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Joyswag: Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits [update]
Update: This contest has come to a close. Keep an eye on your email to see if you won!If you haven't upgraded to a Nintendo DSi yet, or did, but managed to hold on to that DS Lite or Phat, then we've got a Joyswag for you. Up for grabs is one copy of Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits, complete with the guitar grip peripheral. Want to rock out on your DS? Hit up our rules below to see how you can enter. Good luck! Leave a comment telling us who your favorite band/artist/musical group is You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec) Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day This entry period ends at 11:59 am ET on Monday, July 6 At that time, we'll randomly select one grand-prize winner to receive Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits (with the guitar grip peripheral) for the DS ($50 ARV) For a list of complete rules, click here %Gallery-47080%
DS Daily: No More Guitar Heroes?
The ESRB spilled the beans on yet another version of Guitar Hero: On Tour for DS, this time including "modern hits" like "Paralyzer." We could debate the worth of the annual updates of the main Guitar Hero series, but we thought we would focus on the DS version for this topic. There are a few differences between the main GH and the portable series that could affect the worthiness of the (even more frequently than) annual releases: on the one hand, there's no DLC to extend the DS games, and on the other hand, there are (probably) no new instrument controllers to add to the experience. Putting aside for a moment the question of whether Guitar Hero should ever be on the DS, should there be multiples? So often?%Gallery-29876%
Amazon places Guitar Hero: On Tour into the Gold Box
Amazon is running another Gold Box promotion, as it is want to do, and featured right now is Guitar Hero: On Tour. The entire bundle is being sold for the low price of $29.99, which is around $20 less than the MSRP. If you've been waiting to test out the portable Guitar Hero waters, this just might be your chance. You can see the sale for yourself by clicking right here. %Gallery-19362% [Thanks, supa_s!]
Double the volume of Guitar Hero expected in 2009
If you thought that 2008's triple-billing of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, Guitar Hero: On Tour and the upcoming Guitar Hero World Tour was, well, a lot of Guitar Hero ... you ain't seen nuthin' yet. Activision-Blizzard revealed at an event for industry analysts that it intends to double the number of Guitar Hero SKUs (not necessarily unique games, just console-specific variations of "core" titles) in 2009. The goal is to triple them in 2010. Whammy bar!Considering that we had two console Guitar Hero titles this year, that would potentially mean four in 2009 (one being Guitar Hero: Metallica) and six in 2010. That's not even counting handhelds. So ... are you ready to rock, a lot? Or is this all just way too much noise? Let us know in comments.
Guitar Hero DS hack lets you shred on a full-size guitar
Like many others, Eric Ruckman found that the DS controller add-on for Guitar Hero: On Tour left a bit to be desired but, unlike most folks, he didn't just go back to playing on his console of choice -- he actually went all out and pieced together a full-size rig out of a PS2 Guitar Hero controller. As you can see above, that includes a special housing for the DS itself (it's still used for strumming), and even a built-in FM transmitter with its own screen, which lets him pump the audio through his home sound system. Still not impressed? Head on past the break to see it in action.
Rhythm games grow industry by 32% in '08
Rhythm games have certainly been keeping the tempo up for financial growth in the industry. GameDaily notes UBS analyst Ben Schachter's report, showing "music-themed games" have made up 15% of software sales year-to-date and 32% year-over-year growth so far.The Guitar Hero franchise is already up 82% this year, with Guitar Hero: On Tour taking in $15 million in July alone. Meanwhile, Rock Band, across all platforms, took in $47 million in July ... and that doesn't even count any DLC sales. Unless the rhythm game bubble bursts in the next few months, GH: World Tour and Rock Band 2 sales -- along with their respective DLC sales -- could make up a significant portion of another record-breaking year for the industry.
July NPD: Post-E3 mellow
Here's our theory for the overall drop in US sales in July versus June: just reading E3 coverage in the middle of the month was enough gaming excitement for a significant portion of the audience. Too crazy? Here's another one: people decided to reduce their spending now in anticipation of stuff coming later. And, for fun, one more: it was just too hot outside for video games. Who needs logic when you've got imagination?It's easy enough to explain the DS's drop (which, we must point out, takes it from number one to number one): June saw the release of a huge new game and hardware bundle, sales of which were largest at launch. The rest: who knows? The top ten games are after the break. DS: 608K175K (-22.35%) Wii: 555K111K (-16.7%) PS3: 224.9K 180.1K (-44.5%) PSP: 221.7K 115.3K (-34.21%) Xbox 360: 204.8K 15.2K (-6.91%) PS2: 155.5K 33K (-17.6%)
Actilizzard CEO finds Warner Music's logic on music licensing 'one-sided'
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick finds comments made by Warner Music -- saying it should be paid more for the use of its music in games like Guitar Hero -- a little "one-sided." The Financial Times reports that the Blizzavision chief thinks comments made by Warner Music's Edgar Bronfman don't take into account the "capital and resources" required to turn the song into something "fun to play."With the music industry taking a backseat to the games industry, it's not surprising to find record execs trying to figure out a way to squeeze more money out of a billion-dollar franchise. The thing is, though, that Activision's merger with Vivendi Games, connects it to Vivendi Universal, which owns Universal Music, the "world's largest music publisher." At the end of the day, Kotick can snap his fingers and never talk to Warner Music again, all the while squeezing every last dollar out of the Guitar Hero franchise until it stops being the soup du jour.
Nyko FrontMan guitar compatibility chart
Click to embiggen During E3 we spoke with third-party peripheral manufacturer Nyko about its line of FrontMan guitars and which games the different versions were compatible with. We did a quick and dirty post on what we were told during the E3 madness, but Nyko just sent over the chart above, which, admittedly, is much easier to understand.For first-party guitar compatibility, check out our Guitar Hero / Rock Band guitar compatibility matrix v2. We're sure to have v3 available as soon as we confirm Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Revolution guitar compatibility.
Guitar Hero promoted through humiliation of the public
Remember the cringeworthy trailer that was used to introduce Guitar Hero: On Tour to a breathless world? Well, now some people -- innocent members of the public, we might add -- have relived that nightmare for real.To promote its already wildly successful music game in the UK, Activision rented a busker's spot in the Covent Garden district of London (a location famous for its street performers) and proceeded to encourage passers-by to strum out a few notes on the title as onlookers watched, occasionally with expressions of amusement, but more often looking disinterested and distracted. Hit the gallery for more shots of brave performers being watched by bored people.%Gallery-19362%[Via press release]
Three DS news items you might have missed
With several major press conferences yesterday and a deluge of media assets, it's easy to miss all the smaller news items that popped up. We've rounded up three of them for you so that they won't be completely forgotten!1. Retro Game Challenge logo! Yep, there it is, right above our post. It doesn't look too different from the Retro Game Master DVD logo, but we'll find any excuse to talk about this wonderful, nostalgic title. In fact, keep an eye out for our hands-on impressions from the E3! For now, you can check out five new screenshots in our gallery below or have a look at the Retro Game Challenge sell sheet past the post break.2. Zoo Games is working on a Puzzle Quest clone? Any time we see the words "puzzle" juxtaposed with images of fantasy-type warriors, as was the case with Puzzle Kingdoms, our minds immediately go to last year's surprise hit, Puzzle Quest. Though developer Infinite Interactive already has two official Puzzle Quest clones in the works, the hybridization of RPGs and puzzle games are addictive enough that we don't mind seeing knock-offs. We hope to see more than just three pieces of character art for Puzzle Kingdoms soon! 3. Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades coming out less than six months after Guitar Hero: On Tour? Alright, so you might have heard that Vicarious Visions is preparing a Guitar Hero DS sequel for the holiday season, but if you stop for a minute and think about it, you'll realize that the original game came out only three weeks ago! That's a shorter gap than the time in between Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith's releases (8 months) for consoles!%Gallery-27519%%Gallery-27789%
Activision dishes out free On Tour skins
Remember that video that showed you how to skin your Guitar Hero: On Tour peripheral? Well, you might want to put that knowledge to work, as the official site for Guitar Hero: On Tour has updated with some badass skins you can print out and use to customize to your little rocker heart's content. All you have to do is head over here. Each of the skins comes in a PDF file, so once you click on it and print it, it should be a snap to cut out and insert into the peripheral. %Gallery-19362% [Via Go Nintendo]
Guitar Hero: On Tour huge hit, sells 300K in its first week
Looks like Activision struck gold yet again with its Guitar Hero franchise, as word hits that the DS title Guitar Hero: On Tour has sold more than 300,000 units in its first week in North America. It set all kind of company precedents, telling us that it probably won't be the only Guitar Hero game to release on the DS. So, what about those precedents? Well, for one, it's the single most successful game launch on the DS for the company. Not only that, but Guitar Hero: On Tour is also "one of Activision's top five best-selling launches of any title on any platform in the company's history." Now that's impressive. Did you pick up On Tour? What do you think of the game? %Gallery-19362% [Via Joystiq]
Guitar Hero: On Tour a hit, 300k sold in first week
Activision announced this morning that Guitar Hero: On Tour is booking gigs all over and has sold 300,000 units in its first week. The publisher states that GH:OT is the company's best launch on the DS by a factor of eight; not only that, but it's also one of the top five best-selling launches "in the company's history." Activision's Mike Griffith -- who's probably still high from his $1.5 million bonus -- is excited about GH:OT's "breakthrough peripheral" bringing the Guitar Hero experience to the potential 41 million DS owners in NA and Europe. All we know is we'll have entered a strange new world if we start seeing people playing this game on public transportation. %Gallery-18848%
Skin that On Tour peripheral
Now here's a neat video. For those of you who have picked up Guitar Hero: On Tour and want to add a little bit of your own personal style to the included peripheral, the above video will aid you in doing just that. It's surprisingly easy to create your own skin insert for the thing. While the video doesn't showcase the most artistic replacement, we're sure you creative folk out there wont have much trouble coming up with some really badass skins. Anyone going to give this a try? %Gallery-19362% [Thanks, Max!]
Guitar Hero: On Tour peripheral lends a hand to homebrew painting app
We know there are probably one too many prerequisites for you to find this story truly interesting -- but if you're one of those rare DS Lite owners who recently purchased Guitar Hero: On Tour, and is also into homebrew applications for the handheld, and also fancies themselves a modern day Botticelli, then there's a new homebrew painting application with some surprising peripheral functionality that the four of you should really consider picking up. The app in question is BassAceGold's UAPaint (v1.02), which allows the use of the On Tour guitar grip buttons for easily accessible short cuts to important tools, streamlining the digital painting process. It's a really sleek setup -- unfortunately, we're not entirely convinced that DS doodlers really need faster, more powerful methods of etching poorly-rendered genitalia into their luminescent screens.
Metareview: Guitar Hero: On Tour
Whether you plan to base your Guitar Hero: On Tour purchasing plans on the track list or reviews, you're likely to be confused. The reviews seem to be as schizophrenic as the compiled tracks themselves, with some outlets loving the game and others hating it. IGN (90/100) thinks the game really works on Nintendo's handheld: "For the Nintendo DS version, you lose the full-sized guitar, but that's pretty much all you're losing because everything else, with the exception of a single fret button, has been placed in rather intuitive locations on the Nintendo DS thanks to a well-constructed peripheral and incredibly tight programming." GameSpot (60/100) hated the peripheral, and believes that On Tour takes the fun out of Guitar Hero: "While the size of your hands is certainly a consideration, the attachment is functional at best. Given that the game actually begins with two screens that instruct you to keep your wrist straight, take frequent breaks to avoid cramping, try different play styles to find one that's comfortable, and even visit the game's Web site 'for more play comfort suggestions,' it's apparent that someone was aware that the game could present physical problems for people. It would have been nice to be able to play the game with some sort of alternate control scheme, but such an option isn't available." GameSpy (70/100) was on the fence, finding both negative and redeeming qualities in Vicarious Visions' attempt: "The guitar peripheral doesn't work as well as we had hoped, something that could prove to be a major sticking point (after all, who wants to keep playing a game that hurts you?). Still, it's a solid entry in the franchise and gets points for innovation, so we're hopeful that this won't be the series' last foray into the handheld domain."
Guitar Hero goes On Tour with a complete track list
Guitar Hero: On Tour released this week, but those of you interested in buying it might want to know the full track list first (including an unlockable song). Yesterday we revealed the venues and songs for On Tour's sister game, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, so it's interesting to compare the two. Aside from one of the games being predominantly full of Aerosmith songs (we'll let you guess which), the style and essence of the two lists are very different. On Tour takes a much more poppy approach than Aerosmith and all the previous Guitar Heroes, as we've seen, but throws in some classics as well to appeal to the core audience. We're not sure how we feel about some of the nausea-inducing tracks (read: Maroon 5 and kin), but we were able to stomach a few terrible tracks in Elite Beat Agents and enjoy it regardless. Now that the final track list is here (with a total of 26 songs), where do you stand on the game? Gallery: Guitar Hero: On Tour
Guitar Hero: On Tour for the DS now on sale
Alright, so Guitar Hero: On Tour technically went on sale on Sunday, but who launches a game on Sunday? Anyway, the DS version of the rocker franchise is now available, goofy Guitar Grip accessory included, for just $49 of your hard-fought dollars. Reviews of the control system have been pretty positive so far, and the game itself looks like it's a solidly fun time -- even if that insanely bad promo video had us convinced otherwise for a while. Rockers -- to arms![Thanks, Wraggster]
DS releases for the week of June 23rd
DS gamers around world have reason to rejoice this week. Why? There are loads of games a-coming! In fact, it's a big week for all platforms, but DS owners have reason to be particularly pleased. Whether you're going to be grinding away in Final Fantasy Tactics A2, or getting your groove on with a portable Guitar Hero, we're willing to bet there's something coming that will inspire a little wallet-opening. American Girl: Kit Mystery Challenge Cake Mania 2 Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A. Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift Gourmet Chef Guitar Hero: On Tour Mega Man Star Force 2: Zerker x Ninja Mega Man Star Force 2: Zerker x Saurian Midnight Play! Pack My Weight Loss Coach Top Spin 3 Wall-E Check out the releases for the other major markets after the break!
