Will 'Guitar Hero: Aerosmith' Rock?

April 16, 2008 — -- On the heels of their latest video game juggernaut "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock," Activision will bring what it hopes is its next hit — "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith" — to store shelves this summer. With it, the game brings yet another example of a growing trend: bands getting a leg up with video games.

Slated for release in June, the newest installment of the video game franchise, which Activision calls a "spinoff," follows the members of the legendary rock band from real-life venues that reflect the trajectory of their career.

"From day one, these dudes have been involved in the process," Neversoft producer Aaron Habibipour said at a demo of the game in New York.

According to Habibipour, the band spent a month with Neversoft, working on motion capture for the game. Joe Perry even picked which guitars he wanted to play on each song in the game.

This is the first time "Guitar Hero" has created a game around one band. The song list expands beyond Aerosmith's set list, however, with works by bands that inspired the senior rockers. Songs by The Kinks ("All Day and All of the Night"), Joan Jett ("I Hate Myself for Loving You") and Cheap Trick ("Dream Police") make appearances alongside "Sweet Emotion."

In addition to songs, each level of the game features a 20-second interview with the band. Once the level has been completed, a full three minutes of footage of the band is revealed. Like its predecessors, this game also features dual game play and one guitar battle.

Although this isn't Aerosmith's first appearance in a video game — the band also appeared in the arcade game "Revolution X" in the 1990s — Activision's decision to feature one band prominently underscores the strengthening relationship between video games and musicians.

"There's been a bridge between the music industry and video game industry for a long time," said Hal Halpin, president of the Entertainment Consumers Association.

Halpin cited SSX, a snowboarding game from Electronic Arts, in which music is featured prominently, especially up-and-coming indie artists.