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Hendrix getting his own Guitar Hero?

Source: A Rolling Stone interview, as interpreted by various gaming blogs. What we heard: Just getting a song in a rhythm game is so Guitar Hero 2. Now, to be a true rock god, musicians aspire to having an entire Guitar Hero game devoted to their expansive catalogs. Thus far, that pantheon is...

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Source: A Rolling Stone interview, as interpreted by various gaming blogs.

What we heard: Just getting a song in a rhythm game is so Guitar Hero 2. Now, to be a true rock god, musicians aspire to having an entire Guitar Hero game devoted to their expansive catalogs. Thus far, that pantheon is populated by pop-rock legends Aerosmith, with metal maestros Metallica ascending next year. However, with Activision Blizzard saying earlier this week that it will be dramatically increasing its output of Guitar Hero games in the coming years, other acts are sure to follow.

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Confirmation on the next guitar hero to get his own game appeared to have come by way of a Rolling Stone interview with ex-Guns 'N Roses shredder Slash. Speaking to the venerable music magazine, the guitarist said, "Well, having the Aerosmith guys do it was very cool 'cause Aerosmith's one of the bands I was heavily influenced by. And Metallica's doing it, that's great. Those are two ones that I think gives it some credibility. And they're doing a Hendrix one, which is great."

With the Aerosmith game already out, and AB confirming in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing from June that Metallica would receive a similar stage, it would be easy to make the logical leap that Slash is talking about Guitar Hero: Hendrix. And that's just what a number of gaming Web sites did this week.

On top of that, musicians have a storied history in letting the cat out of the bag on covert rhythm-game related announcements. In September 2007, Aerosmith fretter Joe Perry tipped AB's hand on Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. AB was also trumped by British rockers The Answer, who sent out a press release in advance of the publisher confirming Guitar Hero: World Tour would be out in late 2008.

However, a deeper look at the context of the quote casts a deep shade of doubt on just what Slash is referring to. Slash, who along with Tom Morello put the Legends of Rock in Guitar Hero III, was the first to have his likeness appear in a Guitar Hero game. So when Slash responds to the question, "As the original guy, do you feel more invested in the game?" with the quote above, it seems clear the interviewer, at least, is talking about appearing in-game, as Slash has not had an entire Guitar Hero game devoted to his music.

Slash also clearly states in the interview that he convinced Aerosmith to lend their visages to Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. While Guitar Hero: Metallica has only been mentioned in financial briefings, it stands to reason and precedence that when it is formally announced, AB will have put them through the mo-cap ringer. And, when AB revealed Hendrix's "Wind Cries Mary" and a live version of "Purple Haze" had been added to World Tour's set list, the lefty's in-game presence was also confirmed.

The official story: "Activision has announced that in Guitar Hero World Tour, Jimi Hendrix will be featured as a playable character and will feature two of his most recognizable master tracks--'Purple Haze (Live)' and 'The Wind Cries Mary'--as part of the 86-song on-disc set list," said an AB representative in a side-steppingly vague comment. "Additionally, the company has previously announced that exclusive Jimi Hendrix downloadable content will be available for the game post-launch."

Bogus or not bogus?: Is Hendrix a playable character in World Tour? Definitely. Will Hendrix get his own Guitar Hero game? Maybe. Does this quote confirm it? Hardly.

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