If you already have a Guitar Hero guitar sitting around (at this point, it's statistically likely), RedOctane is offering an opportunity to finish your band kit and get a new(ish) game for a great price. The company's website is selling a pack containing a copy of Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, along with a drum set and a microphone for $99.99, with free shipping. That's the exact same price the company is charging for just a drum set!

This package is, inexplicably, only available for Xbox 360 and Wii, and is only available today, so you don't have too much time to think about how weird it is to sell a Guitar Hero bundle with everything but the title instrument.

Last June, Kinetic Communications created a clever workaround for wheelchair-bound gamers who possess a penchant for Rock Band drumming, but were unable to use the kit's kick pedal due to their disability. Ben Heck, modder extraordinaire, recently did the same for the Guitar Hero: World Tour set -- however, rather than attaching an extra button to drumsticks, Heck found an altogether brilliant method of using the set's foot-activated percussion: He made it breath-controlled.

It took a fair amount of fancy engineering, but Heck recently uploaded instructions to his blog that show how to remove the pedal's piezoelectric sensor, and make it respond to air pressure rather than, well, foot pressure. You can get further details on the modification, as well as a video of Heck giving it a test run, on his site. It's definitely an intriguing idea, though it more or less prohibits the drummer from simultaneously singing, making Phil Collins role-playing a near impossibility. Still, great work, Ben!

[Via Engadget]

Releasing right on schedule, standalone versions of Guitar Hero World Tour's drums and guitar are now available at retail. The percussion set and the axe have a suggested retail price of $100 and $70, respectively. The Guitar Hero community site notes the items are available at Best Buy and Gamestop, but we've also seen them available online at Amazon.

The standalone plastic peripherals are currently available only in North America. Europe and Australia will receive the items at "a later date." If you have any questions regarding the compatibility of the items across rhythm games, please check out our "Instrument Compatibility Matrix" for a complete rundown.

Playing drums in games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero: World Tour could be far more beneficial than you may think. A study being conducted by the universities of Chichester and Gloucestershire, in collaboration with Blondie drummer Clem Burke, seeks to show the physical and mental benefits from banging away on a plastic kit.

Dr. Marcus Smith, Principal Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at the University of Chichester, explains that he's "particularly interested" in seeing how the drumming affects "child and adult obesity, autism, stroke patients, disengaged communities, and health and mental well-being in the workplace." Regarding that last part, Dr. Smith thinks that a game like Guitar Hero: World Tour could do a lot of good in the workplace, saying the game could be like "a rock venue," lowering stress and increasing "productivity for the business." Sure, if something is going to get your workers to pump out those Excel spreadsheets faster, it's taking a quick break to sing some Elvis Costello.

[Via GameDaily]

A listing for upcoming Guitar Hero: Metallica has popped up on GameStop, along with an interesting bonus for pre-ordering the game. According to the site, the game will include a bonus drum pedal, along with a splitter, which will allow would-be rockers to drum with dual pedals if you order early. You know, just like Lars Ulrich.

The listing is for the Xbox 360 version of the game, but it's a safe bet to expect this for Wii. It's a multiplatform game after all and if one version is going to offer dual pedals, we doubt it would be excluded from the other versions and a bonus exclusive to the Xbox.

Update: Added further clarification that this is a pre-order bonus.

[Via Joystiq]

There's a thick cloud of fear hanging over fans of faux-drumming in games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero: World Tour -- fear inspired by the near-impossible rhythms which will need to be kept when Guitar Hero: Metallica hits store shelves. We're not sure how familiar you guys are with the speed with which Mr. Ulrich is capable of producing percussion, but we assure you, his work will be most unpleasant to attempt to mimic.

Thankfully, an uncharacteristically useful pre-order bonus from GameStop will give the game's quick-to-act reservers an extra bass drum pedal and input splitter. This will allow the player to use both pedals to tackle the game's more heel-punishing tracks. It's certainly a better option than splitting your foot down the middle, and training yourself to control both halves independently, which, now that we think about it, would be pretty rock-and-roll.

Well, well, well. As it turns out, Harmonix hasn't been entirely honest about the unused input on the back of the Rock Band 2 drum set. Sandwiched between the orange kick pedal and multi-colored cymbal ports (see above), the extra jack was initially explained away as an expansion port for a second kick pedal, as corroborated by a review guide sent to OXM UK: "It was stated in prior interviews/demos that this input was a jack for the second kick pedal," begins the explanation, before ending with the kicker, "which is not the case." Dun-dun-dunnnh.

The guide continues, teasing that Harmonix "has not revealed the functionality for this input," which will "be announced at a later date, along with further details for double-kick functionality." So ... the port is for a second kick pedal, after all? Along with a ... what? Perhaps Harmonix is vying to make good on one of a couple shelved Guitar Hero add-ons? You tell us.

The updated drum kit for Rock Band 2 apparently has a mystery port located in the back. This port, which was speculated to be used for a second kicker, won't actually be used for that. This, of course, has led to all kinds of speculation about what it's function actually is. Could it support something new, like the Guitar Hero rumor we heard awhile back? Harmonix isn't saying, for now.

[Via Engadget; image courtesy of Joystiq]

Well, dear readers, we've got good news and we've got bad news ... and then we've got good news again. The (first) good news -- the promised Guitar Hero: World Tour drum tuning application is now available for download on Red Octane's customer support site. The bad news is that the application requires you to connect your drum kit to your computer using a midi-USB cable, which we imagine few of you actually possess. The (second) good news -- Red Octane is shipping these cables, free of charge, to anyone who requests one on their support site.

We suppose it's bad news that we'll be waiting for these cables to ship before we can give our drum kits some much-needed sensitivity training -- on the other hand, the fact that we won't be dealing with any suggestive, RealDoll-sized replacement boxes (or the resulting judgment from nosy neighbors) is good news indeed.

[Thanks, Eric G.]

Some Guitar Hero: World Tour players are reporting sensitivity issues with the drums -- basically, that they have to pound the hell out of them to register a hit. If you're tired of having to go all Keith Moon all the time, Activision and Neversoft have a solution for you, and it's kind of an unexpected one: drum sensitivity tuning software.

Activision has released Windows-based tuning software which will allow players to connect their drum kits to their PCs and manually alter the sensitivity of each input. If that doesn't help, provided your overworked (but totally buff) arms can deal with the searing pain of motion long enough to lift the phone, you can report your sensitivity issues to Activision online or by phone at (310)255-2050.


[Via Joystiq]

In addition to announcing new track packs, Neversoft has issued a trio of updates concerning the Guitar Hero World Tour drumset. First off, those who have been experiencing sensitivity issues with the set will be happy to know that the developer will be releasing a drum controller tuning kit for Windows "very soon," so users can self-tune their skins at home. Neversoft also recommends that if you're currently having issues, you should contact Activision customer support.

For Xbox 360 owners, the ION Drum Rocker compatibility patch should now be available for download. As for PlayStation 3 owners still waiting on the promised GHWT drum compatibility with Rock Band 2, Neversoft said it's all up to Harmonix to release an update for the game. We'll poke them again to see if we can get an ETA on that patch.

Many of us will find it easy to imagine the following scenario, having lived it a little over a year ago with the release of an alarmingly similar title -- hordes of rhythm game junkies returned home last night from midnight launch parties at various retailers, cumbersome Guitar Hero: World Tour bundles in tow. Shortly after failing "Eye of the Tiger" for the third time in a row, an upsetting discovery is made -- one (or more) of the bundled instruments doesn't work as intended. The rocking is abated! Hearts are broken! Hands are wrung! Teeth are gnashed!

Sadly, such a scenario has reportedly been experienced by many a concerned forum poster, as threads stating issues with the game's peripherals have sprung up like discontent weeds. Their complaints are many -- one GameFAQs thread includes reports from players with unresponsive cymbals and, less commonly, drum heads; some posters decry their guitar's inability to register every strum; and some complain of faulty fret buttons.

We should point out that there are a number of forum posters who have stated complete satisfaction with their newly acquired fake instruments -- still, Activision has been quick to direct those with busted periphs to their customer service page, where information on how to get warranty replacements from RedOctane is given. We certainly hope the replacement process is a speedy one -- not that you don't already have a gaggle of fully functional instrumentrollers strewn across your den.

[Thanks, Neb.]

While it looks like one helluva Wiimote attachment, this gangly peripheral is actually a portable Rock Band (or more appropriately, Rock Band 2) drum kit made by Mad Catz for Xbox 360. So no, we won't be flailing the loose ends about as we race our karts through Moo Moo Meadows. We're told the pads must be laid flat, like on a sturdy coffee table (best not glass) -- or in our case: the unpaid intern's back, or better, draped over his neck like some gaudy Jesus piece -- and repeatedly smashed to the beat of the on-screen cues. We're currently testing the "designed to withstand over 1 million strikes" certification, though the same intern has begun to complain that his wrist hurts. To which we reply: "Dude, stop hitting yourself." (Yeah, we're evil like that.)

The "Official Rock Band Portable Drum Kit for Xbox 360" is currently in limbo on GameShark for $59.99 (and Buy.com for $10 less).

[Via Engadget]

That's right, a MIDI sequencer. While a far cry from our keytar-brandishing dreams, the addition will allow those savvy enough to wrap their heads around the process to compose music on the PC and then import their creations into Guitar Hero World Tour. The feature, however, doesn't sound like it's suited for the faint of heart, as Neversoft's Brian Bright tells Shacknews that "it's going to take an FAQ on the Guitar Hero site--it's not something that your average user is gonna do."

However, MIDI aficionados planning to compose their digital masterpieces on the Xbox 360 will likely find the experience lacking. While the PS3 sequencer will reportedly support a variety of instruments, including rhythm and lead guitars, bass, keyboards and drum tracks, the Xbox 360 alternative will be limited to drums alone due to "hardware issues." Then again, for those planning on channeling their inner John Bonham, what more do you need?

We've all seen a fairly spastic, embarrassing live demonstration of Wii Music's drum kit -- or at least the GIF version. Honestly, it seemed pretty cool from inside the theatre, with the strobe lights flashing and the volume turned way up. It was only after arriving home and seeing Ravi Drums' performance through the filter of the Internet that face hit palm. We knew that it was confusing to play, but we didn't know until then how confusing it was to see.

This latest Wii Music "Today's Instrument" video doesn't include the Balance Board bass drum, but the same flailing is on display here. Not pictured: being unable to figure out which direction on the D-pad corresponds to which drum.