Activision Announces Rhythm Game Line-up [UPDATE] News

Publisher Activision has officially announced its 2009 autumn line-up of music/rhythm games, including the long known about DJ Hero, a fully expected Guitar Hero 5, and the previously rumoured Band Hero.

As far as details surrounding DJ Hero are concerned, there was no more information than we've already gleamed from various rumours and Twitters. Perhaps a genre list of "hip-hop, R&B, Motown, electronica and dance," is bordering on new info though.

Few details have been let out of the bag on Guitar Hero 5 at this stage, although players will apparently be able to drop in and out of tracks whenever they want, with the ability to change instruments, difficulty levels, and band members "on the fly".

Band Hero, on the other hand, looks like Activision's answer to Lego Rock Band, with the aim being to bring a younger audience to the Guitar Hero fold with the series' first 10+ rated title and encourage causal family play with the game as a result.

It's not the first we've heard of a possible Band Hero game, after a leaked slide from a Harmonix presentation at this year's Game Developers Conference listed GH: BH amongst its list of projected Guitar Hero titles for 2009 (below right).

Activision's official Band Hero announcement now more or less confirms the leaked document's authenticity, which makes Guitar Hero: Van Halen's (GH: VH) existence practically a certainty.

GH: Modern's mention on the slide is referring to the previously announced DS title (Guitar Hero: Modern Hits), while GH: Arcade is in reference to arcade pods of the game that can be found Stateside (we're yet to spot one in good old Blighty though).

Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits (GH: GH) has already been confirmed for release on the home consoles this summer, leaving only two more unannounced projects on Harmonix's slide: a third DS iteration of the series and "???", which could mean anything.

DJ Hero, Band Hero, and Guitar Hero 5 are all currently slated for autumn releases. No surprises there then either. No platforms have been officially announced for any of the games at this time, although DJ Hero is suspected for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and possibly PS2.

"Guitar Hero has made music social again and has become one of the most popular ways to experience music," said Dan Rosensweig, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Guitar Hero franchise. "Today's fans enjoy a variety of music and are looking for more ways to engage with their favourite songs, artists and fellow fans. These games will let them listen, participate and socialize with music in ways they have never been able to before."

UPDATE: Various game sites around the web are reporting that Guitar Hero: Van Halen has been officially confirmed by Activision alongside these DJ Hero, Band Hero, and Guitar Hero 5 announcements. We've reached out to Guitar Hero's reps in the UK on the matter but there's still no official confirmation from them as yet.

Nevertheless, the reports are suggesting that Guitar Hero: Van Halen will include Queens of the Stone Age, Weezer, Blink-182, Queen, and The Offspring as support acts for the tour.