Van Halen In Talks With Activision Over GH Game?

**JKKDARK** · July 7th, 2008, 18:09

via TVG

Activision may be in talks with Van Halen about "showcasing" the band in an upcoming Guitar Hero game.

Or at least that's what the Wall Street Journal is suggesting, stating the following in an article about the release of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith: "A version of Guitar Hero featuring the metal band Metallica is due out within the next year, and Activision is in serious discussions with Van Halen about showcasing that band in Guitar Hero as well, people familiar with the matter say."

We're not quite sure who these "familiar with the matter" people are (we don't hang out around Wall Street enough to know), but Activision's CEO Robert Kotick has previously hinted at the possibility.

Speaking at a Morgan Stanley Technology Conference last March, Kotick seemed to let the cat out of the bag a little by saying, "So our attitude is, if we're breaking bands or creating this much enthusiasm, and you are reaching a whole new group of consumers, six to 11 year-old consumers, who are being exposed to Aerosmith for the first time or Van Halen for the first time, wherever it might be, we need to capture much more of that upside opportunity."

This is not so much the case for Led Zeppelin, with the same Wall Street Journal article suggesting that the band has turned down previous offers to license its music for use in Rock Band and Guitar Hero games.

It seems the band is reluctant to let outsiders use its master tapes, with Q Prime Management (which represents Led Zeppelin) Partner, Peter Mensch, stating that "It ain't about the money". Maybe it'll take a whole lotta love then.