quote joystiq

While you might think a game titled Guitar Hero: Aerosmith would have you playing, you know, guitars, a Best Buy advertisement for the latest mistake chapter in the rhythm game franchise claims you'll be able to play as all of the "famous rock legends" in "America's greatest rock and roll band" -- including the drummer, Joey Kramer, and band's own lady-lookin'-dude, Steven Tyler, using a drum peripheral and microphone peripheral (complete with flamboyantly colored scarf, we assume).

If true, we wonder if Activision would release their own controllers for the game, or count on backwards compatibility with the Rock Band peripherals (fat chance, considering the near feud between Harmonix and Activision over Rock Band's guitar compatibility issues). Not that it matters to us -- the only devices we'd use to interact with a rhythm game featuring songs by Aerosmith are a clay pigeon launcher and our trusty pump-action shotgun.

quote Gamingtoday

Do you think that the upcoming Guitar Hero: Aerosmith will feature only songs from the classic rock group? It makes sense, but rumor is suggesting that they may be joined by a few others. The pre-order page for the game at Best Buy’s website says you’ll be able “jam to many of Aerosmith’s greatest hits, as well as songs by other popular artists that the band has performed with or been inspired by in some way” Besides that, an article in USA Today mentions that “some opening acts will appear in the game, as well as some special guests.” All this seems to suggest that the game may include tracks from bands that Aerosmith has played with in the past (*cough* Run DMC *cough*) or just happens to appreciate. Nothing official has been announced yet, but I doubt Activision would really put all its eggs in one basket with this one. Hopefully we’ll find out more as the game’s June release date gets closer.

I don’t really know how I feel about this game yet. The sheer variety of songs has been my favorite thing about past Guitar Hero games, as well as RockBand; so toning that down doesn’t sound very appealing. Plus, in all of those titles, Aerosmith represents a virtual brick wall to me. Sure, Metallica and Slayer give me some trouble, but I’ll be damned if I can pull of an Aerosmith song with more than a bare minimum score. Curse you, Steve Perry, and your awesome skills!

quote RedOctaneGames.com

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.”

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith brings these quintessential rock legends to the interactive realm to create the ultimate gaming experience. As fans progress through their careers in the game, they can rock out to scores of Aerosmith’s greatest hits, as well as songs from celebrated artists that the band has either performed with or has been inspired by in some way. Venues from historical moments during the band’s illustrious career offer the experience of “sweet emotion” and further capture the essence of the band’s rise to fame.

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is being developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. The Wii™ version is being developed by Vicarious Visions. The PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system version is being developed by Budcat. The game is not yet rated by the ESRB.