"Guitar Hero; Van Halen joins the ranks of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and Guitar Hero: Metallica as the next Guitar Hero installment that focuses on a particular band.
Having played all the renditions of both Guitar Hero and Rockband on the Xbox 360, it is hard to mask my initial disappointment at Van Halen.
Whilst both Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero have used the flashy new career mode system, which includes challenges that encompass all instruments and play styles, it is clear that Van Halen..."
"According to sources at both Activision and Neversoft, after the developer completes work on technically-unannounced-but-we-all-know-its-coming Guitar Hero 6, the publisher will hand the groundbreaking franchise over to Vicarious Visions. Vicarious Visions has some history with the Guitar Hero franchise, having worked on the Wii ports of every GH console game since Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. The studio works on the Nintendo DS Guitar Hero: On Tour series as well."
If you laughed at the Weezer Snuggie, this will be up your alley. 5Frets.com has made a parody of the Snuggie commercial, but for Guitar Hero.
The article explains how the video was made from scratch, and the ScoreHero/Logitech video contest it was created for.
"Activision is unceremoniously dumping the Sammy Haggar-less Guitar Hero: Van Halen into stores on the 22nd for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. A few days later, on December 26, Square Enix will release Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers on the Wii. Interestingly, The Crystal Bearers was the first game ever announced for the Wii and four years later it's finally ready for release."
Bobby Kotick's logic has spread to Daniel Rosensweig, CEO of Guitar Hero.
20% of households with consoles own the game. And the GH CEO wants to go after the remaining 80%? Truly it doesn't mean that 80% do not quite like rhythm games or don't have the coordination/rhythm needed.
Until we see a better game (singular here, not plural; as in ONE game, just like Rock band), Guitar Hero will always be seen as saturated.
Open the pool up for others while you're at it. Rhythm Heaven over...
"Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (AMEX/TSX: MCZ), a leading worldwide third-party interactive entertainment accessory provider, today announced the shipping of the Rock Band Wireless Wooden Fender Stratocaster replica guitar for use with the Microsoft® Xbox 360 videogame console.
Compatible with Rock Band™, Rock Band™ 2, the up coming The Beatles™: Rock Band™ game, alongside other music and rhythm games, the Rock Band Wireless Wooden Fender Stratocaster guitar controller is a true 1..."
Gamers who are still on the edge of purchasing Guitar Hero 5 now have a reason to purchase it. If you order within the month of September, gamers will be able to redeem a special code that will entitle them to Guitar Hero: Van Halen absolutely free. Best part is? You'll be getting the game BEFORE it arrives in stores. 130 songs for $59.99 (plus applicable taxes) seems very appealing, wouldn't you say?
"Oddly enough, Guitar Hero: Van Halen will feature only 25 songs from Van Halen, and this includes three Eddie Van Halen guitar solos (Eruption, Cathedral, and Spanish Fly for you Van Halen fans). Really? 25 songs? Out of 11 Van Halen albums, the best that Neversoft, Budcat, and Activision can produce is 25 Van Halen songs in a game titled Guitar Hero: Van Halen?"
The 'good news' episode of The Bender. Mostly for us, but still good news. Lots of ground covered, including a little touching of the "games as art debate", James taking on the "10 day detox" of video games, and much more. Grab us/stream through iTunes or download the mp3 here
"Van Halen tracks:
* Ain’t Talkin' Bout Love
* And The Cradle Will Rock
* Atomic Punk
* Beautiful Girls
* Cathedral (solo)
* Dance The Night Away
* Eruption (solo)
* Everybody Wants Some
* Feel Your Love Tonight
* Hang ‘Em High
* Hear About It Later
* Hot For Teacher
* Ice Cream Man
* I’m The One
* Jamie’s Cryin
* Jump
* Little Guitars
* Loss Of Control
* Mean Street
..."
"Looking at music games as part of our NPD analysis, Gamasutra has discovered that U.S. Guitar Hero/Rock Band revenues are down 49% year on year, as discounted hardware and over 20 SKUs flood the market.
June 2009 was the second consecutive month without a Rock Band or Guitar Hero title in the top 20 software titles. The last time the software charts went two months without one of these franchises was in September and October 2007, right before the launch of Guitar Hero II on the PlayStatio..."
James Walker has had it. This goes past Bobby Kotick's recent dropping Sony support threats. This has been a long time coming. Someone needs to call Bobby out on the things he is doing with what was a company we all could at the very least say used to be "better than EA"
"Following the introduction of the Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller, Premiere Edition (previously available only in select markets), the new black guitar controller is expected to be available worldwide later this month."
The Bender this week brings things back to a normal level. We are side tracked for a little bit because the awesomeness that was the Star Trek movie, but other than that, all game news including 3D Realms, Lord British (Ultima Online creator), and Perry hit up a convention. Grab us for your mp3 player by hitting up either iTunes or grabbing the mp3 directly here.
![Box shot of Guitar Hero: Van Halen [North America]](http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvWGJveF8zNjAvUmh5dGhtXyZfTXVzaWM=/guitar_hero_van_halen_frontcover_small_c4SPjtWNtVcSGTF.jpg)