GamesRadar - Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Amazon discounts Guitar Hero III to $28 (News)

Nov 22, 2009

Infatuated Gamer: As part of their Deal of the Day promotion, Amazon is discounting the Playstation 3 version of the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Wireless Bundle to $27.78.

BeefJack: Music DLC Roundup - 7/11 (News)

Nov 7, 2009

BeefJack writes: "You can say what you want about AFI, too emo to be goth, and too emo to be emo, and if that hasn't put you off you'll find an incredible band here. With a knack of writing insanely passionate and catchy tunes AFI have dug out a brilliant niche. Although The Leaving Song PT II could've easily taken this spot, Love Like Winter may be the better song for those new to the band."

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup: 31/10 (News)

Nov 1, 2009

BeefJack writes: " The Foo Fighters annoy me, simply because they've created some absolutely amazing songs, but put them on albums fill of filler tracks, luckily with downloadable content you don't need to shift through the album to get to the best bits, and that's exactly what Best Of You is; Foo Fighters' best song. No matter what background you have it's hard to deny the sheer passion, emotion and top notch craftsmenship on display, no matter what you do, do not miss out on this one."

30 percent of Guitar Hero players are girls (News)

Oct 27, 2009

Activision's goal is to expand the franchise to attract new players with differing tastes, but Guitar Hero CEO Dan Rosensweig is quick to note that the franchise already has a large female following.

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."

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup - 17/10 (News)

Oct 17, 2009

BeefJack writes: "Slim pickings this week… well that is unless you're a Queen fan. I don't know why Harmonix do this, but some weeks you're screwed for choice, Pearl Jam for example seem to get entire weeks worth of DLC deadicated to them, leaving anyone who isn't a massive fan, out in the cold, but then again there was a lot of NIN at the start. Anyway Queen need no introduction, and to be honest it'd be silly for me to pick a song, although Under Pressure may just nab it, simply because it has David Bowie in it. What's better than one classic band? A classic band and David Bowie that's what, now then when are getting I'm Affarid Of Americans?"

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup - 10/10 (News)

Oct 11, 2009

BeefJack writes: "Tenacious D are one of those bands that no matter what they put out on these games, something is going to end up as a recommendation. No matter who you are, what you're into, what you think of Jack Black, Tenacious D are an undeniably awesome band on quite a few levels. The Metal is a demonstration of the duo hitting things as hard as they can, and when they bang, they bang."

BeefJack - Music DLC Round Up - 22/8 (News)

Aug 23, 2009

BeefJack writes: This week sees a quiet release of songs for all 3 ofof the major music games. Available on August 25th for Rock Band:"

Available as a single.

Billy Idol
Mony Mony
Rebel Yell

Fleetwood Mac
Don't Stop
World Turning

BeefJack: Music DLC Round Up - 15/8 (News)

Aug 15, 2009

BeefJack writes: "With Guitar Hero 5 on the horizon we've been seeing a slight bump and dip in DLC. Rock Band or Haromix have been consistent as of late and this week is no exception. With over six bands this week including the second song pack by Foo Fighters which includes the huge single All My Life and a personal favourite I'll Stick Around, drummers especially should keep an eye out for that track if nothing else."

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup 1/8 (News)

Aug 1, 2009

BeefJack writes: "I hate music journalism, maybe it's just me (or more likely music journalism) but I find it far too opinionated, with other forms of media critics seem to judge the film, book or video game etc based upon facts and industry standards rather then personal preference. So it's ironic that each week I become as close to a music journalist as I've ever been when I write these sections, and I find out that it's actually pretty hard to write about music you have no favour for."

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup - 25/7 (News)

Jul 25, 2009

BeefJack writes: "Bit of a miss mash this week, with Rock Band throwing out some classics as Kiss and Weezer then sticking in pop punk gone emo Blink 182, still the Rock Show isn't a bad tune. Guitar Hero follows their suit for this month with another collection of songs from a record label, luckily this time with less emo."

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup 18/7 (News)

Jul 19, 2009

BeefJack writes: "With the announcement of user uploaded songs this weekly news update may soon become history but for now we find ourselves at the tail end of another week and on the tip of a new one full of brand new tracks."

Music charts to add games (News)

Jul 9, 2009

MCV: Singstar and Guitar Hero downloads wanted by Official Charts Company

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."

Neversoft defends Guitar Hero song pack pricing (News)

Jun 17, 2009

NowGamer: Guitar Hero's song pack pricing has faced some criticism in the past, but producer Brian Bright explained to NowGamer the amount of work that goes into producing each track and defended their price.

"It's a lot of work," said Bright. "First of all we need nine streams for all the audio. Then everything gets note-tracked. And just for one guitar-track, it can take a guy a week..."

Three New Guitar Hero World Records Set (News)

Jun 11, 2009

The new Guinness World Records set included the Longest Note Streak on Guitar Hero, with a score of 3,722 and 100% on the track Through the Fire and the Flames during which he also beat his previously held record for the Highest Score For a Single Track on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360) with a score of 985,206.

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.

Rumored PS Store Content for 05/14/09 (News)

May 13, 2009

Confirmed content this week is pretty scarce. However what is confirmed is an exciting offering, mainly due to Zen Pinball. Texas Cheat Em will make the poker fans happy. Of course there is the weekly Rock Band and Guitar Hero DLC to look forward to. We are expecting a PSP game, as Sony makes more PSP games available as a digital download.

Music games off 36% this year, EA expects Rock Band sales down $400 million (News)

May 6, 2009

Buried in today's Elecrtonic Arts earnings call was this amazing revelation from COO John Pleasants: Revenue for music/rhythm games was down 36% during the first quarter of the year and 42% in March, per NPD. As a result, EA has cut the gross sales revenue it expects from its EA Partner division, which distributes "Rock Band" for Viacom.

That's a huge decline. And keep in mind that there weren't any major music game releases during the first quarter of last year, while 2009 saw "Guitar Hero: Metallica" (albeit at the very end of March). As we started to see in late 2008, sales of "Rock Band 2" and "Guitar Hero: World Tour" must be down massively from the original "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero III."

And while EA CEO John Riccitiello said he feels "really bullish" about "Rock Band: Beatles Edition," the fact that the company is expecting $400 million less in sales indicates just how big an impact continued sales of "Rock Band" through last year mattered, and how far "Rock Band 2" is lagging.

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."

Rumored PS Store Content for 04/30/09 (News)

Apr 29, 2009

PlayStation LifeStyle writes, "Back again for another weekly Rumored PS Store content. This week has me rather excited since, we get the PSN exclusive demo for Marvel Vs. Capcom 2! That's certainly not all we get to look forward to, as the first DLC pack for Killzone 2 drops, and we get more exciting DLC for Burnout Paradise."

New Community Login System is on its way for Guitar Hero (News)

Mar 20, 2009

Activision sent out this email announcing the new community login system coming for Guitar Hero.

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.

Blondie Man Studies Music Games (News)

Feb 6, 2009

IncGamers report:
"Blondie drummer Clem Burke is teaming up with researchers from the Universities of Chichester and Gloucester to study the potential physical and psychological benefits of playing drum-based music games."

Teenager breaks Guinness record for Guitar Hero III (News)

Feb 6, 2009

A 14-year old teenager from Texas broke the world record for Guitar Hero III. Danny Johnson completed 'Through the Fire and Flames' for 99% which gave him a score of 973954 points, 75000 points more than the previous record. A video of him playing and an interview can be viewed after the jump.

Top 9 gaming records (Feature)

Feb 6, 2009

The Guinness World Records 2009 Gamer's Edition is on sale now and we've been picking out the best and worst moments for your pleasure. From the genuinely impressive to the slightly eccentric, these are our nine favourite gaming records... ...

Guitar Hero Ace Rips his way into the Guinness World records Book (News)

Feb 4, 2009

To celebrate the launch of the second annual Guinness World Records 2009 Gamer's Edition, the nation's best Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock player visited New York City for a mesmerizing record-breaking shred session.

Pic: Megan Fox playing Guitar Hero (News)

Jan 28, 2009

Uber sexy movie starlet Megan Fox has been snapped playing Guitar Hero, apparently in someone's house. Foxy Miss Fox, star of Hope and Faith and the Transformers movie, could probably have charged the world for promoting the game, but it's nice to know that she's keen enough a gamer not to let dollar signs cloud her vision. ...

Guitar Hero: World Tour February track packs detailed (News)

Jan 27, 2009

Activision has confirmed that it will be unleashing three all new track packs for Guitar Hero: World Tour next month.

Kicking things off on February 12 is the Acoustic Track Pack, which includes "Drive" by Incubus, "New Slang" by The Shins and "Wonderwall" as interpreted by Ryan Adams.

The Wings Track Pack will follow one week later, featuring "Junior's Farm", "Hi Hi Hi" and "Jet". Finally, February 26 sees the release of the Bob Seger Track Pack, which includes "Old Time Rock and Roll", "Her Strut", and a live version of "Get Out of Denver".

Each track pack will set you back USD 5.49, while individual songs will cost USD 1.99 apiece

Oasis: "Playing a guitar is not a f***ing videogame" (News)

Jan 27, 2009

Oasis lead guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher has his knickers all up in a bunch about Guitar Hero, scoffing at the idea of the game and exclaiming that "playing a guitar is not a f**king videogame."

"Don't look back in anger." Yeah, right. Oasis lead dude Noel Gallagher, who, ironically enough, penned that song which was featured prominently in Rock Band, has looked back at what he sees in the music gaming landscape, and well, he's kinda angry. "When I meet kids I always say to them that playing a guitar is not a f**king videogame, there is no level to get to," he said. "You'll never master it and you'll never complete the game."

Forbes writer responds to Rockband comment, still thinks it is a 'knockoff' (News)

Jan 23, 2009

Thatgamingsite writes: "Forbes Writer, Peter C. Beller has responded to criticisms made after calling music game 'Rockband' a shameless knockoff in comparison to Guitar Hero. Althought it looks like he's sticking to his guns on this one."

Fender: Survey Shows Music Games Drive Students To Play Real Instruments (News)

Jan 15, 2009

Today Fender and Little Kids Rock, a non-profit music education organization, announced that an informal survey they conducted in November 2008 revealed that music games like "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" actually do inspire students to play real instruments. The survey polled 812 music instructors and said that enrollment in music programs has increased in the past year.

CES 09: The World's Tiniest Video Game Guitar Controller (News)

Jan 13, 2009

Kotaku writes: "Like regular sized Guitar Hero and Rock Band guitar controllers, but far, far daintier, the USB ready Riff Rocker adds hand cramping as an extra difficulty modifier to your rhythm gaming.

While the lil' device has been available commercially for a few months now, it has been so at some of the more, let's say, unproven retailers. But we got a chance to go claw-hand on with it at CES this weekend. It works, but only with the open source Frets On Fire for Windows and Linux."

Activision: Guitar Hero III Passes $1b (News)

Jan 10, 2009

Speaking during a CES keynote in Las Vegas on Friday, Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith said that over the holidays, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock became the first single game ever to surpass $1 billion in sales. The game launched in the fall of 2007.

The news comes about a year after Activision announced that the overall franchise had broke $1 billion in sales across all titles from the series' 2005 launch to that point in time.

PS3 and Guitar Hero underwear being sold in Germany (News)

Dec 27, 2008

PS3-Sense writes "German shops are selling something we never saw, its underwear themed in the PlayStation 3 controller or Guitar Hero." Pictures after the jump!

GTA IV and GH3 Records Published in Guinness Book of World Records 2009 (News)

Dec 19, 2008

Two of the more amazing records from Grand Theft Auto 4 and Guitar Hero 3 are being included in the book's memorable moments of 2008 section.

Guns N' Roses star slams Guitar Hero (News)

Dec 18, 2008

MVC Reports "Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose has slammed Activision and its Guitar Hero series for using his band's songs without permission."

Guitar Hero Goes Continental (News)

Dec 14, 2008

Activision gives gamers the chance to download songs from bands they've probably never heard of.

Who needs No Doubt and the Foo Fighters when you've got Sportfreunde Stiller and BB Brunes? Never heard of them? Neither have I, but apparently Activision has and is set to introduce them to Guitar Hero: World Tour fans with the release of two new downloadable song packs.

The packs, imaginatively titled the "European Track Packs," are available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii and feature artists from Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands playing hits from their native countries, largely in their native languages.

Amazon offers free Guitar Hero with PS3 160GB SKU (News)

Dec 7, 2008

Retailer Amazon.com on Sun. began offering a free copy of Activision Inc.'s Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock with the purchase of Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3 160GB SKU.

Defending the Plastic Guitar! (News)

Dec 5, 2008

That Gaming Site Writes: "I play real Guitar and Guitar Hero.

Being a fan of both, I've been subject to numerous arguments over and over about how playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band is a waste of time and that 'nerds' should try picking up a real instrument and do something productive for a change. It was in this week's edition of NME (a British Indie Music Publication) that brought me this comment, in an article that........"

"Rock 'n' roll is about fg, games are about wg" (News)

Dec 4, 2008

MCV: The Guardian sticks up for gaming following attack from music mag NME

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.

Red Octane Starts Black Friday Early (News)

Nov 26, 2008

Red Octane is kicking off Black Friday a few days early with several amazing deals on older Guitar Hero products, which make perfect gifts for your friends and family who don't know any better.

The deals are mainly PlayStation 2 oriented, with Guitar Hero III wired bundles going for only $29.99 and the wireless bundle only $10 more. Along with the PS2 deals there's a PS3 bundle of GHIII for only $39.99, and a two pack of Guitar Hero On Tour for the DS ringing up at $69.98. I suppose you could call it a clearance sale, but that would ruin the spirit of the holidays.

Make sure you use the code BF2008 for the wired bundles and BF2K* for everything else, or you bargain hunting will have been for naught.

Guitar Hero Robot Plays Videogame With Electronic Precision (News)

Nov 23, 2008

Guitar Hero kicking your butt after one too many beers? Maybe it's time to automate your gameplay - with a robot guitar god, the Cythbot.

The Cythbot combines a camera with a vision processing system and pneumatic fingers to create a robot that can play the popular Guitar Hero videogame by itself.

Nickelback slam Guitar Hero (News)

Nov 20, 2008

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

Guitar Hero World Tour: The Killers Track Pack (News)

Nov 14, 2008

After making their entry in a Guitar Hero set list with When You Were Young on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, multi-platinum alternative rockers The Killers are playing a downloadable encore in Activision Publishing, Inc.'s Guitar Hero World Tour, the company announced today...

Activision Gives Guitar Hero to the Troops (News)

Nov 7, 2008

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.

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."

Metallica album releases on Guitar Hero this Friday (News)

Sep 9, 2008

Acti-Blizz has announced that Metallica's latest album will release on Guitar Hero III on Friday, the same date it's available at retail.

Gamasutra In-Depth: Inside The Guitar Hero Census (News)

Aug 21, 2008

A new survey of Guitar Hero and Rock Band players by Brown University ethnomusicologist Kiri Miller has revealed some fascinating trends, including the fact that 76 percent of the players bought music they heard in the game, and 69 percent often play in multiplayer modes.

The initial results from Miller, who has previously written on the subject for Gamasutra sister site GameSetWatch, were first revealed on her 'Guitar Hero Research' weblog.

She explained: "As of this writing I have received 414 responses. Survey respondents were self-selecting; most heard about the survey through recruitment messages posted on several high-traffic online messageboards devoted specifically to these game"

DragonForce track pack coming this Thursday for GHIII (News)

Aug 19, 2008

Activision has revealed that a DragonForce track pack for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will be available to download from Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store this Thursday.

The three track pack will include the debut single from their new album "Heroes Of Our Time", which will apparently "set players' fingers ablaze as they try to keep up with some of the most challenging riffs to date". Guitar Hero III fans will no doubt remember DragonForce for their impossibly difficult "Through the Fire and Flames".

The pack also includes two tracks from their third album "Revolution Deathsquad" and "Operation Ground and Pound".

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."

Guitar Hero Gamer Fine (News)

Aug 8, 2008

Darren Madigan 27 of Huddersfield, England was served with a noise abatemant last year for playing music to loudly. But he has now breached it by playing Guitar Hero to loudly and poorly according to neighbour.

Is gaming already the new music industry? (News)

Aug 8, 2008

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."

Show Me the Money: Warner Music Group Talks Bigger Guitar Hero and Rock Band Payout (News)

Aug 7, 2008

Ripten writes:

"It was only a matter of time.

As the popularity of rhythm games continues to gain purchase in the pocketbooks of gamers worldwide, Warner Music is of the opinion that the publishers are getting away with robbery.

Executive Edgar Bronfman explained that Activision and MTV, developers of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, respectively, will eventually have to pay more for the licenses for the songs from their catalogue."

Rumored PlayStation Store New Content (US) for August 7, 2008 (News)

Aug 7, 2008

In their regular weekly feature, PlayStation LifeStyle takes a look at what we should be getting this week:
- 1942: Joint Strike demo [FREE]
- Battlefield: Bad Company DLC ~ Conquest mode [FREE]
- Civilization Revolution DLC* ~ The Mythic Wonders and Artifact Pack
- Guitar Hero III DLC ~ Interscope Track Pack [$6.49 USD]
- NASCAR 09 DLC* ~ Paint schemes and track updates
- Qore Episode 003
- PixelJunk Eden [$9.99 USD]
- Rock Band DLC: Cruefest Track Pack 02 & SOAD Singles
- Talkman Travel (PSP) [$5.99 USD per city, 3 cities total]
- Tiger Woods 09 demo*

Additional Content:
- Game Video, Making of Bionic Commando: Rearmed (Part 2)*

NOTE: This list is not all-inclusive (videos, wallpapers, etc.) and content is always subject to change.

*Items marked with an asterisk denote rumored content, while the other content is confirmed.

Guitar Hero 3 Getting New-ish Track Pack Thursday; Includes Manson, Flyleaf and AFI (News)

Aug 5, 2008

A sort-of new downloadable track pack will be available on Thursday August 7 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, publisher Activision has announced.

'Guitar Hero' continues to play sweet music for Activision (News)

Aug 1, 2008

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.

Activision Expects $50M in DLC Sales This Year, Mostly from Guitar Hero and Call of Duty (News)

Aug 1, 2008

Publisher Activision expects to pull in $40-50 million dollars this year from the sale of downloadable content on Xbox Live, PlayStation Store and the Wii Shop Channel.

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.

Rumored PlayStation Store New Content (US) for July 24, 2008 (News)

Jul 24, 2008

In regular weekly feature, PlayStation LifeStyle takes a look at what we should be getting this week:
- 1942: Joint Strike ($9.99)
- Guitar Hero III DLC: Virtuoso Track Pack ($6.49)
- PixelJunk Eden demo
- Rock Band DLC: NIN and Shinedown ($5.49 and $3.98)
- Siren: Blood Curse ($14.99 packs, $39.99 for all 12)

Additional Content:
- Blu-ray Disc theme (PS3)*

NOTE: This list is not all-inclusive (videos, wallpapers, etc.) and content is always subject to change.

*Items marked with an asterisk denote rumored content, while the other content is confirmed.

Guitar Hero III gets Virtuoso this Thursday (News)

Jul 22, 2008

Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock gets dome new content on Thursday thatnks to the Guitar Virtuoso Track Pack.

Experience influential guitarist Joe Satriani's soulful 1987 hit, "Surfing with the Alien," get blown away with guitar slinger Steve Vai's reflective, "For the Love of God," and feel the avant-garde compositions of underground rock's most eccentric guitarist, Buckethead, as he shreds "Soothsayer," at hyper-speed.

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."

Guitar Hero III Top Gun Anthem Track Now Available, Free From Xbox LIVE (News)

Jul 3, 2008

Celebrate freedom and free DLC! The Top Gun Anthem track is now available for free from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Activision and RedOctane have made the track available for Guitar Hero III, as a little bonus Fourth of July gift.

Coming to the PlayStation Store later today.

Guitar Hero III - World record broken (News)

Jul 2, 2008

Activision has released details of a new Guitar Hero III world record, which has been bested by the previous holder Chris Chike. There's also a Youtube video of his latest exploits.

Top Gun Theme coming to Guitar Hero III - For Free (News)

Jul 1, 2008

Activison today revealed that the Top Gun Theme is coming to Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock , as a free download. Beginning July 3, 2008, the legendary, "Top Gun Anthem" will be available as a free downloadable song for the game.

World of Warcraft Jam comes to Guitar Hero 3 (News)

Jun 26, 2008

World of Warcraft Jam is a brand new track coming for Guitar Hero 3.

Rumored PlayStation Store New Content (US) for June 19, 2008 (News)

Jun 18, 2008

In their weekly feature, PlayStation LifeStyle takes a look at what we should be getting:
- Fatal Intertia EX full game & demo ($29.99)
- Guitar Hero III DLC: Coldplay Track Pack ($6.49)
- Hail to the Chimp demo*
- Hot Shots Out of Bounds DLC*
- The Incredible Hulk DLC: Multiplayer Expansion Pack*
- Konami "Surprise" [!]*
- NCAA 09 demo
- PAIN DLC: Nigel add-on character*
- PSP full game*
- Rock Band DLC: Avenged Sevenfold (x2), The Offspring, and Crooked X
- Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 demo*

Additional Content:
- LingerInShadows Trailer*
- PAIN (Nigel) Theme*

NOTE: This list is not all-inclusive (videos, wallpapers, etc.) and content is always subject to change.

*Items marked with an asterisk denote rumored content, while the other content is confirmed.

Coldplay on Guitar Hero (News)

Jun 13, 2008

MCV: Tracks from Coldplay's new album Viva La Vida and previous LPs are to become available on Guitar Hero.

Guitar Hero Storms the Stage at Isle of Wight Festival (News)

Jun 12, 2008

Wired writes:Fans of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will get a chance to strut their stuff on the main stage at this year's three-day Isle of Wight Festival, which starts Friday, with the best contestants getting projected on the grounds' big screens.

Rumored PlayStation Store New Content (US) for June 12, 2008 (News)

Jun 12, 2008

With all the news about MGS4, many gamers have overlooked all the other great content that we can look forward to this week on the PlayStation Network.

PlayStation LifeStyle takes a look at what we should be getting:
- Army of Two: Veteran Map Pack (FREE)*
- Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Demo
- Guitar Hero III DLC: Isle of Wight Track Pack
- Konami "Surprise" [!]
- PSone Classic (for PS3/PSP)*
- Rock Band DLC: MTV2 Three Pack + Bonus Single

Additional Content:
- Metal Gear Solid 4 Theme*

NOTE: This list is not all-inclusive (videos, wallpapers, etc.) and content is always subject to change.

*Items marked with an asterisk denote rumored content, while the other content is confirmed.

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."

Celebrity site uses fake Guitar Hero quotes to bash John Mayer, trick gamers (News)

Jun 5, 2008

GT: "Journalism Rule #1: Check your sources.

The embellished Entertainment Wise article is a sorry excuse for journalism."

The original Rolling Stone interview didn't have the serious gamer-hate quotes in it. Check your sources.

GTA Rules NPD All-Time U.S. Top 10 (News)

Jun 5, 2008

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."

Activision to Release Five Guitar Hero III Music Packs This Month (News)

Jun 5, 2008

Coming to a console near you, living room rock stars will soon be able to shred to an assortment of new master tracks on Activision, Inc.'s Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock with five new song packs releasing throughout the month of June. Two of the five packs will let gamers rock out with three headline acts from the Isle of Wight festival and tunes from the timeless rock icon, Motörhead.

GH III: five song packs in June (News)

Jun 5, 2008

There's no slowing down in the DLC department for Guitar Hero III players, as Activision gears up to unleash five new song packs this month.Activision has only detailed two of those packs, one of which is out today. It comes in celebration of Motorhead's new album, and contains three songs: We Are the Road Crew, Stay Clean and their first single, the self-titled Motorhead.

Kasabian's 'Shoot the Runner', joins tunes from The Sex Pistols ...

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."

Montevideo man builds robot to play Guitar Hero (News)

Jun 2, 2008

WILLMAR, Minn. - No matter how hard he tried, Pete Nikrin could not beat his friend when playing the popular music video game, Guitar Hero.

Being a bit competitive, he's done the next best thing. He's built a robot that plays the game and - he hopes - will someday beat his friend at it for him.

One Guitar To Rule Them All (News)

Jun 2, 2008

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.

Coldplay's Violet Hill Coming to Guitar Hero III (News)

May 28, 2008

Coldplay's new single Violet Hill will be making its way to Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock next month, according to a report on Entertainment Weekly.

Music Video Games to Compete with Guitar Hero, Rock Band (News)

May 28, 2008

Music matching video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band have helped bring hordes of new casual gamers to consoles and have been a boon for the ailing music industry. Now a new player has emerged that promises to give gamers a new excuse to get their groove on.

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 coolest, funniest gaming images on the web (Feature)

May 25, 2008

If evidence were ever needed of how culturally important games are these days, it's in the world of art. Between painters, photographers, comic writers and sculptors, the internet is packed to bursting with artists paying tribute to gaming and putting their own spin on our favourite iconography. Here's some of the best stuff we've found. ...

Free God of War song for PS3 GH III (News)

May 22, 2008

PS3 Guitar Hero players will be getting a free track taken from the God of War series, Sony has confirmed.

The PS3-exclusive track will be made available to download on June 5, Sony revealed to PlayStation Underground members (via Kotaku). ...

Free God of War Theme Coming to Guitar Hero III (News)

May 22, 2008

SCRAWL: "On June 5, 2008, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will be receiving a free track exclusively for the PLAYSTATION 3 version of the game. That track, which will be available on the PLAYSTATION Store, is the God of War theme track, fully playable in Gutar Hero III. The news comes from the latest PlayStation Underground e-mail. We can't wait!"

Amazon Liquidating GH3 bundles for PS3/360/Wii, only $59.99 with free shipping, PS2 $49.99 (News)

May 21, 2008

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.

Dallas Mayor Leppert jams at Blockbuster charity event (News)

May 17, 2008

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.

Metallica "most requested" for Rock Band and Guitar Hero (News)

May 16, 2008

During a promotional trailer for the band's forthcoming studio album, Metallica has declared that its music is the "most requested" on both Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

You may remember a few years back that the aging rock chuggers were on the verge of appearing in their very own videogame under the Vivendi / Sierra moniker. The "high action, third person vehicle combat game packed with fully customized vehicles and weaponry, endless ...

Metallica "most requested" for Rock Band and Guitar Hero (News)

May 16, 2008

CVG reports: During a promotional trailer for the band's forthcoming studio album, Metallica has declared said that its music is the "most requested" on both Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

Guitar Hero IV gets song creation, multiple instruments (News)

May 13, 2008

Neversoft's Guitar Hero IV will feature custom song creation and multiple instruments when it launches later on this year, says a US report.

According to Shacknews, the latest issue of Game Informer has spilled the first details on Guitar Hero 4. The forth title in the series will expand the musical peripheral offerings to include drum and vocal gameplay, in addition to bass and guitar.

The song creation process is a ...

Guitar Hero III Sets Largest Audience For A Videogame Performance Record (News)

May 12, 2008

WorthPlaying writes: At the Give It A Name Festival in London two gamers took to the main stage to play Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock in front of over 9,600 fans. The previous record was set at the Download Festival, Donington, in 2007, when the game was played in front of 3,000 people.

Guitar Hero helps Activision rock Wall Street (News)

May 11, 2008

Activision posted a quarterly profit on Thursday that blew past expectations as demand for its Guitar Hero 3 and Call of Duty 4 video games made up for a complete lack of new releases.

Rumored PLAYSTATION Store New Content (US) for 5/08/08 (News)

May 7, 2008

With all of the new information from SCEE's PlayStation Day and the dual EU updates for the PLAYSTATION Store, many US PS3 gamers are wondering what exactly they can expect this week. Here is a list of what is confirmed by the developers to be arriving this week (as well as the unconfirmed content pending developer confirmation).

This week's updates include:
=== CONFIRMED ===
- The Bourne Conspiracy [Demo] (FREE)
- Guitar Hero III DLC - Muse Track Pack ($6.25)
- Haze [Demo] (FREE)
- PixelJunk Monsters ENCORE! [Add-on] ($5.99)
- Race Driver: GRID [Demo] (FREE)
- Rock Band DLC ($1.99 each, $5.49 pack)

=== RUMORED ===
- Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds [Demo] (FREE)
- SOCOM: Confrontation Theme & Wallpapers (FREE)

Note: Though this is a forum post, it's not an opinion - it's a collection from many different sources. The information is timely and updated immediately. This source has been approved as an exception on N4G in the past it links to industry professionals.
(Past Approvals: http://www.n4g.com/NewsPending-100526.aspx, http://www.n4g.com/NewsPending-102785.aspx, http://www.n4g.com/NewsPending-125721.aspx)

GamesRadar - Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Amazon discounts Guitar Hero III to $28 (News)

BeefJack: Music DLC Roundup - 7/11 (News)

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup: 31/10 (News)

30 percent of Guitar Hero players are girls (News)

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

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup - 17/10 (News)

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup - 10/10 (News)

BeefJack - Music DLC Round Up - 22/8 (News)

BeefJack: Music DLC Round Up - 15/8 (News)

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup 1/8 (News)

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup - 25/7 (News)

BeefJack - Music DLC Roundup 18/7 (News)

Music charts to add games (News)

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

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

Neversoft defends Guitar Hero song pack pricing (News)

Three New Guitar Hero World Records Set (News)

Gamestop.com Music Blowout Sale (News)

Rumored PS Store Content for 05/14/09 (News)

Music games off 36% this year, EA expects Rock Band sales down $400 million (News)

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

Rumored PS Store Content for 04/30/09 (News)

New Community Login System is on its way for Guitar Hero (News)

Gibson Loses Guitar Hero Lawsuit (News)

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

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

Blondie Man Studies Music Games (News)

Teenager breaks Guinness record for Guitar Hero III (News)

Top 9 gaming records (Feature)

Guitar Hero Ace Rips his way into the Guinness World records Book (News)

Pic: Megan Fox playing Guitar Hero (News)

Guitar Hero: World Tour February track packs detailed (News)

Oasis: "Playing a guitar is not a f***ing videogame" (News)

Forbes writer responds to Rockband comment, still thinks it is a 'knockoff' (News)

Fender: Survey Shows Music Games Drive Students To Play Real Instruments (News)

CES 09: The World's Tiniest Video Game Guitar Controller (News)

Activision: Guitar Hero III Passes $1b (News)

PS3 and Guitar Hero underwear being sold in Germany (News)

GTA IV and GH3 Records Published in Guinness Book of World Records 2009 (News)

Guns N' Roses star slams Guitar Hero (News)

Guitar Hero Goes Continental (News)

Amazon offers free Guitar Hero with PS3 160GB SKU (News)

Defending the Plastic Guitar! (News)

"Rock 'n' roll is about f*****g, games are about w*****g" (News)

Gene Simmons AXE Controller Launches (News)

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

Red Octane Starts Black Friday Early (News)

Guitar Hero Robot Plays Videogame With Electronic Precision (News)

Nickelback slam Guitar Hero (News)

Guitar Hero World Tour: The Killers Track Pack (News)

Activision Gives Guitar Hero to the Troops (News)

Tongues out for the Kiss Guitar Hero controller (News)

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

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

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

Metallica album releases on Guitar Hero this Friday (News)

Gamasutra In-Depth: Inside The Guitar Hero Census (News)

DragonForce track pack coming this Thursday for GHIII (News)

Peak Products Introduces Wooden Guitar Controller (News)

Guitar Hero Gamer Fine (News)

Is gaming already the new music industry? (News)

Show Me the Money: Warner Music Group Talks Bigger Guitar Hero and Rock Band Payout (News)

Rumored PlayStation Store New Content (US) for August 7, 2008 (News)

Guitar Hero 3 Getting New-ish Track Pack Thursday; Includes Manson, Flyleaf and AFI (News)

'Guitar Hero' continues to play sweet music for Activision (News)

Activision Expects $50M in DLC Sales This Year, Mostly from Guitar Hero and Call of Duty (News)

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

Rumored PlayStation Store New Content (US) for July 24, 2008 (News)

Guitar Hero III gets Virtuoso this Thursday (News)

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

Guitar Hero III Top Gun Anthem Track Now Available, Free From Xbox LIVE (News)

Guitar Hero III - World record broken (News)

Top Gun Theme coming to Guitar Hero III - For Free (News)

World of Warcraft Jam comes to Guitar Hero 3 (News)

Rumored PlayStation Store New Content (US) for June 19, 2008 (News)

Coldplay on Guitar Hero (News)

Guitar Hero Storms the Stage at Isle of Wight Festival (News)

Rumored PlayStation Store New Content (US) for June 12, 2008 (News)

Even Hendrix plays Guitar Hero (News)

"Rock 'n' roll is about fg, games are about wg" (News)