OMG!
Two of the all-time greatest bands going head to head as posers strumming fiddly small plastic guitars mash their buttons as fast as they can… Rhythmically.

There was a time when rhythm, music based games were relegated to the arcades where there was always a geeky asian kid with more coins in his bag than you had hair follicles that would scare you off with his freaky skills.

But, with the advent of the fake band phenomenom by (originally) Harmonix and Red Octane (who have split to from the GH and Rock Band franchises), suddenly the games that required $500 accessories for you to begin playing have come roaring back into the limelight, kicking and screaming, driven by adolescents with a need to feel like a Rock Star without the practice that goes into it.

Metallica, although not the first band to plant their name on a gaming franchise (Aerosmith and ACDC were the last incarnations of expanions by GH and Rock Band), Metallica was an unusual choice by Neversoft (consequently, I found out that the introduction of An Endless Sporadic in Guitar Hero III was no accident, the guitarist works there. Btw, their progressive rock is awesome! Keep it up guys and everyone go buy their EP Ameliorate from iTunes… There! some free advertising!):

1. Because, although they personally weren’t against the digital revolution (they were against stealing music), they’ve been given a bad rap lately as being fearful of technological change

2. Their music, while having a huge hardcore fan base, is not the easiest music to get into if you’re not already familiar with Metallica and/or not fiendishly good at playing Guitar Hero (which a lot of people are nowadays… It’s like World of Warcraft, 20 million hardcore players and counting). If you are new to the franchise its best if you start on the original GH World Tour. Guitar Hero Metallica will bitchslap you back to China (incidentally, that is where GnR (correction, just Mr. Rose, GnR is now Velvet Revolver (or… was until a short time ago)) was banished to for over a decade before releasing their unanimously crap album, Chinese Democracy… Yes, I have it and hate it too).

Never the less, it will be interesting to see the feedback from this release and the upcoming The Beatles expansion onto Rock Band. Although Rock Band will probably not reach the heights of popularity that Guitar Hero has, so it is unfortunate that The Beatles chose to showcase their greatest music on an ailing franchise, not all of us are prepared to spend hundreds of dollars just for Rock Band, when GH and a collection of The Beatles albums will suffice (Revolver…. mmmmmmm).

Time recently released a video covering the release of GH: Metallica at a concert (don’t remember where).

Video Here

EDIT: I should probably clarify, for those of you turned off Rock Band because I said it costs hundreds… well… not really, it just costs under a hundred $AU (I’m guessing around 60 but my price list hasn’t come through yet). But I am saddened that Rock Band has become an ailing franchise. From personal experience trying to retail these two games, often the casual gamer will stick to what he or she knows best (I, in fact, am very fond of the Rock Band playlist mmmm… Coheed and Cambria… mmmmm…). Also, consumers have been turned off the fact that the intruments and Rock Band game come separately.

Also, for those of you under a rock, Beatles Rock Band will be released 9/9/09. There isn’t much info out there save for a first trailer, but suffice to say it is going to be awesome. Built from the ground up, The Beatles Rock Band will be a standalone edition of Rockband (as opposed to a side grade as GH Metallica is) and is looking very schmick with duet singing (ooooh yeah! time to test out those harmonies) and a selection from the entire Beatles collection. However, due to licensing, I think this will be the only game featuring these pioneers of rock. As far as I am aware it will not be seen on the existing Rock Band, any future Rock Band sequels and any Guitar Hero. Still, if anyone is to revive the franchise there aint much better than The Beatles.