Fearless Records has announced that progressive rock band At the Drive-In will be contributing a song to an upcoming Guitar Hero title, most likely Neversoft's Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.

A press release issued by the record label stated that "One Armed Scissor" from the band's third album "Relationship of Command" will make an appearance in Guitar Hero IV alongside Aerosmith and Def Leppard. The label noted that the game is aimed for a release this June on "all major platforms including Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, PC, Mac, and Nintendo DS."

However, publisher and property owner Activision has not yet officially announced Guitar Hero IV, though Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (PS2, PS3, X360, Wii) has ... Read more

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said that the fourth installment of Neversoft's Guitar Hero franchise will incorporate additional instruments similar to competitor Harmonix's Rock Band (PS2, PS3, Wii, X360).

"[Guitar Hero IV's] not just about guitars," Kotick told IGN. "We'll include a lot of other instruments, vocals. It will help us expand internationally. It's the first game we've had in which we can use local content and local bands."

The runaway success of the multi-instrument rhythm game Rock Band, which includes drums and vocals on top of guitars, had led many to speculate that the traditionally guitar-only Guitar Hero franchise would eventually see the addition of more instruments.

Guitar Hero IV is expected for release this fall, as the third Guitar Hero title announced by Activision for release in 2008. The first two were announced as Guitar Hero: On Tour and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.

It appears that British metal group Def Leppard may have up to three songs in the upcoming music-rhythm title Guitar Hero IV.

"We're going to have, like, three songs, I think, on Guitar Hero IV," guitarist Phil Collen said on Rockline Radio. "I think Photograph, Animal, and Rock of Ages."

While Guitar Hero IV has yet to be officially announced, franchise owner Activision previously confirmed it is a prepping a new Guitar Hero title for this fall, with Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (PS2, PS3, X360, Wii) and Guitar Hero: On Tour (NDS) due this summer.

A partial listing of the 40-plus tracks contained within Neversoft's upcoming music title Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (PS2, PS3, X360, Wii) has been revealed, detailing a number of songs from Aerosmith as well as other groups that are, in one form or another, close to Steven Tyler and crew.

In addition to expected Aerosmith hits such as "Sweet Emotion" and "Make It," the game will also feature Mott the Hoople's "All the Young Dudes," Cheap Trick's "Dream Police," "I Hate Myself for Loving You" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, and a cover of The Kinks' "All Day and All Night."

While most tracks unveiled thus far have been master recordings, GameSpot reports that Aerosmith was forced to re-record several songs, including "Making It," as the master tracks were missing. According to the outlet, the game's tracklist will be roughly 60% Aerosmith, and 40% other bands that "either inspired Aerosmith, played with Aerosmith, or are liked by Aerosmith."

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is expected to arrive on PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii this June. Read on for a full list of the known tracks at this time: ... Read more

Update: Rock Band developer Harmonix has issued a response to the lawsuit, labeling guitar maker Gibson's claims of patent infringement "completely without merit."

"It is unfortunate that Gibson unfairly desires to share in the tremendous success enjoyed by the developers of Rock Band and Guitar Hero," a Harmonix spokesperson told Shacknews. "This lawsuit is completely without merit and we intend to defend it vigorously.

"Gibson's patent, filed nearly 10 years ago, required a 3D display, a real musical instrument and a recording of a concert," Harmonix's statement continued. "Rock Band and Guitar Hero are completely different: among other things they are games, require no headset and use a controller only shaped like a real instrument."

Original Story: Continuing its recent legal activity, guitar manufacturer Gibson has sued Rock Band developer Harmonix, along with owner MTV Networks and publisher Electronic Arts, for infringing on one of its patents.

According to Gibson, Harmonix--which developed the multi-instrument music title Rock Band (PS2, PS3, X360) and created the Guitar Hero series--violated a 1999 patent for technology that simulates a concert performance via pre-recorded audio and a musical instrument.

The guitar maker sued six retailers--GameStop, Amazon.com, Wal-Mart... Read more

Update: In its legal filings, Gibson named the six retailers it is targeting for their sales of Guitar Hero: GameStop, Amazon.com, Wal-Mart, Target, Toys "R" Us and Kmart.

Original Story: Guitar manufacturer Gibson has announced that it is pursuing legal action against unspecified retailers for selling publisher Activision's popular Guitar Hero line of music video games, an action that Gibson claims infringes on one of its patents.

"Gibson Guitar took this action reluctantly, but is required to protect its intellectual property and will continue to do so against any other person in accordance with the law and its rights," the company proclaimed in a statement.

Earlier this year, Gibson began claiming that Activision's Guitar Hero games violate a 1999 patent for technology that simulates a concert performance via pre-recorded audio and a musical instrument.

Gibson had previously granted Activision and subsidiary RedOctane the license to use Gibson instruments in the Guitar Hero games, and as a model for the... Read more

Following up on yesterday's announcement, publisher Activision has issued two teeny-tiny screenshots of the first Guitar Hero entry on the Nintendo DS, along with a piece of character art and clearer images of the guitar grip controller. Developed by Vicarious Visions, Guitar Hero: On Tour utilizes a special guitar grip that plugs into the DS's Game Boy Advance cartridge slot, with players strumming via the touch screen and a pick-shaped stylus.

Guitar Hero: On Tour is expected to release this summer. No price point has been announced for the game, which will feature tracks from Nirvana, OK Go, and No Doubt.

Activision has revealed the long-rumored DS rendition of its Guitar Hero franchise and its accompanying peripheral, IGN reports.

Entitled Guitar Hero: On Tour, the game utilizes a peripheral called the Guitar Grip to recreate the Guitar Hero experience. The peripheral plugs into the Nintendo DS's Game Boy Advance slot on the bottom of the system and features four buttons versus the traditional guitar controller's five.

With the peripheral in place, the DS is held in a book-style orientation in which the touch screen is used to strum. The Guitar Grip also features a strap to secure the peripheral and system to gamers' sweaty mitts.

Guitar Hero: On Tour will feature more than 20 licensed songs from bands such as Nirvana, OK Go, and No Doubt, along with the usual slew of unlockable guitarists and other bonuses that gamers expect from the series. The game is developed by Vicarious Visions, and is scheduled for release this summer.

The announcement confirms Guitar Hero: On Tour as one of two Guitar Hero titles revealed by Activision to be due out before the summer, the other being the recently announced Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. A third Guitar Hero title, which is rumored to be Guitar Hero IV, is scheduled for release in the fall.

A PlayStation Store update approaches!

Living room rockers can now get their hands on the previously mentioned Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Dropkick Murphy's track pack. Available for a free download, the pack includes "Famous for Nothing," "Flannigans Ball," "Johnny," and "I Hardly Knew Ya," as performed by the band.

PS3 gamers who get their rock on with Harmonix's Rock Band now have access to the previously announced line-up of new downloadable tracks. Master tracks of Black Tide's "Shockwave," Paramore's "Crushcrushcrush," and Serj Tankian's "Beethoven's C***" are sold separately at the price of $0.99 per song.

New to the store this week is an expansion pack for SCEA's downloadable miniature racer Toy Home. The pack includes six new vehicles, as well as two... Read more

A free downloadable Dropkick Murphys song pack is now available for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, bringing celtic punk rock to owners of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions.

Announced by publisher Activision earlier this month and intended to help celebrate St. Patrick's Day, the pack contains master recordings of "Famous for Nothing," "(F)lannigan's Ball" and "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya."

Following guitar manufacturer Gibson's claims that the wildly successful Guitar Hero franchise violates a 1999 patent, Guitar Hero owner Activision has filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate Gibson's patent.

According to the suit, as reported by Reuters, Gibson alleges that the series infringes on a patent for technology that simulates a concert performance via pre-recorded audio and a musical instrument.

Gibson notified Activision of the infringement in a letter on January 7, stating that Activision needed to obtain a license from Gibson .

In response, Activision claimed that Guitar Hero does not violate Gibson's patent, and that the three-year delay between the debut of Guitar Hero and Gibson's allegation has granted the company an implied license.

Interestingly, Gibson previously granted Activision the license to use Gibson instruments in the games and as a model for the series' guitar-shaped ... Read more

What's this feeling that I'm feeling? It's the weekly PlayStation Store update, of course.

First up, A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. Games' Rocketmen: Axis of Evil (PS3, X360) is now available for download. The shooter-RPG hybrid supports up to four local or online players, and contains three different character classes and three different playable races. The game, which is already available on the Xbox Live Marketplace, is priced at $9.99.

This week also sees the release of new Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock content. Up now for download is the Modern Metal Track Pack, which includes "Almost Easy" by Avenged Sevenfold, "The Arsonist" by Thrice, and "Hole in the Earth" by the Deftones. The pack, which is not available for individual sale, will run you $6.25.

As always, the latest Rock Band tracks has also been added with this week's Grateful Dead pack. Deadheads can look forward to "Casey Jones," "Sugar Magnolia," "Truckin'," "Franklin's Tower," "I Need a Miracle," and "China Cat Sunflower", all of which are master recordings. The songs are available individually for $1.99 a piece, or as a pack for $9.99.

Finally, the previously announced port of thatgamecompany's flOw on the PSP has been released on the PlayStation Store for the PC. Described by Shacknews' own Chris Faylor as a "calming life simulator", flOw for the PSP is priced at $9.99.

Publisher Activision today announced the release of a downloadable Modern Metal Track Pack for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Neversoft's Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

Priced at 500 Microsoft Points ($6.25) and featuring master recordings of Deftones' "Hole in the Earth," Avenged Sevefold's "Almost Easy" and Thrice's "The Arsonist," the Modern Metal Pack is now available for purchase from the Xbox Live Marketplace. It should arrive in the online PlayStation Store later this afternoon.

The company also revealed its plans for a free trio of Dropkick Murphys tracks, slated for release in mid-March. Containing master recordings of "Famous for Nothing," "(F)lannigan's Ball" and "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya," the pack is intended to help celebrate of St. Patrick's Day.

Soon-to-be Activision partner Blizzard Entertainment will offer its "institutional expertise" to help bring Guitar Hero to "roughly 300,000 game rooms between China and Korea," Activision CEO Bobby Kotick claimed during his presentation at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference.

According to GameSpot, he did not reveal many specifics on the curious arrangement, though Blizzard's involvement is most likely the result of its massive success in the international PC market with titles such as World of Warcraft and StarCraft.

Last year, the CEO noted the possibility of a possible Guitar Hero MMO. "Those are things that fall into the realm of opportunity for us for the future," he said at the time.

Discussing the overall franchise yesterday, Kotick mentioned the likelihood of Guitar Hero "line extensions," insinuating the franchise may encompass other instruments. According to Kotaku, he also noted that users will eventually be able to create their own Guitar Hero songs and charts, though such functionality is at least five years away.

Activision has released a new track pack for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock devoted entirely to the ska-rock band No Doubt.

The No Doubt Track Pack includes the songs "Don't Speak", "Excuse Me Mr", and "Sunday Morning", all master recordings by the Anaheim band.

Selling for 500 Microsoft Points ($6.25), the package is available now on Xbox Live, and should make an appearance on the PlayStation Store today.

Activision today announced that it will continue the Guitar Hero craze with Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, due out in June for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii.

The game will put you in the shoes of the five member band, following their career from the first performance up till Aerosmith's current status of "rock royalty". As with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions will be developed by Neversoft, with Vicarious Visions behind the Wii edition and Budcat handling the PlayStation 2 iteration.

"Not only is songwriting a bitch, but then it goes and has puppies," commented Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler. Reports of an Aerosmith-centered Guitar Hero appeared last fall, with Activision recently confirming that three new Guitar Hero titles are due out this year.

"We've put a lot of ideas into the game so that fans can have fun interacting with our music, getting inside our body of work and learning about the band's history," added guitarist Joe Perry.

To commemorate the announcement, owners of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will be able to download the Aerosmith song "Dream On" for free from the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network Store between February 16-18.

In a financial conference call today, publisher Activision--soon to be Activision Blizzard--confirmed it is working on several new Guitar Hero titles and a new entry in the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance action-RPG franchise, along with new Spider-Man, Tony Hawk, and Call of Duty games.

Two new Guitar Hero titles will apparently be released between April 1 and June 31, 2008, according to FiringSquad. No details were released on either title, though the company did specify that a third Guitar Hero game will be released this fall.

One of those new Guitar Hero games is likely to be the recently-trademarked "Guitar Hero On Tour," which many have speculated to be the long-expected Nintendo DS edition. The fall release is most likely to be Guitar Hero IV, which was mentioned along with several other top Activision-owned brands in earlier financial documents.

While another release in the Tony Hawk skateboarding franchise has always been expected, Activision commented that the next edition will rework the series'... Read more

Activision has filed to protect the trademark "Guitar Hero On Tour," the most likely name for the publisher's upcoming DS version of their wildly successful Guitar Hero franchise.

French gaming site Wiiz revealed a partial list of Activision release dates for Europe, which include a listing of Guitar Hero: On Tour for the Nintendo DS. While Shacknews has been unable to confirm the accuracy of the release list, its authenticity is lent some weight by a recently filed trademark of the title filed in the United States and uncovered by Trademork.

A Nintendo DS version of Guitar Hero was officially confirmed to be in the works by RedOctane CEO Charles Huang in August of last year. The developer is exploring the possibility of using a peripheral to deliver an authentic Guitar Hero experience on a portable platform.

Activision and RedOctane were reached for comment but have not yet responded.

A bundle of three new tracks for Neversoft's Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock are now available to Xbox 360 owners through the console's online marketplace.

Listed as a "Classic Rock Pack" and priced at 500 Microsoft Points ($6.25), the bundle contains Boston's "Peace of Mind," Foreigner's "Juke Box Hero," and Journey's "Any Way You Want It." All three tracks are performed by the original artists.

Hints that the songs were on the way first appeared on the official ... Read more

While the Nintendo Wii continues to garner headlines for its many alternative uses, an occupational therapist at the Select Specialty Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana is investigating the potential of Guitar Hero in physical rehabilitation.

Certified occupational therapy assistant Kelly Colwell first noted the healing potential of Guitar Hero while working with a patient who had injured his elbow and lost range of motion in his arm.

Doctors had told the patient that he would never regain full flexibility and rotation of his arm--motions that are heavily utilized when playing with Guitar Hero's plastic guitar.

"We'd been doing a lot with range of motion, but he was still lacking in pronation and supination in his forearm," Colwell informed Shacknews. Pronation and supination refer to the twisting and flexing motions of limbs. "Guitar Hero really helped out a lot with that, especially the supination because he had to hold that pose."

Apart from a patient's increased willingness to participate in therapy, other possible benefits of Guitar Hero noted by Colwell include improved abdominal... Read more