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GHIII Weekend revealed, demo releases tomorrow
Activision just announced their Xbox Live plans for Guitar Hero III's release and also confirmed that a demo will be released to the XBLM tomorrow morning for those who aren't all about burning a CD.The GHIII demo is the same one that's bundled with Proving Grounds including five tracks, but now in official XBLM form. Activision also revealed plans for a Guitar Hero III Weekend starting on November 2nd where they'll hold a Play & Win contest offering prizes galore and a chance to unlock the "Meet Your Maker" achievement during a developer Game with Fame session held on Friday night. Official details and registration for the GHIII Weekend events will be posted over at Xbox.com, but currently the promotional website isn't working.Remember kids, GHIII demo available on the XBLM tomorrow and GHIII Weekend the week after launch. Oh the fun we'll be having in the next few days.
Prepare to rock Europe, GHIII arrives Nov 23rd
Poor Europe, Activision has been stringing you along for quite a while now regarding the topic of a Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock's release date. But things have been figured out and they've dotted their I's and topped their T's with the annoucement of the official release date for the game in Europe. November 23rd will be the magical day Europeans rock out to the sweet, sweet music of GHIII and let out a collective scream, releasing any built up excitement that has built up these past few months. And yes, an official release date announcement is great, but our fellow European fanboys must be just a little ticked off at the fact that the game will be releasing next week in the US. Maybe shipping those guitar boxes takes a while and takes a lot of logistic work or maybe they're just slow over at Acti. But whatever the reason, don't be depressed. Slash doesn't like it when you're sad.
Hear GHIII's final track: "The Devil Went Down to Georgia"
After finishing "Free Bird" in Guitar Hero II, you may have thought that it could never be topped as a "final" song. Oh sure, a more difficult song, but not a more fitting song. Allow us to present to you the final track of Guitar Hero III then: "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." The Charlie Daniels Band classic has been revitalized for the game, replacing its fiddle (don't you dare call it a violin) with, well, a guitar. The guitar is played by Steve Ouimette, who is apparently better than the Devil himself. Don't take our word for it, though. Give it a listen and judge for yourself.Check out the up to date track list for Guitar Hero III after the break.
Target's $110 Guitar Hero III special edition for PS2
This holiday Target stores will stock a special edition of Guitar Hero III for PS2 which includes two specially designed SG wired guitars for $110. Cutting to the chase, this means the extra guitar is $30, saving you $10 off the guitar's normal $40 price. Considering co-op and competition seem to be a focus in this latest Guitar Hero, the bundle doesn't seem like a bad deal for those who don't already have a guitar sitting around. There is no announcement about a Wii, PS3 or Xbox 360 bundle, but each of those systems should have online options to find another player -- with varying degrees of success.Target is also sponsoring a Guitar Hero competition at E for All this week. We contacted the PR reps for the event and the bundle won't be a prize at the competition. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock hits store shelves on Oct. 28.[Via Press Release]
Guitar Hero III demo: Download. Burn. Insert. Play.
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground released to retail this week and, as promised, it features an exclusive Guitar Hero III demo inside. But now we're hearing about a new, hacker'ish way to gain access to the precious GHIII demo without shelling out the cash for Tony Hawk ... simply burn it to a CD.Over on the Xbox Live the Guide forums, posters are reporting that the GHIII demo has been leaked online and can be downloaded off a popular fileshare website, be burnt to a CD or DVD and played on any Xbox 360. We've already heard of people being successful in their GHIII demo stealing ventures, but others are reporting problems with their 360s reading the burnt media. From what we know, those who are claiming burnt GHIII demo success have downloaded the demo's ISO file, burned it to a CD or DVD, and tada! Instant GHIII demo launched through the Xbox 360 games blade. We guess if there's a will, l33t Guitar Hero fanboys and the internet, then there will always be a way.[Via Digg]
Guitar Hero competition at E for All
For those still attending E for All, y'all might as well make the best of it and win some prizes at the Guitar Hero event/competition sponsored by Target. The event will be held during E for All in the South Hall at the LA Convention Center, which we're guessing means you have to purchase an E for All ticket to enter the competition. Judging will be based on scoring, accuracy and performance. So even if you aren't the most proficient Guitar Hero player, if you put on a good show you may still win something. You're also allowed to bring your own guitar. Winners will receive "$3,000 in cash and Target gift cards." The press release says there will be "celebrity judges," but for all we know that could mean Charo. Actually, Charo would be awesome![Via Press Release]%Gallery-4675%
PS3's Guitar Hero III dongle explained, leading to more questions [update]
Answers are slowly starting to emerge about the mysterious dongle the PS3 uses for wireless guitar capabilities in Guitar Hero III. The over-simplified version is that even though PS3 and Wii both use Bluetooth, the Wii guitar plugs directly into the Wiimote hijacking the signal, while the Sixaxis doesn't plug into the guitar -- hence the USB wired dongle as a wireless bridge.Before we go any further, this isn't just a GH III problem. Rock Band will also use some sort of PS3 dongle. This might also explain a lot about why there isn't a Wii version of Rock Band announced yet. Although it's completely disputable, here's our basic idea: Two USB ports on the back of the Wii for the drum and mic (which are wired on every console), then if Harmonix wants the guitars to be wireless they need to design a guitar modeled around the Wiimote to plug into so that Rock Band does the same signal hijack that GH III accomplishes.Apparently Sony doesn't feel up to talking about why these dongles are necessary as they stonewalled 1UP when the site went looking for answers. Maybe Sony will give Red Octane and Harmonix the tools to make their guitars work dongle-less one day, but to get things done for this holiday season this was the only (or most cost effective) solution available.Update: We were trying to avoid bringing the Xbox 360 into this, but considering there is some confusion, the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero III is "dongle-less." Meaning a direct connection is made between the guitar and Xbox 360. Regarding Guitar Hero I & II support on PS3, Red Octane wrote us: "In regards to your other question about GH and GHII (on PS2), they do work on PS3 (w/ both SG and Kramer), though they will require an appropriate adapter for the guitar controller."
Quick Amazon lesson on GH III supply and customer service
This isn't a story we get to tell very often, but it's certainly an interesting one for gamers to keep in mind when shopping at online retailer Amazon.com. Last night we were tipped that Amazon.com's prices on Guitar Hero III inflated significantly from the $99 we had adjusted to over the last couple months. We checked with GH III publisher Red Octane, who told us that the prices hadn't changed. In truth, Amazon was no longer offering GH III directly from "Amazon actual" and their system defaulted to a third-party retailer who had included shipping into their price -- that explained the new, higher price. So, why did Amazon decide to stop offering GH III directly? They weren't sure anymore that they could guarantee supply on future pre-orders (because that's technically all you can do at this point), so rather than disappoint customers with possible delays they pulled the pre-order offer.A representative for Amazon tells Joystiq, "Our third party vendors control their own list prices, which can factor in shipping and sales tax costs. Ultimately, the choice lies with the customer to decide who they want to purchase from so that they get the best shopping experience on Amazon.com." For the best example of how things can go when Amazon isn't the direct seller, a "new" Wii is currently on Amazon for $370. That is currently the cheapest you can get it from an authorized third-party retailer. When it becomes "in stock" again for "Amazon actual" it'll be the normal $250. Just a little something to be aware of when shopping from one of the top retailers on these intertubes.
Previously rumored GHIII tracks now confirmed
Previously, the setlist for Guitar Hero III was "leaked" onto the interwebs and now Activision has come clean and announced some new tracks which coincidentally appeared on that leaked setlist as well as a few others that didn't.Viewable after the break is the list of all seventeen newly announced tracks including hits like "Devil Went Down to Georgia" by Charlie Daniels Band, "Before I Forget" by Slipknot, "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" by Pat Benetar and "Holiday in Cambodia" by Dead Kennedys. These new tracks, coupled with those that have already been announced, make Guitar Hero III look all the more attractive and prove that it can definitely hold its own against Rock Band's track offerings. The new rock n' roll war has just been cranked up to eleven and we're stuck right in the middle.
Sex Pistols reunite for Guitar Hero III
While we were busy covering the frenzy of the Halo 3 launch yesterday, it seems some other game news was also being covered. Yeah, we're as surprised as you. But lo and behold, it looks like Guitar Hero III is pulling out the big guns for its impending battle with Rock Band. Activision revealed yesterday that the remaining members of the Sex Pistols will reunite to rerecord "Anarchy in the UK" for Guitar Hero III. The master tapes of the original recording have been lost, thus necessitating the need to rerecord the tracks. We have to admit, with so many great tracks heading to Guitar Hero III, the decision between Rock Band and GHIII is getting more difficult every day.[Via Joystiq]Read -- Video interview with the Sex Pistols about Guitar Hero IIIRead -- Sex Pistols join Guitar Hero III
GH III soundtrack unlocks three game tracks
The capitalistic executives over at Interscope Records just announced plans for a Guitar Hero III soundtrack that will include not only music from the game, but also a code to download three additional songs for the game.The GH III soundtrack is set to release on October 30th just two days after GH III jams into stores, and will come packaged with a code that will be redeemable via the XBLM. The code will unlock three downloadable in-game songs including "Carcinogen Crush" by AFI, "Tina" by Flyleaf and a remixed version of Marilyn Manson's "Putting Holes in Happiness" performed by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner. Here's to hoping that Interscope doesn't tack on an additional $6.25 to the cost of the soundtrack, because of the three in-game tracks. We all know how expensive such content can be.[Via Joystiq]
Rumor: Entire GH III set list leaked
Supposedly, someone over on the ScoreHero forums leaked the complete 70+ song Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock set list and quickly had their post pulled. But like anything you post on the internet, no matter how long it's there, someone will have read it and have saved it. And so is the case this time, because we have the leaked 70+ GH III tracks which includes 25+ bonus songs and lots of other greatness. If you're willing to believe, you can view the entire (rumored) GH III set list after the break and find a few of your favorite tunes. Next stop, a leaked Rock Band set list by next week ... all aboard!
Wii Guitar Hero III gets no online initially [Update]
In an interview with ProG, Red Octane pres. Kai Huang confirmed there would not be any online play for the Wii version of Guitar Hero III initially. No time frame is given when the feature would be implemented. He said there will be online play for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. Huang says, "There won't be online initially for the Wii, but we are working with Nintendo to see how we can get those features in."Oh please, that's easy. First you start by talking 12-digit codes with Nintendo and then pinky-swear that there won't be any guitar playing pedophiles on the other end of that game -- to prove this each purchaser of Guitar Hero III who wants to go online will submit two forms of ID and authorize a criminal background check by Nintendo. It's as simple as that.Update: Red Octane contacted Joystiq to say that Huang was talking about downloadable content to ProG, not online play. There will be no DLC initially for the Wii, but they reaffirm that there will be online play. Of course, our first question was, "How are you implementing that?" They have to check with the developer and get back to us.%Gallery-4675%
Video: DragonForce will own you in GHIII
Not too long ago, it was revealed that DragonForce would finally be gracing Guitar Hero for it's third outing. The song chose for the game: the incredibly difficult "Through the Fire and Flames." But hey, don't take our word for it, just check out the video above. The amount of skill and practice required to nail this song borders on lunacy. Wherever the song isn't a maelstrom of hammer-ons and pull-offs, it is filled with machine gun strumming on multiple frets. It is both a nightmare and a beauty to behold, and we bet your little brother will master it in a week.
GH III demo to be included in Proving Ground
Yesterday, Activision announced that they'll be including a special Guitar Hero III demo on the disc of the October 9th release of Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. Proving Ground purchasers will be treated a GH III demo featuring five musical tracks which include "Lay Down" by Priestess, "Even Flow" by Pearl Jam, "The Metal" by Tenacious D, "Hit Me with your Best Shot" by Pat Benatar and "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by the Scorpions. But fret not rockers who dislike skating games, because the GH III demo will be available for download off the XBLM two weeks after Proving Ground hits retailers, sometime around October 23rd. Now we have a reason to get our X-plorer guitar tuned before October rolls around.
GH III demo on Tony Hawk for Xbox 360 and XBM, where's PS3?
Guitar Hero fans rejoice, the demo for Guitar Hero III will be available on the Xbox 360 version of Tony Hawk's Proving Ground releasing October 9. Two weeks after that it will be available to download on Xbox Live Marketplace. The demo will feature: Lay Down (by Priestess) Even Flow (by Pearl Jam) The Metal (by Tenacious D) Hit Me with your Best Shot (as made famous by Pat Benatar) Rock You like a Hurricane (as made famous by Scorpions) We had a positive experience with Guitar Hero III during E3, despite its different look and feel, the gameplay is exactly what you expect from the series. What about the PS3 version of Tony Hawk's Proving Ground having the GH III demo or release on PSN for those with the adapter? That's a very good question and one we made sure to ask Activision. Well, they told us to go ask Red Octane. We've sent emails to Red Octane and will update as soon as we get responses.
Rockin' some Guitar Hero III achievements
Even though you are still diligently strumming away at Guitar Hero II, working on that "Start a Real Band Already Award" achievement, now you have a new set of achievements to look forward to with the release of Guitar Hero III. Over at Xbox360Achievements they've discovered and posted all 59 achievements for upcoming rocking game GH III and there are some doozies. A few notable achievements that stand out would be "Buy a Guitar Already", "Tone Deaf" and "Meet Your Maker" where you have to (somehow) beat one of the creators of GH III. It'll be another nearly impossible 1000 gamerscore coming from this third installment, but really ... would you have it any other way?[Thanks, SpaceGhostFlyer]
GH III pre-order box reveals Killers and Santana
Adding to the ever expanding list of Guitar Hero III tracks comes two new songs via a pre-order box. The fuzzy image you see above (bigger one after the jump) was taken from the back of a retail pre-order box for GH III and lists two yet to be announced songs. The two newly new songs listed are The Killers' "When You Were Young" and Santana's "Black Magic Woman". So, adding these two new tracks to the previously listed ones we're at a comfortable 33 musical tracks-o-greatness. And since we're all about stealing Joystiq's recap idea we've posted all 33 confirmed Guitar Hero III songs after the break. So go ahead, look at 'em all in their rockin' glory.[Via Joystiq]
GHIII lays on 6 more tracks: Sabbath, AFI, more
Activision has announced the addition of 6 more tracks to Guitar Hero III. The new tracks consist of both newer bands like AFI and Queens of the Stone Age and classic groups like Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult. Check out the new tracks below. "Miss Murder," by AFI "3's and 7's," by Queens of the Stone Age "Raining Blood," by Slayer "Reptillia," by The Strokes "Paranoid," as made famous by Black Sabbath "Cities on Flame," as made famous by Blue Oyster Cult "Mississippi Queen," as made famous by Mountain As usual, pay close attention to the distinction between "by" and "as made famous by." In other words, 4 of the 7 new tracks are master recordings, leaving "Paranoid," "Cities on Flame," and "Mississippi Queen" as the only covers. We also must note that "Mississippi Queen" was featured in a leaked video of Rock Band shortly before E3 (the video has since been pulled). While its inclusion in Rock Band is far from official at this point, it will be interesting to see if Rock Band and Guitar Hero III wind up sharing songs. We've posted a list (politely cribbed from Joystiq) of the 22 officially announced tracks after the break.
GHIII nabs DragonForce, Chili Peppers, more
The pleas of Guitar Hero fans everywhere have been answered. Yes, DragonForce will finally be featured in a Guitar Hero title, specifically Guitar Hero III. The fancy lads at ScoreHero have uncovered several new groups to be featured in the game including: The Red Hot Chili Peppers -- "Suck my Kiss" ZZ Top -- "La Grange" Iron Maiden -- "Number of the Beast" DragonForce -- "Through the Fire and Flames" Even better news, all the above tracks except "La Grange" are the master recordings. A new character by the name of Midori was also revealed, along with several new locations (we can't wait to see the Kaiju Megadome). Activision is adamant that Guitar Hero III is still a contender in the face of Rock Band. With impressive songs like these, as well as the ones we already know, they might be right.[Via Joystiq]
