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Hope you like 'Band' games, Activision has five for 2009 photo

Activision has finally come out of the closet and announced its full slate of titles in its "Band" line up for the second half of 2009, and some all of it might sound familiar.

Fans of music and plastic instruments can expect to see the previously announced Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, Guitar Hero Van Halen, Guitar Hero 5, announced DJ Hero, and the new extension to the brand, Band Hero, by year’s end.

More details after the jump.

According to Activision, Guitar Hero 5 will feature the ability to drop in and out of songs, change band members, instruments and difficulty levels on the fly. Band Hero will be the franchise's first E10+ offering, designed to appeal to a "family audience" by featuring top-40 hits; the guitar, drums, bass, and microphone set up will remain.

Activision is only releasing a few details about Guitar Hero Van Halen, saying that the title will feature the band’s “greatest hits,” along with music from guest acts (hand-selected by Van Halen) such as Queen, Weezer, blink-182, Queens of the Stone Age, and more. The game is slated for release in the second half of the year, which many retailers apparently consider to be August. We hope to get more information about the title soon. In the meantime, don’t miss our story about the game’s rumored achievements, which revealed unconfirmed info beyond the basics Activision is willing to share at this time.

If you’re feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, it’s understandable – this entire line-up had previously been leaked, down to the inclusion of the mysterious Band Hero.

We should have more details on each of these games when E3 kicks off in early June.








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42 comments | showing # 1 to 42
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lawler102's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 07:35
lawler102
BONERQUEST!!!!!
munkee's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 07:37
munkee
waiting in anticipation for triangle hero and gong hero
AgentMOO's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 07:37
AgentMOO
Wow I have no interest in any of those titles. I wish they would have taken the cue from Rock Band to just build an entire platform instead of putting out discs that you have to swap between songs.
ZombiePlatypus's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 07:40
ZombiePlatypus
Meh. I picked up Guitar Hero: Metallica, and while fun, it's in my opinion not near as well done as Rock Band. I'll be sticking to Harmonix's series unless another "must have" band edition comes out for GH.
J03yyz's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 07:47
J03yyz
market... over saturated... people... losing interest....
cant.... speak at normal..... rate....
parrothead's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 08:02
parrothead
to many band games. I'll stick to rocking out in Rock Band 2.
bunnyrabbit2's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 08:04
bunnyrabbit2
Smash Hits could be cool but anything Activision puts out won't be near the value I got with RB2. I agree that HMX have it right with building a platform as opposed to a series of discs. Means less fucking around for me switching between discs and I can build playlists using pretty much any RB song I want.

As for switching difficulty and band members on the fly, that could be cool if they implement it right. I just hope the music choice isn't so shit this time round
zombiekiller13's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 08:06
zombiekiller13
"Band Hero"? As in, perhaps, Marching Band? Because...they already have a "band" game with World Tour...

...I'm confused.

@ZombiePlatypus

I too grabbed GH: Metallica. Enjoyed it for a bit, but eventually gravitated back to Rock Band.
TheToiletDuck's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 08:20
TheToiletDuck
@munkee, i know your joking but Gong Hero would be awesome.
SilverDragon1979's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 08:24
SilverDragon1979
I will never buy another Guitar Hero game, EVER!!! Why would I want to constantly switch dics out with the Guitar Hero games, when I have my entire 300 song Rock Band library available at the touch of a button in Rock Band 2. Sorry Activision, but you'll never get my money.
Danzflor's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 08:26
Danzflor
Since Rock Band change the way of play rhythym videogames, im not interested on this. but, if Activision is happy, keep overexploding your favorite franchise ;)

AND I REALLY HOPE DJ HERO DON'T SUCK! but i always will love beatmania <3
Vedicardi2's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 08:36
Vedicardi2
Ugh

Don't forget about the 2-4 DS games
zombiekiller13's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 08:44
zombiekiller13
Oh, go me. Skipped over the Band Hero description, thinking it was part of GH5.

Christ. Too many GH games.
DF's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 08:54
DF
Jesus Christ, five games coming out? What, all in the span of as many months, right?

I don't have the room for Rock Band, but I'm starting to think that wouldn't be a bad idea...
Bango Skank's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 08:56
Bango Skank
Please Activision, No More Heroes!
The Trout's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 09:00
The Trout
All these "Hero" games are gonna become the new sports titles of trade-in shops. Give 'em a couple years and you can buy them for $1.99. Way to flood the market, Activision!
Drewcifer000's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 09:03
Drewcifer000
Ya know, Guitar Hero was pretty sweet when it came out. 2 was amazing. 3 was also really good. Rock Band really did it for me, for a while. But the new one's aren't anything special. I doubt they have anything left to truly add to the games.

And Activision is trying to follow Nintendo to world domination via video games. I hope it doesn't work out for them.
ZombiePlatypus's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 09:06
ZombiePlatypus
Well done, Bango.
PySk's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 09:12
PySk
And the cash cow says:'$$$!'
eskimo bob's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 09:30
eskimo bob
Bango made my day.

on-topic: WTF Activision?! I seldom get upset with companies, but are they even trying anymore? all they do is release Guitar Hero after Guitar Hero after Guitar Hero and it actually makes me miss the days of them releasing Tony Hawk games.

I'm not really too sure why I'm angry, though. I've never really cared for Activision as they've never been that good a company tbh. I guess milking something this desperately just makes me cry for no reason.
Brando's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 09:33
Brando
I think this is a bad call on Activisions part. The market is already over saturated. Every store I go into has stacks and stacks of GH and Rock Band stuff that nobody is buying anymore.
Rankcanine's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 09:33
Rankcanine
I'm sticking Rock Band 2 and the Beatles rock band FTW
whormongr's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 09:36
whormongr
I hate these games
atastysammich's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 09:43
atastysammich
Yech. This didn't need to be its own genre.
fetusmilk's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 09:47
fetusmilk
man i lost interest when gh3 and RB1 came out. its all the same, 80% of the songs are garbage anyway. and anytime i go to someones house that has RB1/2 they play the same damn songs again and again mainly because alot of the suck..
D/Ling 666 songs doesnt mean much when you play the same 10 songs over and over again.
Orpheus has a headache's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 10:02
Orpheus has a headache
Greg McActivisionmiddlemanagement: Bob, people aren't buying our Guitar Hero Series like they used to what'll we do!?


Bob Activisionmarketingman: Greg I've got it! We'll put out literally rows on rows of titles, grandmas and kids won't be able to tell the difference. They just want that "guitar game" and won't buy that better band game. It worked for Petz and imagine it'll work for us!


Both: Brilliant!
Kif 's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 10:34
Kif
People here do realize Guitar Hero sells more than Rock Band outside of America right? Activision are diabolical genius'.

Still, RB for life.
FatherChesz's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 10:40
FatherChesz
Any kind of noise maker that strikes back at my chronically hungover neighbors is good news to me :) But seriously, where is Harmonica Hero?
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 10:56
Holyetheline
E3 is so fucking close!!!!
munkee's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 10:57
munkee
Kazoo Hero! :D
pendelton21's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 11:01
pendelton21
And Harmonix sits back and watches their competition crash and burn...
Nethrazim's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 11:21
Nethrazim
God, 5 band titles in one year. The first guitar hero was inovative and fun, as well as GH 2 and 3. But now, Activision is just over-using the franchise to make more $$$. I hope they fail.
Timtoid's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 11:32
Timtoid
Band Hero? Seriously? That's essentially the McWhopper. *Facepalm*
Jon B's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 11:50
Jon B
Thank you for reminding me I was going to buy a Cowbell Hero T-Shirt.
Naim Master's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 12:11
Naim Master
Activison is the new EA ...
Chibicon's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 13:16
Chibicon
Oh, please Activision... cut the crap already!

The first titles were great and all, but repeating the same concept over and over and over makes you look bad and us, it will bore us to the death.

Not to mention the whole play mechanics were pretty much copied from earlier BEMANI titles like "Drummania", "Beatmania", "GuitarFreaks" and such. Konami did well with those titles but they made with japanese tastes and mind (Not to bash them anyway, 'cause I still think they had some interesting songs and stuff). So what we have here on the end, it's copied play mechanics from the past, new and old music playing over and over again but no innovation were it's most due.

Here are my two cents, use them as you please.
Darren Nakamura's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 14:12
Darren Nakamura
I really prefer the Harmonix model. I am much more likely to spend five bucks here and there on a few select songs than sixty bucks for a bunch I don't particularly want.
Chronic Logic's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 14:39
Chronic Logic
Why am I not surprised?
TheTaj's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 14:43
TheTaj
I'm not surprised either, Chronic Logic. Of course they're going to milk a profitable series. Brilliant from a business standpoint, retarded from a consumer's standpoint.
Syn's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 14:43
Syn
That's too bad. It would have been nice if Van Halen picked out some stuff that's as intense to plays as....fucking VAN HALEN. Fuck Weezer, and Blink 182! I'm tired of that shit.
Electro Lemon's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 15:48
Electro Lemon
Oh my god. They actually... overshot my prediction. Earlier this year, I claimed that there will have been 20 GH games in the market by the end of 2009.

There will be twenty-one.

Jesus, Activision. Calm down, already.
Calamansi's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2009 23:38
Calamansi
I will laugh at all of you DLC advocates when your hard drives fail and you can no longer recover the stuff you paid for because Xbox Live PSN have moved on to the new systems and no longer support backwards compatibility DLC.
Or what happens when your hard drive gets full? Then what?

DLC is foolish, I would much rather have a disc that is tangible. That way if I should want to play at a friends house I can grab the disc and go.

Sure they are saturating the market, it's capitalism. The way I see it it just means more choices, more songs.

To those who complain about having to change disc, I thought it was possible to copy games to your hard drive with a 360.

So sick of people complaining about "Too many GAMES!!!" No such thing.
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