MCV: 'Rock Star' combo blame rhythm action titles for lack of new US bands
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SnagWire: A partnership has been announced between Activision and the United Service Organizations, the group that provides American entertainment to troops stationed overseas.

The video game publisher plans to ship over $100,000 worth of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock game discs and peripherals to USO lounges around the world.
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"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
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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.
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Aly & AJ are getting their own Guitar Hero and Rock Band girly guitars. The guitar peripherals will be available in mid-October 2008 for Wii & PS2 and will cost $69.99.
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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.
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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."
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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."
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From gameplayer: "the negotiating power of the games companies stem from their control over the track lists in their titles… The game publishers have the power. So, in a sense, they ARE the music industry."
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Activision Blizzard Inc. on Thursday reported that Activision Inc.'s first-quarter profits more than doubled on strong sales of the "Guitar Hero" franchise and the game based on the animated movie "Kung Fu Panda."

The first quarter ended before the closing of Activision's merger with Vivendi Games, creating Activision Blizzard.

In the quarter, Activision earned $59 million, or 18 cents a share, up from $27.8 million, or 9 cents a share, in the first quarter a year ago.

In the quarter, Activision logged $654.2 million in sales, up from $495.5 million a year ago.
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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.
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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."
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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."
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Next-Gen.Biz writes: "The NPD Group has revealed the top 10 selling games of all time in the U.S. market.

Forbes reported earlier this week NPD Group's up-to-date top ten U.S. videogame sales figures by units, revealing a list dominated by the Grand Theft Auto and Madden NFL franchises.

As seen below, GTA: San Andreas from 2004 is the top-selling game in the U.S. with 9.43 million units sold. The franchise shows up on the top 10 three times, while Madden appears four times.

Activision had two 2007 titles already break the top 10 (Guitar Hero III and Call of Duty 4), while EA had one 2007 title on the list in the form of Madden NFL 08."
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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."
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Guitar Hero: World Tour, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, Guitar Hero: On Tour... could Activision possibly milk its peripheral rock series any more this year? Well yes, because it looks like there'll be a fourth game out within the next 12 months too. Following in the same vein as the Aerosmith spin off - which lets you play through the career of the Walk this Way rockers - Guitar Hero: Metallica has also been spotted, and will be out on ... » Read More

Playing both Guitar Hero and Rock Band isn't much of an option for many of us living in cramped quarters, but Ant Commandos has just announced the first guitar that can support both games on multiple platforms. Their Double Range Guitar plays PS2 and PS3 versions of both Guitar Hero (I, II and III) and Rock Band.
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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.
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Amazon is liquidating their stock of Guitar Hero 3 on Playstation 3 / Xbox 360 / Nintendo Wii by slashing $40 off ($30 for the Wii) the MSRP resulting in a new price of $59.99 with free shipping, a great deal since it MSRP's at $99.99 ($89.99 for the Wii). Hurry the promotion ends soon, it's a great gift for a hell of a good price. The PS2 version is available for $49.99, also on sale.
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Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert played a bit of the Pat Benatar anthem, Hit Me With Your Best Shot at a charity Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock marathon today in Dallas. The event is sponsored by Blockbuster and benefits Education is Freedom, a local nonprofit which is part of Mayor Leppert's Igniting Opportunity for the Children of Dallas Campaign.
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