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High-fi fix for malfunctioning Guitar Hero III Les Paul
Hey, you -- busy rigging up your malfunctioning Guitar Hero III Les Paul using the low-fi method we showed you earlier this week? If you're just getting started, we'd recommend putting the rubber bands back in the package and taking a look at this. Granted, it seems a bit silly that we're figuring out ways to repair instruments, er, controllers that should have been solid right out of the box, but we digress. This entirely more technical (but equally painless) fix involves a Torx driver, a bit of PCB rearranging and a triple check to make sure the wiring within wasn't installed haphazardly to begin with. If done properly, the contacts should have a much better connection once the axe is reassembled, and if you're still left with nonfunctional frets after all of this, you've certainly got our permission to go all Jimi Hendrix / Pete Townshend / etc. on it.[Thanks, Kyle]
Low-fi fix for malfunctioning Guitar Hero III Les Paul
We're not exactly sure if this problem is widespread, but for those currently dealing with malfunctioning frets on the new Guitar Hero III Les Paul, you should certainly give this a once over. An incredibly industrious gamer went out of his way to show us all what a few rubber bands and a 3M Utility Hook can do to solve your Guitar Hero blues, and if you haven't already slammed your axe into the floor, lit it on fire, or ceremoniously bludgeoned your Xbox 360 in frustration, there's hope for you still. This low-fi fix reportedly holds the connector plate in the neck and the pins in the body together more securely, enabling users to resume shredding sans trouble. Granted, this may not cure every single faulty axe out there, but it's certainly worth a try. Go on, roll up your sleeves and hit the read link for an (immensely easy) walkthrough.
Gibson launching self-tuning guitars, rockers rejoice
Gibson's Powertune system has been in the works for quite awhile, and although there are other axes out there that claim to tune themselves, only a Gibson will do for some. Reportedly, the firm is readying a "new line of instruments" that are equipped with the system, which includes "an additional set of pickups mounted underneath the strings that are used specifically for the tuning process." By using all sorts of digital electronics and fancy algorithms, the equipment is able to automatically tune the strings, but it only activates when users pull out the Master Control Knob. Purportedly, the system can have have all six strings back in tune "within a few seconds," and you can even utilize a number of pre-programmed alternate tunings if that's your bag. 'Course, it's certainly debatable whether the hands-off approach to tuning is worth the extra $899 or so, but it's sure sweet to have the opion. Click on for more pictures.
Hasbro's Power Tour guitar finally launches
It's been a long time comin', but the Power Tour guitar we peeped back in January is nearly ready for your youngster's hands. Modeled after a Gibson SG, this axe enables your little ones (or you, it's alright) to plug in any source and rock right along with it, and the built-in learning mode should do a decent job in creating the Guitar Zeros of tomorrow. Ships on the 15th for just under $70.[Via OhGizmo, image courtesy of Popular Science]
Rock Band's bundled guitar to be wired on Xbox 360, wireless for PS3
Now that you've gone and pre-ordered Rock Band, here's a tidbit about what will actually be included. According to Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos, the guitar that comes bundled in with the Xbox 360 version will not be wireless, as he reportedly states that "the cost of wireless technology on the Microsoft side is higher." Notably, the PS3 bundle will indeed include a wireless axe, and before you get too riled up, Xbox 360 users will still be able to purchase a wireless shredder separately if it's a make-or-break scenario for ya. Oh, and the drums and microphone will be wired on both platforms, but Xbox 360 buyers will purportedly get a USB hub thrown in to hook it all up.[Via GamingToday]
Phat Loot Phriday: Soul Cleaver
Sometimes you need some spell damage to get the job done. Every once in a while, you need a shield, or maybe a special trinket or a cool pair of shoulders. But every once in a while, you just need a big ass axe.Name: Soul CleaverType: Epic Two-Hand AxeDamage / Speed: 386-579 / 3.70 (130.4 DPS)Abilties: It cleaves your SOUL! +65 Strength, +63 Stamina, which makes this clearly a Hunter weapon. I'm KIDDING! No, Mortal Strike Warriors, this one's just for you, or maybe a Paladin or a Enhance Shammy if you've already got it. Also, your attacks ignore 315 of your opponent's armor, which is a nice bonus to damage. Plus, just look at it! That is a huge freakin' axe! How to Get It: You have to kill Teron Gorefiend, who you can find in the Black Temple, and who you can learn all about right here on WoW Insider's Know Your Lore. So far, it seems like about a 20% drop, which means your chances aren't bad if you're in a guild running BT and you can use this. Unfortunately, my guess is that a lot of these are going to end up as Void Crystals (disenchanted by clothies pissed that their robe or cowl didn't drop), but it's a good looking axe nevertheless.Getting Rid of It: Well, you could DE it, of course. Vendors will give you 18g 17s 17c for it.
DIY Guitar Hero axe, oodles of assembly required
Dissatisfied with existing Guitar Hero mods (those ones that simply swap out the circuit boards from existing GH controllers), Instructables user teebee918 decided to build a high-quality face-melting axe from scratch, using two Playstation 1 controllers, and a whole laundry-list of Home Depot parts. We're going to preemptively avoid the utter embarrassment and personal injury, and not pretend like we could do this ourselves. Everyone else, feel free to ride the DIY wave. [Via Engadget]
Rock Band's microphone, prototype drum set unveiled
Hot on the heels of Rock Band's Stratocaster (which we've now learned will act as the guitar and bass) being unveiled, a scan from Game Informer has blessed us with shots of the game's (apparently) wireless microphone and drum set. The mic, which appears to be standard fare, could potential come bundled with the game, and it is even noted that Harmonix may support "other USB microphones as well." The real standout here, however, is the prototype drum set, which reportedly "won't change much" from the picture you see above. Notably, the game will also include a "real pair of wooden sticks," and those who have fallen head over heels for their current Guitar Hero II controller will appreciate the ability to use it with Rock Band. Click on through to see the page scan in its entirety.
Rock Band Stratocaster controller revealed
It's always comforting to put a face to a name, and for those who have been raucously awaiting more details on the elusive Rock Band controller, dig in. According to a purported GameStop newsletter, the ten-button axe does indeed favor a Fender Stratocaster, and while the frets appear fairly subtle head-on, those looking down on the device will notice the colorful labels (shown after the jump) that they've grown used to. Additionally, the tidbit also divulged that the instrument "would allow players to manipulate sound through reverb, flange, wah, delay and more," but there was no mention of the presumably lofty pricetag that this thing would eventually sport. Looks like the Fender fanboys will soon be able to really duel it out with the Gibson purists, eh?
This week on the Japanese Virtual Console: Golden Kung Fu Adventures
Hey, a Japanese Virtual Console update we don't have to be jealous of! Usually, Japan gets all kinds of great stuff, and we get, at best, Japan's great stuff from a month ago. This week: nothing to fret about, really. Front Line (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Adventures of Lolo (Famicom, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Golden Axe II (Mega Drive, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points) The Kung Fu (PC Engine, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) We like Golden Axe II, but we feel confident it'll be here soon. We already know we're getting The Kung Fu this month (as China Warrior). We've never played Front Line, but it looks very ... proto-NES. That leaves Lolo, which, as a HAL Laboratory title and an okay game, is no doubt the subject of a lot of frothing demand. It'll come out here eventually!
Free Bom Chicka Wah Wah gamer pics
AXE is up to their male-centric marketing antics again offering a free theme and a few gamer pictures of those Bom Chicka Wah Wah girls. Not familiar? Well, the Bom Chicka Wah Wahs are a musical group of scantily glad women who sing the Bom Chicka Wah Wah song to market AXE (Lynx for our European friends). Actually, it's kind of hard to explain. What we can do is show you our favorite AXE Bom Chicka Wah Wah commercial kindly embedded after the break. Yeah ... kinda interesting isn't it?And now that we think about it, it's kind of odd that a theme like this could be approved for download when a theme like the Queenz got canned for being too mature. Maybe a multimillion dollar company backing the content has something to do with it.
Naughtiness on the Nintendo DS
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Naughtiness_on_the_Nintendo_DS'; The Nintendo DS's software library is diverse enough to satisfy almost every genre craving or niche interest. If what you're looking for, however, is a game with more mature themes -- nudity and sexual content -- it's doubtful that your needs will be met. Japanese dating sims and witch fondling titles notwithstanding, the DS doesn't have any Leisure Suit Larrys, Hot Coffee mods, or even porno-Tetris clones.But just like any other scene, the Nintendo DS has a network of people working outside of the fringe to create those illicit goods you'd never ask for at a respectable shop. They hustle their homemade software from the back-alleys of the internet, each downloaded bit transferred in a nondescript paper bag.We're going to take you through that DS underworld, previewing a selection of homebrew games that are sure to arouse your interest. So put the kids to bed, light those candles you've been saving for a night like this, and slip into your robe and wizard hat. This feature is for adult eyes only!
Boost your E.S.P. with AXE theme and gamer pics
If you're looking to boost your Extra Sexual Perception (E.S.P., no we're not joking) try AXE's new theme and gamer picture offerings. Up for free on the Marketplace is AXE's E.S.P. theme featuring a real woman and a few gamer pictures featuring a real woman. Now you can live out your "I must have an attractive female as my theme" fantasy. Oh, and we're sure the fine folks over at AXE would like you to buy their AXE Boost shower gel if you have time. Or you could just ignore the whole marketing/branding crud and download the goods for the female! Yeah, something like that ...
Xbox 360's Guitar Hero II axe: now shredding in OS X
Ah, the sequence of events is nearly complete. First, we get the Xbox 360 axe rockin' on the console itself, and then comes the inevitable hacks to get it rollin' on Windows, and without further adu, we present the ability to melt those plastic frets on OS X. Thanks to an impressive development from TattieBogle (v0.5), a USB driver which purportedly "allows the use of wired Xbox 360 controllers via USB" on your OS X-based machine is finally available. Apparently, it actually works fairly well to boot, so if you've been pouting over your Mac not being able to enjoy the same face melting Guitar Hero II niceties as the other guys, be sure to hit the read link and get your download on.[Via Joystiq]
Red Octane looses Guitar Hero II patch for Xbox 360
We're not quite ready to consider this a coincidence, but the hard-working souls over at Red Octane have officially unleashed a patch for the malfunctioning Guitar Hero II axes just in time for the weekend. Recently, it was claimed that axes sporting 95065 and 95055 model numbers could lose responsiveness in the whammy bar, but thanks to Xbox Live, users can download the patch and get back to unadulterated rockin' right away. So what are you waiting for? Finish up those finger exercises, fire up your console, and let us know if in fact the downloadable solution mends the problem.[Via Joystiq]
Fender's modeling VG Stratocaster gets inspected
A legend in the guitar industry pairing up with a heralded name in the modeling biz? No, it's not too good to be true, as Fender and Roland have teamed up to create the first modeling stratocaster. Just weeks after Gibson's own digital axe finally went on sale, the VG Stratocaster is built to look, feel, and play exactly like the strats of old always have, but a few subtle (albeit substantial) alterations open up a whole new world of riff creations. The six-string gurus over at GuitarGearCentral have taken the time to carefully inspect the changes, and it looks to us that even the purists could find something here to love. The thin Roland GK pickup mounted at the bridge provides the ability to emulate "37 Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster, humbucking, 12-string, and acoustic sounds,"while a pair of LED status lights provide a bit of flash and a new duo of knobs (Mode Control and Tuning Function) are used to further dictate the sounds. Dubbed a "Swiss Army knife of tone," this instrument allows you to dial-in alternate sounds and tunings on the fly, giving players the ability to add some chunk with Drop D tuning sans fiddling with the tuning head. Although the crew admired the simplicity Fender somehow managed to achieve with all the complex features that have been added, they still would test out a few more guitars to make sure this is your bag before throwing down the (admittedly reasonable) $1,699 required to take one home.
Palm's LifeDrive getting the axe, marked "end of life"
In a move that could be considered somewhat insensitive to those still grieving over Palm OS' official departure, Palm has now gone and axed a little bit more of itself, as the firm's once-popular LifeDrive device has been marked "end of life." Not even two full years after seeing the device get legit, go on sale, get photographed, and hit the chopping block, the media-centric Mobile Manager is on its way out. Notably, the unit has also vanished from UK retailers after reportedly "having fallen foul of EU regulations on the use of hazardous materials." Yeah, we've still got a few Treos and whatnot to keep us occupied, and there's always an (admittedly dim) glimmer of hope that Garnet solves all the Palm-related woes, but it looks like the LifeDrive has finally suffered the same fate that so many other dedicated PDAs already have.
Putting an end to the myth of the legendary axe
We're having a lootful Friday around here, so I just want to take a quick second to address something that's been going around ye olde internets for the past few weeks.Grom Hellscream does not have a legendary axe.Contrary to popular belief, Grom Hellscream's axe does actually drop in the game, and no, it ain't orange. In fact, the name heard to this point -- Grom'ogh, Edge of Hellscream -- isn't even the moniker of the in-game weapon. Instead, our buddy Grom carried around Gorehowl, a regular old epic axe of pretty decent statistics.Anyway, just a little bit more loot info for you on a Friday evening. The controversy has been settled, the true identity of the axe revealed, yada yada. Now be sure to let my pally and my shammy roll on it.
Blow off clothes in body spray advergame
Most online advertising games are pretty dull -- extremly basic sports and racing games are par for the course. But there's something a little more titillating in the latest online advergame from Dare Digital. Lynx Blow doesn't have much of a setup, just a full screen video of a scantily clad woman in a barren winter landscape and an entreaty to blow into a microphone or headset "to make me hot." Indeed, constant blowing thaws out the woman and eventually blows her top off, at which point she runs off and you can start all over again. Don't want to bother with blowing for your PG-13 fun? Check out this flickr set of the photo shoot or this video of clips from the game. While the game certainly captured our attention, we can't really vouch for its effectiveness as advertising. We had to search the interwebs for ten full minutes just to figure out what the heck this Lynx product was. No, it's not a portable game system or a text-based web browser -- apparently it the British version of America's Axe body spray. I suppose most of the game's target audience would already know this, but would it have killed them to at least squeeze a link to the product page in with the scantily clad goodness? [Via Coolzor]
Phat Loot Phriday: The Ravager
Blades of Light! In one of the best-loved (and most traveled) instances in the game, you'll find this axe with what might be the most fun proc in the game.Name: "The" Ravager (it's actually just Ravager, but this weapon is so cool it deserves to be singular)Type: Rare Two-hand AxeDamage / Speed: 104-157 / 3.50 (37.3)Abilities: For the down and dirty on today's Phat Loot, we're going straight to Isobelle over at Not Addicted, who says, "Why do I have such a stiffy for this Radiant Shard in Waiting? Take a look at that proc!Chance on hit: You attack all nearby enemies for 9 sec causing weapon damage plus an additional 5 every 3 sec.Are you kidding me? ALL NEARBY ENEMIES? Whirlwind hits only four additional enemies, has a ten second cooldown, only works in berserker stance, and has a cost of what some might call "much rage". This thing costs zero rage, works in any stance, and will hit as many enemies as you can get into melee range before it procs." Yeah. She loves it. And we do too. The only problem? Whenever it procs, you stand there spinning for the whole nine seconds, whether there are enemies around when you're done or not. We're talking endless entertainment here. Isobelle: "It procs All Day Long. It procs procs, which then proc a proc. We've seen it go 4 times in a row, which can be a good thing, or a bad thing. That's like 20 seconds of whirlwind vortex love (when it re-procs, the 9 second timer resets, so you don't get a full 4x9 out of it), but sometimes you want to turn it off. You can't." And Isobelle didn't mention it, but we will: the thing looks darn cool, too. As part of Herod's Scarlet set, it goes especially well with his helm and half-shoulder, too. How to Get It: No quests, just lots of elite, instanced killing. The Ravager drops from Herod, the last boss in the Armory part of the Scarlet Monastery (to get inside there, you'll need the key from the end of the Library wing, but everyone runs SM all the time, so it's likely someone you know will be able to get you in with or without the key). The drop rate stands at about 12%, which isn't bad, but the fact is that this axe is great for anyone who can use a two-hander, so if you have any other heavy melee classes in your group, it's likely you'll have to win a roll for it.Oh, and if you haven't noticed yet, Herod yells "Blades of Light!" a lot. Isobelle recommends setting up a macro to /yell that phrase whenever this procs, and we concur.Getting Rid of It: BOP, Disenchants into a Small Radiant Shard, sells to vendor for 1g 89s 23c.
