RedOctane, Harmonix Announce Guitar Hero Sequel

Publisher RedOctane and developer Harmonix have announced that Guitar Hero II for the PlayStation 2. to debut this November, and to be shown for the first time at next month's E3 trade Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The original Guitar Hero was frequently referenced by game professionals as one of their favorite titles of 2005, and has gone on to both critical and commercial success, most recently ranking second in PS2 game sales for February 2006 in North America. Guitar Hero II arrives with a new track list, new venues and additional play modes – including the ability to transform the original Guitar Hero SG Controller into a rhythm, lead or bass guitar. The song list will pull from a mix of classic rock, ‘hair’ metal, heavy metal, modern rock, and alternative titles, and more than 55 songs will be featured in the next installment, although specific song titles are thus far secret. In addition, developer Harmonix has been working on many new features, including a Multiplayer Co-op Mode, which allows players to collaborate in order to beat songs, with each guitarist playing a separate guitar track. Available guitar tracks include lead, rhythm or bass tracks, depending upon the song. The Guitar Hero SG Controller used in the first installment will also be compatible with the new game.