Hands-On Mobile announced today an agreement with Activision to bringGuitar Heroto mobile devices. Like, y’know, cellular phones.
I’ll give you a minute to take that in.
The obvious question that the good people at Activision/RedOctane are probably ready and willing to answer is this: how would it work?Guitar Herois an experience built almost entirely upon its awesome peripheral. Without the controller, what are we left with? Let’s drink deep the PR cup, shall we? Hands-On Mobile, you’re up:
“Guitar Herois an epic game experience that has mushroomed into a cultural phenomenon,” said Erik Pavelka, Vice President of Business Development, Hands-On Mobile. “We are thrilled to bring this award-winning franchise to mobile and to continue our successful relationship with Activision.”
Damn, swing and a miss. But RedOctane won’t let me down — surely the hands that brought usGuitar Herowill explain how this is likely to work:
“The lifestyle of music is strongly immersed into our everyday culture, and havingGuitar Heroon mobile platforms will now allow our dedicated fans the opportunity to passionately feel the music, anytime and anywhere,” said Dusty Welch, head of publishing at RedOctane. “Hands-On Mobile has extensive experience and success in bringing established franchises to mobile devices, and we greatly look forward to extending theGuitar Herobrand to mobile users.”
… Well, nevermind, then. I at least expected something about downloadable content — as we’re bound to see on the Xbox360,Guitar Herois nothing if not a renewable cash cow if steadily supplied with new songs at a price — but it seems like they’re avoiding the elephant in the room, here.Guitar Herowithout a guitar isStepMania, but then, I guess RedOctane might have something up their sleeves — the World’s Smallest Guitar Controller for the World’s Smallest Mobile Platform or somesuch. Time will tell.
Dig the full press release after the jump.
Hands-On Mobile(TM) to Rock Guitar Hero(TM)Announces License Agreement for the Activision(R) Smash Hit
SAN FRANCISCO, Jun 04, 2025 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Hands-On Mobile, Inc.,the world’s leading developer of connected games and applications, todayannounced an agreement with Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI), to bring thewildly popular Guitar Hero(TM) franchise to mobile devices.
“Guitar Hero is an epic game experience that has mushroomed into acultural phenomenon,” said Erik Pavelka, Vice President of BusinessDevelopment, Hands-On Mobile. “We are thrilled to bring thisaward-winning franchise to mobile and to continue our successfulrelationship with Activision.”
“The lifestyle of music is strongly immersed into our everyday culture,and having Guitar Hero on mobile platforms will now allow our dedicatedfans the opportunity to passionately feel the music, anytime andanywhere,” said Dusty Welch, head of publishing at RedOctane. “Hands-OnMobile has extensive experience and success in bringing establishedfranchises to mobile devices, and we greatly look forward to extendingthe Guitar Hero brand to mobile users.”
Since its launch in 2005, Guitar Hero quickly became one of the mostpopular console games, with Guitar Hero II(TM) topping the charts as thebest-selling console and handheld game in dollars for the U.S. for themonth of December, according to The NPD Group.
With Guitar Hero, Hands-On Mobile expands its current crop oftop-selling mobile games and applications. These include the Activisionfranchise Call of Duty(R), as well as other top brands.
