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Activision rocking out Van Halen, Band Hero, Guitar Hero 5 in '09?

By thorsen-ink, GameSpotPosted Mar 6, 2009 4:44 pm PT

Source: UK game-info site Eurogamer.What we heard: During a February 11 earnings call, Activision Publishing president and CEO Mike Griffith talked about the year's Guitar Hero titles. Those included Guitar Hero: Metallica (due out March 29), Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits for consoles, and a new...

Source: UK game-info site Eurogamer.

What we heard: During a February 11 earnings call, Activision Publishing president and CEO Mike Griffith talked about the year's Guitar Hero titles. Those included Guitar Hero: Metallica (due out March 29), Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits for consoles, and a new Guitar Hero DS game, identified this week as Guitar Hero: Modern Hits.

Griffith also hinted that something bigger was in store for the billion-dollar rhythm franchise. "As we look at that back half of the year we expect to release the majority of our games," he declared. "Starting with the Guitar Hero franchise, we'll launch a major restage of the business, with all-new differentiated Guitar Hero products, plus the launch of DJ Hero, a line extension that enhances the franchise."

Today, Eurogamer cited "a source close to the publisher" as confirming that Activision is adding three more installments to its rhythm series this year. According to the British site, "Guitar Hero 5" will arrive in September, followed a month later by the already officially confirmed DJ Hero.

However, two previously unannounced games were also named: "Hard Rock Van Halen" in August and "Band Hero" in November. The former is not totally unexpected, as Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick name-checked the rock supergroup at a conference last March. (The "Hard Rock" subtitle is odd though--could a Hard Rock Cafe-branded game be in the works?) The latter, however, remains shrouded in mystery. Will it offer new types of non-rock music (funk, perhaps?) with new peripherals? Then again, for anyone who was part of a music class in high school, the title "Band Hero" evokes nightmarish flashbacks of brass instruments like those mocked by The Onion's Sousaphone Hero parody.

The official story: E-mails asking for comment about any unconfirmed upcoming music games got the silent treatment from Activision.

Bogus or not bogus?: Band Hero? Possibly. Hard Rock Van Halen? Likely. Guitar Hero 5? Inevitably.

193 Comments

  • colagirl80

    Posted Nov 29, 2009 2:35 am PT

    can i play rock band song on guitar hero world tour

  • poppinkrakr

    Posted Jun 5, 2009 1:53 pm PT

    i love guitar hero more than anything (especially rock band) but they are coming out with so many games the rest of this year-i mean they're coming out with 6 + more games THIS YEAR and i can't afford all of them. they need to space it out more

  • PS3Champ

    Posted May 15, 2009 11:06 pm PT

    Ever since Guitar Hero World Tour, they've been crankin' out these games way too fast. Slow down, make a good quality game. I'm getting quite tired of Guitar Hero Games being the same except for a few tiny add-ons and new songs. Please slow down and think about what you're doing!

  • Bdjohnst

    Posted May 7, 2009 1:57 pm PT

    I prefer Rock Band because there are more songs (downloads), better graphics, and it's easy on the eyes. Guitar Hero looks too fake now, especially with the characters. Also, Guitar Hero needs to take a break and just do DLC. Still, I've had some fun with GHWT.

  • Petercairns

    Posted May 1, 2009 6:28 am PT

    Look i dont mind Rock Band but... i mean Lego Rock Band is going to far... GOOO GUITAR HERO!!

  • PlayNice951

    Posted Apr 27, 2009 5:51 pm PT

    they shouldent relase all these games at the same time, then they might take hype away from each other

  • W3En

    Posted Apr 15, 2009 12:44 pm PT

    if the Van Halen one follows suit of metallica, it will be really hard.

  • kurtcobain62896

    Posted Apr 11, 2009 6:10 pm PT

    rock band and guitar hero are just games everybody they are not real so stop fighting over them

  • tyler2tyler

    Posted Mar 22, 2009 1:49 pm PT

    After playing the demo for Metallica, I've seen they've kicked up the difficulty to be at par with the main games. I think if they keep this up, Van Halen will be a fantastic game. I hope they don't make it too easy though, 'cause I wanna be able to recreate Eddie's Face Melting skills.

  • STLDemonix

    Posted Mar 16, 2009 12:38 pm PT

    Alot of people think that Guitar Hero and Rock Band are in a gaming war. here's an idea: First one to get Led Zeppelin on there games wins! :]

  • STLDemonix

    Posted Mar 16, 2009 12:37 pm PT

    Guitar Hero: Metallica is gonna be sick, i can already tell.

  • yman173

    Posted Mar 11, 2009 4:29 pm PT

    YES! Finally a hint that someone has been listening to the crys for Van Halen!! Now if they could just license Def Leppard & Led Zeppelin, that would complete the series. No need to keep going after that.

  • HAK_SAW

    Posted Mar 11, 2009 3:47 pm PT

    Exciting, even more money to squeeze out of the rhythm game sensation!

  • crash_ash

    Posted Mar 11, 2009 12:24 pm PT

    I am perfectly happy with GH3... no need to waste more money with more guitar hero games.. Unless perhaps they let gamers vote on what songs they would like to see on the future games..

  • Trogeton

    Posted Mar 11, 2009 11:22 am PT

    YES YES.. more skill gaining and fret hitting strum strum tap tap

  • KAISERKONG

    Posted Mar 11, 2009 8:29 am PT

    I'm burned out on music genre games. If I want to play video games, there are plenty out there and if I want to play a guitar, I'll stick with the real thing!

  • bananaxx2

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 8:28 pm PT

    well idk if you could do this but they should make a guitar hero and let you download or use your own music but if that happen the business will go soooooo down!

  • Ovirew

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 8:19 pm PT

    I think Harmonix is just as bad as Neversoft, if not worse. I have Guitar Hero 2, I have heard the tracklist riddled with cover bands, and I think if anything the third game was a major improvement over that. Of course while World Tour isn't that bad either, I fully agree that the peripherals for that game are total crap.

    I kind of wish they would just turn to DLC and put out more songs at a time like Rock Band does, and stop releasing new titles at least for this console gen.

  • Soadforever1

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 3:09 pm PT

    wtf?how many guitar heros are there going to be?

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