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Activision clarifies Guitar Hero 5 song importing process
Activision's announcement that songs from Guitar Hero World Tour and Smash Hits can be "imported" into Guitar Hero 5 (and Band Hero) had everyone thinking back to Rock Band 2's ability to rip songs right off the original Rock Band disc. As it turns out, in this case you won't need a disc at all.We followed up with the publisher to find out exactly how the process works, as it had been referred to as both "importing" and "downloading" on an initial info sheet. The short answer: you'll be downloading new versions of your old songs. "Within the Guitar Hero 5 song import menu, gamers will key in their unique ID from the manual of the previous game, pay a small re-licensing fee and then be given access to download the available songs (like DLC) in a big batch," we were told this morning. That's for PS3 and 360; with the Wii version, the songs can be downloaded on a track-by-track basis."This is done to bring these songs up to date with enhanced Guitar Hero 5 features like band moments, expert+ drumming (new for World Tour songs) and the new vocal star power. The game reacts to these songs as though they were DLC and are available in the same play modes," Activision explained. So, you just need the manual (and a decent internet connection). Unfortunately, this means that some second-hand copies of GHWT and Smash Hits can't be used for the process, as they'll either be missing the original game manual, or their previous owner already redeemed the 20-digit code. "These codes can be used only once," a PR rep revealed. "However, once you have downloaded the content, you are free to re-download it at anytime at no extra cost, if you need to make more hard drive or SD [card] space."
Buy Guitar Hero 5, get Guitar Hero: Van Halen for free
Even if you're experiencing some music game overload, you have to take notice of something like this: Those who buy Guitar Hero 5 during the month of September will be able to send away for a free copy of Guitar Hero: Van Halen, which will be sent to them before it arrives in stores. OK, it's not quite enough to cure our Beatlemania, but damn it if it doesn't make picking up GH5 considerably more appealing. [Update: This offer is good only in the USA.]
Hands-on: Guitar Hero 5
We recently went hands, feet and ... voice-on with the latest Guitar Hero installment, and while we didn't come away with our world totally rocked by innovation, we can confirm that there's more to Guitar Hero 5 than just a new song list. It's a game that does more to challenge hardcore series veterans than Guitar Hero World Tour did, but its variety of new mechanics and modes make it clear that Neversoft (and Vicarious Visions on Wii) haven't forgotten those who just want to party.%Gallery-63471%
First Guitar Hero: Van Halen trailer released, leaves us wanting for more
Though Guitar Hero spin-off games have already set a precedent for low expectations in terms of playable songs, Guitar Hero: Van Halen will be arriving at retail with only 48 songs available to play (three of which are guitar solos, mind you). We think it's fair to be disappointed, as the $60 Activision is likely charging only nets you 25 Van Halen songs to try your best and keep up with. Sure, yes, we do want to play "Panama." And yes, fine, we would be all for jumping around to "Hot for Teacher." But as this thing stands (and as the trailer dictates above) we will absolutely be rocking out with some of the "biggest hits" from "one of the most legendary bands of all time" -- it's just going to be The Beatles instead.
Kid plays Guitar Hero while solving two Rubik's Cubes
We frequently like to joke that people who show remarkable adeptness at Guitar Hero are actually robots, but as you might imagine, we don't really mean it. However, after viewing a recent video (posted after the jump) showing a young man who not only plays through Ozzy Osborne's "Mr. Crowley" on Expert, but solves two Rubik's cubes while doing so, the only logical explanation we can come to is that his deft hands and keen mind must be composed of wires, servos and cold, unfeeling steel.By the way, if you happen to speak ill of this young automaton's abilities due to his only receiving a score of 77 percent on the song, we're going to punch you in the heart. We may even call you a "stupid jerk," depending on how much of our ire you end up evoking.[Via Kotaku]
Guitar Hero 5 allows song imports from previous games, features playable Johnny Cash
We've been blown away by the effort Activision and Neversoft have put into making Guitar Hero 5 actually worth playing -- but their most recent move may be their wisest yet. A recent IGN preview of the title revealed the game will allow players to import "some" of the tracks from World Tour and Smash Hits into GH5 (and Band Hero) for a small fee. In addition, 125 of World Tour's 128 DLC tracks will automatically work in the two upcoming rhythm titles. Of all the features to borrow from Rock Band 2, the removal of bothersome disc-swapping is one of the best.For those who aren't particularly thrilled by this piece of news, try this one on for size: Johnny Cash will be a playable character in Guitar Hero 5. There's a video of the black-suited man performing "Ring of Fire" after the jump. We suggest checking it out -- but only if you like things that are completely badass.
No Guitar Hero: Van Halen for Europe this year
We bring you sad tidings of yet another game's delay into 2010 -- but two elements of this particular delay may soothe your frayed nerves. First, the title in question will only be delayed in Europe, where a good number of you do not live. Second, the delayed title is Guitar Hero: Van Halen, which a good number of you apparently could not care less about.Activision recently told Eurogamer that the PAL version of the "Jump"-infused rhythm title would not hit store shelves later this year. The game has since undergone a release date bump to "TBD 2010" -- not the "Q1 2010" window we've become so accustomed to seeing this year's titles pushed to. The publisher didn't explain the reason for the delay, but we're pretty certain it didn't want Van Halen competing with the other 58 rhythm titles it's releasing this holiday season.
Guitar Hero 5's new 'Rockfest' multiplayer revealed
Yes, there are new things in Guitar Hero 5! Producer Brian Bright told 1UP about the new "Rockfest" multiplayer, which he described as "a suite of new multiplayer game types in Guitar Hero 5 that can be played individually or in teams." These different games can be strung together in a "playlist" so that each round of multiplayer involves a different goal. That's kind of clever!The "Rockfest" games include: "Momentum," in which all players start at medium difficulty, which increases with every 20-note streak and decreases with three missed notes. "Streakers," in which points are awarded only for consecutive notes played while nude in multiples of ten. "One point for the first 10 note streak, two for reaching 20, three for 30, and so on." "Perfectionist," in which each section of a song is scored by percentage of correct notes, with the top player receiving four points, the next best player receiving two, and third place receiving one. "Do or Die," which knocks a player out for the remainder of a section for missing three notes (otherwise known as the "Not Fun" variant). "Elimination," in which low-scoring players are eliminated at regular intervals. "Pro Face-Off," which is a basic score competition. We're surprised to see the inclusion of game mode that deliberately kick players out before the end of the song -- in some cases, quite early into the song. You know, since drop-in gameplay has been the other biggest feature announcement. Bright did say this is for the "more competitive players," so maybe it's seen as compensating for the "Party Play" mode. See some footage of Rockfest play after the break.%Gallery-63471%
Taylor Swift joins Band Hero, your daughter's head explodes
First, if you used to have a teen daughter before the head explosion thing, we're sorry about your loss. If you didn't, you may need a little additional explanation. Songstress Taylor Swift is sort of like Hannah Montana with a slight country twang (or more accurately, Hannah Montana if she didn't pretend not to have a slight country twang), and she's just joined Band Hero. No, you may not care, but if you've got a daughter of any age, we've got big news: You're going to be buying Band Hero. Or at least you would have, had her head not just exploded.
Activision details Tony Hawk Ride's 'celebrity' roster
Though we could call the list of folks showing their faces in Tony Hawk Ride a whole mess of things, one we wouldn't call it is "celebrity." Rather than drop in famous folks like Steve-O or, umm, Wolverine, the list that Eurogamer nabbed features more actual skateboarders than anything else. From Steve Nesser to Dustin Dollin to Mike "I beat up four dudes by myself" Vallely, the roster features little in the way of traditional Tony Hawk tomfoolery. Don't let the halfway-there hoverboard fool you, dearest reader, this is clearly a more serious skateboarding entry in the Tony Hawk game franchise. Peep the entirety of the list after the jump.
Bill O'Reilly doesn't exactly hate naked ladies in new Guitar Hero 5 ad
digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/31/bill-oreilly-doesnt-exactly-hate-naked-ladies-in-new-guitar-he/'; What's better than naked ladies covered in sultry lyrics from Guitar Hero 5, you ask? How about putting them right next to Bill O'Reilly's head while he commentates? Talk about two great tastes that taste great together! Alright, it's not quite bread and olive oil. Rather than spit his usual slurry of vitriol and nonsense we're so accustomed to, O'Reilly initially calls the commercial's actresses "pinheads" but quickly retracts judgment. "Are the ladies pinheads? I guess it depends on your point of view," O'Reilly wondered aloud on his show, The O'Reilly Factor. Frankly sir, we're appalled. Shouldn't you be cutting its mic and saying it's demeaning for everyone involved? Madness, we say! Hit the break to see the O'Reilly spot as well as the viral ad in full and judge for yourself!
Activision confirms familiar-looking setlist for Guitar Hero 5
Why, you may be wondering, does the recently finalized setlist for Guitar Hero 5 look familiar? Well, for starters, it looks a heck of a lot like the unofficial track list we compiled earlier this month. Like, a lot. Like, every single track that was on that list is on this one.Yes, the confirmed list of 85 songs (posted after the break) that will be featured in the next installment in Activision's rhythm franchise bears no surprises, except for the fact that it's surprisingly not terrible. Song 2? Elton John? Raconteurs? Double Bowie? Yes, please.
Guitar Hero: World Tour gets Vagrant Records track pack
If you're wondering when Guitar Hero: World Tour will get a track pack comprised of three random acts from the Vagrant Records label, then we're about to explode your mind. The game's latest DLC features three tracks from artists Thrice, Alexisonfire and Sense Fail. Just try to curtail your excitement for now. Your mom might put you back on the Ritalin and we know how much that messed up your scores.The pack is currently available for 440 on Xbox Live, $5.49 on PSN, or you can download tracks individually for 160/ $1.99 PSN / 200 Wii Points. Thrice – ''All The World Is Mad''Alexisonfire – ''Young Cardinals''Senses Fail – ''The Martyr''
Another 24 songs confirmed for Guitar Hero 5, more features demo'd
70 of the 85 tracks that'll come on the Guitar Hero 5 retail disc have been officially announced, and it's looking like our original complete track listing -- though still technically unofficial -- is so totally the real deal. Activision notes in this update that AFI's "Medicate," from its forthcoming album Crash Love, is exclusive to GH5, as is a new recording of Public Enemy's "Bring The Noise" in collaboration with guitarist and known Ozzy Osborne associate Zakk Wylde.Oh yeah, about that video above. It ostensibly contains footage of more new features in GH5, specifically "star power overflow," "band moments" and the ability to resurrect band mates who've failed out. With everything that's happening on-screen, though, spotting these features in action is kind of a game in and of itself. Good luck with that. We can assure you that finding the newly confirmed tracks after the break is much easier.
Band Hero trailer released, unsexy people not allowed to play
For a while now, we've been asking ourselves "How different can Band Hero really be from Guitar Hero?" With today's release of the first trailer for the game, we have more answers than simply "Uh, the word 'guitar' has been replaced by 'band'." Specifically, the video lets us know that the game will feature a decidedly pop rock packed song lineup, to, y'know, make it more appealing to the mainstream ('cause Guitar Hero's soundtrack is so elitist). It's also clear that, in addition to guitar, bass, drum and microphone peripherals, you'll be required to suit up at GAP before playing. Oh, and be a model. Will the specialized peripherals never end? MSN Music's article on the game also mentions that the game disc will house 65 tracks (a partial list can be found after the break) and that DLC for Guitar Hero World Tour will be compatible with the game. Due for release this November on all consoles and DS, the game will also make use of the drop-in, drop-out gameplay feature found in Guitar Hero 5. Just remember: This totally isn't Guitar Hero. The name says so. [Via Giant Bomb]
Unlock items in Guitar Hero 5 through song 'challenges'
The neat features in Activision and Neversoft's Guitar Hero 5 -- that's the next full-band installment in the franchise, if you'll remember -- keep on piling up. The latest addition is what Neversoft calls "challenges." Sure, the name lacks creativity, but the feature itself is ingenious -- each song contains an additional goal that, when completed, unlocks new items for your faux-rocker.For instance, the end of David Bowie's "Fame" contains the titular word 24 times in a row, starting at an inhumanly high pitch and then descendng. If you hit five of the "fames," you unlock the gold challenge record, 20 "fames" nets you a platinum challenge record, and hitting all 24 "fames" gives you the diamond challenge record. Also, if you can make it through all of Rammstein's "Du Hast" without tearing your ears off, you get a multi-diamond challenge record.Okay, that last one was fake, but for more real song-specific challenges, Destructoid's got a huge list of examples.
Santana (officially) joins Guitar Hero 5 roster
It's a new week, and Activision is already at it confirming more tracks for Guitar Hero 5 that we've already told you are in the game. Today it's a jam from none other than the king of Latin rock himself, Carlos "Santana" Santana. A live version of the track "No One to Depend On" from the band Santana's second self-titled album, 1971's Santana, will appear on the game disc. Santana himself -- well, a polygonal likeness, at least -- will also appear in the game as a playable character. Might we suggest that fans of the guitar god celebrate this news with a glass of Santana DVX, the sparkling wine of which "each sip hits your lips like a landmine."
Activision confirms 22 more GH5 tracks, details pre-order bonuses
At this point, we're pretty much 100% confident that the "unofficial" Guitar Hero 5 track list we got last week was dead on. After confirming the entire list of bands back in May, Acitivision officially announced 22 more tracks today (in addition the already revealed 24, making a grand total of 46 out of 85 revealed so far. And wouldn't you know it, every one of those songs was already on that "unofficial" list we already had.The peripheral-inclined publisher also revealed the variety of pre-order bonuses that eager GH5 consumers will pick up alongside the game at various retailers, ranging from GameStop's two free playable songs (isn't that like, a demo?) to Amazon's promise of five free mp3s. Hit the break for all the officially confirmed tracks thus far.%Gallery-63471%
Activision would love to sell you a new guitar with Guitar Hero 5
Surprise! There's a new, slightly different guitar controller bundled with Guitar Hero 5. The sparkly red controller includes a redesigned touchpad, which now uses digital input instead of analog. The touchpad area also has small dots to indicate the fret color, and "slight reliefs" on the neck. Neversoft's Brian Bright told IGN that "all of these changes to the slider allow you to hit the tapping sections with better precision – we also removed the purple rope in the tapping/slide sections of game play by the way :)."Activision has yet to determine whether this guitar will be available by itself or if it will be restricted to GH5 bundles. What is much more certain is that there will be a new Guitar Hero controller every single year, just in case Activision can convince some current guitar owners to upgrade.
Guitar Hero 5 axe takes an evolutionary step forward
We've already noted drum alterations and turntable possibilities for Guitar Hero 5, so lets complete the set with some info on the new axe. The first major change is an utterly unnecessary but all the same appreciated white pick guard, which is paired up with a moody red paintjob for the body. Internal signaling has gone digital to minimize latency, while the strum bar has been tweaked for the sake of reliability. Ease of use has also been addressed through the addition of colored dots to the neck of the guitar and slight reliefs on the top, middle, and bottom fret buttons to allow full sensory awareness of the pseudo-guitar at all times. Eager rockers can get it alongside their annual copy of Guitar Hero this September.
