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E3 06: Guitar Hero II E3 plans, song list revealed

RedOctane's sequel to include "War Pigs" and "Psychobilly Freakout;" Kentia Hall concert planned with musicians from games.

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Historically, Kentia Hall has been the neglected stepchild of the Electronic Entertainment Expo. Tucked underneath many megapublishers' multimillion-dollar displays in the South Hall, the ground-floor venue is home to a diverse range of smaller-scale operations. Many of the Kentia exhibitors specialize in games with peripherals, such as baseball-bat controllers and dance pads.

Though many peripheral games remain mired in obscurity, one onetime Kentia denizen has found both fame and fortune over the last year. Guitar Hero, the rock-rhythm game from RedOctane and Harmonix, was recognized at both the 2006 Interactive Achievement Awards and the 2006 Game Developers Choice Awards. The highly rated PlayStation 2 game has also seen solid sales, moving nearly 290,000 units in the US (according to NPD)--and generating over $20 million in the process.

With those sales, it's no wonder RedOctane recently announced it is working on Guitar Hero II. Today, the publisher revealed a partial song list for Guitar Hero II. Besides "Arterial Black," an original recording by Drist, it will include covers of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs," KISS' "Strutter," Rush's "YYZ," Reverend Horton Heat's "Psychobilly Freakout," Van Halen's "You Really Got Me," and Butthole Surfers' "Who Was in My Room Last Night?"

Besides offering Guitar Hero II demos at its booth and on a "groupie bus," RedOctane announced that it will stage a series of miniconcerts in Kentia Hall. The performance schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, May 10 @ 11 a.m. & 3 p.m.
Original Guitar Hero guitarist Marcus Henderson will perform with his band, Drist, to promote their new album, Orchids and Ammunition!

Thursday, May 11 @ 10 a.m. & 3 p.m.
Graveyard BBQ, the winners of the first "Be a Guitar Hero" competition, will be on hand to perform their winning song "Cheat on the Church."

Friday, May 12 at 10 a.m. & 2 p.m.
LA rock group Shaimus, whose song "All of This" was in the original Guitar Hero, performs.

RedOctane also announced that Halo Friendlies lead guitarist Judita Wignall, who was the template for Guitar Hero character Judy Nails, will make "special guest appearances." E3 returnees will also be familiar with another draw to the event--the fact that Kentia is the only hall at the event with a bar at its center.

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