I'm the first to admit that the whole Guitar Hero thing took me off guard. Play music on a plastic toy guitar - come on! But then I went to Guitar Hero night at my local waterhole, Hyperion Tavern, in trendy Silver Lake (Thursdays for those of you that care, see picture to the right). It was so much fun that I was converted on the spot. Now in its third incarnation, Activision's (NASD: ATVI) "Guitar Hero" game franchise is still the most popular entry in the music-based gaming genre that includes the newer hit "Rock Band" by Harmonix. Not only has the games sold millions of copies and is now available on other platforms such as mobile phones, the games have also become an invaluable marketing tools for bands (rock band Motley Crue was the first group to release a new single, "Saints of Los Angeles," for sale through the video game "Rock Band.") as well as increased interest in real guitar playing. And the trend of interactive music games that Guitar Hero started is just in its infancy.

Santa Monica, Calif. - Activision (NASD: ATVI) has announced plans for the next iteration of its popular "Guitar Hero" franchise, which will be built around the music of platinum-selling rock band Aerosmith. In development for the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and PS2 for release this summer, "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith" will feature around 30 songs from Aerosmith, as well as other from bands that have opened for them.