[PS2/PS3/Wii/360] Guitar Hero III

Games
1

New press release

SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 23, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ – After warming their amps in the basement garage to rocking sold out shows at Stonehenge, fans of Activision, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ATVI) wildly popular Guitar Hero™ franchise will now be able to shred like never before with the next iteration of the game that will be available this fall. The new game will be released on the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system and PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Wii™ video game system from Nintendo.

Turning it up to 11, Guitar Hero fans will channel their inner rock god using Gibson Guitar’s Les Paul and Kramer models as the industry standard. In addition, players will experience an incredible number of newly added features and explosive content including a new multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a bevy of exclusive unlockable content and authentic rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer game modes will also allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true legendary rock status.

While continuing to retain all the key features from their prior legendary performances, fresh downloadable content will be offered on multiple platforms, and players can now shred to a killer set list from many of the gnarliest rock songs ever recorded. Delivering more master tracks than ever before, strategic partnerships have been secured with all the major and independent music record labels and publishers to allow unrivaled access to their deep history of music catalogs, along with supplying artists’ original recordings for even greater authenticity.

The initial list of face-melting awesomeness includes:

  • Paint It Black (by The Rolling Stones)
  • Cherub Rock (by Smashing Pumpkins)
  • Sabotage (by Beastie Boys)
  • The Metal (by Tenacious D)
  • My Name is Jonas (by Weezer)
  • Knights of Cydonia (by Muse)
  • Rock And Roll All Nite (as made famous by Kiss)
  • School’s Out (as made famous by Alice Cooper)
  • Slow Ride (as made famous by Fog Hat)
  • Cult of Personality (by Living Colour)
  • Barracuda (as made famous by Heart)

For the first time ever, Guitar Hero fans will also be able to thrash and burn with new wireless guitar controllers available for each platform. The exclusive Gibson guitars will include innovative features such as removable faceplates that will allow fans to later personalize their guitars and make it their own, and a new button color design that will be integrated for an even greater authentic feel and rock experience. Gibson Guitar’s Les Paul model will be the battle axe of choice, and an industry standard for all rock gods on the Xbox 360™, PLAYSTATION(R)3 system, and Wii™. After much anticipation, PlayStation(R)2 system fans will also be receiving a new exclusive shape as well, the classic Kramer guitar, also a Gibson brand, popularized by hard rockers and known for its body design, pickups, electronics, and construction for furious finger fretting.

“The development team at Neversoft has been exceptional, and we’ve been able to incorporate a host of fresh new online and multi-player game play modes, along with exciting content into this version of Guitar Hero that our fans have been asking for. Also, many of the top bands and songs we’ve tried to get in the past are now on board, and we’ve definitely got some giant aces in the hole to say the least,” said Dusty Welch, head of publishing at RedOctane. “In addition, offering a new line of Gibson wireless guitars for each platform is going to truly add to the authentic rock star experience like no other.”

The next iteration of Guitar Hero, published by RedOctane(R) and developed by Neversoft, is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information about Guitar Hero, please visit the dedicated community site www.guitarherogame.com.

players will experience an incredible number of newly added features and explosive content including a new multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a bevy of exclusive unlockable content and authentic rock venues.

I’m fine with most of this but “grueling boss battles”?

I play Guitar Hero because it recreates the feeling of playing those cool songs in front of a crowd. I love the encores too. I’m not after a Gitaroo Man game here (though I really enjoyed that game) or an involved story mode explaining how I lost my memory and I need to complete songs to defeat evil bosses and erm… something.

We’ll see what they mean by that, I guess.

Wendelius

2

That is really exciting. Hopefully by “bosses” they mean playing bark at the moon or something.

Edit: On second thought, I can’t imagine them messing with the core gameplay that much. I expect and demand marginal improvements. I’ll be happy if it becomes a franchise like Madden…that I can live with.

But they had better sell standalone guitars and standalone games right off the bat for later versions for the same console. This waiting bullshit is worthless.

3

Hmmm… guess it works out that I was/still am unable to find a copy of GHII360 anywhere in the Greater Toronto Area.

At this point, I might as well wait for the wireless version and just pick up a GHII disk somewhere used.

4

Wow it also comes for the PS2?
Clever decision: One more sale to me. :)

“School’s out for summer! School’s out forever!
School’s been blown to pieces!”
-> My poor neighbours ;)

5

I’m curious to see what they mean. Could be as simple as a single player “Face Off” mode… although I’m not sure what the point of that would be. It’s not very different from trying to 4 or 5 star a song…

I’m wondering about this too:

and a new button color design that will be integrated for an even greater authentic feel and rock experience.

I wonder if that affects backwards compatibility with older controllers? Probably not but it intrigues me.

Wendelius

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Different country but it has just started coming back in stock at online retailers like Game here in UK. So it looks like new stocks are finally making their way out.

Wendelius

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CHERUB ROCK.
KNIGHTS OF CYDONIA.

I am a happy boy.

8

Looks like the first six are all master tracks as well, not covers.

Barracuda FTW.

9

This list looks fantastic so far. It’s good to see the series going back to more popular songs rather than the obscure, sometimes unmemorable tracks that populated GH2.

10

I guess some other good news in this announcement is that we’ll finally get a wireless guitar controller for the x360, although I was kinda hoping to see one sooner than fall.

11

“And during the few moments that we have-- left-- we wanna talk-- right down to earth, in a language that everybody here can easily understand.”

DANNANANAAA NANANANANA

That solo is going to kill people.

12

I’m excited about this list, but how does this fit in with the 80s Guitar Hero that they announced a month ago? They sound like separate games- but what’s the timing and pricing difference?

13

BEST. GAME. ANNOUNCEMENT. EVER.

That song list is f’ing EPIC. Can’t wait.

14

They sound like separate games- but what’s the timing and pricing difference?

Details on the PS2 only 80’s song expansion are slim, which is weird considering it’s supposed to come out “this summer”. It’s already summer!

Anyway, I’ll be buying both. It looks like Guitar Hero III more than makes up for – and let’s be honest, here – the weak song list in Guitar Hero II.

IM TELLIN ALLA YALL ITS SAB-O-TAGE!

15

Yeah, I don’t give a rat’s ass about new features, just keep pushing out new songs and I’ll be happy. And bundle up all the songs from the download packs and put them on a PS2 disc for me to buy.

Actually, I shouldn’t say “no new features”. If it weren’t for practice mode in GH2 (and Sluggo’s advice) I never would’ve been able to make the jump to hard.

16

I really hope they don’t break backwards compatibility with the old guitars. I already have two on the Xbox 360. I will probably end up springing for the Guitar + Game bundle, but I really don’t want to buy another wireless guitar.

RedOctane really needs to work on a unified guitar for all of their platforms. It would be less of an issue if I could take over my extra wireless guitar to a friend’s house who has the game on another platform.

17

I seriously doubt they’ll break compatibilty with previous guitars – I can’t see releasing a Guitar Hero 3 for the x360 that doesn’t work with the X-Plorer.

What would be nice is if there was any kind of compatibilty within the PlayStation titles. If I could use my PS2 guitars, I might be one step closer to consdering the insanity of buying a PS3.

I expect there will be a significant increase in chatter re: the 80s edition soon. :)

18

I hope the new guitar works with gh2, I’ve never played any of it’s multi, so while I’ll eventually buy gh3, I’d like to go through 2’s stuff too.

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I’d be surprised if it were backward compatible.

“a new button color design” reads an awful lot like “LOL. GOTTA BUY A THIRD SET OF GUITARS SUCKAS” to me.

20

Yeah, they seem to have snuck that button change line in there hoping the awesome song list would distract people, and it seems to have worked almost everywhere but Qt3. That’s a very, very disturbing piece of information. I’m happy with the larger number of master tracks, though.