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Activision fails to have No Doubt lawsuit dismissed
If the whole West, Zampella and Activision kerfluffle is no longer satisfying your desire for daily litigation drama, we'd like to point you to an old friend we haven't heard from in a while. We speak, of course, of the No Doubt vs. Activision lawsuit, in which the former accused the latter of infringing on its right-of-publicity by allowing their in-game Band Hero avatars to be used to sing other recording artists' songs in the game. According to the LA Times, Activision recently attempted to invoke freedom-of-speech protections under the 1st Amendment to have the case dismissed out-of-hand -- a tactic shot down by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Kenji Machida. Though Activision has the option to appeal this decision, it looks like the folks from No Doubt might have a chance at taking back their intellectual property and forming a new studio under EA. Wait -- we mixed them up again, didn't we? Yeah, we did.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 now on iPhone
Update: Added a trailer to the post. Tony told us it would drop soon and lo and behold, you can now download Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 from the App Store. The iPhone game will set you back $9.99 and features 13 different environments and skaters, plus accelerometer-enhanced controls, if you don't mind looking like the weirdo shaking their iPhone on the train like it owes them money. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 ($9.99) %Gallery-89570%
Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero: April DLC
Next month's musical lineup for Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero is as wide and varied as a kiddie pool full of Sweet 'n Salty Chex Mix, bringing in tracks from Fall Out Boy, The All-American Rejects, Phoenix, Blur, Saving Abel, and Black Sabbath. However, there's one track in particular that stands proudly above the rest -- one which will surely soon skyrocket to the top of the "Most Played" charts. You know, that song that everyone requests at every concert. What? Dolly Parton's "9 to 5?" What kind of concerts have you been going to? No sir -- we're talking about "Free Bird," which will be available tomorrow, barring some horrific April Fools' Day shenanigans. Check out the full list of tracks, along with their release dates, past the jump.
'80s Track Pack available now for Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero
As expected, the '80s Track Pack for Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero is now available for download on all the various consoles, featuring three respectable songs from the decade of New Wave and hair bands. Well, two or three, depending on how you like The Go-Gos. The entire thing is available for 440 on Xbox Live, $5.49 on PSN, or 550 Wii Points, and the individual songs are as follows: "Girls, Girls, Girls" by Motley Crue (160/ $1.99 / 200 Wii Points) "We Got the Beat" by The Go-Go's (160 / $1.99 / 200 Wii Points) "Sister Christian" by Night Ranger (160/ $1.99 / 200 Wii Points) Say what you want about "We Got the Beat," but we won't tolerate hating on the Crue or Night Ranger and, from the looks of those hairstyles above, they won't either. These songs are available now for both games, so get yourself mo-tor-in' on over to the store if you want 'em.
Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero: March DLC
Next month's Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero DLC should satisfy would-be rockers of all types, offering an eclectic mix of -- oh, there's totally some Flogging Molly! Sorry, we just had to get that out of our system, because St. Patrick's Day is next month and because, man, Flogging Molly is totally awesome. There are four distinct track packs coming next month, featuring OK Go, Blink-182, the aforementioned Molly Floggers and an '80s track pack -- because nothing says March like a dusty old denim jacket with the sleeves cut off and some Night Ranger.
Play Guitar Hero 5 with Breaking Benjamin tomorrow
Activision has announced an Xbox Live Game with Fame event almost guaranteed to be less awkward than watching a movie with Rob Zombie. Starting tomorrow, February 20 at 1:00pm ET, Xbox Live Gold members will get the opportunity to play Guitar Hero 5 with Breaking Benjamin. Anyone wanting to participate should send a friend request to BBGWF or BBAaronGWF thirty minutes prior to the event. Also, it's worth mentioning that the Breaking Benjamin tracks on Guitar Hero 5 are only available as DLC, so it's possible you could play with the band without owning any of their music. Talk about embarrassment!
Whitesnake songs coming to one music game or another, Coverdale not sure
Sure, you could guess that it was sex, drugs or rock and roll that addled Whitesnake vocalist David Coverdale's mind so much that he can't recall with any clarity which music game franchise he recently approved the band's "Here I Go Again" and "Still of the Night" for. And you'd probably be right -- if anyone took too many drugs and rocked a little too hard in the late '80s, it was probably Coverdale. But don't jump to conclusions. Did you ever consider that maybe he was choosing to make a statement about the genre and its recent creative stagnation? Perhaps by saying, "I can't remember which one," he was actually opining that we haven't seen any real innovation in the "strum on the note" experience since the first Rock Band added other instruments. Perhaps Coverdale was actually calling for both Harmonix and Neversoft to reach out for originality, distinguish themselves and their respective games, and stop releasing copy after copy of what are essentially the same experiences. It was either that, or the too many drugs thing.
Luxoflux shuttered as layoffs hit Activision dev studios, publisher confirms
Reports began circulating this morning about major layoffs at a handful of Activision-owned development studios, affecting as much as half of Radical Entertainment's staff (Prototype), an undisclosed amount of Neversoft employees (Guitar Hero, Tony Hawk), and the entirety of Luxoflux (Tranformers). An Activision rep confirmed two former studio layoffs to us this afternoon, though a representative didn't city any official numbers -- the rep also told us he could "confirm the closure of Luxoflux." The full, significantly more vague, company statement given out to everyone reads: "Activision Publishing continually evaluates its resources to ensure that they are properly matched against its product slate and strategic goals. In 2010, the company's SKU count will be smaller than in 2009 driven in part, by a decrease in the number of music-based games we will be releasing. As we discussed on our earnings conference call yesterday, we are directing our resources against the largest and most profitable business segments, and as part of this initiative, we are realigning our resources to better reflect our slate and the market opportunities. At the same time, we are increasing our digital/online capabilities as we expect that digital/online will continue to become a more meaningful part of our business model in the years ahead."
Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero: February DLC
Things took a step towards the alternative in last month's Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero DLC offerings, but it seems February will see the games' downloadable music get back on the path of straight-up rock. We'll be seeing new (old) jams from 30 Seconds to Mars, Breaking Benjamin, Third-Eye Blind and Black Sabbath. We personally can't wait to see Taylor Swift cover Ozzy's part on "Sweet Leaf." All track packs will be available for $5.49 on PS3, 550 Wii Points or 440 on Xbox 360. In addition, all songs will be available seperately for $1.99, 200 Wii Points or 160. Head past the break for the complete list of February's downloadable songs.
Rhythm game devs: genre hasn't peaked, user-generated content is key
[Image credit: Jaymiek] In the latest issue of Edge Magazine, Harmonix head Alex Rigopulos and Neversoft project director Brian Bright both speak out regarding the current state of rhythm-music gaming. As you might imagine, neither developer thinks that the genre is flatlining. In fact, Rigopulos even believes that "future music games will exceed the sales success of the last generation." Surprisingly, though, while each heads up their own approach to the genre, the two seem to be in near-direct agreement on the next step for their franchises. "User-generated content will be absolutely critical to the ongoing success of the genre, I think," Rigopulos says. Bright echoes his statement, saying, "I think user-created content is key to the evolution ... if you can't create or edit licensed music due to copyright laws, then you're limited to pretending to play someone else's music." That said, each developer differs in their definition of exactly what that "user-created content" will be. In the case of Rigopulos, he believes the Rock Band Network and its potentially "huge community of power-users -- skilled music creators" will be his company's next "defining moment." Bright is less sure of a plan, simply stating, "I think the key is to create music, but make it compelling to create, so the game is in the creation."
Megadeth's Dave Mustaine says 'high-level' talks with Neversoft, Activision could result in ... something
Megadeth's inclusion as DLC in Rock Band (not to mention past appearances in Guitar Hero games) apparently won't stifle the group from putting together something "over-the-moon" with Neversoft and Activision for the future. In a "Scorpion" feature (read: "Ask the Band") on the band's website, a couple of fans posed the "What about a Guitar Hero game?" question, to which the lead singer/guitarist Dave Mustaine replied: "I have recently had two very important high-level meetings with the people from Activision and Neversoft, and we are talking about a lot of things." He only clarifies a teensy bit, saying a Guitar Hero: Megadeth game "is not attractive" to him and that the Guitar Hero developers have instead offered up a "new idea." Mustaine also laments past legal run-ins, and hopes that no one "stand[s] in the way of this happening." We've contacted Megadeth as well as Activision for more information on the subject, and will be rocking as hard as possible while we wait for a reply. Oh, and yes, we suppose we'll tell you if we hear more. [Via Kotaku]
Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero: January DLC
If you've been jonesing to play along to a song performed by a fictional, cartoon heavy metal band, then look no further: Activision has announced a downloadable Dethklok song coming this month to the Guitar Hero line, as part of a metal track pack. On the opposite extreme, January will see a Vampire Weekend collection released for Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero to coincide with the band's new album, as well as a three-track Creedence Clearwater Revival set and a collection of songs from "up-and-coming blues masters." (We assume that these so-called masters are real people and not cartoon characters.) All tracks packs will be available for $5.49 on PS3, 550 Wii Points, or 440 on Xbox 360. In addition, all songs will be available a la carte for $1.99, 200 Wii Points, or 160. Head past the break for the complete January DLC lineup.
Guitar Hero VIP Pass is your waypoint for DLC
In the same way that Master Chief 'n friends have relegated their Xbox Live forces to Halo Waypoint, Neversoft has created a one-stop shop for all your Guitar Hero needs on the service. The "Guitar Hero VIP Pass" is now on the Xbox Live Marketplace, gathering all DLC for the music series into a centralized hub. Sadly, unlike a real life VIP Pass, the DLC store does not carry with it the opportunity to get Joe Perry to sign your cleavage, though we can tell from your expression during the first half of this sentence that we all had very different experiences during the '80s. [Via 360Sync]
Deal: Guitar Hero 5 plus two guitars for $100
Just in time for the holiday season, RedOctane has kicked off yet another Guitar Hero deal. In exchange for $99.99, patrons of the Guitar Hero Store can snag a copy of Guitar Hero 5, plus two wireless guitar controllers, on either Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. And if you're thinking about this as a gift for someone special this holiday season, be sure to check out of our gift guides, which are chock full of ideas for gaming gifts.
Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero: December DLC
Activision is pulling out a majority of the stops for the last month of 2009, adding a highly varied assortment of tracks to Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero throughout the next 31 days. Included are track packs from OneRepublic and The Fall of Troy, an "Indie Rock" pack which includes songs from Spoon, Pavement and Nada Surf, a "New Years Rock" pack which features music from Taylor Swift, Maroon 5 and No Doubt, and finally, a totally free song which will arrive shortly before the holidays: Steve Ouimette's version of "Hark The Herald Angels Sing." These songs follow the franchise's usual DLC pricing structure: Each single track will cost 160 ($2, 200 Wii Points), while each track pack will cost 440 ($5.50, 550 Wii Points). For a full list of song titles and release dates, just click past the break.
Band Hero clothing and accessories head to Xbox Live Marketplace
We might normally scoff at the array of Xbox Live Avatar clothing being made available for Band Hero – a near ubiquitous occurrence with game releases for the Xbox 360 these days. Not today though, friends. Nope, today we have the opportunity to get our Avatar a totally rad, Say Anything style boombox. We know, we know – finally. For the low, low price of 240 ($3), you too can be as cool as Lloyd Dobler (though there's no promise of landing a lady as fine as Diane Court with said item). We suppose you could pick up the other stuff too, available for 80 ($1) to 240 ($3), if you're into that kinda thing. You could get a microphone or a shirt or a ... just get the boombox, alright? You don't wanna end up being given a pen and getting told how "valuable the friendship" is, do you? Hmm?
No Doubt suing Activision for Band Hero 'circus act' appearance
The multi-platinum rock band No Doubt has filed a lawsuit against Activision in a L.A. County Superior Court claiming its likeness was "transformed" into a "virtual karaoke circus act" in over sixty songs in the recently released music title, Band Hero. According to TMZ, No Doubt claims gamers were only supposed to be able to use their likeness with three of its own tracks; however, the band is available as playable characters through the game's entire music catalog. Of particular note is lead singer Gwen Stefani's displeasure that her likeness can be used to sing "Honky Tonk Woman" by the Rolling Stones -- a song which references sex with prostitutes -- using a male voice and mannerisms. For its "circus act" inclusion, No Doubt is seeking an injunction to halt the "unauthorized use" of the band's name and likeness, as well as an unknown amount of damages (aka mad monies). Seems like Activision can't keep rock stars happy, dead or alive. [Via TeamXbox]
Nintendo World Store holding Band Hero launch event tomorrow
No, that isn't your high school gym teacher (pictured right), that's Weezer front man Rivers Cuomo and he's joining with Nintendo to help launch the upcoming Pop-centric music title, Band Hero. Tomorrow, November 1, beginning at 11AM (EDT) at the Nintendo World Store in Rockefeller Plaza, players will have a chance to play both the Nintendo Wii and DS versions of the game before lining up for an exclusive autograph session with the singer from 3PM to 4PM. Need more incentive to join the party? The first fifty players in line will walk away with a pre-release copy of the game to call their own and other random giveaways. Finally, you yourself can interrupt your sister's Taylor Swift karaoke sessions in homage to Kanye West's VMA performance. We call that, "emergent gameplay." [Image Credit]
Beatles: Rock Band bests Guitar Hero 5 in U.S. Sept. sales
The Beatles: Rock Band's initial U.S. tour at retail has proven boast-worthy for its promoters. Following two promising platform appearances in NPD's top 10 software sales chart for September, MTV Games and Harmonix have declared B:RB "the top selling music video game in the U.S. for September." The Beatles–only game (released September 9) outsold Guitar Hero 5 (released September 1) with 595,000 units to 499,000 units in total U.S. sales for the month, according to a statement released by the NPD*. Additionally, charity-driven purchases of the "All You Need Is Love" DLC track exceeded 100,000 downloads on Xbox 360 in September.The makers of B:RB have also rubbed in a few seemingly noteworthy facts; namely, (1) U.S. purchases of GH5 in September were eligible for a free mail-away copy of Guitar Hero: Van Halen, and (2) GH5 is available on one additional platform, PS2. Of course, Van Halen isn't exactly the American equivalent of The Beatles, and the PS2 is no longer the dominant platform to stage one's acts upon. Still, despite the staggering odds stacked against its success, B:RB managed to capture the mindshare of U.S. gamers. (And we all know that Americans like to speak their minds with their monies.)The sales de-feat must feel good for MTV Games and Harmonix -- what with B:RB being burned in the sales competition with GH5 by the kingdom that birthed the band (see: Chart-Track UK September sales rankings posted after the break). What was it? Right: Guitar Hero 5 supposedly outsold The Beatles: Rock Band "2-to-1 in the UK." So, score a victory for B:RB in the battle of the bands fought in U.S. retail last month. But let's not forget there's a bigger, "World War of Rock" being waged, as well. And our wallets are the oft-unreported collateral damage.
Full Band Hero track list, importable songs revealed
If you've been savoring the slow trickle of track list announcements for Activision's tween-oriented rhythm title, Band Hero, your prolonged pleasure is about to come to a satisfying, yet abrupt end. The publisher has revealed all of the songs that will be available on the generically monikered game, and we've posted them -- along with details about compatible DLC and song importing from other Guitar Hero games -- after the jump in the least confusing manner we could possibly conjure. To help in this endeavor, we've even added a table of contents! Man, we're seriously too nice for our own good.
