Activision unveils Aerosmith edition of 'Guitar Hero' game

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Video game publisher Activision Inc on Friday unveiled a new "Guitar Hero" video game for the PlayStation 2 and 3, Xbox 360 and Wii video game consoles. Titled “Guitar Hero: Aerosmith,” the new game focuses on the legend rock band Aerosmith.

Launched in collaboration with watershed rock band Aerosmith, the new title is based on the technology of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock that has sold 6 million copies in its first four months. The GH: Aerosmith will arrive in stores this summer.

"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," Activision said in a press release. "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."

The game will feature around 30 of the legendary rock band's greatest hits as well as selections from their first small-time gig to performing smash hits at stadium venues. Activision said gamers will have the opportunity to download Aerosmith’s 1973 hit "Dream On."

The song will be available for free from February 16-18 on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PLAYSTATIONStore for the PS3, Activision said. It did not mention any such downloadable content for Wii owners.

"The premise is that it's going to cover the 30-plus years of the band, from high school all the way through the rock superstardom of today," Kai Huang, head of Activision's RedOctane unit, the developer of franchisee. "It's just a completely new way to interact with this music and with Aerosmith, and we think there's more opportunity to do that in the future."

While playing the "Guitar Hero" games, players try to press colored buttons on a guitar-shaped controller in time with notes cascading down the screen. If the notes are hit, the song plays properly, and the player earns points.

Neversoft, the developer of Guitar Hero III, will be working on the PS3 and 360 versions, while the Wii version is being created by Vicarious Visions, and the PS2 version is being developed by Budcat Creations.

The Guitar Hero series has gone on to sell more than $1 billion since its initial release in late 2005.A bundle of game including the game and a controller costs from $80 to $100, depending on the version, while the stand-alone game costs $40 to $60.

Aerosmith, one of the most popular hard rock bands of the '70s, set the record as the best-selling rock band in music history by selling 66.5 million albums just in the USA. The group has not released an album or original new material since 'Just Push Play' in 2001.