Guitar Hero 5 confirmed for fall

Today, Activision pulled the trigger on its own official announcement for Guitar Hero 5, following on from Friday's inadvertent reveal by one of the publisher's European publicity partners. While much of the information contained in today's announcement isn't new, Activision's official word did bring a few original tidbits of information. Namely, the publisher said that the next flagship installment in its popular rhythm game franchise will arrive this fall for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and PlayStation 2.

Activision also revealed more details concerning the new Party Play and RockFest modes. The former will allow players to drop in and out of in-progress tunes on the fly, while the latter includes five new competitive scenarios that can be played online or offline. The publisher also said it has revisited the Guitar Hero Music Studio, adding a new coat of paint to the art style and redesigning a number of song-creation tools.

Guitar Hero 5's set list will contain 85 master recordings. As previously revealed, acts currently signed on include The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, The White Stripes, Santana, Vampire Weekend, and Kings of Leon. Activision also noted that Guitar Hero 5's entire set list will be playable from the start instead of needing to be unlocked as players progress through the game.

Guitar Hero World Tour developer Neversoft Entertainment has been tasked with creating the Xbox 360 and PS3 editions of Guitar Hero 5, while Vicarious Visions is handling Wii development and Budcat is crafting the PS2 edition. Check back with GameSpot for more on Guitar Hero 5 as the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo approaches in early June.