Keep yourself calm until this set-list for Guitar Hero: World Tour is confirmed folks, otherwise you will blow a gasket like I did when I saw Tool on the list.

Some of the songs listed are a bit too good to be true in my humble opinion, not that they are false, but until Activision says otherwise just keep your fingers crossed.

OMG OMG OMG!! TOOL! (calm down Steffy, calm down)

Eagle Rock High School Tour:
“Dope Nose” by Weezer
“The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World
Encore: “Today” by Smashing Pumpkins (yay!)

Big City Kids Tour:
“Roland” by Interpol
“Santeria” By Sublime
Encore: “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers (hooray!)

Feelin’ Nostalgic Tour:
“Take It on the Run” by REO Speedwagon
“Hold the Line” by Toto
Encore: “Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol (this one has already been confirmed via the video)

Vixens Tour:
“Heartbreaker” by Pat Benatar (her best)
“All Around Me” by Flyleaf
Encore:”Misery Business” by Paramore

Undertow Tour: (omg omg Tool!!!!)
“Stinkfist” by Tool
“Lateralus” by Tool
“Schism” by Tool

Synchronicity Tour:
“Guitar Battle Vs. Sting” (Guitar Career Only)
Encore: “Every Breath You Take” by The Police

Fight the System Tour:
“The Kids Aren’t Alright” by The Offspring
The Good Left Undone” by Rise Agaisnt
Encore: “Bleed it Out” by Linkin Park

QQ Tour:
“Face Down” by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
“The Kill” by 30 Seconds to Mars
Encore: “Thank You for the Venom” by My Chemical Romance

Rockin the Carnival Tour:
“Dammit” by Blink 182
“When You Heat Stops Beating” by +44

Neva’ Forget Tour:
“Jumpin Jack Flash” by The Rolling Stones
“Don’t Fear the Reaper” by Blue Öyster Cult (any cow bell in this one?)
Encore: “Light My Fire” by The Doors (grrrr)

We Want the Funk Tour:
“Take it Away” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Renegades of Funk” by Rage Agaisnt the Machines
Encore: “No Sleep till Brooklyn” by The Beastie Boys Feat. Kerry King (cool!)

Rockin’ the Joint Tour:
“Are You Gonna Go My Way” by Lenny Kravitz
“I Don’t wanna Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith

On Top of the World Tour:
“Man in the Box” by Alice in Chains
“Kickstart My Heart” by Mötley Crüe (kickstart… MIATA!)
Encore: “Spin the Black Circle” by Pearl Jam

G. Stinger Tour: (very awesome)
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana
“Car Chase City” by Tenacious D
Encore: “Everlong” by Foo Fighters

Lands End Tour:
“Animal” by Def Leppard
“Runaway” by Bon Jovi
Encore: “Paradise City” by Guns N’ Roses (yay)

Doin’ it Different Tour: (good set list)
“Song for the Dead” by Queens of the Stone Age
“Vasoline” by Stone Temple Pilots
Encore: “Assassin” by Muse

Hootin’ and Hollerin’ Tour:
“The Boys Are Back in Town” By Thin Lizzy
“Life in the Fastlane” by The Eagles
Encore:”Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

All Pissed Off Tour:
“Here to Stay” by KoRn
“Dragula” by Rob Zombie (oh hellz yez!!)
Encore: “Bat Country” by Avenged Sevenfold

Here Me Roar Tour:
“10,000 Fists” by Disturbed
“Duality” by Slipknot
Encore: “Toxicity” by System of a Down

S.D.M.F. Tour:
“Guitar Battle Vs. Zakk Wylde” (Guitar Career Only)
*Encore: “Demise of Sanity” by Black Label Society

Fathers of Metal Tour:
“Don’t Talk to Strangers” by Dio
“Heaven and Hell” by Black Sabbath
Encore: “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne (can you imagine?)

Making Progress Tour:
“The Spirit of Radio” by Rush
“Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd
Encore: “Pull Me Under” by Dream Theatre

Eruption Tour:
“Beat it” by Micheal Jackson Feat. Eddie Van Halen
“Hot for Teacher” by Van Halen (yay)

Tooth Fang & Claw Tour:
“Guitar Battle Vs. Ted Nugent” (Guitar Career Only)
Encore: “Stranglehold” by Ted Nugent

Decades of Metal Tour
“Warriors of Time” by Black Tide
“Leather Rebel” by Judas Priest
Encore: “Hallowed be Thy Name” by Iron Maiden (hooray)

Livin’ in a Nightmare Tour:
“Angel of Death” by Slayer
“Tornado of Souls” by Megadeth
Encore: “Master of Puppets” by Metallica (master!… master!)

Legends of Rock Tour:
“Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry
“The Wind Cries Mary” by Jimi Hendrix
Encore: “Purple Haze (Live)” by Jimi Hendrix

Bonus Tour:
“45? by Shinedown
“96 Quite Bitter Beings” by CKY
“Bombshell” by Powerman 5000
“Clavado en un Bar” by Maná
“Enjoy the Silence” by Lacuna Coil
“Feuer Frei” by Rammstein
“Fury of the Storm” by Dragonforce
“Never Too Late” by The Answer
“Nottingham Lace” by Buckethead
“One Armed Scissor” by At The Drive-In
“Satch Boogie” by Joe Satriani
“Schrei” by Tokio Hotel
“Soul Doubt” by NOFX

“We’re An American Band” by Grand Funk Railroad
“Guitar Battle Vs. Sting” by Sting
“Guitar Battle Vs. Ted Nugent” By Ted Nugent
“Guitar Battle Vs. Zakk Wylde” by Zakk Wylde

Sample Songs:
“Untitled Drum Sample” created by Chad Smith
“Untitled Drum Sample” created by Dave Grohl
“Untitled Drum Sample” created by Travis Barker
“Cliffs of Dover” created by Neversoft
“Misirlou” created by Neversoft
“Walk This Way” created by Neversoft
“YYZ” created by Neversoft

Thanks: GONintendo

As Jonathan reported yesterday, no new Xbox Live Arcade games were released today, thanks to Grand Theft Auto IV’s release yesterday. The day after Halo 3 was released we also saw an XBLA release of Jack Squat, so today’s lack of any releases doesn’t come as much of a surprise. After a rocky start to the whole Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday campaign, we’ve had just four weeks (not including today) since August that didn’t bring any new games – and that was due to new games becoming Arcade Hits, Undertow being temporarily released for free, or Halo 3’s release. So I won’t go too hard on Microsoft.

What you can find new on the Xbox Live Marketplace today is a totally free Dr. Pepper theme! Please, hold your applause, because there’s more. A bunch of Turok themes have also been released (although they’ll run you the ridiculous standard price of 150 Microsoft Points each), a free F-16C -PJ Emblem- download for Ace Combat 6 owners, an Alone in the Dark trailer, and some sort of Raving Rabbids invasion of Chessmaster Live that will run you 150 points. I have no idea what it’s all about, but I’m jealous that Chessmaster gets it and not Spyglass Board Games.

You may now resume your regularly scheduled GTA session.

The new expansion pack for the award-winning Undertow debuts tomorrow and will include a new payable race along with additional maps. Undertow: Path of the Elect, is the first expansion pack for the underwater action game, and is available exclusively via XBL Arcade for 400 Microsoft Points ($5).

Undertow was named the 2007 Xbox LIVE Arcade Game of the Year by Official Xbox Magazine and has received numerous Editors Choice awards from top enthusiast outlets. Since its debut, nearly one million gamers have been introduced to Undertow and features a 15-level single player and co-op campaign with two multiplayer modes for 2 to 16 players.

The Undertow: Path of the Elect expansion pack extends the full game by featuring a full, five level single player and co-op campaign and introduces an entirely new playable race known as the “Elect.” Armed with superior technology and fire power, this fanatical alien race is determined to rule the earth and destroy those who seek to stop them. Multiplayer fans can now choose to play as the Elect or as one of three other races as they explore four new multiplayer maps and earn points for upgrades by killing enemies, completing objectives, and taking checkpoints.

For more information on Undertow look over our previous posts and look for the expansion pack tomorrow when you log into XBL. You can read the full press release after the jump.

MORE UNDERTOW: PATH OF THE ELECT SCREENS

Via: Press Release

Read the full article

The Xbox Live Arcade is known for its collection easy pick-up-and-play titles that come in small 150 MB packages. But apparently that size limit is going to have some unfortunate effects on some upcoming games from Capcom. In a recent interview with Ben Judd, producer with Capcom, 1Up learned that the upcoming XBLA version of Bionic Commando: Rearmed — a remake of the NES classic — will actually have lower-res textures than the PSN and PC versions; all due to the size restrictions. A Microsoft rep responded to this information a little later:

“That’s surprising to hear,” says John Schappert, Microsoft’s corporate VP of Xbox Live, Software, and Services, when we asked him about Capcom’s issues later in the day. “Last I checked it was Capcom that had an exception to our file size with Street Fighter II [Hyper Fighting]…. We raised our limit to 150 megs, which seems pretty darn great…. I don’t think it has limited our games in any way. Look at Rez HD. Look at Poker Smash. Look at Undertow. These are very, very, very good games.”

Schappert also added that Microsoft has teams specialized in XBLA development that will fly to different studios to help them with the programming to fit the game within the size limit. He also hopes that Street Fight II Turbo HD Remix doesn’t suffer from the same texture issues (though Capcom has voiced concerns on the size limit with that game as well). Don’t expect them to raise the limit however, as they’re still primarily focused on offering games that can be downloaded and played as quick as possible.

I guess that size limit is pretty stifling to a big developer like Capcom, but I’ve always seen it as kind of a way to help the independent developers actually compete on more even turf. Still, I’m looking forward to the Bionic Commando remake more than the next-gen version, so I hope they get these texture issues resolved somehow.

Via 1Up

Last June, David of Gaming Today interviewed Orson Scott Card and discovered many interesting facts. Our article was picked up by many media outlets and really put the gaming spotlight on the possibility that Orson Scott Card’s books were worthy of becoming video games. A little more than 6 months later, Chair Entertainment has announced a partnership with Orson Scott Card to start working on a game. They have purchased the rights to use the Ender’s Game series of books to create a gaming series based on the writings of Orson Scott Card. I’m not sure how much our articles had to do with this decision, but we certainly were the catalyst for the idea receiving plenty of attention in the video game world. We look forward to seeing what direction Chair takes with this.

Top 5 Novels That Should Be Games

Gaming Today’s Exclusive Interview with Author Orson Scott Card

The full Press Release follows:
Read the full article

Last week, all we got was the peace offering of a free download of Undertow for the week’s Arcade offering. This week’s looking to make up for it with two games, one of which could very easily make up for a whole lot more than one off week – Rez HD is finally going to be on Arcade! Oh, and Chessmaster Live will be available, too.

Rez HD:

“Rez HD” is a frenetic, wire-frame adventure set to industrial beats and rhythms that match the action. The story of “Rez HD” takes players deep into the world’s computer network where they must hack the system, alter the visual output and take over the music, creating unique rhythms and eye candy as they dig deeper into the cyberworld.

Developed by Q Entertainment (“Lumines Live!” and “Every Extend Extra Extreme”), “Rez HD” for Xbox LIVE Arcade is a high definition update of the original game with brand new elements such as new visuals and sound effects. The game features five levels, each with its own unique visual theme, style and musical track, as well as three modes, including Easy, Main and Score Attack. “Rez HD” will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points and is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

Chessmaster Live:

A downloadable version of Ubisoft’s hit “Chessmaster” series, “Chessmaster Live” allows players to test and tune their chess skills against the AI or opponents of all aptitudes around the globe via Xbox LIVE. “Chessmaster Live” features five original chess variants, including a Message Chess option, which allows gamers to engage in matches over the span of several days, weeks or even months. The title boasts both beautifully crafted 3D chess sets inspired by luxury chess board designer House of Staunton. “Chessmaster Live” will be available worldwide (with the exception of Japan and Korea) for 800 Microsoft Points and is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

While Rez is obviously a very exciting addition, Chessmaster Live seems pretty redundant, thanks to Spyglass Board Games. Sure, it doesn’t have fancy variants of chess or Message Chess (which sounds pretty neat, actually), but is Chessmaster worth the extra $5? To me, that’s a big no, but chess enthusiasts will probably eat it right up.

Play Digital throws has posted a video review of Undertow. Microsoft has offered box owners the game on free download by way of apology for the many problems of late with Xbox Live. Find out whether it’s worth the space on your hard drive.

Hello!

Following on from the persistent Xbox Live outages over the Christmas period, the XBLA game Undertow is available as a free download by way of compensation. Is it worth the bandwith? I give the game a once over.

-K

via Play Digital

Microsoft’s peace offering to Xbox Live users, the Xbox Live Arcade game Undertow, is now available for free to all Xbox Live Gold and Silver members. This offer runs from now until 11:59pm PT on Sunday, January 27. The game normally costs 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

If you’ve already purchase the game, you’ll need to call up Microsoft at 1-800-4MY-XBOX and you’ll be rewarded with 800 points for already dishing out on the game.

So, are you happy with this? I wrote about how Microsoft doesn’t owe you anything recently, but as the issues plaguing Xbox Live continue to hassle gamers, this is far from the end of the complaints from Xbox Live users.

Awhile back, Microsoft announced they would be offering a free Xbox Live Arcade title to all subscribers to compensate for the Xbox Live downtime over the holidays. Well, that title has finally been revealed, and it’s (drumroll, please)…Undertow. Yep, that’s right, it’s the critically praised underwater shooting game, where players battle in ocean arenas either online or in an offline single-player campaign. The game normally costs 800 MS points, but you can snag it for free from January 23rd to the 28th. If you already own the game, then you need to contact Xbox Support for a refund.

Meh, I guess it beats the rumors of Uno being the designated freebie. I don’t even own the game, but I’ll gladly take it for free; though I would’ve really preferred just the Microsoft points.

Via Console Monster

Chair Entertainment Group, developers of the XBLA game, Undertow, have announced it will be kicking off the first “Tuesdays @ 10″ player match tonight. Every Tuesday at 10 pm Eastern Time, the developers of the game will host and join different matches with gamers. During that time, players will also be able to compete against the team in ranked matches, earn achievements, and gain some gameplay tips. The matches are open to anyone, so you can jump in on the action later tonight.

Via Press Release