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Why is Red Octane giving PS3 a wireless dongle?
All of us PS3 owners know that our sexy console sports Bluetooth technology -- real awesome stuff, being able to attempt to play Warhawk while cooking in the kitchen and the TV is upstairs in a bedroom. Anyway, Red Octane doesn't seem to think Bluetooth is all it's cracked up to be. It's been revealed that the PS3 version of Guitar Hero 3 will force PS3 owners to attach a wireless USB dongle to their consoles instead of using the Bluetooth technology. Well, that might not be true. Red Octane is blaming Sony for this USB device. Let's investigate!1UP contacted Red Octane for comment and they replied: "Our products require considerable time for certification and testing to perfect both our software & hardware, so this was the most effective way for us to bring a high quality wireless solution for PS3 this holiday." Since that didn't adequately answer why, they pried further, since the Wii uses Bluetooth but won't require such a crazy USB device. Apparently the Bluetooth technology only works with the Sixaxis and Sony doesn't have the technology set up to allow third-parties to use it. That's a little strange sounding.Sony gave vague answers, using the word consider many, many times: "Many factors were in play regarding the decision to go USB wireless vs Bluetooth for GH3. However, we are considering Bluetooth for future consideration." Everything else is classified! This is a minor issue, but speculation seems to surround the PS3's strange de-sync with the Sixaxis. Surely that would be a horrifying situation while strumming your axe, so perhaps Red Octane decided not to risk that problem on the PS3. Who knows. Does anyone really care? Wireless is wireless, right?
Today's shredingest video: Guitar Hero III victor
Game Revolution's Nick Tan recently played Guitar Hero III song, Through the Fire and Flames by Dragonforce, on expert. That website describes it as the hardest in the game, designed to be "unbeatable." And Nick conquered it.Yes, weeks before you adoring, fake guitar fans get a chance to play, the hardest song has been bested by a player on his fourth attempt. The video of the event is mediocre, and the moment of triumph is anticlimactic. ("Go balloons, go balloons, we need more balloons. ...") But we were still floored watching this face-melting song --and player -- in action.Be amazed by the clip after the break.
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
DS Daily: Guitar Hero DS
Most people seem to love Guitar Hero. If you're one of the few who have managed to escape the dastardly clutches of the franchise, please, feel free to tell us all about it. But if you're one of those who are totally addicted to getting your thrash on, we've got a question for you: what do you think of the franchise heading to the DS? With a peripheral, even? Does it appeal to you or not?
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]
GHII gets some heavy DLC tomorrow
Even with Guitar Hero III just month's away, it looks like Activision is still keen to milk its very lucrative downloadable content business. As such, the company has announced a new song pack for Guitar Hero II. Like the previous packs, the new song pack includes three new tracks for you to shred to your heart's content. The song pack includes the following tracks. Trivium - "Detonation" Atreyu - "Right Side of the Bed" Protest the Hero - "Bury the Hatchet" Lest you are unfamiliar with the new tracks, let's just say they're a bit on the hard side, especially compared to last month's DLC. According to ScoreHero, the new content will be available tomorrow at 2:00AM (PT) for the still onerous price of 500 MS Points. Now, if Activision would finally release some Fine Young Cannibals, we'd be in business.[Via Joystiq]
Buy Guitar Hero II, get 1600 MSFT points free
From now through August 18th, when you purchase Guitar Hero II from Circuit City you'll get 1600 Microsoft points for free and free shipping on your online order. This offer is available online and in-store, but you'll have to send in a rebate form to get your money back. Check out the offer here.True, we have seen a similar free 1600 Microsoft points offer before when GH II released and there was no forms to send in. But if you're willing to send in a rebate and wait for your cash this is definitely a good deal. Or you could just wait for Guitar Hero III or the game X3F is in love with ... Rock Band. Decide and plan your purchase accordingly.
Joystiq hands-on: Guitar Hero III
We got a lot of information on Guitar Hero III this week, we even got some solid time with Red Octane's wireless controllers, but what about the game? You can definitely tell Guitar Hero III, from a graphics perspective, was made by Neversoft instead of Harmonix (Guitar Hero I and II). The look is just "different" for better or for worse. For better is that the mouths actually move to the song now instead of just moving up and down, plus the game looks beautiful because it was designed for now-gen systems. For worse is that it just doesn't look like the first two, even the characters we've come to know and love look, um ... different. But it's not all about the graphics in GH, it's about the gameplay and music. As for the gameplay, it's Guitar Hero, the look may have changed, but the feel is still the same. We were told that many more artists are looking to be featured on Guitar Hero now that it is such a big hit, so there are far less "as made famous by" and far more original master tracks. The most amazing of which is "Paint it Black" by the Rolling Stones. Also, "Cult of Personality" was actually re-recorded by the original band Living Colour to bring it a little bit more up-to-date for Guitar Hero III -- but it is still most definitely the original song. The tracks already revealed for Guitar Hero III show that the game won't be lacking in the rock department.For fans of the series and for those who don't know all about the Guitar Hero vs. Rock Band kerfuffle, the transition should be relatively smooth. It is Guitar Hero after all and if you already have a guitar you'll be all set, or you can purchase a wireless one, available on all systems with the game, when it releases. The only thing that could resonate badly for the title is that one of the Joystiq crew came back to the room after playing Guitar Hero, having played Rock Band as well, and said, "It's great! It's just a little lonely." But as far as being a Guitar Hero game, Guitar Hero III looks and plays fine as a continuation of the series. Now we shall go seek red doors.%Gallery-4675%
Red Octane's new wireless guitars, but what's Xbox 360's extra cost?
Red Octane showed us their new wireless controllers coming to Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii with the release of Guitar Hero III this fall. The Wii version (seen above), allows you to put your Wiimote into it via a flap in the back. There is no word yet on why you would need to do this, if it's only to activate "star power" it just seems a little superfluous. The rest of the controllers look fine and the buttons are in the perfect place so you don't "pull a Peter Moore" in GH III like you would in Rock Band. In all fairness, Harmonix is already planning a software fix so gamers don't do the same thing as Moore. The best part about the new guitars is that you can take the guitar's neck off of the body by toggling a switch in the back and pulling. They wouldn't let us take pictures of this and they had none available. The new separation feature makes storage and travel easier, it also opens up the option for different types of necks. Also, there were an assortment of quality plastic faceplates which snap onto the guitar and come off easily by pressing an eject button on the back. Because all the faceplates were "prototypes" we couldn't take pictures of those either. Anyway, the new Red Octane guitars look and feel really good. Oh, and they moved the Xbox's guide button and d-pad higher up the guitar's body to get it out of your wrist's way. They also put the select (back) button within pinky length of the fret to activate star power by easily moving a finger instead of jarring the guitar. The redesign really looks great.The weird news was Red Octane's cagey attitude towards pricing between systems, the same thing we experienced with Harmonix about Rock Band. Following Rock Band's unconfirmed price difference between Xbox 360 and PS3 wireless guitars, it looks like Red Octane hasn't made a decision regarding their pricing of the Xbox 360 controller either. Will they charge more for the licensing fee attached to using Microsoft's proprietary wireless? And what is the extra cost? They will supposedly get back to us as soon an answer can be authorized. Yeah, this Microsoft wireless drama is just ridiculous, especially if it forces the peripheral manufacturers to punish the consumers for Microsoft's greed.
Activision sticking to GH II DLC pricing
The consumer versus Guitar Hero II downloadable content pricing war rages on with Activision taking the defensive on their pricing strategy. According to Dusty Welch, the head of Red Octane publishing, the downloadable track packs have been a "tremendous success" and that "demand seems to be insatiable" as they're reporting that 300,000 song packs have been purchased since April. Mr. Welch goes on to say that they have been listening to Guitar Hero II customers, but will still be "offering even better music at current price points" due to the success of the previous song packs.So guys, who's to blame? We know we didn't purchase those overpriced track packs, but know there are a bunch who did. This is just another case of the financial bottom line being more important than the vocal majority, so quit buying the songs already! .... now back to the corner to cry myself to sleep again.[Via Joystiq]
Guitar Hero III gets subtitle, cool guitars
Since the amazing success of its first two games, the Guitar Hero series has gotten a little subtitle happy. First it was the mouthful of Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the '80s, now Activision has revealed a new subtitle for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.In addition to the new title, Activision has also released some nice, high-res pictures of the previously announced faux-Gibson guitars that will be used to control the game -- a Les Paul model for the PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 and a Kramer model for the PS2. Note that the fret buttons are now all black with thin colored outlines to maintain a cleaner, less toy-like look on the neck. The wireless guitars will also have removable faceplates to let you customize your rock experience.The characters in the game will also be rocking out on Gibsons. Check out a list of all the unlockable axes after the jump. %Gallery-4675%
IGN's GHIII Preview on XBLM
IGN has put a preview for Guitar Hero III up on Xbox Live Marketplace in all its HD glory. The video gives us a first look at the new Les Paul wireless guitar, as well as some other cool features. One thing that impresses us was their use of face capture to have the lead singer properly lip-synced to the songs lyrics, as opposed to the previous iterations generic lip service. The video also touches on some of the visual changes, in the HUD as well as the art direction. A solid watch, if you're a fan of the series.
Red Octane: new GHII DLC in July
As the promises of loads of downloadable content echo through the empty halls of memory, Red Octane has let out a squeak, nay, the smallest chirp of information regarding the next batch of downloadable songs for Guitar Hero II. According to a forum post by a Red Octane admin by the name of rodth, new downloadable content for Guitar Hero II should drop sometime in July. Specifically, rodth noted, "While nothing's been formally announced, look for something to come down the pipeline around the July timeframe ...."If you've been keeping track, this would be the second batch of DLC we've seen since April. We're not experts, but we're not sure that qualifies as the most DLC for any 360 game evar.[Thanks, Aragorn]
GHII tourney at the Mall of America
You're a Guitar Hero II rockstar god, aren't you? Well, if you think you're good enough and are willing to travel, the Mall of America in the lovely state of Minnesota is holding a Guitar Hero II tournament this Saturday, June 9th. The guitar gaming fun will take place in the mall's rotunda from 10:00AM-4:00PM with prizes including a Guitar Hero II game pack, Fender Squier Strat Pack, and a pair of airline tickets. And if your dress up skills are better then your guitar playing, dress up like your favorite rocker and win prizes for your creativity. Practice a few expert songs, make a trip to the MOA and win a few prizes. Living the life of a rockstar is good.
Guitar Hero III videos return for second look
Last week IGN posted some videos of Guitar Hero 3 -- and then unceremoniously pulled them. But, the internet never forgets, and the videos were disseminated anyway. Well, Red Octane now informs us that IGN has the proper videos and you can view them in "HD" above and after the break. The two videos are Slow Ride and Weezer's My Name is Jonas.Even with the clearer videos, it's quite obvious that Harmonix is no longer in charge and Neversoft is putting this one together. It just looks ... different, kind of like Tony Hawk characters in Guitar Hero. Although, we'll see how much the look contributes to the "feel" of the game when the title releases this fall. So far, we're excited about the track list featuring Heart's Barracuda and the Rolling Stone's Paint It Black. What we do know is we're keeping an eye on the incoming rhythm game war between Rock Band and Guitar Hero III. It's poetic in its father vs. son drama. Analyst Michael Pachter is starting to waffle on who he thinks is going to come out on top, after his firm belief that Activision was right to buy Red Octane (who owns the rights to Guitar Hero) instead of GH's original developer Harmonix (who was purchased by MTV). We're waiting to see some videos from Rock Band, hopefully by next month's E3, to get an idea of how this rock opera is going to play out.
Star Power made easy: an X-plorer mod
You know the feeling. You're playing Guitar Hero II, you've got full Star Power and here comes that sweet string of notes that will send your score into the stratosphere. Only one thing to do: tilt that controller and rock like you mean it. But what's this? You tilt the control and nothing happens, or maybe it's a little delayed, or maybe the act of tilting screws up your fingering. Whatever happened, you're stuck with a piddly x2 multiplier and a lot of wasted Star Power. If this sounds familiar to you, you may want to check out the fancy Star Power button mod at GrownUpGamers. As is the case with most mods, this will require you to crack open your X-plorer and do some soldering, so it's not for the timid. The mod also instructs users how to install a "kill switch" which essentially gives you a second strum button, helping you land those wicked solos.If you're chops are righteous enough for this mod, click the "read" link and check it out.See Also:Guitar Hero II cardboard fret mod
First tracks from Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80's revealed
An alarming abundance of outrageous attitudes? Check. Enormous shoulder pads and poor color coordination? Check. Extravagantly large hair and excessively shiny accessories? Check. With this Summer's upcoming Guitar Hero expansion, Rocks the 80's, publisher Activision is dangerously close to delivering their first Japanese RPG. Thankfully, Opposable Thumbs reminds us that it's all about the music and lists the first seven tracks from the game's 30-strong list. I Wanna Rock (by Twisted Sister) I Ran (by Flock of Seagulls) Round and Round (as made famous by Ratt) I Want Candy (as made famous by Bow Wow Wow) Metal Health (as made famous by Quiet Riot) Holy Diver (as made famous by Dio) Heat Of The Moment (as made famous by Asia) Given the lack of the "as made famous" bit, it seems original recordings are provided by everybody's favorite contorted siblings and maritime birds. Curiously, Opposable Thumbs notes that Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80's will be "exclusive" to the PlayStation 2. Does that imply exclusivity for the in-store version, with the Xbox 360 receiving the expansion in downloadable form? Why would Activision limit the game's reach? After all, the pricing of Guitar Hero's online tracks makes it pretty clear that the publisher enjoys making money.[Thanks, Jess]
Guitar Hero II cardboard fret mod
Over at GrownUpGamers.com they've posted a helpful tutorial to fix those unreliable Guitar Hero II fret buttons on your X-plorer guitar. Their tutorial is for those of you who experience not so responsive fret buttons when rocking out to your favorite jam. This unresponsive fret button problem occurs when the fret buttons don't fully press down on the contact due to some shifting action. And all you need to fix those buttons is some confidence to open up your guitar, some cardboard, scissors, and tape. And voila! Fret buttons fixed. We're just wondering what type of cardboard would work best. Gushers, Pop-Tarts, Fruit By the Foot, or Cheerios ... oh the choices.[Via Digg]
Canadian and UK Guitar Hero II supply woes
Joystiq reports that Guitar Hero II supply problems are becoming prevalent to gamers in Canada and the UK. This has been confirmed by one of Joystiq's UK bloggers, who states, "I've tried about a dozen retail stores, [it's] harder to find than a Wii." Wow, that is hard to find. When reached for comment, Red Octane told Joystiq that the supply issues were purely a result of an "insane amount of demand" for the title. Furthermore, they note that there are still many retailers in the United States experiencing supply troubles as well.Red Octane's advice? Buy directly from the Red Octane store. If you just have to have Guitar Hero II (and honestly, you do), ordering from Red Octane may be your only hope. Be warned though, shipping costs are not cheap.
Possible leak: New GH II downloadable tracks
The guys over at HarmonixFans received some special insider's information on the new Guitar Hero II downloadable content that will be coming to the XBLM. The information supposedly came from Microsoft certification documents that were obtained and detail three new track packs including songs from Pantera, The Ramones and ZZ Top. Complete listings of the rumored songs are posted after the break. And even if this information turns out to be false, we know more DLC is coming and pray to the gaming gods and executives at Red Octane that they listened to their fans and adjusted their prices. How can they deny our loud and abrasive fanboy whining?[Via Arrogantics]
