Not to be outdone by rumours of a Rock Band comeback tour, Activision will reveal a new Guitar Hero game at E3, reports Kotaku.

According to the publication's sources, the new Guitar Hero will adopt a "more realistic" approach than earlier entries in the series. It is due before the end of the year on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, claimed the site.

“We don’t comment on rumour or speculation, but have previously said, that as one of the most beloved entertainment franchises, we would only bring Guitar Hero back if we developed the right innovations to usher the franchise into the new generation of gaming,” said Activision in a statement.

There have been several reports that rival dormant franchise Rock Band will also return soon.

Bloomberg cited an anonymous source who confirmed the Rock Band's development and target platforms.

Last week, Harmonix announced two new downloadable tracks for Rock Band 3, and hinted that both have "great titles": Tenacious D's "Rize of the Fenix" and Weezer's "Back To The Shack".

In January, Harmonix circulated a survey asking participants to rank the importance of a number of Rock Band features ranging from backwards compatibility and online multiplayer, to a fixed campaign mode.