New Zealand’s eblack Mason Maddox has defended his title as the best in Asia by taking out the gold medal at the World Cyber Games Asian Championship in Singapore this past weekend.

Mason "massi4h" Maddox won gold competing on the Xbox 360 game, Guitar Hero: World Tour, beating competitors from countries such as Korea and Singapore and winning SGD$1000 in prize money.

“To be named the best player in the tournament once again is fantastic – especially as we were competing in Asia where professional gaming leagues have operated for years. Mason has done New Zealand proud. This is New Zealand’s 2nd gold medal for video gaming, and bodes well for 2009,” says World Cyber Games New Zealand Strategic Partner, xLAN’s Susan Baikie.

The top 140 gamers from 14 countries in Asia Pacific competed at the World Cyber Games (WCG) Asian Championship on video game titles such as Guitar Hero World Tour (Xbox 360) and FIFA 2009 (PC).

The eblacks will go on to compete at the New Zealand World Cyber Games National Final in Auckland this weekend. For more information, check out the official site.

Activision have already released over seventy downloadable tracks for Guitar Hero World Tour since the game’s November 2008 launch, and today they've announced that three new Track Packs spanning a variety of musical genres and multiple artists will be available throughout February 2009 to Guitar Hero owners across the globe.

On February 13th, rockers Incubus, The Shins and Ryan Adams turn off the amps and electric guitars in the Acoustic Track Pack. Coming to Guitar Hero World Tour are Incubus’ “Drive,” The Shins’ “New Slang” and Ryan Adams’ Grammy Award nominated version of “Wonderwall.”

Following their début appearance on disc in Guitar Hero World Tour with “Band on the Run,” Paul McCartney’s Wings return to the Guitar Hero stage with the Wings Track Pack. “Junior’s Farm,” “Hi Hi Hi” and “Jet,” three top-ten hits from the band’s catalogue of music, will be available for download on February 20th.

Legendary multi-platinum recording artists The Eagles, Nirvana and The Smashing Pumpkins, all featured in the on-disc set list of Guitar Hero World Tour, are returning in December with exclusive downloadable content for the game.

Additionally, fans will be in for a treat just in time for Christmas with three free Reggae Rock tracks from Pepper, Slightly Stoopid and Expendables.

The Smashing Pumpkins return to Guitar Hero World Tour, tomorrow December 5th, with a three-song track pack featuring the recently released single "G.L.O.W.," "1979" and "Everlasting Gaze."

Activision Publishing today announced an exclusive Xbox LIVE online entertainment network weekend for Guitar Hero World Tour. Starting November 27, 2008, players 14 years of age or older will be able to participate in a number of online activities to determine who is truly the top Guitar Hero rocker.

These activities include:

After making their entry in a Guitar Hero set list with “When You Were Young” on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, multi-platinum alternative rockers The Killers are playing a downloadable encore in Activision’s Guitar Hero World Tour, the company has announced. To celebrate the release of the band’s third album, Day & Age, The Killers downloadable content will be available simultaneously with the album’s release on November 25th and will feature two singles off Day & Age: “Human” and “Losing Touch.”

Rounding out the Track Pack and adding to the killer experience is the hit “Mr. Brightside” from the band’s debut album Hot Fuss.

The Killers Track Pack will be available on Xbox LIVE for 440 Microsoft Points and on the PlayStation Store for US$5.49. In addition, ”Human,” “Losing Touch” and “Mr. Brightside” will be released as single downloadable songs for Xbox 360 for 160 Microsoft Points, PS 3 for US$1.99, and Nintendo Wii for 200 Wii Points.

Activision Blizzard today released three major sequels for their largest gaming franchises, each likely to sell hundreds of thousands of copies and expand content for a phenomenal base of active gamers.

World of Warcraft, with over ten million subscribers and more than 60% of the MMORPG worldwide share, has opened its servers to the second expansion, entitled Wrath of the Lich King.

Wrath of the Lich King adds a host of content to the existing game world. Players will be able to explore a vast new continent, and battle other high-level heroes to determine the fate of Azeroth. This expansion has been in beta for some time now, and you can read our previous findings here.

We've received the following press release from Activision this morning;

[quote]
Living-room legends are now free to jump on stage and rock as Activision's Guitar Hero World Tour, shreds, drums and wails onto retail shelves nationwide. Transforming music gaming by expanding Guitar Hero’s signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience, Guitar Hero World Tour combines state-of-the-art wireless controllers in new online* and offline gameplay modes and a Music Studio feature that lets you compose, record, edit and share your own rock and roll anthems. Guitar Hero World Tour is the most complete music game to-date with 86 on-disc tracks from music legends such as The Eagles, Van Halen, Metallica, Michael Jackson and The Doors and featuring in-game appearances by world famous artists like Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Corgan and Travis Barker.

Gamers looking to shred, drum and wail away to the new sounds of beloved, multi-platinum UK rock band, Oasis, need not wait much longer as music from the band’s critically acclaimed Dig Out Your Soul album will soon be available for download in Activision's Guitar Hero World Tour.

Featuring “Bag it Up,” “Waiting for the Rapture” and the hit first single “The Shock of the Lightning” from the band’s seventh studio album, the Oasis Track Pack will be available on November 6th for the Xbox 360 and PS3. In addition, the three tracks will be released as single downloadable songs for both the Xbox 360 and PS3. The Dig Out Your Soul album, in it entirety or via individual singles, will be available for download in 2009.

 

Activision have released thirteen new screenshots for the upcoming Guitar Hero World Tour.

The latest instalment in the music/rhythm video game franchise, Guitar Hero World Tour transforms music gaming by expanding Guitar Hero’s signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience that combines wireless instruments with new online and offline gameplay modes including online Band Career and 8-player “Battle of the Bands,” which allows two full bands to compete head-to-head online for the first time ever.

The game features a newly redesigned guitar, an electronic drum kit and a microphone, as well as a Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock ‘n’ roll anthems.

Activision have released the full track listing for the upcoming Guitar Hero World Tour, due to hit the shelves November 13th this year.

Spanning over 40 years of rock history and featuring 86 tracks, comprised entirely of master recordings, the game will deliver Guitar Hero fans the largest selection of on-disc music in the music-rhythm videogame genre to date.