a major payoff for RedOctane founders Kai and Charles Huang who saw their company bought but Activision. It also led to them being named among the top 50 producers on the Digital 50 list.
However, with success comes big expectations. There are the expectations of the fans, who now want more high-profile bands and an overall better game in the sequel. Conversely, there are also the expectations of Activision, who no doubt want to see a major return on their investment for their stockholders. Still, even before its launch, Guitar Hero II is doing huge business; the product has the largest ever preorder for a single platform title in Activision's history.
GameDaily BIZ had the pleasure of speaking to Dusty Welch, the new Head of Publishing for RedOctane, to discuss how Guitar Hero practically sells itself with both consumers and Madison Avenue, why some songs are in and some songs simply aren't in yet and why RedOctane still rocks.

Guitar Hero II (Screenshots)

Nov 6, 2006

No wireless guitar for Xbox 360 (News)

Nov 3, 2006

Last week developer Red Octane announced that the Playstation 2 version of Guitar Hero II would get a wireless guitar. Some guys were curious about the Xbox 360 version and decided just to ask Red Octane about it.

Unfortunately they got the answer that currently Microsoft doesn't allow third-party developers to design wireless accessoires. For that reason, no wireless guitar will be released for the Xbox 360 anytime soon.

Bonus tracks Guitar Hero II leaked (News)

Oct 25, 2006

Someone made some pictures of his tv and the game Guitar Hero II. The photo's were made of the bonustracks so we now know the exact list of the bands and their tracks.

Dethklok - Thunderhorse
Drist - Artiel Black
Every Time I Die - The New Black
Anarchy Club - Collide
Valiant Thor - Fall of Pangea
Vagiant - FTK
Breaking Wheel - One For The Road
Buckethead - Jordan (original song for GHII)
All That Remains - Six
Made In Mexico - Yes We Can
Voivod - The X-Stream
That Handsome Devil - Elephant Bones
The Acrobrats - Laugh Track
Camaros - Lady Lightning
Freezepop - Less Talk More Rokk
Amazing Crowns - Mr. Fix It
The Neighborhoods - Parasite
Shadows Fall - The Light That Blinds
Honest Bob and the Factory to Dealer Incentives - Soy Bomb
The Last Vegas - Raw Dog
Count Zero - Radium Eye
Gnashing Of Teeth - Generic
Brian Kahanek - Gemini
The Casket Lottery - Red House

For the proof and the screens, which include some info, click on the link below.

Guitar Hero controller lock out? (News)

Oct 17, 2006

Tuesday 17 October 2006 A demo of Guitar Hero II, the sequel to PS2's riff-matching music game, refuses to work with third-party guitar controllers designed for use with the original game. The demo, included with the latest copy of Official PlayStation Magazine in the US, fails to recognise third-party controllers like those produced by The Ant Commandos, according to reports from gamers on rhythm-action gaming obsessed forum bemanistyle.com, although official Guitar Hero controllers work ...

Guitar Hero II (Preview)

Oct 16, 2006

Monday 16 October 2006 Guitar Hero's instantaneous appeal started with the guitar itself: the chunky, tactile plastic talisman that so effortlessly drew players out of themselves and into the music. The same shouldn't be true of the sequel - available sans controller, it's a refinement and expansion, all about the songs. But the new, cherry-red variant that ships with Guitar Hero II will prove tempting to many who never bought a second controller first time round (and maybe even some who did). ...

Full Guitar Hero II track list released (News)

Oct 11, 2006

Last Friday, we brought you the first 31 songs from Guitar Hero II's career mode, and now we can finally update you with the full list of 40 finger-burners set to electrify your ears when the digital-riff sequel launches on PS2 on November 7, and on Xbox 360 - with the fret-tastic X-Plorer peripheral - next spring. We'll cut right to the musical chase and give you the list in full below, some of which have been switched around to different difficulty levels than previously reported (titles ...

Guitar Hero II - latest hands-on (Preview)

Oct 10, 2006

RedOctane may have carved out a small niche for itself by making dance pads, but it was last year's release of Guitar Hero that put the company on the map. A surprisingly addictive blend of gameplay, good music and a sweet Gibson-inspired, guitar controller all added up to a resounding success. Now the company is back for round two, and this year's revision is looking better than ever thanks to a packed song list and the addition of a few requested features. Numero uno on the list of ...

Guitar Hero II Tracklist Revealed (News)

Oct 10, 2006

Red Octane have today announced the official tracklisting for fortcoming PS2 and Xbox 360 title Guitar Hero II

Guitar Hero II track list update (News)

Oct 6, 2006

"Monkey Wrench" by Foo Fighters and "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine are two brand new songs revealed in this latest Guitar Hero II track list, which also shows you how all 31 confirmed songs line up in their categories for the game's career mode. Readers with a good memory will notice that some songs previously confirmed (like the excellently titled "Psychobilly Freakout" by The Reverend Horton Heat) don't feature on the latest list - probably because they're hidden away as ...

Guitar Hero II 38 new songs list revealed by MTV (News)

Oct 5, 2006

MTV's Overdrive game site show G-Hole got a preview of Guitar Hero II for the PS2. MTV wasn't supposed to share nearly all the song names they saw though, and probably after a firm warning from developer Harmonix, they were quick to remove/sensor all the new Guitar Hero II songs from the video. Lucky for us all 38 were written down.

New Guitar Hero II Song Announced (News)

Sep 28, 2006

Kansas-Carry on Wayward Son will be in GHII, still not confirmed for 360 version, but one must assume these things nowadays.

Guitar Hero goes multiplatform (News)

Sep 20, 2006

When mega-publisher Activision secured the rights to the Guitar Hero franchise, we all expected it to ditch this pesky PS2-exclusitivity business. Well, now that's happened. Beginning next year, the fret-crunching rock series will hit several platforms, the most likely of which will be Xbox 360. Yearly track list updates are also on the horizon. Right now Activision and its publisher buddy RedOctane aren't saying precisely which systems Hero will appear on (or when), but given its incredible ...

Guitar Hero reaches Nirvana (News)

Sep 5, 2006

Tuesday 5 September 2006 Nirvana's Heart-Shaped Box has been confirmed as one of the line-up of songs to feature in Guitar Hero II, the you're-a-riff-tastic-rock-star rhythm action game for PS2 with a finger-flexing guitar peripheral. Nirvana's sterling musical genius joins other guitar-shredding greats like Black Sabbath, KISS, Guns N' Roses and The Rolling Stones, making it one hell of a set list. Take a look at the up to date, confirmed song list in full. Heart-Shaped Box (Nirvana) John ...

Guitar Hero II soundtrack songlist revealed! (News)

Sep 3, 2006

The Guitar Hero II soundtrack songlist has been revealed! A good sized list with lots of many hits.

Need another Guitar Hero? (News)

Aug 18, 2006

Friday 18 August 2006 Four more Guitar Hero games are rumoured to be in the works, including Guitar Hero: ReAmped, Guitar Hero: Encore, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Guitar Hero: Axe Grinder. Since publisher Activision recently forked out $100 million to snap up RedOctane - the distributor of the original Guitar Hero - we'd be mightily surprised if more riff-tastic treats weren't on the way. However, it's just as likely that these names are nothing more than working titles, with the eventual ...

New Guitar Hero II Tracks Announced (News)

Aug 12, 2006

At an event held today in Australia (well, actually July 31st in the land down under), RedOctane is showing off a new build of its forthcoming Guitar Hero II, the sequel to one of the best, most popular and certainly most rocking music games ever created. Three new songs are on display at the show, bringing the officially announced track count up to 11.

Read on for all the info on the new tracks...

More Guitar Hero II tracks confirmed (News)

Jul 31, 2006

The track listing for Guitar Hero II, the sequel to the hugely popular plastic-axe rock-along, is taking shape nicely, with another three songs joining the play list and taking the total number of confirmed tracks to 10. The game's publisher, RedOctane, confirmed at a Guitar Hero II event in Australia that the follow-up will allow gamers to rock out to "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart" by Stone Temple Pilots, "Madhouse" by Anthrax and "Shout at the Devil" by Motley ...

Guitar Hero II tracks confirmed (News)

Jul 31, 2006

Monday 31 July 2006 The track listing for Guitar Hero II, the sequel to the hugely popular plastic axe rock-along, is taking shape nicely with another three songs joining the play list and taking the total number of confirmed tracks to 10. The game's publisher, RedOctane, confirmed at a Guitar Hero II event in Australia that the follow-up will allow gamers to rock out to Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart by Stone Temple Pilots, Madhouse by Anthrax and Shout at the Devil by Motley Crue. So, ...

Band together in Guitar Hero II (News)

Jun 20, 2006

If you've been to any party in the past eight months that was even remotely gaming related, you've experienced the make-me-a-rock-star awesomeness of Guitar Hero. The sequel's coming in November, and to help you make it through the summer, we've grabbed footage of the brand new co-op mode. First up was Van Halen's take on "You Really Got Me," which puts player two on bass guitar. Normally you can choose what type of virtual guitar you want to play (and this demo does have Les Pauls, SGs, and ...

Guitar Hero II hands-on (Preview)

Jun 20, 2006

Thursday 11 May 2006 Unofficial music business lore states that if an artist's first major-label album is a smash hit, the follow-up is almost doomed to underachieve. It happens all the time. However, ten minutes on the show floor at E3 is all we needed to know for sure that the Guitar Hero series, which gives you a guitar-shaped controller and lets you play rock god, is absolutely not going to fall victim to that age-old curse. The thing the game does right is preserve everything that made ...

Guitar Hero II - we rock (Video)

Jun 19, 2006

The sequel to Guitar Hero has 55 new songs and the option to jam with friends on bass, rhythm or lead guitar tracks. Unless you hate rock, you need this game.

Guitar Hero II - we suck (Video)

Jun 19, 2006

The sequel to Guitar Hero has 55 new songs and the option to jam with friends on bass, rhythm or lead guitar tracks. Unless you hate rock, you need this game.

Guitar Hero II vids (News)

Jun 16, 2006

• Warpigs (WMV, 7.48GB) • Who Was in My Room Last Night? (WMV, 7.61GB) • You Really Got Me (WMV, 7.31GB) Friday 16 June 2006 Here's a trio of music videos from Guitar Hero II, the upcoming sequel to the fantastic rhythm-action rock out. Three classic guitar tunes are played through for you to get a taste of both the look and the track list of Guitar Hero II. We've got Black Sabbath's Warpigs; Who Was in My Room Last Night? by the Butthole Surfers; and, last but far from least, ...

E3 06: Guitar Hero 2 - hands on (Preview)

May 10, 2006

There's a dilemma in the music business called the "sophomore slump". It essentially predicts that, if an artist's first major-label album is a smash hit, the follow-up album is almost doomed to underachieve. It happens all the time. However, ten minutes is all we needed to know for sure that the Guitar Hero series, which gives you a guitar-shaped controller and lets you play rock god, is absolutely not going to fall victim to that age-old curse. Now, tinnitis… that's another story. The ...

Pre-E3 06: Guitar Hero II set list confirmed (News)

May 8, 2006

Harmonix has announced the first seven tracks to appear in Guitar Hero II, the sequel to its much-loved rock-in-a-box PS2 game. Perhaps the most exciting inclusion on the list (which will be appearing in playable form at E3) is Black Sabbath's War Pigs. The verses may confuse rock virgins (who will be left watching a rather barren note stream before the power chords kick in), but if there was ever a track ripe for air guitar, this is it. Of the others, you'll get to rock along to Gene Simmons ...

Guitar Hero II confirms set list (News)

May 8, 2006

Monday 8 May 2006 Harmonix has announced the first seven tracks to appear in Guitar Hero II - the sequel to its much-loved rock-in-a-box PS2 game. Perhaps the most exciting inclusion on the list (which will be appearing in playable form at E3) is Black Sabbath's War Pigs. The verses may confuse rock virgins who will be left watching a rather barren note stream before the power chords kick in, but if there was ever a track ripe for air guitar, this is it. Of the others, you'll get to rock ...

Pre-E3 blowout day two: PS2/PSP (Feature)

May 2, 2006

We can't wait Guitar Hero II Nobody quite expected Guitar Hero to be such a blistering success last year, but its popularity and sheer awesomeness have put the sequel at the top of our "must-see" list. While it's deceptively simple - you "play" a guitar-shaped controller in time to a cascading series of onscreen dots - Guitar Hero is one of the most enjoyably addictive games on the PS2, and we've got high hopes for the next ...

Guitar Hero ready to rock again (News)

Apr 17, 2006

We all knew it was inevitable, but today the official announcement came down from publisher RedOctane: Guitar Hero II is in production and will be in stores sometime this November. The sequel to 2005's surprise hit, Guitar Hero II will feature the same simple gameplay - "playing" a plastic, guitar-shaped controller in time with an onscreen cascade of notes - with a few new twists. The new game will feature more than 55 songs, as opposed to the first game's 47. An actual playlist has yet to be ...

Guide To "Jordan" On Expert (PS2) (FAQ)

Jul 14, 2008

Go to GamesRadar to see the FAQ ...