guitar hero

Just a day after it was revealed popular developer 3D Realms (Duke Nukem 3D's creator) was closing its doors for good , there's now word that Activision Blizzard, the company responsible for Guitar Hero and World of Warcraft, has posted huge profits ... for the first quarter. It seems not every game company is struggling in this economic climate. Yesterday's news on 3D Realms seemed to be a pretty strong indicator that the gaming industry, like just about every other business, was taking its knocks. In addition to Duke Nukem's untimely (or timely?) death, Microsoft revealed it would lay off a ... (view more)

Despite popular beliefs that video games keep people from engaging in real life activities, opting for Madden over football tryouts or Gran Turismo over studying for a license exam, in many cases games can actually stir interest in relevant ... activities. According to reports, games like Guitar Hero lead kids to pick up real instruments. Research conducted by the Youth Music charity in Britain now suggests that popular rhythm and music-based games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band have probably led about 2.5 million kids to learn real-life instruments. In a report, Youth Music discovered that of ... (view more)

Some early buyers of the brand new and much-anticipated Guitar Hero: World Tour (which effectively rivals Rock Band by offering drums and a microphone) have complained that the "instruments" don't work as they should. It wasn't supposed to be like ... this. After a year in Rock Band's shadow, the original franchise that started this whole rock 'n roll video game thing, Guitar Hero, was supposed to reclaim its throne. If you haven't seen or played either Rock Band or Guitar Hero, you're missing out on one of the best party fads to ever hit the video game market. Players "strum" by flicking keys at ... (view more)

We're well aware that Rock Band and Guitar Hero have raked in plenty of cash for their makers, Electronic Arts and Activision, respectively. But, how have the artists whose music has appeared in those games fared after taking part in such a ... phenomenon? There certainly have been many rockers willing to take a chance on either game. Between three versions of Guitar Hero and a single (but very successful) Rock Band, a few hundred songs have been available at purchase, with access to even more through download (from Microsoft's Xbox Live or PlayStation 3's online service). Heck, there was even a ... (view more)

This past Christmas, most gamers wanted a Nintendo Wii. The little white console was in serious demand, and that meant it rarely made its way to that cozy little place nestled under the Christmas tree. The next best thing was surely Electronic Arts' ... Rock Band, the game simulating the life of a grungy, coke-sniffing rock star. Like the Wii, Rock Band was also tough to get your hands on. Launched first for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, it offered a nice runner-up prize for those gamers unable to find Nintendo's console. It was also a great little gift for the hardcore gamer -- and there are ... (view more)

Have you recently watched your son or daughter rock their way through "Anarchy in the U.K.", all the while wishing they'd just spend their time playing a real instrument? Well, here's the ultimate head-shaker for those who simply don't understand ... Guitar Hero: A Rochester teen has been entered into the Guinness Book of World Records exclusively for his pseudo-guitar skills. At just sixteen, young Chris Chike, of Rochester, Minnesota, is now officially the most prolific Guitar Hero player in the world. It's hard to argue with that, given his recent entry into Guinness' book on account of his ... (view more)

So, Billy wants a new guitar this Christmas? By gosh, those things are expensive. He'll probably just give up, like he did with the drum set, piano, and karate. Why not just get him that Guitar Hero game? That's been the opinion of many parents and ... gamers in the last year, with video game sales -- led by a new music genre -- completely rocking other entertainment sources. According to a report from the NPD Group, total video game sales (including both hardware and games) have rocketed to $10.5 billion through October 2007, about $3.5 billion more than last year at the same point. (Source: ... (view more)

Here's a new one for the copyright infringement crowd: Guitar Hero publisher and long-time video game staple Activision is being sued by 1980s one-hit wonders The Romantics for using a pseudo version of their song "What I Like About You". Needless ... to say, it isn't much of a 'rock and/or roll' attitude. The lawsuit was filed against Activision last Tuesday in a U.S. District Court in Detroit, Michigan. The California publisher is being sued for unspecified damages for the "What I like About You" version it uses in Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, a stop-point between the more popular Guitar ... (view more)