San Francisco - Mobile games publisher Hands-On Mobile has announced that its mobile version of "Guitar Hero III" has sold a record nearly 1 million downloads, and was the top-selling mobile game on Verizon (NYSE: VZ) phones in the first quarter. The company said that more than 250,000 songs are played daily by U.S. mobile subscribers, who pay $4.49 for monthly access or $11.99 outright for "Guitar Hero III Mobile."

Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) on Thursday announced that it acquired exclusive rights to distribute the mobile version of Activision's (NASD: ATVI) "Guitar Hero III," developed by Hands-On Mobile, to its subscribers. The game will cost $4.99 per month or $11.99 for unlimited use.

Sunnyvale, Calif. - Tracks from Warner Music/Reprise Records artists Linkin Park, Mastodon and The Used will be included as a downloadable track pack for video game publisher Activision's (NASD: ATVI) "Guitar Hero III" game in December. Activision will also offer single song downloads from European bands including Extremoduro, Trust and Die Fantastischen Vier.

Guitar Hero 3 launched 28th October and has since garnered $115 million for Activision whose chairman today revealed that Activision has shipped more of the Guitar Hero 3 game than any other in its history. In short order Guitar Hero 3 became the most searched for video game based on share of US Internet searches.