Wireless Guitar Hero III controller going solo in '08

When Activision and RedOctane released Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360 in April, the copublishers let virtual rockers pick up the newly released Gibson X-Plorer controller as a stand-alone purchase day and date to accommodate for the new multiplayer duets. However, the publishers did not extend that same courtesy with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock; the plastic counterparts of Gibson's Les Paul and Kramer guitars were available in bundle form only when they arrived for their respective versions on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and Wii in October. (PC and Mac versions featuring the X-Plorer controller were released in November.)

Today, Activision announced that the toy guitars previously available only packed in with a copy of the game will be offered stand-alone as well in early 2008. The stand-alone guitars will be no different than the currently available Gibson Les Paul for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii, or the Gibson Kramer for the PS2.

The Guitar Hero franchise has proven to be a boon for Activision. Although the game hasn't been reviewed as positively as archrival Rock Band, audiences have been lined up in droves to experience the rock-focused rhythm game. Guitar Hero III took four of the top 10 best-seller slots for the month of October, moving an estimated 1.4 million units in its first six days on the market and tallying more than $115 million in first-week sales.