Guitar Hero(R) 5 to Empower Fans to Rock the way They Want With the Biggest Artists...

* Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.

Mon May 18, 2009 8:30am EDT

Guitar Hero(R) 5 to Empower Fans to Rock the way They Want With the Biggest
Artists and Widest Array of Today's Rock Tunes and Classic Hits

The White Stripes, Kings of Leon, The Rolling Stones, Santana and Johnny Cash
Among the Artists Featured in Guitar Hero 5

Innovative Social and Competitive Gameplay Features Designed for All Levels of
Expertise, Puts More Fun and Control in the Hands of Music Lovers

SANTA MONICA, May 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Guitar Hero continues to
re-define the music and gaming experience this Fall with the release of Guitar
Hero 5.  Featuring the best variety and biggest rock stars of today combined
with classic rock anthems, Guitar Hero 5 is the latest installment of the
world's most popular music game.  For the first time ever, players can
customize the make-up of their band by rocking with any combination of
instruments in-game: whether it be two guitars and two drums, or three guitars
and a microphone, any combination is possible, allowing players to experience
music their own way.  Brand new, innovative, easy-to-use gameplay modes like
Party Play and RockFest put fun, competition and control at center stage as
fans tailor the Guitar Hero experience to match their personal style and
interests.  For extended hours of entertainment, downloadable content from
Guitar Hero(R) World Tour will be compatible with the game and will
automatically be updated to include all of the upgrades and enhancements of
Guitar Hero 5.*    

Guitar Hero 5 features the strongest, most varied set list to-date comprised
of master tracks from 85 of the hottest bands of today and the biggest classic
acts including; Kings of Leon, The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Santana,
Vampire Weekend, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, plus more than 25 artists
from a variety of music genres that will be making their music video game
debut. 
 
"Guitar Hero is the music platform for today because it celebrates the social
nature of music and brings fans closer to the music and artists they love
while allowing them to share and discover music with their friends, family and
online communities," said Dan Rosensweig, president and chief executive
officer of Guitar Hero.

Among the first-time-ever features of Guitar Hero 5 are: Party Play, where
players can jump in or drop out of gameplay seamlessly; RockFest, a
comprehensive competitive experience available featuring five new head-to-head
modes playable online or in your living room; and the ability to play the
entire set-list from the first time the game is turned on. 

Guitar Hero 5 refines the player experience, enhances the art style and
redesigns core features such as GHMusic Studio(SM), making it the most
accessible, fun-to-play and authentic experience for seasoned music gamers as
well as first-time players.  New innovations such as Band Moments, where bands
are rewarded for hitting special note streams together and song challenges
where gamers are tasked to play through a song a specific way, add a new
competitive layer of excitement and accomplishment to the music rhythm genre. 

Published by Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), Guitar Hero 5 is
being developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360(R) video game and
entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment
system, and by Vicarious Visions for the Wii(TM) system from Nintendo.  Budcat
is developing Guitar Hero 5 for the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment
system.  The game is not yet rated by the ESRB.  For more information about
Guitar Hero 5, please visit GuitarHero.com

*Does not apply to a limited number of songs

About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a
leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive
entertainment and leisure products. 

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom,
France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands and Australia.
 More information about Activision and its products can be found on the
company's website, www.activision.com. 

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(C) 2009 Activision Publishing, Inc. Guitar Hero, Activision and RedOctane are
registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.  All other trademarks and
trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights
reserved.

"PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony
Computer Entertainment America Inc.  Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and
the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Wii and
Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo.  (C) 2006 Nintendo.  All rights
reserved.


SOURCE  Activision Publishing, Inc.

Natalie Salzman DaRosa, Guitar Hero PR Manager, +1-424-744-5732,
ndarosa@redoctane.com, for Activision Publishing, Inc.
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