International Entertainment News: Video: Guitar Hero(R) 5 Now Available for Consumers to 'Rock Any Way They Want'

Video: Guitar Hero(R) 5 Now Available for Consumers to 'Rock Any Way They Want'

Latest Version of Best-Selling Music Franchise Offers Today's Hottest Rock Hits and Classic Anthems For a Limited Time Consumers Score a Copy of the Unreleased Guitar Hero® Van Halen® with Purchase of Guitar Hero 5

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continuing to transform the way people experience music, the highly-anticipated Guitar Hero 5 video game hits store shelves today with unprecedented music variety featuring an expansive, pulse-pounding 85-song on-disc set list, more than 150 songs available via downloadable content, and the capability to import select songs from other Guitar Hero games. Featuring some of music's leading bands and artists across a multitude of genres, the ability for players to rock any way they want with any combination of multiple guitarists, bassists, drummers and singers in any game mode, Guitar Hero 5 allows players to step into the spotlight as iconic rockers of the past, present and future with an all-star line-up of in-game playable characters, including Kurt Cobain, Johnny Cash, Carlos Santana, Garbage's Shirley Manson and Matt Bellamy of Muse. For a limited time, consumers who purchase Guitar Hero 5 will receive the unreleased Guitar Hero Van Halen when they mail in their proof of purchase.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/guitarhero/39809/

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090901/NY68773 )

Early reviews and previews of the game have been outstanding. Official Xbox Magazine gives Guitar Hero 5 a final score of 95 out of 100 saying, "Party Play mode instantly reinvigorates the social fun of music games ... It is the new standard for social rocking." The magazine goes on to say, "This is musical fun done right ... This is the Guitar Hero to own."

"Guitar Hero 5 is the best Guitar Hero game yet and an incredible value for consumers by providing hours of entertainment as they play along to the music they love and discover new artists and tracks," said Dan Rosensweig, president and chief executive officer of Guitar Hero. "The game offers consumers access to an extensive library of music, including 85 songs on-disc, more than 150 songs available via DLC and the ability to import music from previous Guitar Hero."

Guitar Hero 5's refined GH(TM)Music Studio combines remarkably comprehensive features including improved editing tools, new guitar samples and more than 400 easy-to-use music patterns with complete accessibility for players of all creative abilities. To date, more than 300,000 songs have been uploaded to GHTunes and those songs have been downloaded for free more than 17 million times by users.

Features exclusive to the Wii(TM) version of Guitar Hero 5 deliver a unique and unforgettable gameplay experience with unprecedented integration, where up to two Nintendo DS(TM) players engage in an intense competition with two Wii guitarists in the new Roadie Battle mode. Mii(TM) Freestyle returns for a unique gameplay experience that allows Wii players to jam along to different genres, including Rock, Metal and Blues. The new Mii Freestyle Stage Manager allows Nintendo DS players to call the shots with control of on-stage lightshows, camera angles and pyrotechnics.

The entire set list is at players' fingertips from the start, featuring genre-defining hits from some of the biggest rock artists and bands of all time, including The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Kings of Leon, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Vampire Weekend. Players take complete control as Guitar Hero 5 allows gamers to personalize and customize how they experience music by being able to play with any in-game instrument combination -- multiple vocalists, guitarists, bassists and drummers, in any game mode. With the game's all-new Party Play Mode, getting the band back together has never been easier. Players can now jump in or drop out of gameplay seamlessly, without interrupting their jam session. Elevating the Guitar Hero series to new heights with unmatched social gameplay, an enhanced style, new in-game artists and more rock legends, Guitar Hero 5 features new surprises and challenges that will fire-up long-time fret board fanatics and create a new generation of addicts.

Published by Activision Publishing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI) , Guitar Hero 5 is developed by Neversoft Entertainment for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, and by Vicarious Visions for the Wii system from Nintendo. Budcat is developing Guitar Hero 5 for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. The game is rated "T" for "Teen" (mild lyrics, mild suggestive themes) by the ESRB. For more information about Guitar Hero 5, please visit GH5.GuitarHero.com.

Guitar Hero Van Halen is developed by Underground Development for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION3 and PlayStation2 computer entertainment systems and the Wii home video game system from Nintendo. The game is rated "T" (Teen - Mild Lyrics, Mild Suggestive Themes) by the ESRB. For more information about Guitar Hero Van Halen, please visit www.vanhalen.guitarhero.com.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as "outlook," "will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes," "may," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimate," future," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject to," "upcoming" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing's titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing's ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms (including next-generation hardware), declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing's products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Activision Publishing, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, vendors, licensees, licensors and third-party developers, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, Activision Blizzard's success in completing the integration of the operations of Activision Publishing and Vivendi Games in a timely manner, or at all, and the combined company's ability to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction to the extent, or in the timeframe, anticipated, and the other factors identified in the risk factors section of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

2009 Activision Publishing, Inc. Guitar Hero and Activision are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

"PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. 2006 Nintendo. All rights reserved.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: ksouthey@activision.com

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090901/NY68773
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com/ Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/guitarhero/39809

Source: Activision Publishing, Inc.

CONTACT: Media, Natalie Salzman DaRosa, PR Manager of Guitar Hero,
+1-424-744-5732, ndarosa@guitarhero.com

Web Site: http://gh5.guitarhero.com/
http://www.activision.com/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/007396.html

Profile: International Entertainment