Guitar Hero: Metallica due by Q1 ‘09

Earlier this year, Activision unveiled Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, thefirst installment in its billion-dollar rhythm series based entirely ona band. No sooner had the publisher announced the deal than speculationbegan to spread about what the second band-based Guitar Hero game wouldbe. Along with Van Halen the most mentioned group was Metallica, thelegendary San Francisco Bay Area heavy-metal quartet.

Now, talk of Guitar Hero: Metallica is no longer acase of wishful thinking or idle speculation–it’s fact. When siftingthrough an SEC filing of Activision’s over the weekend, Wedbush MorganSecurities analyst Edward Woo–associate of the highly visible MichaelPachter–uncovered a gem in the section where the Santa Monica,California-based publisher discussed its upcoming game slate.

“In fiscal 2009, we plan to publish Guitar Hero: On Tour for theNDS; Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, Guitar Hero: Metallica, and Guitar Hero IVacross multiple platforms,” the company said in its report.Activision’s fiscal year ends on March 31, 2009, which means that thegame will likely follow the holiday release of Guitar Hero: World Tour(nee Guitar Hero 4).

Guitar Hero: Metallica will be the first time a game based on themultiplatinum-selling band–which has become only slightly less famousfor its antipiracy efforts as its musical achievements–has made it toretail. However, it is the second such game to be announced. In 2003,Vivendi Games–which will soon merge with Activision–struck a deal tocreate a vehicular combat game inspired by Metallica’s music. Unconfirmed reports stated that the project had been quietly canceled in 2005. Check this out at this gaming site