Those following the Guitar Hero franchise would've heard rumors about Activision planning on special editions of the game being associated with certain high-profile rock bands. Well, now it's official. Activsion has announced Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, the first game built around one of the most popular rock bands, is being released for the 360, PS3, Wii & PS2. Now you can rock to the legendary music of the much proclaimed "America's Greatest Rock 'N Roll Band".
Slated for release this June, this latest installment from the franchise with the #1 best-selling video game in 2007, puts players in the shoes of Joe Perry (guitar), Brad Whitford (guitar) and Tom Hamilton (bass), as they rock out alongside frontman Steven Tyler and drummer Joey Kramer. Activision claims gamers will experience Aerosmith's GRAMMY(R) winning career, from their first gig to becoming rock royalty, in a way that no other entertainment vehicle offers.
To celebrate this historic, ground-breaking collaboration, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock fans will have the opportunity to download and jam to Aerosmith's "Dream On." The song will be available for free from February 16-18 on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360 and PSN Store for the PS3. For more information, please visit www.guitarhero.com.
"Having a game built around Aerosmith has been a huge honor and really a great experience for us," says Joe Perry. "We've put a lot of ideas into the game so that fans can have fun interacting with our music, getting inside our body of work and learning about the band's history."
Steven Tyler says, "Any band that can go from 'Don't Want to Miss A Thing' (Aerosmith's #1 smash hit) to the ass-kicking 'Sweet Emotion' to the cheekiness of 'Love in an Elevator,' to the classic ballad 'Dream On' shows why Activision chose us to headline this game based on the diversity of the Aerosmith catalog. Not only is songwriting a bitch, but then it goes and has puppies."
Perry adds, "On a larger scale, it's cool for us to be pioneers helping to rebuild the music industry through a format like video games. It's great for rock since the record companies are struggling to make sense of how things are changing. Fans want to get and experience music in new formats--and there are going to be some of them who will play the game, then pick up the guitar for real and start bands. It's what's happening now, and it's only going to build more momentum in the future. It's a massive change for the music business."
"We are extremely excited that Aerosmith chose to team up with Guitar Hero, bringing one of the world's all-time best-selling artists together with one of the biggest video game brands, to deliver a new and unique interactive way for our customers to connect with artists and their music," said Dusty Welch, head of publishing for Activision/RedOctane. "This partnership will give Aerosmith, a band that has sold more than 150 million albums worldwide, a powerful and innovative platform to reach their fans and new audiences."
"Guitar Hero: Aerosmith brings these quintessential rock legends to the interactive realm to create the ultimate gaming experience. As fans progress through their careers in the game, they can rock out to scores of Aerosmith's greatest hits, as well as songs from celebrated artists that the band has either performed with or has been inspired by in some way. Venues from historical moments during the band's illustrious career offer the experience of "sweet emotion" and further capture the essence of the band's rise to fame." says Activision.
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is being developed by Neversoft for the Xbox 360 & the PS3. The Wii version is being developed by Vicarious Visions & the PlayStation 2 version by Budcat. No information on pricing has been revealed.
