PS3 owners, get ready to rock, God of War style! Activision and SCEA have confirmed on the official PlayStation blog that the God of War II theme song, “The End Begins (to Rock),” will be released as part of tomorrow’s PlayStation Store update as a free add-on track for play exclusively in the PS3 version of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Better yet, the music track will be made available as a free download by itself, so even those who don’t have GHIII can still listen to the track. Sweet!

Follow the link below for a cool trailer previewing the God of War II theme being played in GHIII.

God of War II meets Guitar Hero! [PlayStation.Blog]

Great news PlayStation Guitar Hero and Rock Band gamers, The Ant Commandos have revealed their new product line for the spring season and they’re all designed for the PS2 and PS3 (well, most of them are). Headlining the lineup are the Double Range Guitar and Widow Maker Wireless Bass Guitar, both of which are the first guitar controllers to feature 4-in-1 compatibility. That means they work with all Guitar Hero games and Rock Band across both the PS2 and PS3 platforms. Pretty cool, huh? On top of the new guitars, The Ant Commandos’ spring lineup also includes Breakfree Wireless Microphone packs and illuminated drumsticks for Rock Band, a PS2-to-PS3 adapter for all older guitar and game controllers, and a Universal Guitar Controller Bag. Product descriptions and images can be found after the break.

The Double Range Guitar:
The first 4-in1 compatible guitar, the Double Range is 100 % compatible with all Guitar Hero and Rock Band products for the PS2 and PS3. The guitar will retail for $49.99 in late April and will be available in flame red, electric blue and jet black. The Double Range Guitar controller allows players to act out their rock star fantasies with its 2.4GHz wireless technology which doesn’t require a direct line of infrared sight to the console. Providing gamers the freedom to thrash around up to 30 feet away from the console, players will also appreciate the second set of FeatherTouch fret buttons on its patent pending Xtended Fret Button Array which enables players to jam like their musical idols by jumping to the lower set of fret buttons for world-class solos, and then using the higher set for rhythm parts. The Double Range’s lower 5 buttons are 100% compatible with Rock Band’s Solo Guitar play and it offers a 5-way switch to support the sound effect feature in Rock Band. In addition, players will love the FreedomClip, a special belt clip that allows for strap-free play.

The Widow Maker Wireless Bass Guitar:
The first bass guitar that is 100% compatible with both Guitar Hero and Rock Band, the Widow Maker will retail for $59.99. Compatible with all versions of Guitar Hero and Rock Band for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3, the Widow Maker is the most advanced controller on the market, featuring AutoSense wireless technology using 2.4GHz connectivity and offering a larger and longer body design that mimics a real Bass guitar. The Widow Maker features the new BigBoy Strum Bar which makes for a wider and tighter strumming zone, and players can be ready for fast action with the FeatherTouch Fret Buttons which are undercoated with new rubber cushions, designed to activate at the slightest touch. For special features that every guitar fan will love, the Widow Maker features a special button cluster that has a recessed pause button so players do not accidentally pause during a jam session. With its
4-in-1 compatibility, players can be assured that their investment is a good one, even if they upgrade to another system—because their guitar will work with all PS2 and PS3 versions of the games.

The Breakfree Wireless Microphone Dual Pack:
The Breakfree Wireless Microphone Dual Pack will carry a retail price of $49.99, comes in two colorful designs – flame red or electric blue, and the package includes two wireless microphones, two wireless microphone antennas and one wireless microphone receiver unit. The microphones are compatible with SingStar, Boogie, High School Musical and Karaoke machines. Featuring an AutoSeek ‘n’ Set RF wireless antenna, gamers can perform like a star up to 45 feet away from the base station without worrying about getting caught in wires and cords. No one will know you’re not a professional singer, with the 100 to 10,000 Hz frequency response which delivers a wide spectrum of rich sound. The Breakfree Wireless Microphone conserves energy by turning off if it doesn’t receive a signal for more than 10 minutes, and it offers up to 100 hours of extended play on one battery pack.

PlayStation®2 to PlayStation®3 Adapter:

The new PlayStation 2 to PlayStation 3 adapter enables all PlayStation 2 controllers and Guitar Hero and Rock Band Guitars to be utilized on the PlayStation 3 so players do not have to throw away all of the valuable hardware and software they have invested in. Unlike previous adapters from other companies, this adapter is compatible with most of the popular guitar controllers on the market and is engineered to function perfectly with all the features of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games.

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[Update – August 16] Not quite… Official word just in from Activision this morning to clarify my hopeful rush to judgment last night :). Bret Michaels will actually be a lead vocalist character in GHIII, not a boss. When the tracks “Talk Dirty to Me,” as made famous by Poison, and “Go That Far,” the master track from Bret Michaels Band, are played, a virtual Michaels will cameo on stage as the lead vocalist.

“When Activision asked me to do this, I was honored…are you kidding me? This game totally rocks!” said Michaels, star of VH1’s top rated show, Rock of Love with Bret Michaels. “I gave them my signature moves, basically did my thing and they captured it. It was really cool.”

· Miss Murder (by AFI)
· Through Fire and Flames (by Dragonforce)
· Number of the Beast (by Iron Maiden)
· 3’s and 7’s (by Queens of the Stone Age)
· Suck My Kiss (by Red Hot Chili Peppers)
· Raining Blood (by Slayer)
· Reptillia (by The Strokes)
· Paranoid (as made famous by Black Sabbath)
· Cities on Flame (as made famous by Blue Oyster Cult)
· Mississippi Queen (as made famous by Mountain)
· La Grange (as made famous by ZZ Top)

“Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock features the most comprehensive song list ever assembled for a game,” said Tim Riley, Activision’s worldwide executive of music.  “Artists and music execs from the major and independent record labels and publishers respect the brand and have given us unrivaled access to their music vaults allowing us to give gamers what they want – to grab their Gibson guitars and shred to their favorite music.”

Gibson:
– ES-335
– Explorer
– Firebird
– SG
– Les Paul
– V-Factor
– Super CES400
– Marauder
– Corvus

Epiphone:
– Casino
– Coronet
– Sheraton

Kramer:
– 650
– Vanguard

Bass Guitars:
– Marauder
– Corvus
– Les Paul
– LP Double Cutaway
– EDS 1275
– ES335
– Firebird
– Flying V
– Moderne
– SG
– X-Plorer

As for the wireless guitar controllers, the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii versions of Guitar Hero III will feature Gibson’s Les Paul model while the PS2 version will offer the classic Kramer guitar, and each will come with innovative new features, such as removable faceplates and a new button color design. Check out these images of each version’s controller:

“Our relationship with Activision began with the launch of Guitar Hero over two years ago. Since then the game has had phenomenal success and many other makers have tried to compete with its popularity,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. “We have combined the power of Gibson with the power of Activision to produce one of the greatest games ever for consumers. We are sure game enthusiasts around the world will quickly make Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock a huge success.”

“We’re thrilled at our exclusive partnership with Gibson, and their presence as one of the most iconic and influential companies in the music industry wholly adds to the Guitar Hero rock star experience,” said Dusty Welch, head of publishing at RedOctane. “Also, being able to offer official Gibson shaped wireless guitar controllers for the first time on each platform, and to unlock a variety of the different models to play in-game, will provide our fans the incredible opportunity to truly shred like rock gods.”

A few new details regarding Guitar Hero III‘s content have been released today as well. According to today’s release, the game will feature a new multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, boss battles, exclusive unlockable content and expanded online multiplayer modes. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is due out this fall.