Game developers are hoping that consumers will continue buying game consoles for their TVs as well as separate mobile gaming devices for their needs when they are on the run. But the work of one gentleman who has made a veritable boatload of cash from the gaming world may help bring those worlds together, much to the chagrin of gaming companies.

Charles Huang is the co-creator of Guitar Hero and now he’s at the helm of Green Throttle Games, which is “creating a new virtual game console for the television based on mobile phones and without the actual game console,” according to VentureBeat.com.

The plan is for the controller, which should hit store shelves next year, to work with Android smartphones and tablets. The controller will connect wirelessly with the smartphone or tablet, which will be connected to the TV with a cable. That way, gamers can play the same game on their phones as they are playing on the TV.Continue reading...

Since Activision announced its decided to stop making the Guitar Hero video game back in February and laid off hundreds of workers, did you think the fake-guitar video-game industry is dying?

After all, according to Wired, sales of Guitar Hero declined from 1.5 million just for the first month of Guitar Hero III back in 2007, to 86,000 for Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock for the entire year of 2010. Plus, licensing popular tunes costs a major chunk of change as well.

Those kinds of numbers led to Rock Band creator Harmonix being sold earlier this year by the now defunct MTV Games of Viacom to return to its roots as an independent studio.

But now, rocking on, Rock Band III will be reissued for folks who didn’t get it the first time around and need a Rock Band fix for the holidays, but the bigger news is that a new version will come out in 2012 and it will be “fundamentally reinterpreted,” according to an interview company execs gave to GiantBomb.com.Continue reading...

Activision puts Guitar Hero in diminished role.

AOL sees advertisers weighing politics after acquisition of Huffington Post. 

Belvedere Vodka partners with Usher.

Chrysler seeks “no-haggle” experience at dealers for new Fiat 500.

Cisco shares slip on weak outlook.

Coca-Cola grabs market share from PepsiCo in North America.

Ford kicks off social-media push for Explorer.Continue reading...

As expected, Apple unveiled the iPhone 4 today.

The big news: a slimmer design (yes, Gizmodo had it), one-tap video calling (or FaceTime, which it's promoting with a new commercial directed by British filmmaker Sam Mendes, above), multitasking, a high-resolution screen (which it's dubbing "retina display"), HD video recording and editing, a 5 megapixel camera with 5x digital zoom and LED flash, folders for some 225,000 apps, accessibility features, Bing and Google search, and more. New apps coming to the iPhone include Netflix, FarmVille and Guitar Hero.

The base price is $199 (16GB) or $299 (32GB), and it will be available in the U.S., France, Germany, Japan and the U.K. on June 24th. Watch a more in-depth look at the iPhone 4 after the jump.Continue reading...

Despite the enormous popularity of video games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero, the music video game category has also experienced its fair share of ridicule from humorists and musicians regarding its obsessive, yet faux music sensibilities. However, Seven45 Studios, an offshoot of musical-instrument maker First Act, is trying to bridge the gap between sofa simulations and real-life, gritty jam sessions.

Its “Power Gig: Rise of the SixString” video game will not only produce similar musically interactive game play as its predecessors, but more importantly, it will feature a real six-string guitar as its controller. Considering gamers have been wielding plastic, toy-like replica instruments, the transition to real instruments should go a long way in appeasing the “haters.”Continue reading...

 Film director Brett Ratner is doing his part to blur the line between commercialism and cinematography.

"Filmmakers should align themselves with brands," says Ratner, 40. "They can help each other."

Ratner recently collaborated with Kerzner International, a global casino chain and owner of the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.

CEO Sol Kerzner wanted to rejuvenate his brand and thought the director, known for his Guitar Hero commercials and blockbuster movies, could help.Continue reading...

Apparently more people are interested in military combat and espionage than jacking cars and shooting mobsters. Activision announced that its “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” video game set an opening-day sales record on Tuesday, moving 4.7 million units and trouncing the previous mark by Rockstar Games’ “Grand Theft Auto IV,” which sold a mere 3.7 million copies in April 2008.

Cnet’s Daniel Terdiman begrudging applauds the new record while assuming that it’ll be broken by the next hot game – possibly Super Mario Brothers Wii, which goes on sale Sunday – but we see a success story for a brand that was founded before many of today’s gamers could properly hold a joystick.Continue reading...

Limeaid Zinfandel: 7-Eleven will produce an in-house wine. [Daily Finance]

AT&T sues Verizon Wireless over "Map" ad, claims ads are misleading. [BrandWeek]

Pfizer debuts new logo and comprehensive identity program. [Brand New]

Beatles offer digital music on USB drive, retails for $279.99. [BrandFreak]

The band No Doubt files suit against Activision over its portrayal in Guitar Hero video game. [Defamer]