“Guitar Hero: Van Halen” Confirmed, Game Due in 2009
Gaming blog Joystiq is reporting that Activision Blizzard has confirmed that Guitar Hero: Van Halen is currently in development, and scheduled for release at some point in the second half of this year. The band joins Metallica and Aerosmith as groups that have received pixilated treatment from GH. So far the Beatles are the only group to get their own branded Rock Band title, though that game continues to release full playable albums, like Guns n’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy.
(Check out the 50 Best Rock & Roll Video Games of All Time.)
The report says the game will include “greatest hits,” as well as tracks from guest bands Queen, Weezer, Blink-182, Queens of the Stone Age and the Offspring. Which band members will appear as avatars in the game has been cause for concern among hardcore fans online, and Activision’s Senior Vice President of Global Brand Management told Joystiq, “Oh this is definitely Van Halen, not Van Hagar,” meaning David Lee Roth will indeed appear in the game.
When Joystiq published GH: VH rumors in March, VH fans also began to wonder whether they would see original bassist Michael Anthony, who was notably excluded from Van Halen’s most recent reunion tour (Anthony’s exclusion made our list of The Top 10 Passive-Aggressive Moments in Rock, though he probably minds less now that he’s busy with supergroup Chickenfoot). Or would you be able to play the game as Sammy Hagar or even Gary Cherone?
Guitar Hero: Van Halen is one of four music-based games the developer is working on for this year, with DJ Hero, Band Hero and Guitar Hero 5 also on the release schedule for later this year. While no specific track titles were offered, it’s expected the firm will release more information on Guitar Hero: Van Halen in the coming weeks and months.
So, what do you think? Which bands would you like to see brought to life in a Guitar Hero or Rock Band title? Should all former VH members get to appear in the game? Leave us your feedback in the comments.
Related Stories:
• Van Halen: The Essential Album Guide
• Van Halen Reborn: Photos From Reunion Tour Opener
• Van Halen to Rock On With Roth