First of all, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is the full, silly title for the third installment of the popular franchise. We won't be mad if you just refer to the game as Guitar Hero III and forget the Legends of Rock bit, because we already have.

Activision have also announced their exclusive partnership with Gibson Guitar Corp. today, and have revealed images of their new, wireless axe controller designs for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii.

The new PS2 controller will feature a black finish and is modeled after the popular Kramer guitar. The PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii will all be getting the slick white Les Paul. All of the guitars will feature removable faceplates, a feature that's not nearly as cool as say, a full drum kit, but it'll do.

Hit the jump for the full press release, which includes a listing of in-game guitars, and for you Wii fans ... check out the guitar! It uses the Wii remote! Isn't that fancy?

New Images of Gibson Les Paul and Kramer Shapes Unveiled

SUNNYVALE, CA - July 9, 2007 - Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced its exclusive partnership with Gibson Guitar Corp., the world's leading musical instrument manufacturer and leader in music technology.  As part of the agreement, Activision will feature Gibson's premium brands and shapes in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.  Offering fans of the wildly popular Guitar Hero™ franchise the deepest and most authentic axe-shredding experience ever, the strategic partnership will provide over 20 classic and modern Gibson guitars, and more than 80 finishes to select from and play in-game.  Also, for the first time ever, fans will have the unprecedented opportunity to thrash and burn with new wireless Gibson guitar controllers available for each platform.

Activision's partnering with Gibson Guitar furthers the companies strategic vision in leading the industry in new and innovative game opportunities for every demographic. Gibson has long been the leader in guitar manufacturing and recently has partnered with global companies to expand its brand presence across various lifestyles. Several brands in the Gibson family are offered in the new Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock game including Gibson, Epiphone and Kramer.

In-game battle axe options to unlock include the following:

Gibson:
·    ES-335
·    Explorer
·    Firebird
·    SG
·    Les Paul
·    V-Factor
·    Super CES400
·    Marauder
·    Corvus
 
Epiphone:
·    Casino
·    Coronet      
·    Sheraton
 
Kramer:
·    650                          
·    Vanguard   

Bass Guitars
·    Marauder                  
·    Corvus                      
·    Les Paul                   
·    LP Double Cutaway  
·    EDS 1275                  
·    ES335                      
·    Firebird                      
·    Flying V                      
·    Moderne                  
·    SG                          
·    X-Plorer                  

Guitar Hero fans will be able to rock out with new wireless guitar controllers for each platform.   Gibson Guitar's Les Paul model will be the battle axe of choice on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and Wii™.  After much anticipation, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system fans will also be receiving a new exclusive shape as well, the classic Kramer guitar, also a Gibson brand, popularized by hard rockers and known for its body design, pickups, electronics, and construction for furious finger fretting.  The exclusive Gibson guitars will include innovative features such as removable faceplates that will allow fans to personalize their guitars, and a new button color design will be integrated for an even greater authentic feel and rock experience.

"Our relationship with Activision began with the launch of Guitar Hero over two years ago. Since then the game has had phenomenal success and many other makers have tried to compete with its popularity," said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. "We have combined the power of Gibson with the power of Activision to produce one of the greatest games ever for consumers. We are sure game enthusiasts around the world will quickly make Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock a huge success."

"We're thrilled at our exclusive partnership with Gibson, and their presence as one of the most iconic and influential companies in the music industry wholly adds to the Guitar Hero rock star experience," said Dusty Welch, head of publishing at RedOctane.  "Also, being able to offer official Gibson shaped wireless guitar controllers for the first time on each platform, and to unlock a variety of the different models to play in-game, will provide our fans the incredible opportunity to truly shred like rock gods."

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will include an incredible number of new features and explosive content including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues.  Expanded online multiplayer game modes will also allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true legendary rock status.  While continuing to retain all the key features from their prior legendary performances, fresh downloadable content will be offered on multiple platforms, and players can now shred to a killer set list from many of the most popular rock songs ever recorded.  Delivering an unprecedented number of master tracks than ever before, strategic partnerships have been secured with all the major and independent record labels and music publishers to allow unrivaled access to their deep history of music catalogs, along with supplying artists' original recordings for even greater authenticity.