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GHIII: Linkin Park, Mastadon and holiday cheer DLC
Releasing to the XBLM just in time for the holidays will be a new Guitar Hero III track pack as well as European singles and a free holiday download.Scheduled for release sometime in December is a "Warner/Reprise Track Pack " which will include master recordings of "No More Sorrow" by Linkin Park, "Sleeping Giant" by Mastadon and "Pretty Handsome Awkward" by The Used. Also releasing will be single track downloads from various European bands including "So Payaso" by Extremoduro, "Antisocial" by Trust and "Ernten Was Wir Säen" by Die Fantastischen Vier. And as if that wasn't enough GHIII DLC, Activision will be releasing a free "We Three Kings" holiday track recorded by Steve Ouimette too. Again, no specific release date has been announced or pricing details for the track pack or singles. But we do have a fancy press release posted after the break.
Guitar Hero III gets rock 'n' roll patch
Woo! Good evening, internet! Welcome to the stage the new patch for Guitar Hero III on PS3 and Xbox 360, now, are you ready to rock? They're going to kick it off with "Improved Online Quick Match Results" and "Calibration Screen Improvements, Helping Users With High Lag AV Systems" and then one just for you Playstation 3 users: "The Co-Op Quickplay Mode." Finally, they're going to be closing with their new single: "Various Stability Improvements and Fixes." ... Hey, why doesn't anyone have their lighter out?... OK, so this patch isn't particularly rock 'n' roll. It doesn't wear a cool leather jacket or hassle nerds or boss around the rest of T-Birds. But it is practical, which is sort of cool too, isn't it? Maybe in a old-but-still-hip-English-professor sort of way? Guys? Where are you going?
More Guitar Hero III DLC coming this month
Activision has laid out its December plans for Guitar Hero III downloadable content with a three-song bundle pack, three separate individual songs and a free Christmas classic. The "Warner/Reprise Track Pack" contains Linkin Park's "No More Sorrow," Mastadon's "Sleeping Giant" and The Used's "Pretty Handsome Awkward". The three individual songs are by "such popular European bands as Extremoduro, Trust and Die Fantastischen Vier" and are titled "So Payaso", "Antisocial" and "Ernten Was Wier Saen" respectively. A rendition of "We Three Kings", recorded by Steve Ouimette, will also be made available for download free of charge as a Christmas gesture. There's no word on when these song will be arriving on the PSN Store (and considering how Europe only just got their first pack of DLC, Europeans shouldn't expect to see it this year) or of how much they will cost. We're going to assumed they will follow the pricing structure the used for previous song packs (ie, way overpriced).Compared to Rock Band's downloadable offerings, this is pretty meager. We'll probably leave these songs on the virtual shelf when they're released later this month. What about you?
Activison: Actually, Harmonix to blame for PS3 guitar issues
Let us explain. ... No, there is too much. Let us sum up. Guitar Hero III controllers don't work with Rock Band on the PS3. Harmonix made a patch to fix the problem, which never appeared. Harmonix released a statement saying that Activision "objected to the release of the compatibility patch," effectively halting it's release from Sony. That brings us up to yesterday when Activision released their own statement that they were (shockingly) blameless, saying "In fact, Harmonix and its parent company MTV Games/Viacom recently declined Activision's offer to reach an agreement that would allow the use of Guitar Hero guitar controllers with Rock Band." So, now it's apparently Harmonix's fault. Great. That's much clearer.Tell you what. While you multi-billion dollar organizations are arguing like toddlers over a couple of toy guitars, we'll be over here being disgusted. Just tell us when you're done. Seriously, drop the he said/she said crap, do like Tim Gunn and make it work already, please.
Activision blocking Guitar Hero III axes from working in Rock Band
We could tell by the tone of Mr. Charles Huang's voice that something just wasn't right, and now it seems the truth has finally emerged. According to the Harmonix team, Activision is the reason why Guitar Hero III axes still aren't functioning with the PlayStation 3, and if that wasn't cruel enough, it stings even more to know that the solution is sitting in Sony's lap just waiting to be distributed. Reportedly, Harmonix has already created the patch that would allow GH III guitars to shred in Rock Band, but instead of it going out on December 4th as planned, kvetching by Activision has put the release on an indefinite hiatus. Granted, we're sure Harmonix is doing its best to cast itself in a positive light, but regardless of what's really going on behind the scenes, why not get an interoperability update out there and just let the consumer decide?[Thanks, dorrington]
Zero Punctuation takes on Guitar Hero III
Love him or hate him, Yahtzee always seems to invoke some sort of emotion with his crudely worded, flash animation reviews. This week, he tackles Guitar Hero III, and guess what? He hates it. It seems that Activision just can't get any love today.Watch him bash the game and defend his heterosexuality in the NSFW video after the break.
Activision sued over sound issues in GHIII
We recently reported that Activision would be issuing re-mastered Guitar Hero III discs to fix the lack of stereo and surround sound in the game. For some people, however, this fix is seen as too little, too late, and now the company faces a class-action lawsuit. The complaint, brought about by plaintiff Sam Livingston, states that Activision's conduct has been "deceptive" and "unlawful" because the game is not compatible with Dolby Pro Logic II, thereby counteracting the label on the game's box. Those behind the complaint feel that Activision needs to pay up for misrepresenting their product, and for continuing to sell the Wii version of the game without warning consumers about the sound issues. The aggregate claims of the plaintiff and the members of the class-action suit amount to $5,000,000, to which we can only say, ouch.Activision refused to comment on the lawsuit, but did state that they were actively working to have the re-mastered discs ready by early 2008, which will be available to owners of the game at no cost.[Via Game|Life]
Activision blocking Rock Band patch, says Harmonix
Imagine this scenario. You have a Guitar Hero III controller, and you have Rock Band. And yet, you can't use one guitar in the other game. Silly, right? Unfortunately, that's a reality for many. A patch was supposed to fix this irksome problem. In fact, a patch has actually been created. But where is it?Harmonix is blaming Activision, saying the publisher is blocking any compatibility patch. In a statement to Joystiq, Harmonix reveals that "Harmonix and MTV Games believe in an open standard philosophy of hardware and game compatibility. We think that there should be interoperability between music instrument controllers across all music games. This is clearly in the best interest of consumers, game developers and console manufacturers and will only help to grow the music game genre as well as inspire innovation and creativity." "Two weeks ago, Harmonix created a software patch for the Sony PLAYSTATION 3 version of Rock Band that allowed for guitar compatibility and support for third party peripherals, including enabling use of Activision's Guitar Hero III controller with Rock Band. The compatibility patch was submitted, approved and had been scheduled for release by Sony on Tuesday, December 4. Unfortunately, Activision objected to the release of the compatibility patch. The patch remains with Sony, but we have been told that it will unfortunately not be released due to Activision's continued objection."Excuse me, Activision? Why object to cross-compatible guitars? Certainly, allowing us to use your controllers in EA's game won't cannibalize your own sales. You have nothing to lose Activision. Do the right thing, or face the wrath of angry PS fans.[Image source: Joystiq]
Rock out with your block out: i am 8-bit guitar straps
You're a rebel. You don't listen intently for thoughtful gift ideas before hitting the mall months ahead of the holiday shopping season. No, you march to your own tune – a tune, which we should add, is more than likely generated by clicking brightly colored plastic buttons on a plastic guitar – and you wait until the last minute to get your gift ideas from a blog, a video game blog, of all places. Relax, you're amongst peers. Which is why we just had to show you these vinyl guitar straps with that i am 8-bit aesthetic we know you're so crazy about. Yeah, it's really a Christmas present for yourself, but you've been good this year, right? We thought so.[Thanks, Kevin]
Dad finds son smoking pot, attacks his weak point for massive damage
When eBay seller k_lid found his fifteen-year-old son Isaac smoking marijuana on the patio with two of his "delinquent friends," he did what any respectable parent would do: he calmly removed his son's copy of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock from beneath the Christmas tree, and put it up for sale on eBay, complete with a lengthy description about why it was being auctioned.With the listing underway, all that was left to do was show the auction page to Isaac, who apparently "was not amused" by the sight of his number one Christmas present going on sale. Funny, that.But kudos to k_lid, we say. That's a pretty calculating, imaginative punishment, and there's nothing wrong with a bit of tough love. Didn't do us any harm. Apart from the panic attacks. And the nightmares. And the endless twitching.[Thanks, Chris!]
Activision replacing mono Guitar Hero III discs for Wii
Good news! Turns out your right ear wasn't insane after all. Apparently, Activision has simultaneously fessed up to the lack of stereo on "some" Guitar Hero III discs for the Wii and offered to make amends. Company spokeswoman Rhy-Ming Poon stated that the firm "recently became aware that some consumers have not been able to enjoy the full audio output in the Nintendo Wii version of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock," and added that it was "currently working with Nintendo and planning to issue an improved audio experience in future versions of the game." For users who already bought in, these re-mastered discs should be available at no cost sometime in early 2008, but specifics beyond that weren't disclosed. So yeah, at least you can count on a stereo version hitting your mailbox, but unfortunately, it won't be before the holiday break.[Thanks, Jason]
Red Octane VP excuses axe incompatibility, blames Rock Band issues
Alright, try to stay with us here. Guitar Hero III's axe works just fine with Rock Band, but only the Xbox 360 hardware -- and Rock Band's guitar won't play the first note on any flavor of GHIII. Yeah, it's a bit confusing, but apparently the folks over at 1UP were downright tired of being dizzy, and phoned up Guitar Hero publisher Red Octane's co-founder and VP of Business Development, Charles Huang, to chat about the totally confusing compatibility quandary. We fully understand the complexities in getting the instruments to work with other games, as well as the potential business impact, but Mr. Huang chose to take a different route in explaining why no Guitar Hero title would accept a Rock Band controller. He was quoted as saying that Red Octane wasn't "too interested in having [Harmonix] guitars work on its game, because [Harmonix is] having a lot of issues with its guitars." Of course, this logic begins to fall apart when you realize there was absolutely no compatibility even before these malfunctions came to light. Nice try, though.[Via DailyTech]
Wii Guitar Hero III getting DLC and replacement discs
It's pretty clear that the Wii version of Activision's rockstar simulator is the ugly stepsister of the Guitar Hero III family (aside from the PS2 version, but who plays those things anymore) -- it's got no downloadable content, requires friend codes for online play, is sans Grim Ripper, and to top it all off, it only transmits sound monaurally. However, Activision is not neglecting its rockers of the tiny white box, as it has announced that it will be offering remastered game discs early 2008, and will also enable DLC for the system sometime next year.The new, stereo-enabled discs will be free of charge through Activision, though they haven't announced exactly when they'd be available, or how they would be shipped out. Also, we're not exactly certain how DLC will work on the system (our Wii's system memory is already bogged down by VC gems like Donkey Kong Jr. Math and Urban Champion), but RedOctane is reportedly working feverishly with Nintendo to figure out a method of getting new songs on the Wii. Apparently, trying to wish them onto the system hasn't been working out very well.Read - Guitar Hero III Wii DLC Expected Next YearRead - Fix Coming For Wii's Guitar Hero III Mono Problem[Via 1UP]
Activision to fix Guitar Hero sound issues with new disc
People who bought the Wii version of Guitar Hero III have been (justifiably) annoyed by the lack of stereo and surround sound in Activision's popular music game. However, Wii owners can at least take some comfort in knowing that the problem will soon be fixed.Activision's customer support has replied to many irate users with an email stating that re-mastered discs should be available by early 2008. This means that customers who buy the game after the re-mastered version is available should get the fixed copies, while those who already own the game can get replacement discs at no charge.The last time we announced a disc swap for a glitched Wii game, many of you expressed your desires to have a simple downloadable patch instead. While we agree that a patch would be more convenient, we're still glad that there will be a fix available in the near future.[Thanks, Langst!]
'Guitar compatibility' patch coming soon to PS3 Rock Band
Take heart, PS3 Rock Band owners: To hear one Harmonix poster tell it on the game's official forums, you're just moments away from being able to mount your own four-piece outfit. Harmonix staffer "Sean" writes that a patch should arrive today that will enable Guitar Hero III controllers to be used with the game, which, as Rock Band guitars aren't available individually, will be the first time that four-player action will be feasible.The only question mark now is exactly when the update will become available. Sean writes, "We're trying to find out what the holdup is and I'll get back to you when I know." For now, it looks like you should just keep your rocking hand well-oiled and keep an eye on this thread.[Via PS3F]
Wii Warm Up: Arranged for guitar
Our Professor of (Glove)PIE, Mike Sylvester, looked at his Wii Guitar Hero III controller, looked at his computer, then looked back and forth at the two in an exaggeratedly comedic gesture, and finally the truth emerged. He saw before him a racing controller. Somehow. We don't know how he arrived at that conclusion, but that's why he's a genius and we're the ones writing about t-shirts we can't buy.He solicited suggestions in the post, but we thought we would expand the discussion beyond possible PC hacks and into the wide, wide world of hypothetical discussion. You've got a guitar-shaped controller that's got buttons on the fretboard, a strum bar, a whammy bar, and -- oh yeah, a motion-sensing controller embedded in it. What do you do with it? "Guitar simulator" is already taken.
Play GHIII with a MIDI drum kit, cuz you can
One of the principle precepts in science (at least, according to the film industry), is that once you figure out how to do something, you must do it. Why? Because you can. It brought dinosaurs back to life, and it made a neat gun for the people who are still alive. And now, science has brought us the ability to play Guitar Hero III with a MIDI drum kit. But why, you ask? Well, actually it's because the creator injured a finger by rocking too hard with the guitar, so he devised this method so he wouldn't have stop playing altogether. You can read the technical stuff by hitting the "read" link. You can actually watch it work in the video above.[Via Joystiq]
Johnny Rotten loves GHIII for the wrong reasons
They call him Johnny Rotten for a reason folks, and it's not because he's all sweet and cuddly. Far from it actually, as he recently took the opportunity to bite the hand that feeds him at a UK Guitar Hero III launch event ... in a manner of speaking. During the event, Rotten went on record saying that he received the offer to be featured in Guitar Hero III, took it home and played it, and "loved" it. The intriguing part is why he loved it: "it weren't teaching you how to be a rock star, it was teaching you how not to be a rock star." He elaborated that the game taught gamers, "how not to be an asshole in your life, and how not to seek fame and fortune, because the whole f*cking thing's a joke." He then expressed his disappointment that Virgin records was unable to recover the Sex Pistols' master recordings, requiring the group to spend their advance payment to re-record the tracks. Rotten spent the rest of the event rambling back and forth about England, soccer, politics, and even his theological beliefs. It really was a bizarre moment in gaming history, one that the UK Official Xbox Magazine blessedly caught on video (taking care to censor Rotten's rotten language while they were at it). Watch the whole thing if you so desire (warning: it's long). If nothing else, you can amuse yourself with the swear counter placed at the bottom by the cheeky folks at OXM.[Via Xboxic. Thanks, Jonah Falcon]
Guitar Hero III modder plays it with drums
We're actually kind of perplexed by this video of a Guitar Hero fan who created a set-up to play the game with a MIDI drum kit. It's not because we don't know if it's impressive or not (it is). It's also not because we don't know how he's doing it (we do). What we can't figure out is this: Is Guitar Hero actually more awesome if you play it with drums? We've watched tons of Egyokeo's videos and we still just ... don't ... know.Think about it: Rock Band has guitar and drums, right? But this guy's version of GH III has drums that are a guitar. It's two rock 'n' roll features rolled up in one. Which has us thinking: By that criteria, is Peter Frampton secretly the best video game ever?[Thanks, elle]
Guitar Hero III guitars available individually from early 2008
Activision has announced that the wireless controllers for Guitar Hero III will finally be made available separately in early 2008. Ultimately, this means that if you want to play 2 player this Christmas then you'll need to buy two copies of the game or know somebody else who has one too. Bit of a shame, really, when you consider that this is the time of the year when families are getting together to celebrate stuff. Rock Band is currently suffering from the same problem, especially on the PS3 - the controllers for GHIII and Rock Band are incompatible. At least Rock Band has two other controllers of various types included in the box, making it the perfect holiday party game.
