Guitar Hero(R) 5 and Band Hero(TM) Roll Into April With Hot New Rock Additions to the Guitar Hero Music Library

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Activision Publishing, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ATVI) April lineup of downloadable songs is sure to satisfy with huge rock bands and popular tracks for Guitar Hero® 5 and Band Hero™ players this month.  With the addition of tracks from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Fall Out Boy, Blur, The All-American Rejects, Saving Abel, Phoenix and Black Sabbath, the Guitar Hero music library continues to evolve and expand, providing hours of entertainment for fans of all music genres.  

Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd kicks off the month of downloadable music on April 1, with a three song track pack featuring the rock anthem that first brought the band national attention, "Free bird."  In addition, gamers will also get the popular singles "Simple Man" and "Gimme Three Steps" off Lynyrd Skynyrd's 1973 debut album.

On April 8, gamers can let the good times roll with the Fall Out Boy Track Pack, which contains three hits from their certified-platinum album Infinity on High.  "Thnks fr th Mmrs," "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" and "The Take Over, The Breaks Over" will have players rocking out to the creative lyrics and catchy tunes that helped garner the band mainstream success.

Gamers looking for more great songs to expand their music libraries are in for a treat as Guitar Hero throws three hot singles into the mix.  "Gives You Hell," the 2008 hit single by The All-American Rejects, "There's No Other Way" by alternative rock band Blur and "Addicted" off Saving Abel's debut self-titled album will be available as downloadable singles starting April 15.

On April 22, the stage is set for Grammy Award winning French alternative rock band, Phoenix, to make their Guitar Hero debut.  "Everything Is Everything" from Phoenix's 2005 album, Alphabetical, will join "Lisztomania" and "1901," from their award winning 2009 album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, to give fans of the band a new way to experience the music they know and love.

Driving home the broad selection of rockin' Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero downloadable music is heavy metal pioneer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Black Sabbath, on April 29.  The unforgettable and intense experience that is Black Sabbath comes to music gaming fans, as master tracks, for the first time, featuring "After Forever," "Into The Void" and "Sweet leaf," three tracks off their double-platinum album Master of Reality

The Lynyrd Skynyrd, Fall Out Boy, Phoenix and Black Sabbath track packs will be available on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for 440 Microsoft Points, on the PlayStation®Store for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system for $5.49 and for Wii™ for 550 Wii Points™.  All songs in each track pack, as well as The All-American Rejects, Blur and Saving Abel tracks, will also be released as downloadable singles for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for 160 Microsoft Points, PlayStation 3 system for $1.99 and Wii for 200 Wii Points each.  In addition to the in-game music store and the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360, Xbox 360 owners can expand their Guitar Hero music library using the Guitar Hero VIP Pass Music Store, available exclusively on Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network.

For more information about Guitar Hero 5, Band Hero and their entire line-up of downloadable songs, please visit www.guitarhero.com.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

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SOURCE Activision Publishing, Inc.