Guitar Hero World Tour

[Moodini31]

We knew it was coming. Guitar Hero's answer to Rock Band. Complete with a "touch strip" guitar neck and a rhythm guitar?

This week began with a torrent of rumors purported to have come from market-research firm Intellisponse. Although all parties involved in the leak were quick to brush off the info as far-from-finalized ideas, solid confirmation of the particulars continues to flow in through more valid channels. Today, Activision officially popped the lid on Guitar Hero: World Tour details, and as rumored, the franchise's titular instrument is in for a makeover.


During a press briefing this week, Activision and developer Neversoft took the stage with the third proper sequel to Guitar Hero, and gave in-depth looks at many of the previously teased new features. Though the three-pad, two-cymbal drum kit has been known for some time, the game makers showed off World Tour's new guitar, which will feature a multipurpose "touch strip" that, among other uses, accommodates DragonForce-style finger-tapping solos and adds a distortion effect separate from the standard whammy bar.

As speculated following Gibson's rash of lawsuits earlier this year, those about to rock in World Tour will do so on a generic-model guitar that is slightly larger than the previous Guitar Hero axes. Activision also noted that previous Guitar Hero controllers will be compatible with World Tour.

As previously announced, all tunes in World Tour will be master tracks, and the game's creators also teased the first few tunes from its substantive roster. During the media briefing, Neversoft performed Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell," The Foo Fighters' "Everlong," and Sublime's "Santeria," and said that Linkin Park, Van Halen, and The Eagles would also lend tracks to the game. As per the Intellisponse leak, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Smashing Pumpkins, Korn, System of a Down, Ozzy Osbourne, Interpol, and Muse are also rumored to be part of that setlist, which will include roughly 85 songs in total.

Guitar Hero: World Tour is expected to hit its opening chord on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and Wii this fall. Pricing information has yet to be announced, but retailers and rumors peg the bundle at between $179 and $189.

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"Touch strip" guitar. Whatever that means.

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Cymbals. Nice.

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Rhythm Guitar, just like you asked for Wizzle.

[DrRay11]

Damn, the drums in Rock Band were hard enough. Now there's 6 instead of 5.

[WTFchris]

It looks friggen sweet. At least you know the Guitar Hero guitars will work with that (so one can be bass, etc). That's what sucks about Guitar Hero and Rock band now (most of them are not compatable).

Any estimated date?

[KP43]

this is teh gay. to hell with rhythm games.

[Moodini31]

Complete song list announced-

30 Seconds To Mars--The Kill
311--Beautiful Disaster
Airbourne--Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast
The Allman Brothers Band--Ramblin' Man
Anouk--Good God
The Answer--Never Too Late
At the Drive-In--One Armed Scissor
Beastie Boys--No Sleep Till Brooklyn
Beatsteaks--Hail To The Freaks
Billy Idol--Rebel Yell
Black Label Society--Stillborn
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club--Weapon of Choice
blink-182--Dammit
Blondie--One Way or Another
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band--Hollywood Nights
Bon Jovi--Livin' on a Prayer
Bullet for My Valentine--Scream Aim Fire
Coldplay--Shiver
Creedence Clearwater Revival--Up Around the Bend
The Cult--Love Removal Machine
Dinosaur Jr.--Feel the Pain
The Doors--Love Me Two Times
Dream Theater--Pull Me Under
The Eagles--Hotel California
The Enemy--Aggro
Filter--Hey Man, Nice Shot
Fleetwood Mac--Go Your Own Way
Foo Fighters--Everlong
The Guess Who--American Woman
HushPuppies--You're Gonna Say Yeah!
Interpol--Obstacle 1
Jane's Addiction--Mountain Song
Jimi Hendrix--The Wind Cries Mary
Jimi Hendrix--Purple Haze (Live)
Jimmy Eat World--The Middle
Joe Satriani--Satch Boogie
Kent--Vinternoll2
Korn--Freak on a Leash
Lacuna Coil--Our Truth
Lenny Kravitz--Are You Gonna Go My Way
Linkin Park--What I've Done
The Living End--Prisoner of Society
Los Lobos--La Bamba
Lostprophets--Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)
Lynyrd Skynyrd--Sweet Home Alabama (Live)
The Mars Volta--L'Via L'Viaquez
MC5's Wayne Kramer--Kick Out the Jams
Metallica--Trapped Under Ice
Michael Jackson--Beat It
Modest Mouse--Float On
Motorhead--Overkill
Muse--Assassin
Negramaro--Nuvole e Lenzuola
Nirvana--About A Girl [Unplugged]
No Doubt--Spiderwebs
NOFX--Soul Doubt
Oasis--Some Might Say
Ozzy Osbourne--Crazy Train
Ozzy Osbourne--Mr. Crowley
Paramore--Misery Business
Pat Benatar--Heartbreaker
Radio Futura--Escuela De Calor
R.E.M.--The One I Love
Rise Against--Re-Education Through Labor
Sex Pistols--Pretty Vacant
Silversun Pickups--Lazy Eye
Smashing Pumpkins--Today
Steely Dan--Do It Again
Steve Miller Band--The Joker
Sting--Demolition Man (Live)
The Stone Roses--Love Spreads
Stuck in the Sound--Toy Boy
Sublime--Santeria
Survivor--Eye of the Tiger
System Of A Down--B.Y.O.B.
Ted Nugent--Stranglehold
Ted Nugent--Original Guitar Duel Recording
Tokio Hotel--Monsoon
Tool--Parabola
Tool--Schism
Tool--Vicarious
Trust--Antisocial
Van Halen--Hot For Teacher
Willie Nelson--On The Road Again
Wings--Band on the Run
Zakk Wylde--Original Guitar Duel Recording

[Zekyl]

Wow, 3 tool songs?

[jturbo]

I'm kinda surprised Tool agreed to this. Very cool though.

[D's Nuts]

Apparently Rock Band 2 will have 500 songs available by Christmas. Insane.

This set list does give me a little chubber though.....

[Glenn]

One of these Guitar Hero games is going to have a "new" Guns and Roses song on it.

I'm not a fan, but apparently that is a pretty big deal.

[Moodini31]

One of these Guitar Hero games is going to have a "new" Guns and Roses song on it.

I'm not a fan, but apparently that is a pretty big deal.

Rock Band 2.