Xbox 360 Favorite Games

Playing xbox 360 is one of my favorite things to do. Playing games online vs other opponents across the world can be a blast at times. I started out playing racing games like super cars and jetsons. It was really fun. It forced my how to learn and get familiar with the Xbox 360 controller. At first it felt awkward but after a few hours it was not much of a problem at all. Now I really like games that appear to be more realistic. When I switched over to Mx vs atv untamned I was really impressed. It really felt like I was in a race. Countless hours of fun action pack playing was great.

Racing games are also a great passion of mine. MX vs atv franchise has made several great off road racing games over the years. Nothing funer then talking out your buddy in a corner or smashing him into the wall on the last lap. Later in December they have announced release of a new version called Reflex. I think this game will me a smash hit. Will a all new game engine and terrain that breaks down on each lap racing will never get boring. I hope they have downloadable content. This will increase game life and overall fun for the game. New tracks, riders, and bike options would be great. I have seen video on youtube already and it looks really great. I wish you got paid to play xbox. Some lucky people work for game makers. It’s like getting free money for college. Get paid for having fun. It’s a win win!!!

Author favorites: shower curtain rods

miniLUK Brain Training Young Explorer Collection learning system -Intellectual Development System Complete and Effective

LUK learning system BambinoLUK Brain Training Early Bloomer Collection provides effective and enjoyable activities to develop intellectual growth for children ages 2 years old and up. Each LUK system contains an uniquely designed controller for self-checking and series of workbooks each targeted for specific skills. The learning model is consistent and easy for children to operate. The contents of the workbooks are age appropriate, challenging, and fun to play. It is an excellent flexible system, which helps children master higher level thinking skills while at the same time adapting to individual needs. This system is designed for independent learning, guided play, or small group instruction. It is ideal to be used in learning centers, schools or at home.

LUK learning systems for different age groups:

SpecialLUK for age 2+ and children with special needs

Extending the innovative BambinoLUK Brain Training Early Bloomer Collection design for play and learn, SpecialLUK features specially designed exercises with focuses on promoting the most critical developmental processes in sensory, cognitive, communicative and physical development for children.

Develop logical thinking ability Interesting playing activities with challenging and age appropriate contents to stimulate and to help children develop logical thinking ability. and etc

bambinoLUK for age 3 to 5 -Complete intellectual development system for age 3-5

bambinoLUK system is designed to maximize children’s learning through play while meeting individual needs. It contains one easy-to-operate controller with 6 tiles and a series of workbooks targeted for children’s intellectual and developmental growth.

Innovative self-checking design The elegantly designed controller consists of 6 large and sturdy tiles in a high-quality transparent case. The whole playing process will strengthen their fine motor skills while enhancing their eye-hand and brain coordination. The innovative design features a self-checking mechanism with a colorful dotted pattern. etc

miniLUK Advance Brain Olympics series for age 5 to 8 Complete intellectual development system for age 5-8

miniLUK Advance Brain Olympics series system is designed to maximize children’s learning through play and is flexible enough to adapt to an individual’s ability. It contains one easy-to-operate controller with 12 tiles and a series of workbooks targeted for various intellectual developmental areas.

Best selling children educational product around the world

The LUK system has been translated into 16 languages and made available for parents and educators in 50 countries. Developed from LUK system’s unique design, miniLUK Brain Training series offers a complete learning system for children from 5 to 8 years old. It’s great for parent-guided playing, independent learning, or small-group playing. etc.

Wii Sports Resort Is A Blast: Good Parent & Child Activity

I just opened the package for Wii Sports Resort with my daughter yesterday and I love it.  I had been waiting several months for this new game to come out since I love the original Wii Sports (I am not alone, it was the most popular video game for a very long time).  I also was psyched about the new more accurate wii sports resort controller that comes with the game.

I like to spend quality time with my daughter and wii sports and wii fit is one way that I can have fun while doing it.  I was really looking forward to sword fighting and archery since these are some of my daughter’s real life favorite sports.  I also like that wii introduces her to some sports she could not or would not do like yoga, hula hooping, and frisbee which she shunned in real life or wake boarding which she is too young to do.  

One thing I quickly learned is that you need an extra wii motion plus accesory to add to your wii controller if you want to canoe or play a game with more than one person; the regular wii controller does not work.  You also need a numchuck for many of the games, but we already had them so I was ok.  

I found out today that the extra wii motion plus accesories for the wii motion plus controller quickly sold out in stores.  Luckily ebay always has all hot new wii items in stock and this time is no different.

Overall I think wii sports resort will be just as beloved as our wii sports and wii fit games for parent/child quality time.

Aspects of A Winning Conference

There are several types of conferences; the dictionary definition of conference says “A meeting for the exchange of views”.

My interpretation of conference, being a conference producer, is a place where people meet to confer and share knowledge. In the sharing theme I have decided to detail the elements required to ensure your conference goes smoothly. Whether you are getting a conference production company like mine to do it for you, or if you are going to manage it yourself, follow this outline and you can be assured that if you have made ample allowances for each of the items then your attendees (usually called delegates) will have a great day out. The better the feedback from the delegates the better the conference will have been received by the end client, either your MD or client depending on whether you are doing it yourself, or are an event organiser.

There are many different types of conferences, one of the most popular types are seminars which are normally an academic style forum where people go to learn about a specific topic.

I mention Forum above because this is probably (at least to my knowledge) the oldest type of meeting or conference that I am aware of. My partner Sam will cringe at this, as when I discuss my work, I always have to get the Romans in somewhere! A lot of the passion in my work comes from Roman history.

A Short History of Conferences

The forum as many people are aware was the centre of power in Rome for many hundreds of years, a Roman general would return from a successful campaign and he would have been received at the forum and made a speech from the rostrum to the people of Rome.

So for thousands of years people have been having conferences around the world, the tools for doing the job have changed, but I can imagine and have indeed read about, the effort and organisation that went into preparing for one was as important then as it is today.Much like decorating, running a successful conference is all in the preparation!

Things haven’t changed much no matter how large or small a conference is, there are some rules that we must all follow.

The Right Venue

Once you have a reason to hold a conference and an audience to attend the next step is venue selection, this is crucial as you will need a room large enough for the numbers attending, without being too large. If you are going to have a conference set with rear projection then the throw distance has to be taken into account when you are looking at the room, (I will come onto throw distance later when thing get more technical) as this uses space too.

Once you have a main meeting room suitable for your delegate numbers, you then have to consider where they will have tea and coffee breaks for networking and if there is potential for setting up display stands for other products. Quite often a conference you will have a large group of industry leaders and corporate decision makers, why not create a form of exhibition area to promote ancillary products or services?

A good idea when responsible for conference management is to take note of the amount of international visitors and ensuring the trip from the airport is an easy one for the delegates who will be flying in.

Remember if you are going to do the job right you are also responsible for the delegate experience prior to arriving at the venue, you want them to have a pleasant journey and feel as relaxed as possible on arrival so venue location is very important.

Conference Production

Once a venue has been selected and it fits with all the criteria above, then it’s time to give your production company a call, they will normally recommend a site visit, so the room can be measured to check all of the conference production elements fit within the room available. There is nothing worse than turning up on the day to find something wont fit!

There are various different styles of the seating and this is an important consideration. There is theatre style seating where the delegates sit in rows next to each other. Then you have classroom style seating where delegates sit next to each other with a slim table in front similar to when you might take an exam. Then there is cabaret style seating which is where delegates are seated on round tables normally 6 feet in diameter.

After your production company has completed the site visit they will propose the elements of staging you require to achieve your purpose. This will include stage and set, video projection, sound, lighting, crew levels and any pre-production specifics.

Pre-production

Not all conferences require pre-production, for example if your conference has PowerPoint slides you may want your production company to create them for you, a lot of companies now have the resources to do this in-house, but if that is the case they need to be of a professional standard.

You may want a video to be created, there are different types of messages you could utilise a video for, for example, a short opening sting, like an advert, to give a high impact start to your show.

Sometimes there may be presenters that can’t attend so you could have them videoed prior to the event and then played back during the conference at the allotted segment.You will have no doubt seen this kind of video message in awards ceremonies and of course the world famous This Is Your Life program.

Not all presenters are comfortable with presenting, so a speaker coach may be a good idea, the coach will do as much or as little as is required. Usually they will come into your offices and asses the presenters, presentation techniques and will advise accordingly.Speaker coaches can be invaluable to the success of your event if your presenters are new to their role and do not have any public speaking experience.

If you feel that your conference requires all, or most of these elements, (including help with venue selection) then employing a conference producer at an event management company may be the best thing to do, they and their team, will put all of the above together for you.

However, if you decide to do it yourself, then below are some useful hints and tips to creating your own successful production.These tips are the culmination of over 25 years working as a conference producer.

Set and Staging

A conference set is usually a timber framed construction covered in a material of a colour that fits the client’s corporate colours, normally this would have an aperture in it for rear projection with a screen, the screen should be large enough for all of the audience to see the content on the screen without straining their eyes.Remember, the larger the audience then the larger the screen needs to be.

The base of the screen, known as the under panel, needs to be at least 1.2m (5ft) to ensure the audience has a clear view over the heads of the people sat in front of them.
This is where the ceiling height comes into play. For example if you had a screen height of 2.5m, a screen base of 1.2m and a screen header, above the screen, of 300mm the minimum ceiling height required is 4m.

There are many different styles of set you can use, many companies have a stock set option which is pre-built, when it is used it is recovered to suit the client’s corporate branding. Other styles of set include a bespoke set where you consult a designer who will take a brief from you regarding the theme of the event and come up with a purpose built set with various options. This is of course more expensive compared to the standard stock set options. Provided you use a competent production company a stock set will do the job fine, unless you need something really different.

Whether you decide on a stock or bespoke set it is advisable to have some scale floor plans created to ensure all the elements fit into the available space and most production companies will do this in-house. if you went for the bespoke option you would receive some 3D drawings so you can visualise what the set will look like in the venue.

Once the set has been decided upon then the stage will also need to be included in the plans. The most cost effective stage option for corporate events is a standard stage the width of the set, which is normally about 2.5m deep and 450mm high.

The size also depends on what you want to have on stage during the conference, for example if you are going to have just one lectern or two, or if there is a requirement for a top table or some comfortable chairs and a coffee table for a more relaxed question and answer session.

Video Projection

Video projection is required if you want to put an image on the screen behind the speaker. The image can be data or video playback or indeed both. At small conferences this may just be a data projector and a laptop, controlled from the lectern, either with the client pushing buttons or with the help of a remote mouse so a presenter can move around the stage area freely.

You can also use a stage monitor screen so the presenter can see the slide changes without having to turn and look at the screen, the presenter should never have their back to the audience. To enable this you will require what we call a VCA DA this piece of equipment splits the signal from the laptop to both the projector and the stage monitor screen. Generally this is a trade tool only of the AV industry so if you can’t find one ask your conference production company to provide it.

If the presenter is more akin to speaking than using a computer and doesn’t want to control their own slides then a cue light system can be used. This is a hand held controller that when pressed sends a signal to a light backstage and a technician then forwards the slides for the speaker.

If you want to play DVD’s you will require a DVD player with a preview monitor and a switcher. There are many different switchers you can use but it is recommended that if you’re going to play a lot of videos during your event then a good quality data switcher should be used. By using multiple DVD players each video can be queued up whilst another is playing and then the switcher changes the signal from one player to the other, this avoids the audience having to wait while the DVD’s are changed and makes for a very professional presentation.

So you’ve got your data projector, your cue light system, your stage monitor and your DVD playback.

How else might corporate events teams enhance a conference with video production?

Recently I did an event which had a live camera feed.

The client wanted this for two different reasons firstly there was a presenter that didn’t have any PowerPoint slides except a name slide, so when he was presenting we had a live camera feed on the screen so the audience had a more up close and personal experience with the presentation. Then we utilised the live camera feed during the question and answer session for the same effect.

The second reason was that the client wanted to use some footage for the internet like a webcast. Certain elements of the conference were edited out and compressed for the internet so that delegates who were unable to attend could get a feeling of the content of the conference|, simply by watching it on their PC’s}.

Sound System (Public Address PA)

The sound system can range from a couple of speakers and one microphone in a small conference for say 50 delegates, or multiple speakers and microphones for up to thousands of delegates.

The basic sound system requirements are speakers, amplifiers, microphones and a mixing desk.

The speakers are generally on stands, however if you are organising a large conference they may be able to be flown from truss above to give an even coverage in the centre of the room.

In the event that you do have a very large audience than a delay line is required, this ensures that the signal reaches all of the speakers in the various locations around the room, or venue, at the exact same time removing any echo there might be.

There are various different types of microphones, the most commonly used these days are the tie clip radio microphones which enables the presenter the freedom to walk around the stage cable free.

If the presenters are going to stay at the lectern then lectern microphones which are wired are more suitable.

With regards the amplifier, most professional amps will run four speakers so if you need eight speakers for good coverage then two amplifiers will be needed. When the amount of speakers and amplifiers is specified, the next piece of equipment required is a mixing desk, generally people who are doing their own event don’t plan for this, but it can be the one piece of crucial equipment that makes the difference between an amateur and a professional event.

The mixing desk takes in all the signals that need to be heard through the speakers, such as the microphones, CD players and video playback. Once the equipment is plugged into the Mixing console, a feed is taken out of the desk and into the amplifiers, then from the amplifier to the speakers.

After this has been done the sound engineer then equalises the system which in layman’s terms means making it sound good in areas of the room. A well equalised sound system will have the feeling for the delegate, that the presenter is seated next to them not shouting from the front of the room.

All mixing consoles have a basic equaliser on the unit itself, however a professional conference producer will know it is advisable to get a separate graphic equaliser which has more options on it.

In a very large room it is recommend having what is called a multicore which as the name suggests is a cable with multiple cores inside it that carries the signals up and down the room from the control position from front of house to the control position backstage.

Lighting

Lighting is one of the most important visual elements of the conference. If you don’t have the luxury of a bespoke conference set then lighting can make all the difference.

There are several different types of lighting available, there is up-lighting normally provided by Par 64 floor cans, which you will recognise from seeing any professionally staged event. These can have coloured gel in them to add a set wash. There are also Fresnells which is a type of lamp which can hang from a truss or floor stand and again these can have a coloured gel in them to provide a set wash or coloured lighting effects. Profile lights are used to highlight elements of the set such as logos, steps or other details.

The most modern type of lamps on the market are LED lights. They are the most expensive type of lighting but they are worth it if you have the budget, the beauty of this type of lighting is that it can change colour at the press of a button|, which saves having to use gels to set the colour, and of course is a much more flexible for of lighting. I am sure you have seen LED lights being used all over the place these days, in torches, in mirrors, in cars, there are even some new cats eyes in the road that use LED lights.

Once the Lighting type and style is specified then it’s a good idea to get a lighting designer involved.

The designer will specify the type of lamp, where it should go, and what it’s going to do, if possible it’s best to hang lighting on a truss in front of the set, as opposed to using floor mounted stands. After the lighting has been decided on then it will need power, this usually comes from the venue supply via a dimmer rack to the lamps.

Crew

The crew is very important as they pull all the elements of the show together, professional conference production companies will know the value of a crew communication system which comprises of headphones and belt packs for each crew member allowing them to communicate with each other.

On larger shows we have a production manager and if required a conference producer, either one of these will show call, which means they will tell the crew what they should be doing and when they should be doing it. For example, when a video is due to be played they will let the video engineer, the sound engineer and the lighting engineers know in advance so they are ready when the caller say run VT.

Transportation

Again transportation is a crucial aspect of any event, or else how is everything you have ordered going to get there at the right time on the right day? The size of the vehicle is dependent on the size of the show, it can be anything from a transit size van up to an arctic with a 40ft trailer. It is the responsibility of the conference production company to decide on the type and size of transportation, but remember if you are booking a venue and it’s a large show that requires an arctic then make sure the vehicle can get into the loading bay! Fortunately it is not from my own experience that I have learnt this but from watching a competitor learn the it the hard way many years ago at an event I was working at!

In Summary

Organising a conference requires a lot of forward planning, the more you put in to it before the event the smoother it will run on the day.

Remember to look after your crew because they are the ones who enable it to all happen, look after your presenters because they are the ones it is happening for, and most importantly look after your delegates if you want it to happen to them again in the future. If you follow these basic rules that then you will have a successful event, good luck!

Finding the Best Nintendo Wii Price Today

Nintendo Wii prices don’t really seem to fluctuate. They change depending on if they are in a bundle package or if they are used. Otherwise expect to pay the full Nintendo Wii price. Great places to find a Wii are your local Best Buy, Target, Walmart and Toys R Us. You can simply call these stores and find out if they have any special such as any coupons towards the purchase or a free game with a Wii purchase. If you do want to purchase in a bundle then look at those prices as well. Buying used will give you many more options.

Finding the best Nintendo Wii price today isn’t as easy as one might think. There are lots of packages you can purchase that includes a set of games, the Wii and a controller that really give you the best deal but may not be what you are looking for. Trying the suspect Wii vendors may come with better warranties, but perhaps the best deal might be from your local craigslist?

When deciding to purchase a Wii one must also figure out whether they will need an extra controller or any particular games. Especially during the holiday season Best Buy, Sam’s Club, Target and even Walmart will have bundle deals with an extra controller and two or three games for a price that doesn’t even sound like the down-payment on a car. Now if you were thinking that you can find a friend who works at one of these stores to buy the game console for you I’m going to disappoint you by telling you that these stores don’t give any discount for the game consoles to their employees. You can tear up that Best Buy application.

The cost of the Wii is $250 plus taxes. Or you can get a bundle that comes with 2 remotes and 3 games for about $550. It really just depends if you are planning on using the games offered in the bundle. Call your local Target, Walmart, Toys R Us, and Circuit City in the mornings to see if they even have the Wii in and to find out the Wii prices. Sometimes they are difficult to locate. The best thing about purchasing the Wii at Best Buy is that they offer a warranty plan on their electronics that extends past the warranty that Nintendo offers.

Now I know that some people find offense to purchasing items online but if you aren’t one of those people then great! You can purchase the Nintendo Wii through any trusted 3rd party seller directly at Amazon or EBay. Sometimes you might even be able to purchase one at less than the original store price. But I would be weary of used consoles. If something does happen then you are out of luck and if it is delivered and it is broken it may be difficult to get a refund from a seller in China. Sometimes you can find the Wii at game stores as well.

If you do want it for less consider signing up for a Best Buy card and getting the discount they offer you once you open the account. This may be the cheapest new route for Wii prices. If you don’t mind a used Wii then go out to the pawn shop or look in the paper. This way you can actually see if the console works before purchasing it. Used systems are also sold at EBgames or Gamestop. Used consoles would also be on craigslist. Wii prices are usually still high because it is a popular console. If you go to the game store you can even sell your old console or games and use it as credit towards the new Nintendo Wii. Good luck in your search for the best Wii price.

Buddy and Me Play With Wii Accessories

I summoned my pal over to play my new game system. I pointed out to him it was a next generation game console so he probably anticipated that I had an PS3. Little did he invision that it was a Nintendo Wii. When he arrived he had a look of discontent on his face. He had never played one and had always thought it was the inferior system. I promised him that it was just as good as the other systems. He reluctantly took the controller in his hands while I booted up the game.

It wasn’t long before we were both jumping and swinging our way to winning. We were both having a fantastic time and it was apparent that he no longer held any skepticism about this console. Next came out the wii accessory bundle and some new games I had ordered. I had recently purchased two nunchuck controllers and we started boxing. A couple of hours later we were both tired from having so much fun and decided to take a rest.

Not much time passed before we were pumped for another round. I loaded up a first person shooter and we continued playing for a couple of hours. My pal was convinced that the interactivity provided by the Wii accessories made this gaming console preferable over any other he had played. No other video games had ever rendered the same level of interactivity that the Nintendo Wii did.

The next month he went to the electronics store and shelled out for a complete system with an additional Nintendo Wii remote controler so he and his sister could play. Who knew a game setup could bring a family closer together? Previously, my friend and his sister would never be caught dead playing video games with each other. Now it’s probably a daily occurrence.

Daisy

Guitar Hero

Guitar Hero has become a cultural phenomenon in the world of computer video games.  The guitar, software, and accessories are availabe in Guitar Hero - All Categories including Wii, Playstation, Xbox, etc. is a series of music video games published by RedOctane, in partnership with Activision. The series is notable for its use of a plastic guitar peripheral to simulate the playing of music, represented on-screen by colored notes that correspond to fret buttons on the controller.

Heidi Klum Guitar Hero

Their has recently been a controversial advertisement with model Heidi Klum playing Guitar Hero in her undergarments! The games support individual play as well as cooperative and competitive modes for two players. The series has used a range of both licensed and independent rock music tracks from the 1960s, throughout the decades to the present, including many master tracks from the bands. In total, six games have been released for video game consoles.  Games have also been released for mobile phones and the Nintendo DS handheld gaming system.

History

The series was originally developed by Harmonix Music Systems from 2005 to 2007. Then development duties of the series were transferred to Neversoft, whose first effort, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock was released on October 28, 2007 in North America.

The Guitar Hero franchise has become a cultural phenomenon, making many appearances in popular culture, and the games have become extremely popular as party games and hobbies. The series has sold 23 million units, earning $1.6 billion in retail sales.

Guitar Controller

Guitar Hero is unusual because it comes packaged with a controller peripheral modeled after a black Gibson SG guitar. Rather than a typical gamepad.   This guitar controller is the primary input for the game. Playing the game with the guitar controller simulates playing an actual guitar, except it uses five colored “fret buttons” and a “strum bar” instead of frets and strings. The development of Guitar Hero was inspired by Konami’s GuitarFreaks arcade game, which at the time, had not seen much exposure in the North American market; RedOctane, already selling guitar-shaped controllers for imported copies of GuitarFreaks, approached Harmonix about creating a game to use an entirely new Guitar controller.

The concept was to have the gameplay of Amplitude with the visuals of Karaoke Revolution, both of which had been developed by Harmonix. The game was met with critical acclaim and received numerous awards for its innovative guitar peripheral and its soundtrack, which comprised 47 playable rock songs (most of which were cover versions of popular songs from artists and bands from the 1960s through modern rock). Guitar Hero has sold nearly 1.5 million copies to date.

Guitar Hero II Release

The popularity of the series increased dramatically with the release of Guitar Hero II for the PlayStation 2 in 2006. Featuring improved multiplayer gameplay, an improved note-recognizing system, and 64 songs, it became the fifth best-selling video game of 2006. The PlayStation 2 version of the game was offered both separately and in a bundle with a cherry red Gibson SG guitar controller. Guitar Hero II was later released for the Xbox 360 in April 2007 with an exclusive Gibson X-Plorer guitar controller and an additional 10 songs, among other features. About 3 million units of Guitar Hero II have sold on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360.

The final game in the Guitar Hero series to be developed by Harmonix was Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s for the PlayStation 2, which was released in July 2007. This final game version, changing the visuals from Guitar Hero II, and shortening the song list with no bonus songs was not as well received by reviewers.

Transition

Transition Both RedOctane and Harmonix were experiencing changes in 2006. RedOctane was bought by Activision in June while it was announced in September that Harmonix would be purchased by MTV Networks. As a result of the two purchases, Harmonix would no longer develop future games in the Guitar Hero series. Instead, developing would go to Neversoft, a subsidiary of Activision known for developing the Tony Hawk’s series of skateboarding games.

Neversoft

Neversoft was chosen to helm the Guitar Hero series after Neversoft founder, Joel Jewett, admitted to the RedOctane founders, Kai and Charles Huang, that his development team for Tony Hawk’s Project 8 went to work on weekends just to play Guitar Hero. In 2007, Harmonix and MTV Games released a new music title through rival publisher Electronic Arts, called Rock Band. It expanded upon the gameplay popularized by the Guitar Hero series by adding drum and microphone instruments, allowing players to simulate playing songs as bands, though this functionality has now been implemented in Guitar Hero World Tour.

Guitar Hero III:

Legends of Rock was released in late 2007 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, and Mac platforms. The title is the first installment of the series to include wireless guitars bundled with the game and also the first to release a special bundle with two guitars. The game includes Slash and Tom Morello as playable characters in addition to the existing fictional avatars; both guitarists performed motion capture to be used for their characters animation in the game.

(aka Guitar Hero IV)

Guitar Hero World Tour, previously named Guitar Hero IV, is the fourth full game in the series and was released on October 26, 2008 for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii. Analysts had expected that future Guitar Hero games in 2008 would include additional instrument peripherals to compete against Rock Band. Guitar Hero World Tour was confirmed as in development following the announcement of the merger between Activision and Vivendi Games in December 2007. Activision’s CEO Bobby Kotick announced on April 21, 2008 that Guitar Hero World Tour will branch out into other instruments including vocals. Guitar Hero World Tour includes drums and is packaged with a new drum set controller. A larger number of real-world musicians appear as playable characters, including the great Jimi Hendrix, Billy Corgan, Sting, and Ozzy Osbourne. Guitar Hero World Tour also features the creation of custom songs that can be shared with others.

On September 4, 2007, Billboard announced that the band Aerosmith was “working closely with the makers of Guitar Hero IV, which will be dedicated to the group’s music.” On February 15, 2008, Activision announced that Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, an expansion game to the series, would be released on June 29, 2008.

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is developed by Neversoft for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, while the Wii version of the game is developed by Vicarious Visions and the PlayStation 2 version is developed by Budcat Creations. The game features a track selection composed of 60% of Aerosmith songs, with other songs from Joe Perry’s solo work or artists that have inspired or performed with Aerosmith, including Run D.M.C. Also in the works: Activision’s 2008 SEC filings cited that they plan to release Guitar Hero: Metallica by the first quarter of 2009.

By all expectations Guitar Hero will once again be the number one selling computer video game of the year in 2008.  The Guitar Hero phenomenon lives on!