'Guitar Hero: Aerosmith' Coming in June Says Activision

Remember last week when we mentioned that Activision would be releasing two new Guitar Hero titles as well as their plans for Guitar Hero IV? Today we got word that one of the titles will be hitting stores sooner than we thought, and it is not something you would expect. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith will be the new title, and lead guitarist Joe Perry kind of let the cat out of the bag last Summer when he mentioned a GH tribute during an interview. Of course, we were unsure if this was confirmed or just Joe talking nonsense about Activision dedicating a game solely to his band, but the proof of this rumor came today via a press release from Activision.

In celebration of this monumental occasion, Activision will be offering free DLC February 16-18 on XBL and PSN. What is this free DLC? Why Aerosmith’s huge hit “Dream On” for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. I suppose after the 18th it will cost you, so you better log on today and get it free while you can, because to be honest with you, I could think of other Aerosmith songs I would rather spend my Microsoft Points on than this one.

This latest installment from the franchise puts players in the shoes of Perry (lead-guitar), Brad Whitford (rhythm-guitar) and Tom Hamilton (bass), as they rock out alongside frontman Steven Tyler and drummer Joey Kramer. Gamers will get to experience Aerosmith’s Grammy winning career, from their first gig to becoming rock royalty. I take it then that you will start out in a garage in Boston and eventually move into football stadium sized venues - at least that is the impression I got from the press release, so don’t take my word on that one. You will however be able to see all members of the band do their signature moves on the screen.

This is what Steven and Joe had to say about being immortalized once more in a video game, although this time around, in Guitar Hero fashion:

“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’ 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.”

While for Aerosmith fans this is great news, and for the bands sake, I hope it sells well for them. It makes you wonder - if this does indeed sell well, will other band exclusive GH titles be released in the future? My “dream” band exclusive GH title would be Led Zeppelin - and with Jimmy Page being the money grubbing pagan that he is, one would think he would sell his soul to become immortalized once more for fans. Wait, I forgot, Satan already has dibs on his soul. Regardless, if he would sell out “Kashmir” to P. Diddy and “Rock n Roll” to Cadillac then why not Activision and Red Octane?

The actual release date for Guitar Hero: Aerosmith will be June 30th and pre-orders are being taken now. The set list has not been released yet, so check back often for updates. You can read the full press release after the break.

Epic Collaboration Creates First Music-Based Game to Feature One Band
Free Download of “Dream On” Offered to Commemorate Alliance

Santa Monica, CA – February 15, 2008 – Fire up the fret board, crank the amp to 11 and get ready to rock this way with Activision, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero®: Aerosmith®, the first game built around the legendary music of America’s Greatest Rock ‘N Roll Band: Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer. 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 Perry (guitar), Whitford (guitar) and Hamilton (bass), as they rock out alongside frontman Tyler and drummer Kramer. Gamers will experience Aerosmith’s GRAMMY® 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 Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®Store for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. 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.”

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