"LOS ANGELES -- One of the hottest trends in video games is one of the oldest pastimes of the human race.

A virtual symphony of music-playing games will soon be lining store shelves as game publishers and console makers try to capitalize on the growing popularity of the genre. The latest is from Nintendo Co., which unveiled its "Wii Music" game here at the E3 video game convention Tuesday.
In almost every genre of game, if you see a big spike, it's largely attributable to one or two titles..."

"

We've seen a lot of Guitar Hero bots in our time, but we're pretty certain that Mechanized Rock's take on shredding automatons is something special. The system -- dubbed DeepNote -- actually watches the on-screen action with "eyes" that it uses to analyze notes, which the bot then plays in real-time. Using photodiodes aimed at the screen, the components pick up changes in light within eight nanoseconds, then convert that information to brazen, parent-shocking, full-throttle rock n' roll. ..."

"There's little doubt that the artist line-up for Rock Band 2 is shaping up nicely. Guitar Hero is getting some nice exclusives as well. With Journey, Boston, Metallica, The Who and other top tier acts lending their tunes to the dominant rhythm games, there aren't many superstars left to cross off the list.

One of the artists that continues to elude both Activision and Harmonix is Led Zeppelin. It's been chalked up to a lengthy licensing process, but a recent write-up from the Wall Street J..."

"Beatles representatives are in talks with two companies to create a Beatles-themed video game in a move that could pave the way for a broader licensing of the Fab Four’s catalogue.

The representatives have held discussions with both Activision and MTV Games, the respective makers of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games, in which players strum along to favourite songs or form virtual bands.

A final deal would be worth several million dollars, according to a person familiar with the talks..."

"The company recently decided to celebrate the fact that a couple of Guitar Hero performances would take place at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival, an event partly known for featuring one of Jimi Hendrix’s last performances before his tragic death. So how does one celebrate a fake guitar performance? By vandalizing a tribute to a real guitar legend, it seems. Activision decided to deck out a bronze statue of Hendrix to make it look like he was holding a Guitar Hero controller instead of an a..."

"He tells Rolling Stone: "Guitar Hero was devised to bring the guitar-playing experience to the masses without them having to put anything into it.

“And having done both, there's nothing like really playing guitar. I mean, what would you rather drive, a Ferrari or one of those amusement-park cars on a track?""

"Miley Cyrus on the set of her new music video. Maybe she doesn’t hate the Wii, but just anything that looks like a guitar."

"With the recent announcement of Guitar Hero World Tour, not to mention hints towards a Rock Band sequel, music-based games are undoubtedly more popular than they were a few years ago. One need only look at the recent slate of rereleases like the XBLA port of Rez or Samba de Amigo for the Wii - hardcore faves that weren’t commercial successes - to understand the value of music games on the market today.

We've charted their popularity and placement in today’s gaming world, and now we present..."

"These latest scans from the June issues shows us how Red Octane plans to overtake the competition with the help of a former MTV games employee. The designer of these drums come from a man by the name of John Devecha, who had a part in creating the drums for MTV's Drumscape game.

The design of the drums themselves are pleasing to the eyes. The drums use three pads, two cymbals and foot petal. That means that there will be six parts that will be used in the drum part of this game."

"Activision has revealed that the next true sequel in the Guitar Hero franchise will introduce new instruments. A preview of Guitar Hero 4 in the latest issue of GameInformer has now shed some light on that and revealed that GH4 will introduce drums, bass, and vocals.

The preview also reveals a new gameplay element. Apparently, Guitar Hero 4 will feature custom made tracks. Players will be able to create tracks, name them, create cover art, and upload it all online for others to enjoy. Due ..."

"Nowadays, we express our love through Walmart Gift Cards, Avon fragrance packs, and Sizzler buffet passes. It's safe to say, sons and daughters of the world, that we have pretty much dropped the ball; our mothers deserve more than cheap, foreign-made goods, irritating perfumes, and hazardous meals.

Unfortunately, we here at GameSpy don't really have a solution to this crisis of veneration. But we do have some suggestions. If you're anything like us, chances are your mother doesn't really s..."

"Have your PS2 guitar controller and want to rock out on the new PS3 console? TAC has a perfect solution for you. The PS2 to PS3 Converter will enable your old PS2 controller (guitar or non-guitar) to be used on PS3 for both Guitar Hero and Rock Band games*.

The converter has a USB connector on one end and PS2 connector on the other. Simply plug the converter into PS3, connect the PS2 controller, and set the switch to either Guitar Hero, Rock Band or Gamepad and you are ready to go."

"The trademark refers to "computer game software and related instruction manual sold together as a unit; interactive video game programs; computer game discs; downloadable software for use in connection with computer games; video game controllers; interactive video game comprised of a CD or DVD sold as a unit with a video game controller." It looks like your guitar is going to get a friend."

"It’s been known for a while now that more instruments would eventually be incorporated into the Guitar Hero brand. The question is whether that means bringing drums into the mix and totally ripping off Rock Band, or creating a whole new game in the Guitar Hero universe with different toys to rock out with. The developers are currently figuring out how to move the series beyond the standard guitar and bass repertoire, as the CEO of Activision Bobby Kotick recently said, “We’ll include a lot of..."

"The best bits from The Insider article from issue 100 of psm3.

- Guerilla's Vietnam Shooter Shellshock is set to get a sequel. The sequel will be more of a psychological horror than action.
- The Godfather 2 is very much 'go', and is rumoured to contain 'investigation' segments.
- Iron Man is set to appear in Sega's Incredible Hulk, with the big green guy returning the favour in Iron Man.
- Activision have trademarked the name DJ Hero, this could mean a Guitar Hero style game but with a..."

"When Guitar Hero 3 launched last year it was an immediate success, selling out at a fairly quick pace throughout the holiday season. Following just behind it was Rock Band, selling very well, but not nearly as quickly as Guitar Hero. So far, all versions of Guitar Hero III have sold about 9.1M copies, versus just roughly 1.5M for Rock Band. Of course, part of the discrepancy lies in the fact that Rock Band launched on two platforms while Guitar Hero 3 launched on four, but that is about to be..."

"Hey fellow rock fan!

What would you give to be a rock star? It’s ok, we don’t need your soul, we just want to find someone who has the moves and attitude to embody what Guitar Hero is all about.

Simply grab a tennis racket, the dog, or whatever you have lying around and video yourself rocking out to the track of your choice and upload it for a shot at glory in our weekly video montage. We want fearless guitar-slingers and we don’t care about your looks, size or style. If you have rock ..."

"It seems to me like Gibson is just trying to make some easy money off of an established franchise."

"Will the Nintendo DS version of Guitar Hero, currently in development at Vicarious Visions, be titled Guitar Hero: On Tour? Trademark hunting blog Trademork found a trademark application for the title on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website, filed by Activision on January 19th. While the listing does not specifically mention the Nintendo DS (or any platform), it does apply to the following items:

Computer game software and related instruction manual sold together as a ..."

""Guitar Hero is one of the biggest brands and one of the most powerful distribution platforms in all of entertainment today," said Michael Griffith, president and CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc. "Guitar Hero's popularity with broad audiences is a confirmation that video games have become a true mass medium."

But wait, there's one more feather for Activision to stick in their no-doubt very large and well ornamented hat: since Guitar Hero III's release in November, it has surpassed 5 mill..."

"In fact, the immense popularity of the hit Guitar Hero franchise--the third iteration of the game, Guitar Hero III, brought in $115 million during its first week on the market--may be the best thing that has happened to the instrument, to rock 'n' roll, and to guitar instructors, in a long time.

"I have an overwhelming feeling that my business is safe for years to come when I see kids playing Guitar Hero," said Dan Emery, owner of New York City Guitar School. "These kids are really enjoyin..."

"This episode follows the last year's hugely popular "Make Love, Not Warcraft" episode, which helped garner the long-running animated show an Emmy."

"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."

Kotaku reader "Tom" took this photo while on their trip in Thailand. This was found in an arcade in Bangkok. People in Taiwan don't need guitars, not at all. Instead, they use buttons...big buttons. So, where's the whammy bar dare I ask? Alternatively residents in Bangkok may refer to this as Button Hero.

"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."

"I Wanna Rock - Twisted Sister
I Ran - Flock of Seagulls
Round and Round - as made popular by Ratt
I Want Candy - as made popular by Bow Wow Wow
Metal Health - as made popular by Quiet Riot
Holy Diver - as made popular by Dio
Heat of the Moment - as made popular by Asia"

"Pelican has released a new USB adpater with the following features:


1. 5-year warranty. Pelican will replace or repair your console if a Pelican product damages it.

2. It has a “PS Home” button on it and four red LEDs to indicate controller number.

3. “Guitar Hero(tm) 1 and 2 Ready: Plug in your favorite guitar and rock out to Guitar Hero 1 and 2 on your PS3.”

4. It doesn’t support rumble.



During the tests we were only able to show that the PS Home button works and that ..."

"According to whispsers, there are three new song packs on the way. Here's what is, possibly, in store!

Content Pack 1:
“Cowboys From Hell” - Pantera
“I Love Rock & Roll” - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
“Cochise” - Audioslave

Content Pack 2:
“Godzilla” - Blue Oyster Cult
“I Wanna Be Sedated” - The Ramones
“Sharp Dressed Man” - ZZ Top

Content Pack 3:
“Iron Man” - Black Sabbath
“Take Me Out” - Franz Ferdinand
“Smoke on the Water” - Deep Purple"

"Since Guitar Hero first exploded onto the scene in 2006, thousands of wannabe rock stars have been locked away in their homes fiddling their fingers up and down the frets of a plastic guitar, rocking out to classic guitar tunes. Having conquered the hearts and minds of PlayStation 2 owners, developer Harmonix and publisher RedOctane recently took an axe to the Xbox 360, with an improved version of Guitar Hero II featuring online leaderboards and downloadable tracks.

We had the chance to sp..."