Activision today announced the launch week DLC that will be available for Guitar Hero World Tour when it hits stores October 26. Upon retail availability, the game can be enhanced with new content in the form of a Classic Rock Track Pack, which will include “Rock and Roll Band” by Boston, “Hot Blooded” by Foreigner and “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield.

Additionally, October 30 will be host to the release of a R.E.M. track pack, featuring the songs “Horse to Water”, “Man-Sized Wreath” and “Supernatual Superserious” from the band’s new album “Accelerate”. It will be exclusive to Xbox Live Marketplace for two weeks before making its way to PSN.

Also available will be “No Rain” by Blind Melon. All songs will be purchasable individually, though no price point was given.

Joining MLB Stickball on Xbox Live Arcade today are two more games – Tenchu: Shadow Assault and Beat’n Groovy. All three titles are 800 points ($10) each.

The first title is a party game spinning off from the famous stealth-action Tenchu series. It features a “trap action” game, supporting four-player multiplayer both locally and over Xbox Live. The latter is a music-rhythm title using the standard console controller. It’s music library consists of music from different genres such as electronic and pop, offering two-player versus play both locally and on Xbox Live.

With the release of the game just a bit over two weeks away, Activision has confirmed the price points for the various editions of Guitar Hero World Tour, hoping that you will clear out your wallet come October 26.

Those who have the money for toy guitars and drums can shell out $240 for a deluxe bundle available only from RedOctane. It packs the game, wireless guitar, wireless drum set and a microphone, along with an XL t-shirt, recharge kit, dual gig bag and key chain. That price is for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, with PS2 and Wii clocking in at $220.

The standard band kit will cost $190; they will also release a guitar bundle, packing a game and the guitar only for $100. The game itself will cost only $60.

The price is similar to Rock Band 2 which also retails at the same price point and is coming to PS3 on October 19.

  Adding more to the whole Rock Band experience, Harmonix has relaunched the game’s website, offering the long-promised customizable merchandise for Rock Band 2.

The site features a new Photo Creator that will allow players to pose their in-game characters, add effects and take photos which can be added to band pages and profiles. These photos can also be used on merchandise including t-shirts and stickers.

Also, they will be offering 6” statues of in-game Rock Band avatars for $69. Avatars can now be posed using the new Bandmate Creator tool.

They are offering t-shirts for $29, posters for $14, stickers for $5, key chains for $3 and buttons for $2.

Activision today announced that Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades, the followup to the record-breaking original, will be released on November 16.

Offering more than 26 new songs, the game has you using the DS Guitar Grip to play the game against friends or complete strangers. In an interesting move, Decades is multiplayer-compatible with the original On Tour, allowing duels and multiplayer-only song sharing between the two games.

Nine new tracks for Rock Band will be available starting this week. Kicking off the setlist is The Offspring, offering three tracks available as a bundle for 440 Microsoft points ($5.50) or individually for 160 points ($2). They are “Gone Away”, “Pretty Fly” and “Self Esteem”.

The other six tracks are from various bands, which range from pop-rock to heavy metal. The following tracks are available for 160 points ($2) each: “Stop!” by Against Me, “All Right Now” by Free, “Bad to the Bone” by George Thorogood, “Cream & Bastards Rise” by Harvey Danger, “Nearly Lost You” by Screaming Trees” and “Push It” by Static-X.

These songs will be available on Xbox Live starting Tuesday and PSN on Thursday.

Responding to complaints made by users that the Guitar Hero version of Death Magnetic is of better quality than the CD on store shelves, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich complained that he can’t “keep up with this shit”, explaining why they did what they did.

Said Ulrich: "You gotta remember, when we put out ‘…And Justice for All,’ people were going, ‘What happened to these guys, this record? … It sounds like it was recorded in a fuckin’ garage on an eight-track.’ And now ‘…And Justice for All’ is sort of the seminal Metallica record that supposedly influenced a whole generation of death-metal bands."

As for the new album, Ulrich referred Rick Rubin’s decision to sacrifice sound quality for loudness, stating that he and James Hetfield (band frontman) had “made a deal that we would hang back a little and not get in the way of whatever Rick’s vision was.”

May I remind everyone that Metallica’s albums have always sounded low quality? It has to with their ‘signature’ sound I guess. There’s no point in making such a fuss over it.

The New York Times reports that MTV will later today announce AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack, the first spinoff title for the Rock Band platform, taking a cue from Activision’s Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.

Set for release this November as a tool to promote the band’s upcoming album “Black Ice”, the game will feature all the tracks from their “AC/DC Live at Donnington” live album and cost less than $30.

A deal with Columbia Records and MTV with Wal-Mart will see the game being sold exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores, as well as on the store’s website. Expecting it to sell big, the store is said to be considering specialized temporary stores in Manhattan and Los Angeles, where it has no locations, to sell the game and album.

The game will be released on PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii.

Hoping to ignite some creativity amongst gamers, Activision let out word that they will remove any track that resembles copyrighted material posted using Guitar Hero World Tour’s music-creation tool.

"We’ll be actively monitoring the site," said Neversoft project director Brian Bright. "We can’t condone people putting up covers of music. It’s really there for original content."

It was further stated that if there’s a licensed song and someone holds the copyright to it, they will “take it down regardless of whether or not someone complains.”

Users will be able to create MIDI tracks and import them into the game, using its music creation suite. These songs can then be shared online amongst users.

Continuing the public mud slinging match between Activision and Warner Music, AB CEO Bobby Kotick suggested that maybe the publisher behind the Guitar Hero series deserves compensation for including songs from Warner’s label in the popular rhythm series.

"When you look at the impact [Guitar Hero] can have on an Aerosmith, Van Halen or Metallica, it’s really significant," he said. "So much so that you sort of question whether or not, in the case of those kinds of products, you should be paying any money at all and whether it should be the reverse."

Kotick also pointed out that the company doesn’t really need any particular label, especially Warner, seeing as how their parent company also owns Universal Music Group, the world’s largest record label.

Giving yet another incentive to buy into the Rock Band series, Harmonix has announced that gamers will be able to download “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” by Red Hot Chili Peppers next week on PS3 and Xbox 360.

Excluding one track - “Give it Away” – all songs from the album will be released for 1600 Microsoft points ($20), with individual tracks going for 160 Microsoft points ($2).

The songs will be available starting September 30 on XBLA, and October 2 on PSN.

• The Power of Equality
• If You Have to Ask
• Breaking the Girl
• Funky Monks
• Suck My Kiss
• I Could Have Lied
• Mellowship Slinky in B Major
• The Righteous & The Wicked
• Blood Sugar Sex Magik
• Under the Bridge
• Naked in the Rain
• Apache Rose Peacock
• The Greeting Song
• My Lovely Man
• Sir Psycho Sexy
• They’re Red Hot

This week’s batch of downloadable songs for Rock Band is on its way. We get six tracks this week, ranging from Bad Religion to The Cult. These songs will hit Xbox Live this Tuesday and PlayStation Network two days later.

• Bad Religion - Sorrow
• The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary
• Hot Hot Heat - Bandages
• Kasabian - Shoot the Runner
• Sleater-Kinney - You’re No Rock N Roll Fun
• Stone Roses - Love Spreads

The above songs are all master tracks and will cost 160 Microsoft points ($2) each.

Originally scheduled for release last month, “Moving Pictures” by Rush will also be available this week for 880 Microsoft points ($11) for the whole album, or 160 points ($2) for individual tracks.

• Tom Sawyer (original version)
• Red Barchetta
• YYZ
• Limelight (original version)
• The Camera Eye
• Witch Hunt
• Vital Signs

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot promised yet another music game to the world, though it will be “different enough not to be considered ‘me too’.”

He talked about the rapid expansion of music games following the success of the Guitar Hero franchise, noting that it could become cluttered with clones.

"The games do like $1 billion in revenue … People will still be interested in those kinds of games; maybe there will be more people. And doing a "me too" is dangerous," he said.

As for what the publisher has up its sleeves is still a secret. However, he does reveal that they have two projects in development – one with peripherals and the other without.

The Guitar Hero craze is reaching fever pitch, as more and more games are in the pipeline. Speaking on tribute games like Metallica and Aerosmith versions of the game, former Guns n’ Roses guitarist Slash let slip that a Jimi Hendrix one is also in development.

“Those are two ones [Metallica and Aerosmith] that I think gives it some credibility. And they’re doing a Hendrix one, which is great,” he is quoted as saying to Rolling Stone.

Jimi Hendrix is one of the greatest guitarist of all time. That is all the information you need on him.

Slash also talked about the whole plastic guitar world in the interview, noting AC/DC to be the best band to fit into the series.

Activision is yet to confirm anything about Guitar Hero: Jimi Hendrix.

Speaking at Activision Blizzard’s Analyst Day, company CEO Mike Griffith revealed that they are considering a subscription service to deliver new songs monthly for Guitar Hero.

“Looking even further out, we’re exploring new models, like an annual pass subscription where players can subscribe and get a certain number of songs downloadable each month,” Griffith explained.

He wouldn’t offer any further details, such as a price or start date for such a program. It comes as part of the company’s plans to monetize the Guitar Hero franchise, which they hope to push down your throat by 2010.

Detailing just how popular the franchise is, Griffith revealed that Guitar Hero: Aerosmith “deliver 10x the revenue compared to Aerosmith’s most recently released CD in 2004.”

The new instrument for Guitar Hero World Tour apparently isn’t a new instrument at all. Instead, it will be a feature that will let PC users import MIDI tracks into the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game.

This MIDI sequencer will support rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass, keyboards and drum tracks on the PS3, but will be limited to drum tracks on the Xbox 360 due to “hardware issues” which weren’t specified. These features will be released as a week-one patch for the game, which is due out in late October.

Further details are to be provided soon.

Being included in Guitar Hero is the path to commercial success for bands, said Zach Horowitz, President and COO of the Universal Music Group at Activision Blizzard’s Analyst Day.

Horowitz added foundation to his statement by citing “My Name is Jonas” by Weezer as a prime example. The song appeared in Guitar Hero 3 and saw a real-world sales increase of about 1000% in the weeks that followed the game’s release.

It appears Universal sees a business opportunity in the Guitar Hero franchise, which Activision hopes to produce a lot more of in the coming years.

In a totally kickass move, Harmonix has announced that it will release the entirety of Megadeth’s “Peace Sells - But Who’s Buying?” album as well as a 4-pack in honor of the concert tour promoting Rock Band 2.

The following tracks from the album will be available collectively for 880 Microsoft points ($11) or individually for 160 points ($2).

• Wake Up Dead
• The Conjuring
• Devil’s Island
• Good Mourning / Black Friday
• Bad Omen
• I Ain’t Superstitious
• My Last Words

The missing title track can be found on the Rock Band 2 disc which will be released tomorrow on Xbox 360.

The 4-pack features bands on the concert tour. The tracks can be bought collectively for 320 Microsoft points ($4) or individually for 80 points ($1).

• “One of Those Nights” by the Cab
• “Hands Down” by Dashboard Confessional
• “She’s a Handsome Woman” by Panic At the Disco
• “Natural Disaster” by Plain White T’s

These songs will be available on Xbox Live Marketplace starting Tuesday, September 16; PS3 users get them two days later.

Marking a series first, Activision today announced that they will release Metallica’s new album “Death Magnetic” for Guitar Hero 3 this Friday. It will be available on both PS3 and Xbox 360.

The album will be priced at 1440 Microsoft points ($18) and will pack two exclusive editions of “Suicide & Redemption”; it will not feature the album version of the song. Additionally, the album will be compatible with Guitar Hero World Tour which will be released this Fall.

Hit the jump for the track list.

Read on »

PS3 rockers take note: Harmonix has finally released an update for Rock Band that allows the PS3 version to be compatible with the guitar included with Guitar Hero 3.

The studio had previously tried to release the patch last December, but met resistance from Activision who claimed that it should be “compensated” for the use of its technology. Thankfully, that stance changed earlier this year, paving the way for upcoming music game controllers to be cross-compatible.

Harmonix, not staying idle, has also released a patch that adds the disc export feature, allowing Rock Band 2 gamers to move their original songs to the upcoming installment; it has also released a patch for the PAX Pack, which was broken on the PS3 only.

Developer Harmonix has finally divulged details on the tracks gamers will be able to import from Rock Band to Rock Band 2 later this month.

Only three songs from the first game cannot be transferred. They are “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath (cover), “Run to the Hills” by Iron Maiden (cover) and “Enter Sandman” by Metallica.

The ability to export songs from RB1 and play them in RB2 will cost 400 Microsoft points ($5) due to licensing fees. Previously released downloadable content is already compatible at no extra charge.

Publisher Activision sent out word that legendary bands Tool and The Police will be featured in Guitar Hero World Tour.

Along with music from the bands, the game will feature a specially-crafted Tool venue that was made with the help of the band to highlight the “art style that has become a staple in their music videos, live shows and album artwork.”

The songs by Tool are “Schism”, “Parabola” and “Vicarious”; The Police get in one song: “Demolition Man”.

Additionally, The Police vocalist Sting will be a playable character in the game.

Guitar Hero World Tour is due out this Fall on PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii.

Developer Harmonix has revealed that next week’s downloadable songs for Rock Band will be a three song track pack from heavy metal band All That Remains.

All master tracks, the songs are “This Calling”, “Chiron” and “Two Weeks”. The entire bundle will sell for 240 Microsoft points ($2.50) and individual tracks can be bought for 80 Microsoft points ($1).

Two of the songs are from their upcoming album, which hits stores September 16. They will be available exclusively via Rock Band until that date.

Bringing music to gamer’s ears, Blizzard today sent out word that a wide selection of music from its popular games have been released on iTunnn.

Much of the released music was previously only available through the games’ collector’s editions, or at special events such as the BlizzCon gaming convention. The soundtracks released today are: StarCraft, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, World of Warcraft, The Burning Crusade and Taverns of Azeroth.

The albums are available through a new Blizzard Entertainment hub page within the iTunes store. It also hosts BlizzCast podcast and various media from the studio’s upcoming games.

Additionally, the “Diablo 3 Overture” track has been released as a single and has been highlighted as a “Discovery Download”, making it free to download till this Tuesday.

Continuing the barrage of Guitar Hero World Tour revelations, Activision today revealed three more tracks that will appear in the coming game.

The songs are “Overkill” by Motorhead, “Pretty Vacant” by The Sex Pistols and “Kick Out the Jams” by MC5. Most notable is the fact that each song was specially re-recorded for the game, with the MC5 song “updating and modernizing the sound” through the participation of guitarists Wayne Kramer, Jerry Cantrell and Gilby Clark.

Guitar Hero World Tour is scheduled for release this Fall on PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii.