Getting a little weary of Guitar Hero games?

I mean, the franchise has had its share of high and low notes during its four year run, but eight titles later and the formula of hitting plastic buttons in rhythm with rock and roll music is starting to get a little old. Rock Band changed things up by implementing a microphone and drum into the mix, but Guitar Hero World Tour felt like it suffered from “me-too” syndrome. Even the news of an upcoming Guitar Hero: Van Halen and Guitar Hero: Smash Hits does not inspire all that much excitement anymore.

Fortunately, it looks like Activision is taking a slightly new approach with the three, brand new games that they announced today. According to Joystiq, Activision is planning on releasing Guitar Hero 5, Band Hero, and DJ Hero to home consoles sometime this fall.

While few details have emerged about these new projects, Activision says that Band Hero is specifically targeting a family audience similarly to how Harmonix’s LEGO: Rock Band‘s soundtrack is catering to children and adults. Guitar Hero 5 and the upcoming Guitar Hero: Van Halen, we can assume, will probably adhere more closely to the traditional Guitar Hero formula that has proven to be successful for Activision in the past.

In January 2009, Activision’s Publishing president, Mike Griffith, said that Guitar Hero III was “the first game ever to pass a billion dollars in sales from a single title.”

DJ Hero, however, looks to be a slight departure from the Guitar Hero series. At the very least, instead of wielding a plastic guitar, you will be using a turn table-styled controller. Activision also pictures of the controller today via their Twitter.

According to Activision’s press release, DJ Hero will “transforms players into DJs who rule the club scene by creating original mixes of popular songs and music from the world’s most exciting artists and DJs.” Its soundtrack will consist of “diverse music genres including hip-hop, R&B, Motown, electronica and dance.”

How exactly the new controller will be implemented in DJ Hero or how the game will play exactly has yet to be announced, but since Guitar Hero was obviously inspired by Konami’s Guitar Freaks, it is probable that DJ Hero might be taking notes from Konami’s DJ game, Beatmania.

Beatmania is a rhythm based music game that enjoys a large following in Japanese arcades. It is famous for its soundtrack of popular remixed songs, and infamous for challenging gamers with its breakneck speed and lengthy combos.

Our Take:
While the news of yet another new Guitar Hero title is neither surprising or exciting, the prospect of DJ Hero does pique my interest.