Guitar Hero II for Xbox 360 Box Art and Bundle

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Wireless not dead yet for 360 version?

http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/01/red_octane_not_.html

Two Wired News reporters caught up with a Red Octane employee on the CES show floor today, and found out that the Guitar Hero publisher hasn't yet given up on the dream of a wireless guitar controller for the Xbox 360. Currently, the game features a wired controller. But what we're hearing is that -- contrary to the official PR line -- it's red tape issues with Microsoft that's holding up the wireless, and they're hoping to work it out before the game's March release. And if they can't, says our source, they might push forward with an unlicensed peripheral just like they did with PlayStation 2. Nyko will release an unlicensed wireless Xbox 360 controller this year, so we know it's possible.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

If they can go with unlicensed, why don't they? Wouldn't that be patent infringement or somesuch anticonsumerism no the proprietary wifi protocol? And if they're allowed, wouldn't that open the possibility of lots of unofficial peripherals?

 

[Martin Eddy]

Don't 360 peripherals have some sort of security chip in them so as to stop non licensed accessories?

 

[assen]

Wouldn't that be patent infringement or somesuch anticonsumerism no the proprietary wifi protocol?

This is "anti-consumer". Anti-consumerism is where you burn down McDonalds' and buy nothing on Buy Nothing Day

 

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April 3rd

get ready to rock

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ACTIVISION ANNOUNCES GUITAR HERO II FOR THE XBOX 360 IS READY TO ROCK

Make Sure the Neighbors are Warned, It’s Gonna Get Loud!


Sunnyvale, CA – March 16, 2006 – Get ready to crank up the speakers once again, as Activision’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero II™ prepares for its highly anticipated world tour onto next-gen videogame consoles by announcing it has gone green, and is now ready for production on the Microsoft Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Featuring a fresh and expanded set list of over 70 finger-melting fret burners, including 10 exclusive tracks for the Xbox 360, Guitar Hero II turns it up with a variety of deafening rock venues, HD remodeled characters, unlockable guitars, and different gameplay modes. Also, for the first time in the Guitar Hero franchise, competitive rockthusiasts will be able to go online to compare their scores and view how they rank through an intuitive online leaderboard, as well as download exciting content on Xbox Live Marketplace® such as gamer themes, picture packs, and most importantly, a consistent stream of new tracks.

“With all the new content and features we’re adding for our initial launch onto next-gen systems, Guitar Hero II on the Xbox 360 is definitely going to rock harder than ever,†said Dusty Welch, head of publishing at RedOctane. “Our online initiative is going to provide an incredible opportunity for our fans to extend the gameplay experience, and we have ambitious ideas to continue to fully support these efforts.â€

Guitar Hero II, published by RedOctane®, is rated T for Teen by the ESRB and is scheduled to rock on the Xbox 360 on April 3rd. Pre-orders are now available, with a free Guitar Hero gig bag, through RedOctane’s online store: www.redoctane.com/store.html.

For more information about Guitar Hero II, please visit the dedicated community site: www.guitarherogame.com.


About Activision:
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.47 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2006.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Australia, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.

 

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Early reviews

 

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more reviews are up now

[FONT=Tahoma,Helvetica,Arial]94.6% with Six reviews[/FONT]

 

[TheChefO]

wow

Seems to be very well done...

(wireless!! )

 

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Blim has screens and a vid playing Co-op Sweet Child of Mine

http://www.xboxyde.com/news_4134_en.html

 

[expletive]

I played Sweet child o mine in Best Buy 2 days ago, what a rush.

For those who are looking for an extra guitar, gamestop inc. seems to be completely oblivious to their existence so I pre-ordered one at amazon.

 

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IGN review

IGN review

9.5 Presentation
Musical themes are expertly woven into the very fabric of the game. Great options for everyone from beginners to experts.
7.0 Graphics
Better than the PS2 version, but nothing special. Flashing lights can cause dizziness.
9.5 Sound
A few covers are a bit off, but the whole package is simply superb. Reworked audio makes it even better than the PS2 version.
9.0 Gameplay
Simple, addictive, and universally fun.
9.5 Lasting Appeal
With downloadable tracks and a boatload of songs, this game will keep on giving.
9.4
Outstanding OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)

 

[quest55720]

I went to buy it saturday and it was sold out every where in my area walmarts, gamestops, targets ect. I ended up ordering it from the red octane web site. Anyone have any idea how fast they are about shipping? Sucks having to wait for payday then to get stone walled.

 

[Sis]

I went to buy it saturday and it was sold out every where in my area walmarts, gamestops, targets ect. I ended up ordering it from the red octane web site. Anyone have any idea how fast they are about shipping? Sucks having to wait for payday then to get stone walled.

Same here. We had a snow storm come through on the release day so I didn't make it to Best Buy in time. By the next day it was sold out everywhere. Fortunately, Amazon still had it.

This game rocks by the way.

 

[expletive]

So many people are playing this now i'm actually missing Live play more than I thought I would. That said, the game is an absolute blast and 2 guitars is a lot more fun than I even thought it would be.

For people having a tough time finding a 2nd guitar (and want one), Gamestop will take the game only as a trade in for $25. They have a promo going on where you can get an additional 30% towards a trade-in if its towards Halo 3 which puts the value at about $33. That means $57 for a guitar if you pay $90 for it and were going to buy Halo 3 anyways...

My preorder at amazon seemed to have been sitting in an infinite holding pattern and i didnt feel like waiting.

 

[AlNom]

It's too bad the PS2 guitar didn't use USB. Even though the buttons are different, I'm sure it wouldn't be a huge deal to map them accordingly in the software...

 

[Diamond.G]

Dlc 4 Ghii

Gamingbits has some info on the extra tracks. I am thinking we are getting the shaft...

 

[AlNom]

yikes... I hope they release a full set that'll be comparable in price... Do they feature co-op or do they play exactly like they did in GH?

 

[Diamond.G]

yikes... I hope they release a full set that'll be comparable in price... Do they feature co-op or do they play exactly like they did in GH?

I haven't heard a yes or a no. I found the link while looking at AVSforum.

 

[zed]

i guessing this is gonna be one of the 3 best sellers of the year ( + number one, ie more than gta4, based on actual money spent ), as ive said multiple times this is the sort of game a lot of ppl want

 

[Corwin_B]

i guessing this is gonna be one of the 3 best sellers of the year ( + number one, ie more than gta4, based on actual money spent ), as ive said multiple times this is the sort of game a lot of ppl want

Price of entry is pretty high, though. I think it will sell very well, but part of the popularity of GH1&2 on the PS2 is in the low cost of the console, just like for Singstar or Buzz.

Anyway, got it last week (couldn't play this weekend because of family visit), and it's a blast to play, just like the first one. Presentation is excellent, and I like the selection of tracks.