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Activision announces Guitar Hero DS Lite bundle, new Tony Hawk
During Activision's conference call about their Q4 earnings, Activision dropped a relatively large bomb: in addition to the normal game/controller bundle, Guitar Hero: On Tour will be released as a bundle with both the Guitar Grip and DS Lite hardware. This portable Guitar Hero thing is much bigger than we thought, and this show of confidence on Nintendo's part bears out Todd Greenwald's prediction of big sales.In addition, Activision's Mike Griffith announced a new DS-exclusive Tony Hawk game to be released this year, that will "utilize new technology not yet seen on the DS." Maybe it'll be wheels, so you can ride your DS for real.[Via GameDaily]%Gallery-19362%
Guitar Hero hits 15 million song downloads
Just a reminder that while Rock Band is riding high, its older brother is still the dominant sibling. In a conference call yesterday (start at the 29-minute mark), Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith confirmed that the Guitar Hero franchise has passed the 15 million mark in individual song downloads. Last week, Harmonix owner Viacom revealed that Rock Band had surpassed the 10 million mark.
New setting for Call of Duty 5, Bond game powered by Call of Duty 4 engine
After a recent earnings call, Activision outlined plans to release a new entry into the Call of Duty series by the end of its 2009 fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2009. "We'll launch on all four platforms we've participated on in fiscal [year] 2008," Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith said, refering to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's debut on the Xbox 360, PS3, PC and Nintendo DS; a PS2 and Wii version are also in the works.Griffith also revealed that Call of Duty 5 will see the franchise move into a new "military theater." Long-standing suspicion has been that Call of Duty 3 developer Treyarch would return the franchise to its World War II roots but Griffith's comments seem to debunk that setting rumor. Griffith did not mention whether Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward or rumored Treyarch would take the reins as the Call of Duty 5 developer.On the subject of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Griffith revealed the James Bond licensed title that is currently in development by Treyarch will be powered by the CoD4 engine and release around the time of the latest Bond film, Quantum of Solace, this fall.The only question to answer now is which war could Call of Duty 5 be based on. The answer? Civil. Muskets = Win.
No Tony Hawk in 2008
We've seen so many game announcements this week, it's almost sort of refreshing to get to write a non-announcement. During yesterday's Activision earnings call, the company revealed that there would be no new console Tony Hawk game in 2008. If you can believe it, it's the first time the game hasn't gotten an annual release since Tony Hawk's Pro Skater first ollied into the nation's heart in 1999.Though we can understand if some of you are bummed without your yearly Hawk infusion, we couldn't be happier. After getting its clock cleaned 2 to 1 by Skate, it seems like the perfect time for Activision to regroup, lick its wounds and, you know, put some effort into the series.[Via X3F]
No console Tony Hawk in '08. Alas, poor Tony!
Oh Acti-Blizi-Viveni-vision, oh how you have changed. In your lean years you proudly rode your Tony Hawk cash cow. Then came franchise fatigue, skate, and your dark times. Abandoned you have, the money-maker of yesteryear. You have cast him now into the pit of portable gaming, possibly never to return. Cursed he now is, with a two year dev cycle and raised money-making expectations. Upon his return from exile in fiscal year 2010, how will his rivals have taken advantage of his absence? Will the evil kingdom of EA own the extreme sports mindshare by that time? The rest readers, is silence.
Bizarre Creations finished with PGR4, hands DLC duties to Microsoft
Downloadable content is a prized nugget we all not-so-secretly hope awaits us after taking any game home, but like the midday sun on a carton of fresh milk, it also has us spoiled. However, with Bizarre Creations now parking its ride in Activision's garage, the developer stated that it's closing the books on last year's Project Gotham Racing 4, adding that it will not be releasing any more new content for the stylish Xbox 360 racer.According to a recent post on Bizarre Creation's official forums by a dev calling himself "Ben," the studio has washed its hands of the game. "Bizarre Creations won't be adding anything more to PGR4 in the future," he wrote. "We've completed the hand-over to Microsoft, so any further add-ons will come from them and not us I'm afraid." The news probably wouldn't sting so much had the last update not been so incredibly cool, leaving us now waiting to see what else the British studio has up its racing sleeves.
Activision enjoyed $2.9 billion in sales last fiscal year
Activision had itself a very good fiscal year '08 with record revenues and its 16th year of consecutive growth. GameDaily reports the publisher's revenues hit $2.9 billion, with net income growing from $85.8 million in FY07 to $344.9 million this past year. Amazingly, the fourth quarter of FY08, which was between January and March of this year, saw no new titles released according to the publisher and still raked in $602.5 million in sales and $44.2 million in profits.Activision has many titles to thank for its banner year, including the billion dollar franchises, Guitar Hero and Call of Duty. The publisher grew its market share from 7.2% to 17.3% and says it expects new revenues this year of $2.75 billion; that figure does not include the merger with Vivendi Games, which will create the behemoth Activision Blizzard. Activision CEO, Bobby Kotick, says the merger is still on track and the company plans to make bagiggles of cash for its stockholders in the coming year.
Video: Quake Wars cures 'Projectile Dysfunction'
Did you know 32.6% of Americans and 39.4% of Europeans suffer from a condition doctors now refer to as Projectile Dysfunction? It's a problem that, if not treated, can cause inner turmoil, relationship issues and a loss of interest in the shooter genre. If you know or are one of the millions who suffer from Projectile Dysfunction, we urge you to talk to your doctor about Stroyent. Stroyent is a topical cream that can only be obtained through any Enemy Territory: Quake Wars purchase and promises to cure your disorder by offering up a shootlicious shooter experience. Please, don't be embarrassed, get the help YOU need today. Also, if you're in the market for a new Human Juicifier, then check out the amazing offer after the break!
Plugging in the Guitar Hero: On Tour peripheral
You know, for how much we've seen on Guitar Hero: On Tour, we haven't seen too much on the peripheral. But now, thanks to a German gaming site that got their hands on the device, we all have something to look at. The images not only show an up-close look at the peripheral that attaches to the DS so that you may rock out, but also the whole set-up all ready to go and in someone's hands.Click the image to the right (or right here) to check out the images of Guitar Hero: On Tour's peripheral.%Gallery-19362%
Analyst: Guitar Hero: On Tour will play to huge crowds
While the media reactions to Guitar Hero: On Tour seem to range from dismissive to skeptical to vaguely intrigued, analyst Todd Greenwald believes that the game will arrive at retail as less of an oddity and more of ... a Guitar Hero game. Which means big-time sales."We think this title, never having been released on any handheld platform, has the potential to sell several million units at launch, at a $49.99 price point." (Note about the novelty of the release: there is Guitar Hero III Mobile, but that doesn't count.)He also said that large retailers like Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart will feature the handheld title prominently in their stores, contributing to the sales. That makes the most sense to us: a Guitar Hero game in a smaller box must be a very attractive item for retailers.%Gallery-19362%
Guitar Hero Air Guitar Rocker now available for $30
Brace yourself -- the moment you've been waiting all year for has finally arrived. Yes, rock star wannabes, the Guitar Hero Air Guitar Rocker is finally in major retailers. The Jada Toys' device, which was showcased at CES, consists of a miniature guitar amplifier, a sensor-laden belt buckle, an assortment of pics and an Air Cartridge, which packs "ten signature guitar riffs" ranging in skill from one to five. Once you rock the wind out of the $29.99 base unit, you can look forward to "encore packs" -- which will include themed belt buckles and new Air Cartridges -- arriving later this summer for $14.99 each. Oddly enough, we think a "gnarly" is order here.
Free headphones with Guitar Hero On Tour at Gamestop
Headphones are an absolute must for handheld music games, unless you're a) alone or b) a jerk. You're almost required to have the sound on, unlike other portable games, and it would be quite rude to subject the other bus passengers (or other neighbors) to your racket. Guitar Hero: On Tour also puts your neighbors in danger of a serious jostling should your fake solos get too energetic, but there's not really an accessory that could help with that, aside from elbow pads.GameStop has taken the extremely sensible step of bundling a pair of On Tour-branded headphones with copies of the game. If you're going to be buying the thing anyway, might as well get extra free stuff with it!In other On Tour accessories news, the "Ruby Red" accessory pack is now pictured on GameStop's website.
No E3 for Activision
Well, for those of you anxious to read about another handheld Tony Hawk game or ... something else from Activision, we're sad to report that they won't be at E3 this year. They've gone ahead and bailed out of the show."After careful consideration, for business reasons Activision has decided not to participate in any official E3 activities. We wish the ESA best of luck with the show." Could it be that they're not on board with the event because, well, it's gone downhill ever since they changed the set-up? Or, does the #1 company in the game industry see no need to participate in an event such as this?[Via Joystiq]
Pachter expects strong Activision Q4 financial results
In advance of this Thursday's release of Activision's Q4 financial results, Wedbush Morgan analyst extraordinaire Michael Pachter expects Activision's sales were up 88% this quarter over last year, based on NPD data. GameDaily reports Activision's guidance expected revenues of about $350 million this quarter, but Pachter believes it's more like $425 million.Pachter further notes that Activision may see revenues decline this fiscal year as sales from Guitar Hero III and Call of Duty 4 wane, though the big thing for investors remains the approaching merger with Vivendi Games. Activision Blizzard should be a reality in the next few weeks and Pachter maintains a "Buy" rating on the company.
EA finds comedy in Activision CEO's jab
Responding to Activision CEO Bobby Kotick's remarks that EA sucks the soul out of the studios it acquires, an EA representative counters that the company finds the comments comical. Speaking with Newsweek, EA's VP of Corporate Communications, Jeff Brown, says that employees at the company just laughed at the statement.Brown points out how radically things have changed at the publisher in recent years, which claims to have put creative control back into the hands of development teams. He says whatever perception there is about EA -- both internal and external -- needs to evolve along with the company. A recent EA employment survey shows things are changing internally, but it's probably going to take a little longer for gamers to agree, especially with fears of how the "old EA" would more-likely-than-not screw up whatever franchises it would acquire in a Take-Two takeover.[Via GameDaily]
Rock out with Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Slurpees
Nothing screams rock God like a 7-11 Slurpee, so that must be why Activision, Microsoft and 7-11 have partnered to offer up Guitar Hero themed Slurpee cups at 7-11 stores nationwide to help promote the upcoming release of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. And know that the promotion isn't just so fans can collect GH cups, you can also win all kinds of Guitar Hero goodies, games, and Xbox 360 hardware with online entry codes that are available on each Slurpee cup.So, go ahead and drink sweet Slurpee deliciousness until brain freeze takes over, because you have a long way to go to catch up to to Steven Tyler's eighteen Slurpee a day consumption. Though, it really isn't fair, his body's liquid intake device is unusually large.[Via Joystiq]
Activision, 7-Eleven to promote Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, quench thirst
While Activision's upcoming Aerosmith-centric flavor of Guitar Hero may still have some of us sitting on the fence, a new partnership between the publisher and 7-Eleven ensures that we can at least enjoy and icy cold Slurpee while considering rocking out to the "bad boys of Boston." Activision and the convenience store chain, along with Coca-Cola and Microsoft have teamed to promote Guitar Hero: Aerosmith by offering 22-ounce Slurpee cups branded in the series' artwork, though bizarrely the above art is not of the upcoming version at all. Each the cups will include codes on the underside to enter an online contest to win the game, an Xbox 360, or Microsoft Points. According to an official announcement of the promotion, the parties plan on giving away 744 copies of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and 711,000 Microsoft Points throughout the month of May. In addition, 10 Slurpee drinkers will walk away with a shiny new console and a copy of the game, leaving us pondering the only other question worth asking: Wild Cherry or Classic Cola?
Guitar Hero III getting triple-pack of Muse on May 8
It seems that Activision has stumbled across the correct formula for getting us to drop our drumsticks and don our trusty, dusty Les Paul peripherals -- a three-song DLC pack for Guitar Hero III featuring the music of the epic British prog-rock trio, Muse. As of May 8, "Supermassive Black Hole" and "Exo-Politics" from their 2006 album Black Holes and Revelations as well as the fan-favorite "Stockholm Syndrome" from 2003's Absolution will be available to download for a heretofore unannounced price (we're assuming it will match the $6.25 price of former GHIII packs). We've got videos for all three tunes after the jump -- go decide which ones are purchase-worthy! (Hint: All of them.)
The Wii nets another fishing game
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]
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith - 9 new hero shots
Guitar Hero isn't without its share of strange-looking character models and Activision has just dropped nine new screens of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith proving it yet again.These new shots showcase the world famous title band Aerosmith along with popular in game guitar rocker Judy Nails. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith hits the Xbox 360 on this June.%Gallery-21959%
