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Posts with tag Activision

Guitar Hero World Tour has DLC, or it doesn't

Posted May 22nd 2008 1:15PM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: News, Rumors


Even an official press release can't convince us that the Wii version of Guitar Hero World Tour will support downloadable content -- mostly because the press releases can't keep their stories straight. We've seen two versions of the press release: the first, on Activision's own site, claims that World Tour is the "First Game Ever in the Guitar Hero Franchise to Allow In-Game Downloadable Content on Wii," while the second, found on GamesIndustry.biz, is exactly the same minus the mention of DLC. Was the line excised mid-release? Did it get added later? Will it be in the game? We have no idea. What we do know is that the only reason Activision can tout World Tour's "first-ever Wii Guitar Hero DLC" is because they never followed through on their promise to put it in Guitar Hero III.

We've got new screens in our gallery which obviously aren't from the Wii version of the game, but which show off new features like character creation, guitar customization, and the awesome music-recording function that we have no idea if we'll get. Maybe the Wii drum kit will make extra noise when you hit it.

Gallery: Guitar Hero World Tour

Guitar Hero: World Tour trailer touts impressive features which are probably not in the Wii version

Posted May 21st 2008 8:00PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: Video


Look, we'll give credit where it's due, and Activision definitely deserves a "wuddup" for including Wi-Fi-compatibility in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. But, with all of the things Rock Band is leaving out of the Wii version, we're fearing a rather bad precedent will be set and a lot of the new features presented in this teaser trailer will be absent from the Wii port of the game. Until then, we'll just have to wait and see, we suppose.

Ted Nugent has a role in Guitar Hero IV

Posted May 18th 2008 6:00PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News

Ted Nugent had something of interest to say regarding fans of the Guitar Hero franchise. During a recent radio interview, The Nuge dropped the bomb that he has been working with the folks behind Guitar Hero IV (he doesn't exactly say it's the fourth installment, but we're pretty sure he isn't talking about Guitar Hero Aerosmith) and will be featured in the game. You can hear it all right here (around 12:30 is when he starts talking about it).

He had a lot of things to say about the whole mo-cap process, as well as his inability to actually play the game, despite his ability to set real frets on fire. Our favorite part of the interview? He said he had to do "a variation of Stranglehold." Man, we love that song.

In fact, let's go ahead and embed it past the post break. Rock out with us, won't you?

Continue reading Ted Nugent has a role in Guitar Hero IV

Game Informer reveals Guitar Hero IV drum kit [update]

Posted May 14th 2008 11:00AM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News, Peripherals

Well now, it looks like the June 2008 issue of Game Informer has a little surprise up its sleeve. You got it, this is none other than the drum kit that will be utilized in Guitar Hero IV. Looks kind of weird, if you ask us. But, hey, maybe the thing looks goofy, yet has a great feel to it? We'll have to wait and see.

As you can tell, it's different from the Rock Band drum kit in several ways. For one, it would appear the kit only has 3 face drums, with two weird high hat-looking things above the main drums, along with the requisite bass pedal. Will this be an easier drum kit to manage than the one bundled with Rock Band?

Update: Whoops, fixed some oversight on our part. Sorry for the mistake.

[Via Joystiq]

Guitar Hero 4 adds new instruments, turns features up to eleven

Posted May 12th 2008 10:30PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: News



The June edition of Game Informer features a lengthy preview of Guitar Hero 4, and one thing is immediately clear: Activision is desperate to out-Rock Band Rock Band. This is most obvious in Guitar Hero 4's adoption of other instruments; as recent rumors suggested, the next installment of Activision's faux-guitar extravaganza will include drums, bass, and vocals.

As well as this expanded line-up, you'll be able to create your own tracks (though this doesn't extend to vocals, reportedly due to storage and copyright issues) and design album art. The game will let you upload five of your tracks to 'GH Tunes' (and ten when you achieve certain grades), and it will be possible to share songs in the Wii version. If you're horribly uncreative like us, you'll be able to strum your axe to one of the game's licensed songs, all of which are master tracks, and include the likes of Van Halen, The Eagles, Sublime and angst-mongers Linkin Park.

Some big changes, then, but there is a hint dropped by Game Informer that sharing songs in the Wii version of Guitar Hero 4 is "unlikely to be as robust as the PS3 and 360 versions." The magazine doesn't expand on this comment, but it's enough to set alarm bells off in our heads, especially after the gimped Rock Band fiasco.

Activision reveals Pitfall: The Big Adventure

Posted May 12th 2008 3:00PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News, Screens


Click for larger image

Exclusively for the Wii, Activision is bringing another entry in the Pitfall franchise to Nintendo's console. What has us confused about all of this, though, is that these images look very familiar to Pitfall: The Lost Expedition, which released on the previous generation of consoles. Could this just be a port of that game, now with waggle?

Our hunt for similar screens to compare has come up empty. The press release mentions there are over 60 levels to play, but says nothing to the fact that this looks like a game that already released 4 years ago. When we find out, we'll let you know.

Gallery: Pitfall: The Big Adventure


[Via press release]

UK duo get world record playing Guitar Hero III in UK

Posted May 12th 2008 12:30PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News


And here we thought getting a handful of people to watch you play Guitar Hero III was a pretty big feat. Turns out, in Earls Court, London, over 9,000 people turned out to watch two teenagers tear it up in the game. The two young lads introduced band 30 Seconds to Mars by laying down some hot licks on their fake guitars in Guitar Hero III.

This makes them Guiness Record holders now, something that we're quite jealous of, to be honest. Why? Well, because we've got ten years on them and have zero world records. Basically, it feels like we have wasted our lives.

The Wii nets another fishing game

Posted May 2nd 2008 10:33PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: News

Proving that software based on fishing sells, Activision is publishing yet another title in the genre, set to hit the Wii (as well as the 360 and PS3) this summer. Called Rapala Fishing Frenzy, it sounds, uh ... exactly like that other Rapala game for the Wii.

Fish fans might look forward to this iteration, though, which captures "the adrenaline-pumping intensity of sport fishing." If that statement just sent thrills throughout your body, you should also know that Fishing Frenzy lets you catch twenty-five of the world's most sought after fish. So ... woot?

[Via press release]

Activision announces Little League World Series 2008

Posted Apr 24th 2008 4:00PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News, Screens

Pay attention, baseball fans: Activision has licensed the Little League World series into a new game, complete with way deformed representations of the athletes that participate in the sport. Sure, we may not dig on the look too much, but we do dig on the prospect of more baseball on our Wii. MLB Power Pros can't last us forever, you know!

The game is exclusive to Nintendo platforms and will feature 8 U.S. and 8 international teams. The title will also feature character customization options, although we're not sure if it's just cosmetic or something akin to actually building the stats of your players. We're hoping for the latter.

Little League World Series 2008 will be releasing on August 5th in North America. In the meanwhile, be sure to hit up our gallery below for some screens.

Gallery: Little League World Series 2008


[Via press release]

Guitar Hero rumored to add peripherals

Posted Apr 23rd 2008 3:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Rumors, Peripherals

There are rumors abound that Activision will be adding new instrument peripherals and a microphone to Guitar Hero IV, because of statements made by Activision's CEO Bobby Kotick in a recent interview with Conde Nast Portfolio. Should these bode true, though, we think this is a questionable move by the company. Although Rock Band is widely hailed as the better game, it seems lazy for Activision to turn its franchise into exactly (or at least, almost exactly) the same thing.

Let's think of the other negatives. Since Guitar Hero and Rock Band guitars are incompatible with the competing game (thanks to Activision), we can assume that if drums become a part of the GHIV experience, they will be, too. This means that people who want to own both will not only have to deal with a mountain of guitars (supposing they enjoy a good bout of local multiplayer), but also two drum sets cluttering up their homes. Moreover, this blogger has come to think of Guitar Hero as "the poor man's Rock Band," meaning that you don't have to pay an arm and a leg (just an arm) to get it. It's not cheap, but it's cheaper. Should the series turn into Rock Band, however, that will take away its economic edge.

Now, there could be good things about this rumored change. If Activision added some unique instruments (maybe a keyboard?), the game could offer something that Rock Band can't. Should it turn into nothing but a clone, though, we can't say we support that.

Kotick also mentioned that the game will include a feature that utilizes local bands, but what the CEO meant by this has yet to be clarified.

[Via Joystiq]

The Ultimate Alliance forms again in 2009

Posted Apr 22nd 2008 6:00PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News

Fans of the latest Marvel dungeon crawler, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, know that a sequel to your beloved game is inbound, however it's going to take a bit longer than you might like. You see, the sequel to the first game isn't going to be on shelves until next year. Here, cry on our shoulder. Go ahead, let it all out!

Our cruel overlords at Joystiq seem to think that the new Spider-Man: Web of Shadows game could have something to do with the delay. As for us, well, we're not complaining if the time is put to good use. The first game was a boatload of fun, so we hope the sequel is just as good, if not better.

[Via Joystiq]

Virtually Overlooked: The Three Stooges

Posted Apr 17th 2008 10:00PM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: Virtually Overlooked

There is approximately zero chance of Cinemaware's The Three Stooges ever making it to the Virtual Console. Nobody's going to bother to reacquire the publishing rights to the likenesses of a comedy act of (sadly) decreasing relevance, just for the purpose of reselling an awful game for five dollars.

That's what we thought, before we remembered that The Three Stooges, originally an Amiga game, had actually been resold recently on both the Game Boy Advance and the PlayStation, and even remade for the PC. Who knows? Maybe there is a market for antiquated licenses!

Continue reading Virtually Overlooked: The Three Stooges

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows coming to Wii

Posted Apr 17th 2008 4:00PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News, Video


Keep in mind, this is not the Wii version

Take note, webheads: a new Spidey game is being made for the Wii (along with those other systems nobody cares about). It's called Spider-Man: Web of Shadows and will once again feature the tried-and-true sandbox mechanic of a fully-explorable New York City. Other than that, we know that the game is being worked on by Treyarch and Shaba Games and will feature some kind of system that allows for customizable superpowers. Also, players will have some control in determining whether they want to be the boyscout do-gooder or a more selfish anti-hero type.

Perhaps even cooler than the news of there being a new game is word that Activision will be holding auditions for folks to do the voiceover work in the game at their booth at the upcoming New York Comic-Con. The winner will be determined by open voting, which will go down at the game's official website here.

GHSkinz adds style to your fake instruments

Posted Apr 15th 2008 8:00PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: Fan stuff, Peripherals

Folks looking to jazz up their plastic Les Pauls for Guitar Hero or instruments they'll be jamming with in Rock Band, take note. Website GHSkinz is looking to offer you skins and other accessories for your fake instruments.

The skins themselves look like they're high quality, but with that comes the problem of price. It won't be cheap to outfit your instruments. But, then again, when your guitar looks as badass as this, we're not sure you're going to care about how much you spent to make sure it looks this way.

See also: Give your Rock Band drums some extra lives

LEGO Indiana Jones to feature a lot of playable characters

Posted Apr 11th 2008 6:00PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News


No, we didn't mix up Indiana Jones with a Mortal Kombat game; the latest LEGO title, LEGO Indiana Jones. will feature more characters than you could possibly ever need. 60, to be exact.

When thinking back on the three films that will form the basis for the upcoming game, we're wondering if there are even 60 characters. Sure, there's the bald Nazi guy who gets greased by the plane propeller and John Rhys-Davies, but what else?

We guess you'll be playing as non-human characters too, like that little monkey and 40 different species of snake.

Gallery: LEGO Indiana Jones


[Via Joystiq]

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