Sept 11, 2007

Activision has heard the pleas of you console holdouts. Come this fall, computer users will see the shred barrier lifted when Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock hits both PC and Mac.

Though you may have noticed that the 360 guitar could be used "elsewhere," desktop stalwarts have long had to make due with awkward dongles and open-sourced clones like Frets on Fire and Freetar. So we're proudly waiving an extended index and pinky finger in the air for their newfound ability to keep on rockin' in a much more official capacity. This is the free world, after all.

As longtime rivals, Mac and PC users will be able to compete head-to-head across the road using something called "The Internet." (We're told they'll know what that means) Word to the wise: You can't properly rock in a swiveling leather desk chair - so stand the eff up! Shredding while sitting down is strictly for polka bands and 100-year-old blues legends.

Above: Featured Rocker, Shmimi Schmendrix

The PC and Mac versions are promised over 70 tracks, just like their console counterparts. Half of which will be the original masters, or so the Gods of Rock have whispered. They'll also be melodic contributions from the high-hatted Slash, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, emo-tastic Atreyu, and the nearly irrelevant Aerosmith. And because we love you, here's a list of confirmed tracks. Original masters appear in italics.

"3's and 7's" - Queens of the Stone Age
"Avalancha" - Héroes del Silencio
"Barracuda" - Heart
"Black Magic Woman" - Artist Unknown
"Bulls on Parade" - Rage Against the Machine
"Cherub Rock" - The Smashing Pumpkins
"Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll" - Blue Öyster Cult
"Closer" - Lacuna Coil
"Cult of Personality" - Living Colour
"Even Flow" - Pearl Jam
"Generation Rock" - revolverheld
"Go That Far" - Bret Michaels Band
"Helicopter" - Bloc Party
"Hier Kommt Alex" - Die Toten Hosen
"Hit Me with Your Best Shot" - Pat Benatar
"I'm in the Band" - The Hellacopters
"In the Belly of a Shark" - Gallows
"Knights of Cydonia" - Muse
"La Grange" - ZZ Top
"Lay Down" - Priestess
"Mauvais Garçon" - NAAST
"The Metal" - Tenacious D
"Minus Celsius" - Backyard Babies
"Miss Murder" - AFI
"Mississippi Queen" - Mountain
"My Name Is Jonas" - Weezer
"The Number of the Beast" - Iron Maiden
"One" - Metallica
"Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones
"Paranoid" - Black Sabbath
"Radio Song" - Superbus
"Raining Blood" - Slayer
"Reptilia" - The Strokes
"Rock and Roll All Nite" - Kiss
"Rock You Like a Hurricane" - Scorpions
"Ruby" - Kaiser Chiefs
"Sabotage" - Beastie Boys
"School's Out" - Alice Cooper
"She Bangs the Drums" - The Stone Roses
"She Builds Quick Machines" - Velvet Revolver
"Slow Ride" - Foghat
"Suck My Kiss" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Take This Life" - In Flames
"Talk Dirty to Me" - Poison
"Through the Fire and Flames" - DragonForce
"Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns N' Roses
"When You Were Young" - The Killers 

No "Stairway"? Denied!