More GUITAR HERO: VAN HALEN News
While speculation has continued that Activision will be releasing a version of the perenial Guitar Hero centered around Van Halen, the company has offered no official comment. This speculation was further increased over the weekend as a German game ratings board announced specifics for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions of the game. Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK) refers to the game as “Guitar Hero Headlining Van Halen”, which would indicate the game may indeed come with an unusual name for the series. In March, Eurogamer magazine mentioned August 9th , 2009 as a potential release date, as reported by the VHND here.
References: kotaku.com, product-reviews.net
Filed under: Merchandise, Van Halen
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April 20th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Cool
Hope there’s a frankiecontroller for this one!
April 21st, 2009 at 2:42 am
hell yeah
April 21st, 2009 at 3:17 am
I’ll Buy an XBOX 360 only to play this game!
April 21st, 2009 at 4:24 am
New Van Halen Music!!! …. Oh wait, it’s just the same old stuff on a video game…
April 21st, 2009 at 6:02 am
I know a lot of people will be stoked about this and not to take anything away from that but I do think that, one day, we’re all going to wake up in a world were no-one actually knows what rock music is really supposed to be anymore. There’s going to be a generation that thinks rock music is just the backdrop to a video game. And they’ll have no idea that rock is supposed to be about blowing the roof off…
April 21st, 2009 at 7:26 am
I just want to know how they’re going to do the whole Van Halen career thing. Will both Roth and Hagar be represented, both in the music and in the visuals.
I’m hoping that they don’t diss Michael Anthony and have Wolfgang as the only bassist. But seeing as how they were Photoshopping Mikey out of the old album artwork at one point, it is a possibility.
We’re just going to assume too that Gary Cherone will not have any music or likeness represented in the game.
April 21st, 2009 at 8:27 am
Who cares? I prefer to play a real guitar. Woof
April 21st, 2009 at 9:53 am
Don’t forget that there’s only one bassist shown in the new Metallica Guitar Hero edition….. Wouldn’t suprise me a bit if they base it on the last tour….
April 21st, 2009 at 10:05 am
They should have a striped guitar for sure, and also have it set up that you can finger tap on buttons at the bottom of the neck during guitar solos for extra star power points. It should also come with an adhesive strip lined with specially printed Guitar Hero: Van Halen guitar picks and the option of adding a plexiglas tray to the back of the guitar, hearkening back to Ed’s 1984 tour setup.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:15 am
I remember when playing guitar hero meant buying a guitar,taking the time to learn how to play and forming a band and having big dreams……….
April 21st, 2009 at 10:35 am
Most REAL guitarists that I’ve talked to don’t play these games , siting that it’s simply not the same. [myself included]
April 21st, 2009 at 10:40 am
Karl makes a good point. Hopefully this younger generation will like what they hear on the video game and really check out all versions of the band. You never know with this kind of world wide exposure it might inspire 4 kids to form a band and be the next VH!!!!! Anything is possible!!!
April 21st, 2009 at 2:18 pm
this is just plain awesome!! i hope humans being is in there!
April 21st, 2009 at 5:18 pm
To all you people who play a “real” guitar, stop judging people who are interested in just playing a video game - NOT LEARNING THE GUITAR!! If anything the Guitar Hero franchise either gets kids interested in music from previous generations, or makes them actually want to pick up a real guitar and learn how to play it. It can be a potential starting point for kids to further their interest in music (other than through a game).
“Most REAL guitarists that I’ve talked to don’t play these games , siting that it’s simply not the same” of course its not the *#@$%?! same…..ITS A VIDEO GAME!
April 21st, 2009 at 5:41 pm
They would have to use both likenesses of Roth and Hagar.
I know Hagar sang some of Roth’s songs on tour but have never seen or heard of Roth singing any Hagar era tunes.
April 21st, 2009 at 7:12 pm
They should require you to start at the Gary Cherone level, and climb your way through Sammy Hagar to David Lee Roth - that’d be a real game!
April 21st, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Amen Pete!!!!
Only classic Van Halen can bring Scar, Karl, Pete and myself all on agreement about something! The stars must be aligned tonight or something. LOL
April 21st, 2009 at 10:43 pm
karl and pushtoshove,you’re fuckin right!
April 21st, 2009 at 11:51 pm
im pretty sick of hearing about these games myself. im a serious gamer, aswell as a serious musician and i dont see the appeal these games have. yeah its fun for a group of people for about 20 minutes, then after that it gets pretty old. how in the hec do they sell so many of these things to keep cranking out sequels?
its cool that its VanHalen though, AND its good to see some non-Chickenfoot news (i had to bring them up lol)
April 21st, 2009 at 11:59 pm
From what I’ve read, since the release of Guitar Hero and Rockband, Guitar sales have increased specially on younger generations.
This is an Amazing oportunity for VH to get to the new generations, and for the new generations to get to know great bands like Van Halen.
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:04 am
Matt from Australia…..I guess you cant have an opinion here without someone trying to tell you your opinion shouldn’t matter…and I was just stating a fact not criticizing anyone…Relax!!! People are waaaayyy too sensitive.
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:16 am
Again… more schtik to sell, but no time to make music ???
Why can’t VH even give us a definitive statement on status?
April 22nd, 2009 at 8:05 am
If they do not include Michael Anthony in VH Guitar Hero, then Eddie will officially be the biggest A-HOLE on earth!!
April 22nd, 2009 at 8:40 am
All you guys waiting for the striped game axe, may not get it. The music rights are one thing, and really the only thing the game maker should be concerned with securing. Ed has his seperate rights to his “image” which includes the stripe pattern we all love. I believe that if Guitar Hero goes the extra mile and gets Frankie rights, the game might cost more than it should. Just a thought. Hell, I might even be wrong.
April 22nd, 2009 at 8:45 am
Keith-
Ed has given us a status. The problem is, it’s a timeline of events that lead to hopeful studio sessions. I know it’s fun as Hell to bitch about stuff, but realistically, if we don’t hear “news” from Ed about how a “new album” is coming along by say mid July (my guess considering June marriage) or early August, then I fear for the keeper of the flood gates as Piss and Moan Bitch Fest will commence. And I’ll be there for the festivities.
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:19 am
Ah, I’ll play my real guitar. . . .
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:58 am
If you play guitar that’s cool and if you play guitar hero, that’s cool too! Nothing wrong with having FUN!!! For those who play guitar and claim they can out play, sing or write EDVH, DLR and Sammy your probably not that good and are jealous of them and their success!!!! I say get a reality check!!! If you think your that good, ask yourself why am I still playing dives and clubs at my age? For those who play guitar or are in a band and are humble about it, play for fun!!! - Those are the guys who are usually pretty damn good!!!!!
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:25 am
I’m sure someone will ask Hey SCAR do you play? - No I don’t but, I own a bar and co-own an after hours club. I have hired and fired a lot of bands in the last 20+ years. My patrons are typically bikers, dirty cops, low life lawyers and sometimes a stray judge or two. Basically, their scumbags who want to have a good time!!! So I’m pretty tough on bands when they audition, if I’m not, my place could get trashed!!!! So I hire bands who play for fun and don’t take themselves too seriously!!!!! It all comes down to having a good time!!!!!
April 22nd, 2009 at 12:05 pm
This is one of the best ways to market you music these days. CD sales or down significantly, MTV doesn’t play videos anymore hardly, and we all know that the radio sucks. If you want to get your music heard, this is one of the best ways to do it now.
Scar,
When bands don’t take their music seriously, you get modern day Sammy Hagar, or the sorry-ass bands that play in your dive bar. Of course I still think you’re full of it on the the whole “bar owner” thing. Whatever.
It all comes down to putting some actual thought into what you’re trying to sell. I don’t want to listen to somebody having a good time, I want to listen to some quality, well though-out tunes.
April 22nd, 2009 at 1:25 pm
scar, i wanna go get drunk at your bar. i have a feeling the juke box has some killer tunes in them!
April 22nd, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Classic Van Halen Rocks!
April 22nd, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Nick did you just say ‘ I don’t want to listen to somebody having a good time ‘?????….HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!Do you work for a record company and which one….
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:03 pm
So according to Nick he’d rather listen to Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and Don Henley. They have well thought out songs that bash anything conservative. Van Halen with Dave and Sammy has always been about having a good time! None of these guys are going to write “War and Peace”, but they are going to put down some decent lyrics to outstanding music and throw a party at each show. Nick can go to his Henley show and listen to a half hour preach about Walden woods, I’ll take modern Hagar high fiving the crowd. By the way, what does Scar have to gain by lying about having a bar? What sense does it make to doubt it. Scar, first shot of Cabo is on me.
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Scar,
RIGHT ON!!!!
April 22nd, 2009 at 6:05 pm
somebody call the fun police!
April 22nd, 2009 at 6:48 pm
WOOWOOWOO! Calling all rocking! Calling all rockers! We got an A.P.B. on rock and roll!!
April 22nd, 2009 at 8:45 pm
mike should be there but kids better not pick up a guitar cause of this
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:46 pm
I’ve got mixed feelings about Guitar Hero. The meaning of ‘guitar hero” has changed. A shame, but it isn’t all necessarily bad.
Guitar Hero might be bringing back some good time vibes. Although I hate the sellout aspect (remember that? No one talks about bands selling out anymore), but maybe the good outweighs the bad.
SCAR: I don’t know if you remember, but I really went off on you about something a little while back. I think it was my perception by a comment or two that you were part of the F%@k Sammy crowd. (F%@k you guys by the way.) And to my surprise you aren’t part of that group and you didn’t fire back. Which was cool – and just to give you my status - I love what Dave and Sammy brought to Van Halen - I’m torn between the two. Seriously though, can you really imagine anybody else walking in when Sammy did? In retrospect…what an impossible task to accomplish. All you pussies (yeah, pussies) that hate Hagar are pussies that wanted him to fail, but he f’ing rocked and now you don’t know what to do. Did I mention that you are pussies? Somehow you think that because you like Dave better, that you are cooler? F you (Let me take this Dave vs. Sammy thing to the next level, as long as we are still arguing about it 20+ years later). Look up Montrose or Sammy pre-Van Halen years – Sammy was and still is, a bad ass. So SCAR, I’d thoroughly enjoy drinking some beers with you if I could.
I also own my own business. And although I thought I worked hard in my lifetime as an employee (remember what it is like to work your ass off, to the bone, you f’ ing pussies out there? There is very little work ethic left in this world – just my observation), I have never worked so hard as I do now that I own and operate a business. So…I appreciate having a good time. As hard as I work, I also play hard. So “cheers” SCAR. Thanks for taking the high road and not taking too much offense at my comments man.
I gotta say, and I bet you understand, don’t be too judgmental on those scumbags, dirty cops, low life lawyers, and stray judges in your bar. I am living what some would call a charmed life – never been in trouble despite deserving it, a loving AND hot wife, 5 beautiful and healthy children, and a successful business that supports us all. But if I am brutally honest with myself, I know I am just one second/situation/decision/emergency from doing the unthinkable. Things that I think I can’t do, I can. So I try not to judge people too harshly (except Sammy haters ;)) and I appreciate good times that much more. There was a time when Van Halen was about good times, and I see a glimpse of that in the new Chickenfoot. And I hope that Ed and Dave will get back together and give us some of that bad assness again.
This will introduce kids to the greatness that was Van Halen. They won’t and can’t understand it the way we did because we were there. But at least they will get a taste.
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:10 am
Obviously I’m a VH fan, and love thier music. Or else why would I be posting here?
My point was…I think Sammy should take his lyric writting more seriously, because his lyrics from late suck. They’re not even close to being “decent.”
Again…it’s about putting some thought into it!
Though I’m not a child of the 80’s like many of you may be, that was an era full of music with no substance (especially towards the end). They were more worried about their hair, then the music…But hey, at least they were having fun!!! Whatever!
Oh, and sorry…can’t say I like the Eagles, or Springsteen…but if you want to throw on some Floyd, Pearl Jam, or VH (or even pre-VH Hagar)…then I’m definetly down.
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:28 am
Nick…you just keep putting your foot into your mouth…It sounds like you think you are too good for the rest of us simple Rockers..Whatever is right…Sammy is good and so is 1980’s era Van Halen and so is ALL era Van Halen ( sounds kind of like a laundry detergent doesn’t it? ) …Hey Nick opinions are like A-holes…some people are just bigger ones than others.
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:01 am
Nick you got me pegged Pal!!! Yea, I’m really the Avon Lady!!! Look, if you want to be a depressed idiot and chain yourself to a tree - and save the world, go ahead!!!! Seems like people that come to this site like Pushtoshove, Bort, Adrian, and phil and many others like to forget the daily World BS and party to let loose and have some FUN!!!! That’s were DLR and Sammy fit in!!! I really think your confused what VH is all about!!!! I say go back and really listen and ENJOY all the fun and good times VH with DLR, Sammy and yes even W/Gary have to offer!!! You might even enjoy it and have a little fun!!!! I am proud to have been a teenager in the 80’s - it was a hell of a good time!!!!!! Again Nick, if you could write better than Sammy you would be doing it instead of talking smack!!!! You talk the talk but Nick can you walk the walk?
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:49 am
The 80’s was off the hook!!! Growing up in Long Beach Ca in the 80’s was Outfuckinstanding!!!! KMET, KLOS later on it was KNAC on the radio dial, the girls, the party’s, VH at it’s best and towards the end you had the birth of GNR!!!
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:54 am
scar, you’re right on. i grew up in orange county and the 80’s was fun…..knac nights at the local bars!
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:03 am
Hey Jim M. it’s all good, I hear you, I started out as a bar back at a place called Texas Loosey’s in downtown Long Beach. Eventually became a bartender then later started my own thing. I try not too be to judgemental of my patrons, because they would probably say I’m the scumbag - especially my best friend, who is my Lawyer!!! It’s all in good fun though!!! I totally agree about Sammy - he is fuckin awesome and I hope EVH, AVH, Wolfie and Diamond Dave kick our asses with new music in the future!!!! Phil, Orange County was a blast back then and I thankfully never went to OCJ!!! Cheers to all that is Van Halen!!!!!!
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:32 am
I don’t think I ever stated that I write music…did I? No. Thus, I haven’t “talked the talk,” nor do I feel the need to “walk the walk.”
I do have ears. And I do have an opinion, like everbody here. My opinion is that Sammy’s music is not nearly as good as it use to be. And the only thing I can attribute that to is maybe he’s not taking it serious anymore. It’s not like I have issues with the way he lives his life man…and to a certain degre, I am jealous…as I imagine a lot of people are here. But it doesn’t mean that the music steming from that is good/great!
I’m not confused at all SCAR, but if think that EVH didn’t doesn’t take his music seriously, than you need a clue bro. You can take things seriously, AND have fun doing it! That’s what will make people want to listen! His music of late isn’t exactly taking over the charts these days.
BTW…I did some work up in the LBC, I imagine the rock scene in the 80’s was pretty hopping back then… I also lived near Lompoc for a while, and even the radio stations there were better than majority of the country’s. SLO was also a pretty decent place to see a some bands play, as well.
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:36 am
Guitar Hero…WOW this is BIG Van Halen news!! Zzzzzzzz
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:59 am
At least it IS Van Halen news…..
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Being 16, I think Guitar Hero is a good way for people my age to be exposed to this music. A lot of my school chums were hadn’t heard it till Guitar Hero. Luckily I grew up on this music.
I hope they don’t make animated Dave sing Sammy’s junk. That would just be wrong…
April 23rd, 2009 at 6:40 pm
They won’t make Dave sing Sammy’s “junk” because he doesn’t have the vocal range to do so. Remember that when you’re saying Sam’s music was junk you are also saying that Eddie’s music was junk because he co-wrote the songs and I’m sure gave thumbs up or down to lyrics. You’re only 16 so I’m sure you heard someone that you’re easily influenced by say that Sam sucks and Dave rocks. I’m here to tell you that they both rocked even though they have very different styles. It’s too bad there’s so much anger over something that happened over 20 years ago.
As far as 80’s music goes there was good and bad that came out of it - just like any other decade. Of course the really bad that came from it was Rap.
It seems like 40 days and 40 nights, since someone used my first name.
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:55 pm
i agree with ya bort!!!!
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:32 pm
i dont want Sammy writing ’serious songs’… take a look back at the ones he has made in the past “Not Enough” “(I Dont Care)What Love Can Do” and “Learning To See” no thank you ma’am.
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Sammy doesn’t have to necessarily write “serious” songs just don’t write embarrassing, retarded songs like Up For Breakfast, Soap On A Rope, Spanked..etc. The Seventh Seal, Right Now and 5150 are perfect examples of Sammy writing great lyrics!! Now Sammy just pretty much farts out anything lyrically and all the Waborita fans, including scar, think it’s the best stuff ever written!
April 24th, 2009 at 6:27 am
aarxn,
Those first two were good songs I thought were really good, and so were songs like “Right Now,” “Judgement Day,” and “Mine All Mine.” Of course, I enjoyed most, if not all, of Sammy’s tunes with VH.
I don’t know guys, I’m at a loss. It is only my assumption about taking the music more serious. I was just trying to point out that you can take it serious and write lryics about having fun.
All I can say is that Sammy’s lyrics stick out like a sore thumbs these days, and they don’t seem to mesh/blend well with the music. In my opinion they lower the quality of the songs. I can’t help but notice it, as do a large quantity of people I know, and who post to the VHND.
I can’t put my finger on it, these are just my assumptions.
April 24th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
To Bort:
Actually I decided I like Dave better on my own. My dad likes both and my aunt likes Sammy. I just like the feel of the Dave era stuff better. When I listen to Sammy’s stuff it sounds more serious and suburban… I dont know if that makes any sense… It sounds like its for adults with a family and whatnot…
Rap=crap
April 28th, 2009 at 7:40 am
If they follow what Metallica did, it will be the current lineup of the band. Therefore, no Sam, no Gary, and yes, no Michael Anthony.
I bet it will be the six-pack songs only and maybe Me Wise Magic, no Sam songs, they won’t want to share the royalties.
Maybe by an act of God they will have a couple new tunes on there…yeah right.