Guitar Hero tracks arrive on Xbox Live

While it was all-but-confirmed that the songs from the original Guitar Hero would be released as downloadable content for the Xbox 360 edition of Guitar Hero II, publishers Activision and RedOctane have been tight-lipped about how they would be packaged and priced.

Gamers got their first look at those plans today, as Microsoft announced the addition of three new downloadable Guitar Hero II song packs on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Each pack contains three songs from the original Guitar Hero and carries a price of 500 Microsoft Points ($6.25).

Track Pack 1 includes covers of Ozzy Osbourne's "Bark at the Moon," The Exies' "Hey You," and Motorhead's "Ace of Spades." Track Pack 2 includes Queen's "Killer Queen," The Donnas' "Take it Off," and The Edgar Winter Group's "Frankenstein." Rounding out the first batch of offerings is Track Pack 3, featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Higher Ground," Bad Religion's "Infected," and Incubus' "Stellar." Each song has been revised with new bass or rhythm parts to better fit the sequel's multiplayer mode.

Two new picture packs and a theme for Guitar Hero II have also been added to the Marketplace. All three downloads focus on Judy Nails, Grim Ripper, and the rest of the game's colorful cast of guitar heroes. The picture packs each cost 100 points ($1.25), while the theme runs 150 points ($1.87). According to Activision, "fresh new songs and other exciting content" for the game will arrive on a monthly basis.