Guitar Hero III gets demo, bundle deal

Activision's Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will be the first installment of the series developed by a studio other than Harmonix, which has gone on to create Rock Band for MTV Games. Now that Tony Hawk developer Neversoft is fronting the Guitar Hero franchise, gamers well versed in the history of Van Halen are no doubt curious if the personnel change will call to mind the successful Sammy Hagar run behind the mic, or instead provide a grim reminder of Extreme lead singer Gary Cherone's ill-advised stint with the band.

An early answer to that should arrive tomorrow in the form of a five-song demo for the game on the Xbox Live Marketplace. According to Activision, the demo will be playable with either the existing Guitar Hero 360 controller or a standard Xbox 360 pad, and will include the following three original songs and two covers:

"Even Flow," by Pearl Jam
"Lay Down," by Priestess
"The Metal," by Tenacious D
"Hit Me With Your Best Shot," as made famous by Pat Benatar
"Rock You Like a Hurricane," as made famous by Scorpions

Activision has also confirmed a specially priced retailer-exclusive bundle for the PlayStation 2 version of the game. When Legends of Rock releases in North America on October 28 (November 23 in Europe), Target will have a bundle of the game with two guitar controllers and a selection of guitar straps and stickers for $109.99. The standard PS2 guitar-and-game bundle retails for $89.99, while PS2 guitars sold solo range in cost from $39.99 (wired) to $59.99 (wireless).

To celebrate the game's release, Activision is also having a Legends of Rock Weekend, in which gamers who register at the official Web site (which is not yet up as of press time) and play from November 2 to November 4 will be eligible to win a number of prize packages, including guitar controller faceplates signed by former Guns 'n' Roses guitarist and Legends of Rock boss Slash.

For more on Guitar Hero III, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.