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Thanks to Game Informer, we already know a great deal about Activision's upcoming Guitar Hero World Tour (the game formerly known as Guitar Hero IV). We know, for instance, that the game will follow the "full band" formula of Harmonix's Rock Band, by adding vocals and drums into the mix. But the game's developer, Neversoft, aren't happy simply being a clone -- they're adding a ton of extras that they're hoping will make World Tour your rock game of choice.
To start, the game's drums (as you can see from the image) attempt to more closely mirror a full drum set, with three drum pads, two raised cymbals, and a bass kick pedal. Interestingly, the pads will be softer, quieter, and velocity sensitive, which should have an impact on how what you're playing actually translates to in-game sounds. Activision also tease a "newly designed more responsive guitar and microphone," but go into no details. (Check out the trailer and squint real hard to get a glimpse of their new axe.)
There's much more information found in the press release, which you can find after the jump: details about the in-game Music Studio, extensive customization, and the online eight-player Battle of the Bands mode. As expected, the game will feature downloadable content ... even on the Wii.
Are we sure we don't have room for just one more drum peripheral in our living room?
Activision Unveils Guitar Hero(R) World Tour - the Definitive Rock & Roll Music Videogaming Experience New State of the Art Wireless Instruments
Innovative Music Studio Lets Players Compose, Record, Edit and Share Music
Biggest Selection of On-Disc Music with All Master Tracks
Robust New Eight-Player "Battle of the Bands" Mode
First Game Ever in the Guitar Hero(R) Franchise to Allow In-Game Downloadable Content on Wii
SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 22, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- When the house lights go down this fall, a new generation of axe shredders, drummers and fearless frontmen will come together and rock with Activision, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero(R) World Tour. The latest installment from the #1 best-selling video game franchise of 2007, Guitar Hero World Tour will transform music gaming by marrying Guitar Hero's(R) exhilarating guitar gameplay, with a cooperative band experience that combines the most advanced wireless instruments with revolutionary new online and offline gameplay modes. The game will feature a slick newly redesigned guitar, a genuine electronic drum kit and a microphone, as well as an innovative Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock and roll anthems, along with online Band Career and 8-player "Battle of the Bands."
Delivering the largest on-disc set list in a music-rhythm game to-date, Guitar Hero World Tour is comprised entirely of master recordings from some of the greatest classic and modern rock bands of all-time including Van Halen, Linkin Park, The Eagles, Sublime and many more. Additionally, the game will offer significantly more localized downloadable music than ever before on all of the next-generation consoles. Budding rock stars will also be given creative license to fully customize everything from their characters' appearance and instruments to their band's logo and album covers.
In addition to a newly designed more responsive guitar controller and microphone, Guitar Hero World Tour will deliver the most realistic drum experience ever in a video game with an authentic electronic drum kit. Featuring three drum pads, two raised cymbals and a bass kick pedal, the drum controller combines larger and quieter, velocity-sensitive drum heads with soft rubber construction to deliver authentic bounce back and is easy to set up, move, break down and store.
"Guitar Hero has set the standard for music-based gaming and with Guitar Hero World Tour and the game's groundbreaking Music Studio, we are once again delivering unprecedented innovation that has the potential to revolutionize consumer generated music, much in the same way that video sharing hubs have driven user generated video," said Dusty Welch, Head of Publishing for RedOctane. "With the introduction of our advanced high-quality new wireless instruments, in-depth customization options and advanced online functionality, the game enables music fans and gamers globally to share in the most social and expressive music experience ever."
Guitar Hero World Tour delivers more ways to play than ever before. Virtual musicians can live out their rock and roll fantasies by playing either a single instrument, or any combination of instruments, in addition to the full band experience. In addition to all of the online gameplay modes from Guitar Hero(R) III: Legends of Rock, Guitar Hero World Tour introduces Battle of the Bands mode which allows eight players to join online and challenge each other band-to-band to determine who is the best of the best. In the Band modes, up to four players can jam together, online or off, as they progress through the game, and in single-player Career Mode, players can jam on any of the instruments in branching venue progression enabling them to rock out in the order of their choice.
The game's innovative new Music Studio lets players express their musical creativity by giving them access to a full compliment of tools to create digital music from scratch, utilizing all of the instruments, and then play their compositions in the game. Music creators will also be able to share their recordings with their friends online through GHTunes(TM) where other gamers can download their unique compositions and play them.
Guitar Hero World Tour is being developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system. The Wii(TM) version is being developed by Vicarious Visions. The PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system version is being developed by Budcat. The game is not yet rated by the ESRB.
A more responsive guitar? Please tell me we won't need to buy new guitars for this game, or that they'll have a noticeable improvement. I just bought GHIII yesterday and need to pick up a second guitar to play with people this summer, and I don't like the idea of trading them in for new models.
Well The Roots (Questlove) are hip hop and have awesome drumming in their songs. Seriously i loving the choices we have here, but for me Heavy Rock kit all the way!
While all of the new improvements do look very tempting to me, it will all drop off my radar if they announces that Rock Band 2 has a keytar. Pleeeeeease, Harmonix?
The idea of a clone bothers the hell out of me. But if they have those new features, I might just forgive Neversoft for creating it. I'll have to find out more before I pledge allegiance to playing this.
Downloadable content on my Wii? That sounds promising, but I have no interest in drums or vocals and I already have GHIII, so I'll wait to see if my current guitar is compatible with it and just get the game by itself.
At the most, I'll just buy the guitar bundle (hopefully there's one). Then again, I have five plastic guitars in my house already, I don't think I need anymore.
That composition thing is lame, way too much effort for a game. I was hoping they'd just pack in whatever utility they created that automatically generates notes (they clearly have one, you can even do it roughly for Frets on Fire).
Basically I wanted to stick For the Love of God by Steve Vai on a usb stick and play away. You're telling me I have to know the scales and copy each note from frets on fire manually?
It looks like making a song in Mario Paint or the Gameboy Camera.
I thought Guitar Hero was for lazy and musically talentless people to feel like a star.
FUCK Linkin Park. But I think I may keep my eyes on this. Considering one of my roommates has Rock Band, I think it would be a neat addition to the house to have Guitar Hero IV. But I'll have to play it first before I decide.
I won't be truly happy with any game that offers drums until they put in [url=In the Air tonight]In the Air Tonight[/url] by Phil Collins. And, yes, my ape suit is ready for when it does happen.
As to this over rock band? I'm honestly not sure. But, I seriously hope that these two companies can work something out where they make their peripherals universal.
I like the new drum kit and the new features do sound great especially the 8 player battle of the bands but call me old fashioned but imo guitar hero should be about guitars and riffs/solos whereas Rock Band is about the band.
Either way at least activision won't make us wait 6 months for this to come out in the UK
I am so fucking tired of these games. After RockBand and this game are out, they should never have to sell you new hardware. But of course they will anyway. Shit, they should never have to sell you new software, just add new songs and new modes to download. Fuck Em!
There is one thing I'm going to say in every GH/RB thread:
...DOUBLE KICK PEDAL. How can you rock way hard without having two bass drums.
I would've liked for them to put in a note generator rather than making us do all the work, but whatever, it might be cool. Seeing as how Harmonix seems to be incapable of putting out awesome music.
Lucky for me though, my friends are the ones that have GH3 and RB. Which means I have no plastic instruments at my house, which means I won't have a problem with picking this up.
God dammit, how the hell could I forget!?
I want TWO GUITARS also. No one likes to be forced to play the bass. But in addition to that I also want to be able to make songs with dueling guitar solos, or even a guitar DUET. How 'bout THAT. Two different solos at the same time.
DOUBLE BASS
DOUBLE GUITAR
IF YOU DON'T DELIVER
YOU'RE A TARD
Activision, given that we here in Australia still haven't received Rock Band (Thanks EA), i guarantee that if you release it here the same time as the NTSC crew, you will have an instant #1 on your hands.
HEAR HEAR! i was looking forward to rock band for so long, but that ended about 6 months ago. i'm betting that this will come out here before rock band, and even if it doesn't, i'm holding out for it. FUCK YOU EA. Evil Assholes.
The amount of originality in this game is amazing. Where did they come up with all these amazing ideas? The developers must be really proud of themselves, they are truly making something unique.
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21 comments + 95764 views
The create a song screenshot resulted in me pitching a trouser tent.
Nice.
what's a hip hop drum set?
and why is it mixing with my rock?
A more responsive guitar? Please tell me we won't need to buy new guitars for this game, or that they'll have a noticeable improvement. I just bought GHIII yesterday and need to pick up a second guitar to play with people this summer, and I don't like the idea of trading them in for new models.
Well The Roots (Questlove) are hip hop and have awesome drumming in their songs. Seriously i loving the choices we have here, but for me Heavy Rock kit all the way!
Oh, my poor bank account.
While all of the new improvements do look very tempting to me, it will all drop off my radar if they announces that Rock Band 2 has a keytar. Pleeeeeease, Harmonix?
The idea of a clone bothers the hell out of me. But if they have those new features, I might just forgive Neversoft for creating it. I'll have to find out more before I pledge allegiance to playing this.
Broken gallery is broken.
There's nothing wrong with the gallery. If there's an issue, be more specific. I don't have any issues on my end.
This doesn't interest me at all for two reasons.
1. I have Rock Band
2. Rock Band 2 will likely come out around the same time and likely do something better
Meh. If you want to write music, write music.
Activision is full of fail.
Downloadable content on my Wii? That sounds promising, but I have no interest in drums or vocals and I already have GHIII, so I'll wait to see if my current guitar is compatible with it and just get the game by itself.
At the most, I'll just buy the guitar bundle (hopefully there's one). Then again, I have five plastic guitars in my house already, I don't think I need anymore.
This would be sweet if there would be any compatibility, but being that Activision loves money more than consumers, there won't be any.
I'm out of room and patience.
I'll probably get this in place of RB because they wont make me wait 7 months to be able to buy their game.
I'll wait for this to come out so I can watch it battle Rock Band for supremacy before I buy one. Consumers FTW!
No thanks, I'll stick with Rock Band
That composition thing is lame, way too much effort for a game. I was hoping they'd just pack in whatever utility they created that automatically generates notes (they clearly have one, you can even do it roughly for Frets on Fire).
Basically I wanted to stick For the Love of God by Steve Vai on a usb stick and play away. You're telling me I have to know the scales and copy each note from frets on fire manually?
It looks like making a song in Mario Paint or the Gameboy Camera.
I thought Guitar Hero was for lazy and musically talentless people to feel like a star.
FUCK Linkin Park. But I think I may keep my eyes on this. Considering one of my roommates has Rock Band, I think it would be a neat addition to the house to have Guitar Hero IV. But I'll have to play it first before I decide.
I won't be truly happy with any game that offers drums until they put in [url=In the Air tonight]In the Air Tonight[/url] by Phil Collins. And, yes, my ape suit is ready for when it does happen.
As to this over rock band? I'm honestly not sure. But, I seriously hope that these two companies can work something out where they make their peripherals universal.
Yay me and my uber hotlinking skillz!
In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins.
they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
I like the new drum kit and the new features do sound great especially the 8 player battle of the bands but call me old fashioned but imo guitar hero should be about guitars and riffs/solos whereas Rock Band is about the band.
Either way at least activision won't make us wait 6 months for this to come out in the UK
Please make a Keytar for this one!!!
I am so fucking tired of these games. After RockBand and this game are out, they should never have to sell you new hardware. But of course they will anyway. Shit, they should never have to sell you new software, just add new songs and new modes to download. Fuck Em!
brainderailment FTW!
I have 3 fucking guitars and I can only use one guitar on ONE game (PS3) and another drum set would just be crazy.
I like being able to make your own stuff with this one as that's really cool as I mess around with Fruity Loops and the likes so it interests me.
get ready to buy new guitars. activision = grifters
I see GH is keeping with the tradition of getting uglier looking people with each edition.
There is one thing I'm going to say in every GH/RB thread:
...DOUBLE KICK PEDAL. How can you rock way hard without having two bass drums.
I would've liked for them to put in a note generator rather than making us do all the work, but whatever, it might be cool. Seeing as how Harmonix seems to be incapable of putting out awesome music.
Lucky for me though, my friends are the ones that have GH3 and RB. Which means I have no plastic instruments at my house, which means I won't have a problem with picking this up.
Again though...DOUBLE BASS
How much you wanna bet they're going to make a special new microphone that isn't compatible with any other game, too?
God dammit, how the hell could I forget!?
I want TWO GUITARS also. No one likes to be forced to play the bass. But in addition to that I also want to be able to make songs with dueling guitar solos, or even a guitar DUET. How 'bout THAT. Two different solos at the same time.
DOUBLE BASS
DOUBLE GUITAR
IF YOU DON'T DELIVER
YOU'RE A TARD
Activision, given that we here in Australia still haven't received Rock Band (Thanks EA), i guarantee that if you release it here the same time as the NTSC crew, you will have an instant #1 on your hands.
Though, who cares about us Aussies, right?
@newsworthy
HEAR HEAR! i was looking forward to rock band for so long, but that ended about 6 months ago. i'm betting that this will come out here before rock band, and even if it doesn't, i'm holding out for it. FUCK YOU EA. Evil Assholes.
Awesome .
I needs a track list though .
Alive, paradise city & when i come around .
The amount of originality in this game is amazing. Where did they come up with all these amazing ideas? The developers must be really proud of themselves, they are truly making something unique.
It's great as long as they don't region lock it.
CURSE EA
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