Guitar Hero IV to get drumkit, microphone?

Hey hey, what's this? Not only is Activision CEO Bobby Kotick quoted in this month's Conde Nast Portfolio saying that future versions of Guitar Hero will have "other instruments" and "vocals," but our crew over at Joystiq says that a source within Activision has confirmed that Guitar Hero IV will feature a microphone and drumkit, and that Activision is planning on pumping out new downloadable content as often as "weekly" once Guitar Hero: Aerosmith comes out in June. These aren't particularly surprising developments, considering how well Rock Band went over, but here's hoping Activision and Harmonix can set aside their differences at least long enough to make those drumkits compatible -- as anyone with Rock Band knows, they don't exactly disappear in a living room.

Read - Interview with Activision CEO Bobby Kotick in Portfolio
Read - Joystiq post about Guitar Hero IV

[hiko36 @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:58AM]

YAY!! Now I can waste my entire life away trying to beat GH4 and Rockband on all difficulties on all instruments...

[Wilson @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:53AM]

Wow! A game that features a cool guitar, a mic, and slammin drums! What unique inspiration!

[PJK @ Apr 22nd 2008 5:03AM]

Guitar Hero wasn't original, neither was Rock Band. But they did bring the particular type of gameplay into the mainstream, Rock Band gets cudos for combining them but a second interpretation is welcome. Especially one that doesn't cost 200% MORE in Europe.

I think I'll happily wait for Activisions release and hope beyond hope they don't repeat the same cost model as Rock Band.

[Ray @ Apr 22nd 2008 5:03AM]

how do i reach these developers?

[Nick M. @ Apr 22nd 2008 6:43PM]

can it really be called "guitar hero" when you are playing career mode as a drummer?

[ugg.tryptophan @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:59AM]

GUITAR Hero...with drums?

[Spiritsnare @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:15PM]

Here's to a Guitar Hero game without loading screens that don't bash on the drummer!

[Kevin @ Apr 22nd 2008 4:00AM]

Can the "other instruments" be things a bit smaller like a harmonica or xylophone? The Rock Band drumset already takes up half the walking space in my room.

[taktu @ Apr 22nd 2008 5:42AM]

ROCK-abilly BAND

[Neebs @ Apr 22nd 2008 6:21AM]

Why would they do that? If Guitar Hero wanted to stay cool, it should have just stayed the extremely hard version of the Guitar button hitting games.

[404error @ Apr 22nd 2008 7:06AM]

It was never the extremely hard version of the Guitar button hitting games in the first place.

[Jason @ Apr 22nd 2008 6:52AM]

how about rockband in aus?

[istarman @ Apr 22nd 2008 8:02AM]

Wait, didn't the CEO of Activision say that Rock Band was the most overhyped game of the last holiday season? Loser.

[Elaine @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:12AM]

I want a banjo in GH4! :D

[Chicksta @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:48AM]

I'm waiting for the cowbell expansion pack...

[h8rain @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:16AM]

"...but here's hoping Activision and Harmonix can set aside their differences at least long enough to make those drumkits compatible -- as anyone with Rock Band knows, they don't exactly disappear in a living room."

Seriously. I want to buy GH3, but I refuse to buy it until I can use the guitar with both games. Special controllers that are used with only one game start to pile up after while. It's bad enough that the RB drums take up a lot of space, but I surely don't want another set that can't be used at the same time.

[Mike @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:40AM]

Guitar hero doesn't need a new game, it needs some good downloadable songs!

Mike

[Jaime Garza @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:11PM]

"Considering how *well* Rock Band is doing" ????

I call BS on fanboysim by Engadget. I own both Rock Band and GH3, but to my knowledge GH3 has double the sales in both PS3 and X360...

Correct me if I'm wrong (VGchartz.com)

[Matt @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:23PM]

And Rock Band has 30x the amount of downloadable content....

[Matt @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:26PM]

After having played both games, Rock Band by far is more fun, especially with constant release of DLC... I can't fathom paying more for DLC from Guitar Hero only to get guitar action and not the rest of the instruments, not only that, but It wouldn't exactly be "GUITAR" Hero if it had drums and vocals now would it?