Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Message Board older than one year ago

If you were looking for a video clip that best summarizes what Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is all about, look no further. Basically, you've got rockers transforming into warriors. Oh, and there's, like, music and stuff.

#clips Soundgarden's album Telephantasm will be inside the first million copies of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock on September 28, so someone felt obligated to include the game in this animated video for the previously unreleased song "Black Rain." More »

Activision this morning revealed an incentive for Metallica slash Guitar Hero fans to pick up the forthcoming Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock in the game's first week launch window: the ability to import 39 of the former game's 49 tracks into the latter game for free. Like Guitar Hero 5, Band Hero, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, some of the songs in Guitar Hero: Metallica will be importable into the forthcoming rhythm game release.

After the week is up on October 5, the import will cost 480 MS Points / $4.99 / 600 Wii Points, tying it for first place with Guitar Hero 5 for most expensive import cost. We've broken down the track listing from GH: Metallica that will be available for import into Warriors of Rock (39 of 49 songs) after the break.

For one week only, buy Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock and import your Guitar Hero Metallica tracks for free.

DS and Wii integration isn't new to the Guitar Hero series, but in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, roadies on the DS can greater affect what's going on in the Wii game. There are also expanded modes for budding roadies, which you can see for yourself by schlepping on past the break.

Facebook and Twitter integration is far from the most exciting advancement made in gaming this generation. But, it's a feature that Wii has yet been privy too. That changes with the upcoming Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. Speaking to Nintendojo, Vicarious Visions producer Joe Fisher proclaimed that "we are the first Wii title to support social networking sites, with Facebook and Twitter."

Elaborating further, he says that you'll be able to broadcast various in-game accomplishments. Making up for Nintendo's lack of a unified achievement system, the developer has decided to create its own, which connects with the social networking sites. "We've also incorporated a Wii award system, so when you do specific challenges in the game, you get credited for an award. You can share those with your online friends as well." Considering the arcade focus of the upcoming game, we're certain hardcore Guitar Hero fans will appreciate being able to share bragging rights on the Wii as well.

One hour. Ten songs. Our thoughts.

Leery of this fall's literal interpretation of the "Guitar Hero" franchise? In an attempt to assuage your skepticism, Activision has wisely released the Warriors of Rock demo on Xbox Live today. The sampling unlocks "Johnny Napalm's chapter," allowing you to upgrade the literal hero in advance of his quest to save the Demigod of Rock (pictured; with his literal axe). Surprisingly, you still use a plastic guitar to play songs in the game. The demo features the following:

• Dethklok - "Bloodlines"
• Black Sabbath - "Children of the Grave"
• Foo Fighters - "No Way Back"
• Slash featuring Ian Astbury - "Ghosts"

Additionally, the DJ Hero 2 demo is expected on Xbox Live Marketplace today (though it's currently missing from the service) and features the following mixes:

• "American Boy" (by Estelle featuring Kanye West) mixed with "Good Times" (by Chic)
• "Don't Cha" (by Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes) mixed with "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" (by Pitbull)
• "Bounce" (Battle Mix) (by MSTRKRFT featuring N.O.R.E.)
• "Just Dance" (by Lady Gaga featuring Colby O'Donis ) mixed with "Ghosts N Stuff" (by Deadmau5)

As usual, both demos are exclusive to Xbox Live Gold subscribers for one week. (Silver members can today download the R.U.S.E. and Vanquish demos.) Historically, all Hero-brand demos have been exclusive to Xbox Live, and today's demos are not expected for release on PSN when the service updates later today.

#demo Activision pimps its two upcoming rhythm games today with four-song demos for DJ Hero 2 and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, featuring music from Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Black Sabbath, and Dethklok. Not all at once, of course. More »

Multiple transformation videos here More character art and screens here Axel Steel: Determined to unearth the cryptic origins of Metal, Axel has toured long across the globe studying the ways of the ancients. But the ancients have plans for him as well… Warrior Axel Steel: Axel emerges as an embodiment of the undying nature of rock. His music [...]

Get to know the warriors with these images of the main characters.

Worried that Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock had forgotten about one of rock and roll's primary warriors, Megadeth's Dave Mustaine? Fear not! Megadeth -- and a new song made just for Warriors of Rock, titled "Sudden Death" -- will be present when the game ships on September 28.

You already know that buying Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock will net you the Soundgarden album, Telephantasm.* But did you know that pre-ordering the game from either Amazon or GameStop will net you real-world totems that proudly proclaim to friends and family that you were unwilling to miss out on Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock on day one?

If you go the brick-and-mortar route with GameStop you'll get an exclusive pair of "wings" for your axe, seen above on the left. Pre-ordering at Amazon guarantees an exclusive custom guitar strap designed by My Chemical Romance. If it follows in the proud tradition of other things designed by My Chemical Romance, such as their name and their music, you can sign us up.

*As an aside: Activision touts this as "the first time a new music album will be simultaneously released and bundled with a video game, and will be exclusively available with the game for one week prior to the album's retail release." Once we have reached that level of specificity, is it really still a "milestone"? If so, this morning marks "the first time we've written about Soundgarden while wearing the blue plaid sweatpants we like so much." Please update your diaries accordingly.

#music This is the complete setlist of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. Ninety-three songs total will come on disc this Fall. More »

Get ready for 90 bone-crunching songs.

We've got to hand it to the recently revealed Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock setlist -- there are more than a few tasty tracks in the series' next installment. Still, as excited as we are to faux-pluck our way through Styx's "Renegade," we can't help but question a few of the songs therein. Not that they're bad songs, per se, but ... well, we can't really envision R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe as a "Warrior of Rock," you know? We imagine him wearing spiked pauldrons, and it just doesn't do anything for us.

Check out the full 93-song setlist just past the jump.

For better or for worse, Neversoft has decided to go a very different direction with the Guitar Hero franchise from its competitor, Rock Band. In an interview with Develop, project director Brian Bright explained that the the stark difference between the two games is intentional. "Rather than go head-to-head with our own games and our competitors, we decided we wanted to make something different."

Being tasked with developing three games in the Hero franchise simultaneously -- Band Hero, Guitar Hero Metallica and Guitar Hero 5 -- was a drain on the team's creativity, Bright admits. "We did make quite a few games last year ... But the release of all those games split the marketing team's focus, it split our studio's focus." The upcoming Warriors of Rock, however, represents a newfound yearning to go back to the franchise's origins, and deliver a game for "the core audience," the kind of gamer that loves guitar music, and has already mastered the plastic guitar. "The core has got to a pretty high level, so we really want to up the challenge." Developing a game that even franchise stalwarts would find difficult would set the game apart from the upcoming Rock Band 3.

It's somewhat fitting that Neversoft is paying homage to the franchise's origins, considering Warriors of Rock is supposedly the last Neversoft-developed Guitar Hero game. But will it be the end of the franchise? No way. "I think it's a given that there will be a Guitar Hero game every year," Bright said, perhaps relieved that his studio won't be tasked with that burden. Who knows? We may even learn more about the team's new shooter before Guitar Hero 7 finds its way to store shelves.

#music You might have seen them in other rhythm games, but Queensrÿche, Tesla, Neil Young, and eight other artists are making their Guitar Hero debut in Warriors of Rock this fall. More »

The only place Neil Young and The Dillinger Escape Plan will share a stage.

Yesterday we talked all about the North American release date for Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. That information came from an Activision phone conference, but what about the release date for our good friends in Europe? When do those guys and gals get to rock out? Thankfully, we do have that date [...]

1.)A Perfect Circle - “The Outsider” 2.)Aerosmith - “Cryin’” 3.)AFI - “Dancing Through Sunday” 4.)Alice Cooper - “No More Mr. Nice Guy” 5.)Alter Bridge - “Ties That Bind” 6.)Anberlin - “Feel Good Drag” 7.)Anthrax – “Indians” 8.)Arch Enemy - “Nemesis” 9.)Atreyu - “Ravenous” 10.)Avenged Sevenfold – “Bat Country” 11.)Bad Brains - “Re-Ignition (Live)” 12.)Band Of Skulls - “I Know What I Am” 13.)Black Sabbath - [...]

Anxious to get your hands on Activision's werething-infused rock-em-up, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock? Activision revealed a launch date for the game during its annual investors call last night: September 28 (September 24 in the UK). For those of you keeping score at home, that's a full month before the arrival of its competitor, Rock Band 3, which is set to launch on October 26.

Outside of being compatible with "your existing Guitar Hero music library," Warriors of Rock adds 95 new tracks into the mix, including re-recordings from Alice Cooper and The Runaways. Additionally, if you're one of the first million to purchase the game in North America, you get a free Soundgarden album.

AFI – “Dancing Through Sunday” Alice Cooper – “No More Mr. Nice Guy”
 Alter Bridge – “Ties That Bind” Anthrax – “Indians” Atreyu – “Ravenous” Avenged Sevenfold – “Bat Country” Bad Brains – “Re-Ignition (Live)” Black Sabbath – “Children of the Grave” Blue Öyster Cult – “Burnin’ For You”
 Bush – “Machinehead”
 Buzzcocks – “What do I Get?” Children of Bodom – “If you Want Peace, [...]

Here's how out of touch we are with the music world: we get our music news from game industry announcements. We had no idea that Soundgarden was reuniting, nor that the group was releasing a retrospective album, Telephantasm, in October. Now you know about it too! Pretend you didn't already so we don't feel lame.

Here's what you may not have already heard: Activision is giving away the album with the first million North American copies of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. In fact, buying the game will allow you to get the CD a week before it's released elsewhere! Not only that, copies of the game that include the CD also include vouchers for the whole album as Guitar Hero DLC.

Cool musical bonuses like this are likely to do much more to pique interest in the latest Guitar Hero game than, say, pig monsters.

Telephantasm available a week early with the game.