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Ben Heck creates breath-controlled drum pedal for Guitar Hero World Tour
Last June, Kinetic Communications created a clever workaround for wheelchair-bound gamers who possess a penchant for Rock Band drumming, but were unable to use the kit's kick pedal due to their disability. Ben Heck, modder extraordinaire, recently did the same for the Guitar Hero: World Tour set -- however, rather than attaching an extra button to drumsticks, Heck found an altogether brilliant method of using the set's foot-activated percussion: He made it breath-controlled.It took a fair amount of fancy engineering, but Heck recently uploaded instructions to his blog that show how to remove the pedal's piezoelectric sensor, and make it respond to air pressure rather than, well, foot pressure. You can get further details on the modification, as well as a video of Heck giving it a test run, on his site. It's definitely an intriguing idea, though it more or less prohibits the drummer from simultaneously singing, making Phil Collins role-playing a near impossibility. Still, great work, Ben![Via Engadget]
World Tour adds Queen, Hendrix and European DLC in March
Activision decided today was the opportune date to announce all of the upcoming Guitar Hero World Tour downloadable content to be released in the month of March.Musical goodness from Queen, Jimi Hendrix and a handful of European bands will be bicycle racing to the XBLM and PSN this month, including three songs from Vanilla Sky, Rasmus and Les Rita Mitsouko that'll be available this Thursday.A complete listing of all the upcoming World Tour DLC can be viewed after the break, but be warned that some may find the release of both Queen and Hendrix songs in one month to be too overwhelming. For those music enthusiasts, we recommend taking a seat before continuing.
Guitar Hero World Tour won't receive Lips mic support
According to VG247, Activision has no plans to add Lips wireless microphone support to Guitar Hero World Tour. Now, we could understand their unwillingness to support the Lips mics if they were poorly constructed or if it'd be some overwhelming task to take on. But the one thing (and possibly only thing) Lips has going for it are stellar peripherals and we don't believe releasing a game patch would be all that time consuming.Shame on you World Tour. At least Rock Band recognizes the value of colorfully lit mics.
Bob Seger DLC rocks World Tour, online tournament announced
Today, Activision announced a special Guitar Hero World Tour The Vault DLC Tournament in promotional celebration of the just release Robert Bob Seger Track Pack.The online tournament allows both guitarists and bassists of all skill levels to participate, but this World Tour tourney requires your paid DLC admission. To have a chance at winning prizes including a Fender guitar autographed by Seger, entrants are required to purchase the new Bob Seger DLC.Tournament information can be viewed over at the official Guitar Hero website. Today's new Bob Seger tracks are conveniently listed below.Bob Seger Track Pack (440 / $5.49) "Old Time Rock and Roll" by Bob Seger (160 / $2) "Her Strut" by Bob Seger (160 / $2) "Get Out of Denver (LIVE)" by Bob Seger (160 / $2)
Guitar Hero World Tour standalone drums, guitar available now
Releasing right on schedule, standalone versions of Guitar Hero World Tour's drums and guitar are now available at retail. The percussion set and the axe have a suggested retail price of $100 and $70, respectively. The Guitar Hero community site notes the items are available at Best Buy and Gamestop, but we've also seen them available online at Amazon.The standalone plastic peripherals are currently available only in North America. Europe and Australia will receive the items at "a later date." If you have any questions regarding the compatibility of the items across rhythm games, please check out our "Instrument Compatibility Matrix" for a complete rundown.
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Activision Blizzard loses $72m in Q4 '08; outlook misses '09 expectations
Bobby Kotick and co. got together for the Activision Blizzard earnings report this afternoon and dropped a few numbers on their investors, aside from confirming a mess of games that still haven't officially been announced yet. After reconfirming what we told you a few weeks ago regarding the $1 billion in sales of Guitar Hero III, Kotick went on to note, "In North America, Activision Blizzard was the #1 third-party console and handheld software publisher in dollars for the calendar year, according to The NPD Group."And how did the company fare during the holiday season? As you might expect, due to releases like Call of Duty: World at War, Guitar Hero: World Tour (which outsold Rock Band 2 at 2:1 in 2008) and a little expansion you may have heard of called Wrath of the Lich King, "Activision Blizzard was the #1 console, handheld and PC publisher in the U.S. and Europe, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack and Gfk." Unfortunately, during a recession like this, even being "the #1 console, handheld and PC publisher in the U.S. and Europe" wasn't enough, with the company losing $72 million in Q4, or 5 cents a share, and announcing a 2009 outlook that falls shy of Wall Street's expectations. Sometimes it's tough being the king.
Power Chord Academy opens Rock Band, Guitar Hero summer camp programs
Whether you like to play real instruments or rip it up on the plastic set, there's going to be a camp waiting for you this summer. Musical prodigies who specifically enjoy rhythm games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero: World Tour can join the teen-focused Power Chord Academy for their "GameROCKERS" program. The three-day program allows musically-inclined gamers a chance to show off their original digital compositions, join competitions and win prizes. Also, if three days sounds too long, then there's always Power Chord's "iROCKER." It's basically a one-day version of the other program. Power Chord's website has details on dates and locations for those planning to make the trip out there.
Creedence's 'Commotion' coming to Guitar Hero World Tour
Guitar Hero World Tour will be receiving an injection of southern rock music this week, with the release of the Southern Rock Track Pack. Available this Thursday, February 5th, from the XBLM and PSN, the track pack (which we expect to cost 440 / $5.49) will include Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Commotion," as well as two songs sung by cover bands. Yeah, we know, how disgusting. And here we thought cover band music was dead. "Commotion" by Creedence Clearwater Revival "Black Betty" (cover track) "Gimme All Your Lovin'" (cover track)
Guitar Hero World Tour standalone drums arrive Feb. 15, priced at $100
Attention virtual rockers, Neversoft has announced that the Guitar Hero World Tour drum set will finally be available as a standalone product beginning February 15. The drums will come at a price of $100 -- $10 more than the Rock Band 2 drums -- and will be available at Best Buy and GameStop. Unfortunately, this only applies to North America, as Neversoft notes the drums will arrive in Europe and Australia "at a later date."While the World Tour drums are more expensive than the base Rock Band 2 set, it's worth noting that adding the cymbal expansions to Rock Band 2's set makes them slightly more expensive. Taking a look at Amazon (with prices lower than retail), the Rock Band 2 set with a two-cymbal expansion amounts to $107.92.Be sure to check out Joystiq's Instrument Compatibility Matrix if you plan to pick up a set.
Guitar Hero World Tour Monthly: Wings, Bob Seger, Shins, Incubus, Ryan Adams
Much like it did last month, Activision Blizzard has announced three new DLC packs for Guitar Hero World Tour due out in February. Let's hope this remains a dodeca-annual affair.Acoustic Track Pack (440 / $5.49) "Drive" - Incubus (160 / $2) "New Slang' - The Shins (160 / $2) "Wonderwall (Oasis cover)" - Ryan Adams (160 / $2) Wings Track Pack (440 / $5.49) "Junior's Farm" (160 / $2) "Hi Hi Hi" (160 / $2) "Jet" (160 / $2) Bob Seger Track Pack (440 / $5.49) "Old Time Rock and Roll" (160 / $2) "Her Strut" (160 / $2) "Get out of Denver (live)" (160 / $2) The Acoustic Track Pack is coming Thursday, February 12, followed by Wings and Seger on the two Thursdays after that, respectively, for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. Check out videos for the first trio after the break.
Guitar Hero: World Tour tops Rock Band 2 in by 2:1 in 2008
GameSpot reports that the NPD Group has released the overall sales data for both Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour for 2008 and World Tour has come out on top. Breaking it down, across all SKUs and every platform, Guitar Hero: World Tour managed to sell 3.4 million copies in North America, while Rock Band 2 sold 1.7 million copies. It's important to remember that Rock Band 2 had a staggered release schedule, hitting each platform at different times, while Guitar Hero: World Tour landed on each platform simultaneously.Furthermore, the numbers don't take into acount the sales of the original Rock Band, which can be had at a lower price than the sequel (an important consideration in today's economy).[Via Joystiq]
NPD: Guitar Hero World Tour outsells Rock Band 2 by 2:1 in 2008
The NPD Group has tallied up all of the SKUs for Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour -- both multi-instrument packs and separate games -- and found that Activision / Neversoft's rocker came out on top with 3.4 million units sold last year, twice the number achieved by Rock Band 2 (1.7 million). Though the staggered release dates (especially for Wii) didn't help matters, this hardly indicates a terrible loss for EA's side. The Guitar Hero branding is, after all, a powerful force to be reckoned with. We'd be interested to see how the original Rock Band fared last year, given that it's also competing for living room space alongside the other two. And hey, why not throw in some Rock Revolution sales data? We could use a laugh.
2008 showed World Tour defeat Rock Band 2 in sales
In 2008, Guitar Hero World Tour sold a lot of copies to anxious would-be rockers. Its competition, Rock Band 2, also sold a lot of copies, but, in the end, was not enough to best Activision's title. So, you want exact figures? Well, World Tour unloaded 3.4 million copies on consumers, across all platforms, whereas Rock Band 2 only sold 1.7 million, across all platforms, according to the NPD. Interesting stuff.What we'd like to know, however, is how World Tour stacks up against Rock Band when including the first game into the mix. Has the Rock Band franchise sold more than 3.4 million units? Guess we'll have to wait and see on that one. Considering how well Rock Band did on Wii and other platforms, it would be very interesting to see them stacked side-by-side.%Gallery-23491%
Guitar Hero gets free Bruce Springsteen DLC ... limited time only!
Have Guitar Hero World Tour? Then you'll want to log on to the PlayStation Store next Tuesday or Wednesday for a surprise FREE DLC update. The Bruce Springsteen pack will feature two songs: the classic "Born to Run" and his new single, "My Lucky Day." The surprise Tuesday update coincides with Bruce's latest album release, "Working On A Dream."Make sure you grab it as soon as possible. Put it in your calendar so you don't forget, because the DLC will become a premium pack on Thursday, February 5th, and it will cost $3.99. Don't let your tardiness cost you $4, okay?See a video of "Born to Run" after the break.
GH World Tour DLC: Aussie rock lives!
Australian rock has just made its way to Guitar Hero World Tour thanks to today's released Aussie Track Pack downloadable content. Three songs from artists Silverchair, Wolfmother, and The Vines are individually available for 160 Microsoft points or as an Aussie Track Pack for 440 points. It's Aussie rock without the kangaroos or bitey crocs. Aussie Track Pack - 440 "Tomorrow" by Silverchair - 160 "Dimension" by Wolfmother -160 "Outtathaway!" by The Vines - 160 [Image]
Forbes: Rock Band a 'shameless knockoff' of Guitar Hero
We can only assume that Forbes lives in a world with no GuitarFreaks. In the latest issue of the business magazine, a biographical profile of Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick turns controversial when it accuses Rock Band of ripping off Guitar Hero. According to the magazine, "EA also teamed with MTV to sell Rock Band, a shameless knockoff of Guitar Hero that added drums, bass and a microphone to the world of make-believe rock stars."Leaving aside the fact that Guitar Hero hardly represents the roots of its genre, such a brash statement feels distinctly at odds with the rest of the (pretty neutral) piece. There's also the role of Harmonix to consider: after all, theirs was the name behind both franchises! %Gallery-19119%[Via Joystiq]
Forbes profiles Activision CEO, calls Rock Band "shameless knockoff"
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick is this month's Forbes magazine cover boy, where the business mag recounts his journey from sandwich delivery boy to billionaire CEO. Surprisingly (read: Not really), Kotick describes himself as not being interesting in games personally but has been more than happy to build Activision Blizzard into one of the industry's leading companies. One quote sending the games industry into a laughing dizzy is the line, written by Forbes itself (hold back the tears): "EA also teamed with MTV to sell Rock Band, a shameless knockoff of Guitar Hero that added drums, bass and a microphone to the world of make-believe rock stars."We suppose the irony should be that Guitar Hero was first developed by Harmonix, the company responsible for Rock Band. Maybe we should be laughing that it was Harmonix that took the music genre into the group setting, which led Kotick's Activision to follow suit and create Guitar Hero: World Tour. But honestly, we just think the irony is that Forbes is a shameless knockoff of Fortune.[Via Videogaming247]
Travis Barker track pack live in World Tour
Some new tracks are available to download for all of you Guitar Heroes out there. The new trio of tracks focus on famous drummer Travis Barker of blink-182 fame. Along with a hit blink-182 single, we've also got a single from his other band, as well as a remix of another track. Each song will cost you 200 Wii Points and is available to download through Guitar Hero World Tour right now. "What's My Age Again" by blink-182 - 200 Points "Lycanthrope" by +44 - 200 Points "Low (Travis Barker Remix)" by Flo Rida [Feat.T-Pain] - 200 Points Head past the break for a video of each song.%Gallery-23491%
'The Boss' Springsteen is coming to World Tour
Activision just announced that Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen will be making his video game debut on Guitar Hero World Tour later this month. Tuesday, January 27th to be exact. The Springsteen DLC will be released as a FREE download through February 4th and include the tracks "Born to Run" and "My Lucky Day" off his latest album Working on a Dream. If you wait until after February 4th to download the Springstreen tracks, expect to pay 320 MS points. Free content is free content and we aren't complaining, but would we be in the minority to have asked for the song "The Wrestler" as part of the free DLC giveaway? Heck, we'd even pay the $2 going rate for that track.[Via press release]
Activision: Guitar Hero III is first title to generate sales of $1 billion
Activision recently announced that Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock has become the first game ever to reach $1 billion in sales. This comes a little under a year from when the publisher announced that the Guitar Hero franchise had surpassed the billion dollar mark. Not bad for a series the company picked up for a pittance at $100 million in 2006.The success of the franchise isn't just good news for the game industry, as Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith has cited Nielson SoundScan data, which claims that artists featured in the Guitar Hero series have seen download sales increase between 15-843%. As for the publisher's financial standing, if GameStop's top selling holiday titles are any indication, Activision should enjoy a lucrative quarter headlined by Guitar Hero World Tour, Call of Duty: World at War and that Lich King guy from the World of Warcraft.
