Video Games

Video Games

Leaked Concept Art For The METALLICA Video Game That Never Was

Metallica-Game

Metallica love licensing their name to crap, whether it be a Monopoly game or an upcoming 3D movie. Back in 2003, right before their epic fail St. Anger came out, their label arranged a licensing deal for a video game that would a "post-apocalyptic racing game," basically be a Twisted Metal ripoff. The game was never released, but they were so serious about it that some versions of St. Anger even came with a teaser trailer for the game. Today, some concept drawings were also released. Check out the teaser and some of the concepts after the jump: (more…)

A/V Video Games

This Guy Made Air Drums A Reality

YouTube Preview Image

Move over Rock Band and Guitar Hero. This is some next level shit. Meet Maayan Migdal. Migdal had a vision – record air drums. Looks like he achieved his goal. Migdal used an Audrino board, an open source electronic board, installed some sensors into psuedo-drum sticks and flip flops and BOOM! MIDI controlled air drums. Check out the video where he gives an explanation of how he did it. Kudos to you, fine nerd.

Video Games

Rest In Peace GUITAR HERO; It Was Fun While It Lasted

What a difference a few years makes. Four years ago, there was no bigger fad in music than the Guitar Hero fascination. Everybody either owned the game themselves, or would constantly hang out with friends who had it. Bars had Guitar Hero nights. Musical instrument sales surged from a renewed interest from the younger generations. Dragonforce got a whole career in the United States strictly off their track being the hardest song to beat, and just like that it's all done.

Yesterday, Activision, the makers of the game, announced that the franchise would be discontinued saying “due to continued declines in the music genre, the company will disband Activision Publishing’s Guitar Hero business unit and discontinue development on its Guitar Hero game for 2011.”

No more Guitar Hero games! Good riddance. Let's be honest here, how much more game could they suck out of the Guitar Hero teet? Where was there left to go? I've been writing for over a year about how over it I am, and most of you agreed with me. The fad is over. I still think the game is a great way for people who have never picked up a musical instrument before to ease into playing, but there is no need for new yearly iterations. There is no need to be sad though, everybody involved made their money and cashed out.

The future doesn't look too bright for Rock Band either, as the development company Harmonix was recently sold by MTV Games (the distributor of the game) for $20 million, with Harmonix also recently dealing with some heavy layoffs. Ouch!

A/V Video Games

Guitar Hero + Fire = Awesome

YouTube Preview Image

I'm pretty much over the Guitar Hero type videogames, but I still appreciate a good hack. Gizmodo explains:

The twisted brainchild of Chris Marion, interfaces a Guitar Hero guitar with a microcontroller, which in turn powers relays that activate solenoid valves on five fire poofers. That's when AC/DC and Motley Crue get combustible.

So basically, it's a dude with a ton of free time on his hands. Watch a second video (of Motley Crue) after the jump and check out Chris' detailed instructions on how you can pull this off yourself right here. (more…)

Video Games

A Closer Look At ROCK BAND 3's "Pro" Instruments

Over the summer, we posted initial details on Rock Band 3, which excited even the most jaded of music-based video game fans (read: Me). The game would introduce a "Pro" mode, with new peripherals, that are designed like real guitars/drums/keyboards, that can help you actually learn how to play guitar. Now, a new extended trailer has now surfaced giving further detail into how the pro-mode of the game will work. Between this and the instrument review I just read on Gizmodo, I may actually be into buying this game. It seems to have surprised me. If you find yourself thinking the same thing, but fear for what your friends might say, just point them to this comic.

Video Games

Is this what the GUITAR HEROs and ROCK BANDs of the future will look like?

YouTube Preview Image

While we may feel indifferent about current iterations of Rock Band and Guitar Hero, I have to say this clip gets me excited again. Just to be clear, this does not yet exist. It was simply some wishful thinking. But, oh how sweet it would be. We just need to perfect 3D already!

Video Games

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock 93 Song Setlist Announced; Quest Mode Explained

YouTube Preview Image

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is expected to be released September 28th, and with that, lots of details are surfacing. For one, the makers of the game have released the above video explaining the "quest mode" of the game. They tried really hard to create a story and a purpose for the game, and the overall theme and visuals do look pretty cool. Today, the entire setlist from the game leaked and there is a sold amount of metal featured in the game. Some songs are pretty interesting; there are tracks from the Dillinger Escape Plan, Arch Enemy, Pantera and Slipknot. That's certainly impressive. Suddenly, I am reconsidering my opinion that I am over music-based video games. Here is the full list: (more…)

Marketing Genius Video Games

Fake Guitars Dropped Into a Real Volcano

YouTube Preview Image

The above video is a great example of viral marketing. You should probably watch it before reading the rest of this entry. As I began watching this, I thought, hey, that's a lot of guitars. And a plane? Damn, these kids have a lot of free time on their hands. Then, I started thinking: where the hell did they get the money for this? Flying planes isn't cheap. And, then the video ended and it all made sense. This intriguing clip was just a giant ad for 6-string video game peripherals. That's right, a guitar compatible with Rock Band and Guitar Hero that has actual strings. If this is something that excites you, visit their official site.

Video Games

Remember that Metalocalypse XBox Arcade Game? Well forget about it!

About a year ago we posted about an 8-bit like Dethklok game which would be downloaded via XBox Arcade. At the time, the game was still in development and was scheduled to be released in the Fall. Everybody forgot about it and now word is coming out that the game will never see the light of day. The reason? It sucked! (more…)

Video Games

ROCK BAND 3: More details on the Pro Guitar

A few days ago, we talked about the initial details of the new "pro" system in the Rock Band 3 game. If you missed my thorough recap, basically, they are introducing a new level of gameplay called "Pro" which will require new controllers and will be more akin to actually playing guitar or drums. Activision released the above photo of what the Pro guitar looks like.

Also, if you have your own MIDI guitars or drums you can use them to play the game. You just need to buy a $40 converter which would have all the additional controls you need (Start button, etc). Further photos can be seen over at Engadet.

Besides that, USA Today has posted this video walkthrough of what the pro guitar gaming will be like…

YouTube Preview Image

Certainly, this brings the game to a whole new level of gameplay. I am really curious to actually try it out. And this is coming from somebody who was completely jaded about these type of games a few weeks ago. How do you guys feel about it?

Video Games

ROCK BAND 3 adds keyboards, "Pro" levels & some serious improvements to gaming

A few days ago we discussed how Guitar Hero was trying to reinvent itself, but that is nothing compared to what the makers of Rock Band 3 have in mind. The fine folks at USA Today were able to capture the above video and post not one but two separate articles about all the new features in the game. Here is a quick rundown of three of the more interesting features in the game: (more…)

Video Games

GUITAR HERO: Warriors of Rock details revealed (Brand new MEGADETH song to be finale, New custom guitars)

Remember Guitar Hero guys? Remember how awesome it was a mere few years ago. The craze was sweeping the nation/ So much so, we got four bands to compete in our first-and-only Guitar Hero Gauntlet. It was all the rage! Nowadays, my plastic guitars are collecting dust. I haven't touched a guitar video game since GH:Metallica. A recent poll we did on the site shows at least some of you are still into the games, so this is for you…

Activision, the owners of the franchise, have announced the next game in the series: Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, out this September. Unlike previous Guitar Heros, where you just storm through a playlist, this game will feature a "Quest mode", or a story mode. You will be lead by Gene Simmons on a journey from CBGBs to uhh volcanos or something? Basically, there are some fancy animations between the songs you play now. (more…)

Video Games

Are you over Guitar Hero & Rock Band?

A recent article on Blabbermouth states that sales of music-based video games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band is "down 36 percent in 2009 from the previous year, with copies sold plunging from over 25 million units in 2008 to less than 16 million last year. While the business earned $1.6 billion in 2008, it made less than $900 million just 12 months later." Boo hoo, right? Personally, I am completely over the gaming craze. Unless I am incredibly drunk at a party and somebody just happens to load up their guitar game, I am not picking this game up. I'm over it. Which got me thinking, am I the only one? So I ask you loyal junkies to let me know your opinion on Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Are you still into them?

Video Games

MEGADETH's Rust In Peace coming to Rock Band

On the heels of MEGADETH announcing they will be playing their seminal classic, Rust In Peace in it's entirety on the road this March, video gaming site Kotaku reports that a download pack of the entire album is coming to Rock Band. Time to dust off those guitars and drum kits and bring them back out to play all the classics!

The album is available for the 360 and Wii on Tuesday (February 9), and for PS3 on Thursday (February 11). There are nine tracks in all, and they'll be available for $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU, or 160 Microsoft Points or 200 Wii Points per track. The whole album is $14.99, £7.49 UK, €10.99 EU or 1200 Microsoft Points.

In the meantime, here is Dave Mustaine trying to play Hangar 18 on Guitar Hero II… (more…)

Video Games

SLIPKNOT download pack coming to ROCK BAND

Slipknot

Rock Band recently expanded it's downloadable library to over 1000 songs, and they can now add SLIPKNOT to that ginormous library. Next week, a new Slipknot pack "Psychosocial", "Duality" and "Sulfur". The tracks come out December 8 on Xbox 360 and Wii and December 10 on Playstation 3. It's pretty interesting that they went with newer songs and not something off their first album.

« Older Entries