Activision launches Aerosmith-only "Guitar Hero"
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Aerosmith fans can finally get their chance to step into the shoes of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry as video game developer Activision Inc (ATVI.O) released its Guitar Hero: Aerosmith game on Friday.
Dozens flocked to the Hard Rock restaurant in Times Square to see the legendary five-member rock band debut the game and try out the latest Guitar Hero addition.
Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford even brought his sons to take a look at the band's creation.
The game features 30 of the band's most notable hits such as "Love in an Elevator" and "Sweet Emotion." It also includes songs from various artists Aerosmith performed and collaborated with over the years, including Run D.M.C.'s "Walk This Way" and "I Hate Myself for Loving You" by Joan Jett.
There is even a special guitar controller emblazoned with the band's red-and-white logo for hard core fans.
The game and guitar controller bundle for Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) Xbox 360, Sony Corp's (6758.T) PlayStation3 and Nintendo Co Ltd's (7974.OS) Wii sells for $99.99, with an additional PlayStation2 version for $89.99. The game is also sold individually for each of the consoles and costs $59.99 and $49.99, respectively.
The Aerosmith game is the first Guitar Hero edition that focuses on an individual rock band. The previous three versions of the game featured various rock music genres that ranged from grunge, classic rock, metal, punk and '80s hits.
"This is an experiment for us," said Charles Huang, co-founder of Activision's RedOctane unit, which oversees the Guitar Hero franchise. "There are certain artists that have so much great music like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen ... but we wanted to do something much bigger."
The Santa Monica, California-based company said Aerosmith's vast collection of rock hits and elite status in the music industry made the band the ideal choice for the new game.
"There's only a handful of bands that have that longevity," Huang said.
During the game's creation, band members spent two weeks performing in a motion capture studio in order for their video game figures to move exactly as the group performs on stage.
Activision is set to come out with a Metallica Guitar Hero edition in 2009, but declined to specify what month the game will be released.
The company will also release Guitar Hero: World Tour during the Christmas season, which will include a drum set and microphone in addition to the guitar controller. This version will rival Activision's biggest competitor "Rock Band," produced by Viacom Inc's MTV unit (VIAb.N) and Electronic Arts Inc ERTS.O.
(Reporting by Jennifer Martinez; editing by Nichola Groom and Andre Grenon)
