Obama is not just campaigning for the president of these United States in the real world, but in the virtual word as well. First his ads appeared in Burnout Paradise, but there are actually 18 games you can find him campaigning in.

Through the Xbox LIVE service, Obama is campaigning in games such as Guitar Hero III, The Incredible Hulk, NASCAR 09, NBA Live 08 and NFL Tour. Ads are not found in the PlayStation 3 versions of these games since they are through Microsoft’s ad service.

Look out for Obama during your next gaming session. You never know where he’ll pop up.

Source: reuters.com

Activision’s release of “Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80’s” has spurred a lawsuit from American rock group, The Romantics. Lawsuits are common place these days, however the grounds for the suit against the publisher of the successful video game franchise seems like a stretch.

The Romantics claim that the band commissioned to perform their hit song “What I Like About You” sounded too much like them, resulting in a rendition that is “virtually indistinguishable from the authentic version”.

The lawsuit was filed on November 20th in federal District Court in Detroit. Look out Frank Caliendo, John Madden may be after you next.

Frank Caliendo impersonating John Madden on The Late Show

Via: billboard.com

In a press release sent out today, Activision announced the release of two new track packs that hit the Xbox Live Market Place this morning. While the release stated that the Playstation Store would be receiving them later this month, we have confirmed that they are in fact available on the Playstation Network right now as well.

Prospective plastic-shredding rockers can elect to download the Velvet Revolver Pack, which includes master recordings of “Messages,” “She Builds Quick Machines”, and the Grammy Award winning “Slither”. Alternatively, players can also choose from the Foo Fighter Pack, which includes “The Pretender”, “This Is a Call” and “All My Life”.

With the release of so many amazing titles this month, most people haven’t had the chance to process everything GH3 has to offer yet. That makes this move even more interesting. Is Activision amping up its track list in preparation for EA’s Rock Band? Or is it trying to start a new business model for the rhythm game genre? Regardless, this can only be seen as good for fans of the series. We don’t need anymore sequels, and we already have the instruments, so just give us the music!

No self-respecting Guitar Hero fan should miss South Park’s take on the little plastic controllers of rock. Following in the footsteps of the Emmy-winning World of Warcraft episodes, “Guitar Queer-O” has Stan and Kyle living the rock and roll lifestyle when a talent scout discovers their high score of 100,000 points.

Soon Stan and Kyle are in the good graces of the recording industry, attending lavish parties with the greatest Colorado celebrities. But when their manager breaks them up before their big 1,000,000 point performance, Stan turns to the relaxing comfort of “Heroin Hero”.

Heroin Hero is the inevitable downside to living the high life of a Guitar Hero–it’s the ultimate first person “shooter”, where all you do is chase a big dragon that always stays out of reach. When Stan shows up wasted on Heroin Hero for his big performance, it seems like his career ends in the gutter.

The episode is filled with jokes for the GH crowd, like the way Stan’s dad tries to impress the kids by playing songs on a real guitar. Cartman’s response? “Real guitars are for old people”. In the end, the game actually berates the kids for spending so much time mastering it.

No telling if it’ll win another Emmy, but “Guitar Queer-O” shows that the guys behind South Park know their pop culture. This virtual audience was cheering.

It’s not Warped Tour or Coachella, but this yearly concert tour is still one of the best shows in town. It’s got roaring crowds, outrageous stages, and even some special guest appearances. Best of all, they want you to play lead guitar.

The thrill of gaining admission into the world of Guitar Hero hasn’t diminished, even though this is the third time we’ve been to the show. For those unfamiliar with the series, Guitar Hero is a rhythm and music game played using a colorful plastic guitar. Any strange looks you get from the uninitiated are quickly dispelled when they pick up this odd peripheral and “feel” like they’re making the music themselves, even if they’re only hitting a combination of five fret keys.

The soundtrack of the Guitar Hero games is what sets this series apart. Except for perhaps the Tony Hawk series, there hasn’t been as big a videogame music breakthrough as Guitar Hero. The set list of GH3 is just as strong as the first two, with modern hits like “When You Were Young” by The Killers and “Miss Murder” by AFI alongside classics like “Paint it Black” by the Rolling Stones and “Anarchy in the UK” by the Sex Pistols.

Each track scales very nicely, allowing younger or inexperienced players to follow along on easy or medium while hardcore thrashers can turn it up to 11 with hard or expert mode. The challenge of Guitar Hero is what keeps people playing it year after year, and there’s a ton of replay value to be enjoyed in beating over 40 popular songs and two dozen indie bonus songs.

This year’s set list may be a bit divisive, as each new Guitar Hero tends to be. With pricey downloadable songs on the way, you’ll want to make these built in tracks last as long as possible. Fortunately there’s a good variety of old and new, but also some really clever riffs that are great fun to master. “Lay Down” by Priestess, for example, will urge you to master the hammer-on and pull-off techniques.

Though the difficulty might have been toned down slightly, it doesn’t detract from the fun. It can even result in higher scores and combos, as there’s a little more leeway now when you hit a note.

Guitar Hero has sold millions of copies by creating a specific formula for rock sauce, but what happens when you throw in a few new ingredients? The battle mode (which holds up well in multiplayer) and celebrity guest appearances (Slash just happened to be in the neighborhood?) might not be for everyone, but in terms of making this game feel like a star-studded MTV special they are pretty fun. It’s not a revolutionary step forward for the series, but Guitar Hero only needs to gradually refine its formula.

In terms of refinement, the greater number of master tracks gives Guitar Hero 3 a more genuine feel than its predecessors. While it’s still disconcerting to hear KISS songs by a crappy cover band, the authentic voices in other songs go a long way towards improving the series.

There are a few, slight missteps. The lip-synching, while improved in Guitar Hero 3, leaves the male singer looking like a creepy wide-mouthed monster. The animated cutscenes between venues look great, but they’re extremely short and don’t really qualify as a reward for beating a set of five songs. Otherwise, the background graphics and general presentation are colorful and extremely attractive.

The new publisher of Guitar Hero 3 has also apparently taken the approach of sexing up the characters unnecessarily. Judy Nails is so tarted-up in this game that she’s practically unrecognizable. Midori, a perky Japanese schoolgirl, looks very punk but also seems to be there solely for fanboy service. One level even features midriff-baring pole dancers, which may give pause to parents who would otherwise buy Guitar Hero for their kids without hesitation.

Despite these few missed notes (blame it, perhaps, on a bad sound engineer or unplugged amp) Guitar Hero is still the best show in town. Competitor Rock Band has a lot to prove, as Guitar Hero has made the stage dive to next-gen almost perfectly.

Guitar Hero is finally facing some tough competition this year due to Rock Band, and the behind-the-scenes maneuvering between companies is probably pretty confusing to most music game fans.

The creators of Guitar Hero may have moved on to develop Rock Band, but the GH license is still going strong with big-name contributors and more addicting guitar gameplay. We talked with Activision’s Alex Ortiz, who is Guitar Hero 3’s production coordinator, about how the legal and licensing changes have affected this popular series.

Q: What was the transition like from Harmonix to Neversoft?
A: I joined the team later in development. As far as working with Neversoft on this title, it seems like Neversoft knew what exactly what they were getting in to. They’re a really great developer who pulled off a really good game in GH3. They pretty much proved they can take over Harmonix crown and still preserve what Guitar Hero is.

Q: Did you use the same engine and interface as the previous two Guitar Heroes?
A: They have their own engine. We couldn’t use what Harmonix developed, but overall users who are familiar with GH1 and 2 will pretty much feel right at home with GH3 and see that not much was changed. Obviously the menu and everything is completely different. It’s more of the Neversoft style of things, but it’s a really good change, to be honest.

Q: What were Red Octane and Activision’s response to EA buying out Harmonix?
A: It was one of those buyouts that takes everyone by surprise. It wasn’t really expected, but we weren’t really surprised that a great developer like Harmonix was eventually bought by another company.

Q: What sets Neversoft apart from Harmonix?
A: I think what really sets it apart is our own unique style. When you look at the two games, Rock Band and Guitar Hero, there’s not a whole lot you can do as far as changing up the prep board too much. They’re almost going to look the same, it’s just what each developer going to bring to the table art and style-wise that’s going to differentiate the two.

Q: What’s in store for online play?
A: Online play is available right out the gate on PS3, Xbox 360 and the Wii. PS2 does not have online.

Q: What can you do online?
A: Basically it’s what you can do offline. Co-op mode is available online and competitive online play is there. You can pretty much go head-to-head against anyone in the world and prove who the best GH player is.

Q: Rockband has MTV, what about GH?
A: GH has the fact that it’s a monster franchise and brand name that is so well known. Throngs of people know GH. People still don’t yet know that Rock Band name. It’s yet to prove itself to the wide consumer market. You know when most people hear GH they know what it is. Rock Band, they’re not sure what it is. Because GH is such monster of a franchise it’s actually easier now for us to get artists involved. Artists are more proactive about coming to us first and trying to get involved.

Sex Pistols came back and rerecorded “Anarchy in the U.K.” for us. That was a major, awesome accomplishment. We got the band Living Colour to also rerecord “Cult of Personality”, and they actually extended and added things to the solo in the song. It’s amazing.

We also have Slash and Tom Morello who came in and recorded new, exclusive music just for us.

Q: EA claims that their guitar and the GH guitar are interchangeable, are they?
A: That’s been the long-standing thing that Harmonix has said– that the Guitar Hero guitar will work with their game. I’m sure their controller will probably work with ours, but I’m pretty sure there’s going to be some compatibility issues. Each piece of hardware is different. How the pieces of software are going to react to a controller that wasn’t necessarily designed for it, that’s kind of up in the air.

The much anticipated Guitar Hero III sequel from Activision and RedOctane is set to hit shelves October 28th (this Sunday), with an estimated 3,000 plus retailers organizing midnight release parties.

Hit up your local Wal-Mart beforehand, and buy that cranky neighbor of yours a few extra pillows to block out the sounds, cuz’ practice makes perfect, and you my friend are on a quest for perfection that starts at midnight, and stops when you damn well say so! Press release after the jump.

ACTIVISION TEARS IT UP ON STORE SHELVES WITH LAUNCH OF GUITAR HERO® III: LEGENDS OF ROCK

SUNNYVALE, CA – October 26, 2007 – Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced that Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will officially rip it up on retail store shelves nationwide this Sunday, October 28. To help celebrate the legendary launch, over 3,000 stores across the country are expected to organize their own midnight launch events this weekend, allowing all aspiring axe-shredders to unleash their inner-rock star.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will include explosive new content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer game modes will also allow fans worldwide to compete head-to-head for true legendary rock status. Fresh downloadable content will also be offered on multiple platforms, and players can now shred to a killer set list from many of the most popular rock songs ever recorded.

“Where there is music this holiday season, there is Guitar Hero, and we’re excited to deliver Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock as the ultimate guitar-bending experience for our fans,” said Dusty Welch, head of publishing for Activision/RedOctane. “With an amazing set list, added gameplay features, online functionality, and new wireless guitars, aspiring rock stars are going to shred harder than ever before.”

For the first time ever, Guitar Hero® fans will also be able to thrash and burn with new wireless guitar controllers available for each platform, including exclusive Gibson Guitar’s Les Paul model for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo, and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system gamers will also get to shred on a new exclusive shape, Gibson’s Kramer guitar, popularized by hard rockers and known for its body design, pickups, electronics and construction for furious finger fretting.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, published by RedOctane® and developed by Neversoft, is rated ‘T’ for Teen by the ESRB and will be available October 28, 2007. For more information about the Guitar Hero franchise, please visit the dedicated community site: www.guitarhero.com.

Can’t wait until the release of Guitar Hero III to start jamming to some of the awesome rock music? Well now you don’t have to, because iTunes has published playlists for all past versions and the upcoming version of GH. This means that you can listen to all of the songs on your Apple iPod or iPhone, and that is no small feat, as Guitar Hero III alone, will host 61 face-melting rock tracks. Hit the jump for a complete list.

1. Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N’ Roses
2. Sunshine if Your Love – Cream
3. Anarchy In the U.K. – The Sex Pistols
4. Sabotage – Beastie Boys
5. Paint It Black – The Rolling Stones (One of my votes)
6. Even Flow – Pearl Jam
7. Rock ‘n Roll All Night – Kiss
8. Black Magic Woman – Santana
9. One Way or Another – Blondie
10. One – Metallica
11. Suck My Kiss – Red Hot Chili Peppers
12. School’s Out – Alice Cooper
13. Barracuda – Heart
14. La Grange – ZZ Top (One of my votes)
15. Bulls On Parade – Rage Against the Machine
16. Hit Me With Your Best Shot – Pat Benatar
17. The Devil Went Down to Georgia – The Charlie Daniels Band
18. Cherub Rock – Smashing Pumpkins
19. Rock You Like a Hurricane – Scorpions
20. The Number of the Beast – Iron Maiden
21. Talk Dirty to Me – Poison
22. Mississippi Queen – Mountain
23. When You Were Young – The Killers
24. The Seeker – The Who
25. My Name Is Jonas – Weezer
26. Pride and Joy – Stevie Ray Vaughan
27. Slow Ride – Foghat
28. Holiday In Cambodia – Dead Kennedys
29. Black Sunshine – Iggy Pop & White Zombie
30. Story of My Life – Social Distortion
31. Cult of Personality – Living Colour
32. Kool Thing – Sonic Youth
33. Miss Murder – AFI
34. Raining Blood – Slayer
35. Before I Forget – Slipknot
36. Reptilia – The Strokes
37. Stricken – Disturbed
38. 3’s & 7’s – Queens of the Stone Age
39. Ruby – Kaiser Chiefs
40. Cities On Flame With Rock and Roll – Blue Oyster Cult
41. Knights of Cydonia – Muse
42. Helicopter – Bloc Party
43. Prayer of the Refuge – Rise Against
44. She Bangs the Drums – The Stone Roses
45. Cliffs of Dover – Eric Johnson
46. My Curse – Killswitch Engage
47. The Metal – Tenacious D
48. I’m In the Band – The Hellacopters
49. Go That Far – Bret Michaels
50. Can’t Be Saved – Senses Fail
51. Closer – Lacuna Coil
52. Take This Life – In Flames
53. Monsters – Matchbook Romance
54. F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X. – The Fall of Troy
55. Through the Fire and Flames – Dragonforce
56. In the Belly of a Shark – Gallows
57. Avalancha – Heroes Del Silencio
58. Metal Heavy Lady – LIONS
59. Lay Down – Priestess
60. The Way It Ends – Prototype
61. Don’t Hold Back – The Sleeping

To download the list and listen to samples of all the songs above, visit www.itunes.com.