Activision, the publisher behind the Guitar Hero franchise, has taken a backhand swipe at the forthcoming Rock Band from MTV/EA.

Speaking in a conference call to investors, an Activision official said that it, "wasn't surprising that [the franchise] has attracted imitators."^†

It's a surprising dig given that Harmonix, the original developer of Guitar Hero, is developing Rock Band. SPOnG is left with the befuddling question of whether it's possible for a developer to imitate its own game.

In more rock-alike news, Positech has just informed us that its PC “turn-based rock-band-tycoon game”, Kudos: Rock Legend, is available for download today. SPOnG wonders if Activision will have any bitchiness to throw Positech's way.

Last week Activision revealed that Guitar Hero III will hit shelves before Christmas this year, as well as revealing some tasty new elements of the game.

If you need something to sate your inner rocker before then, take a look at the first footage from Guitar Hero III below. Keen-eyed observers will notice that developer RedOctane has still not addressed the fact that the background animation has little bearing on the track that is currently playing. Here we have nerd-rockers Weezer illustrated with a hair-metal-head. Not a pair of horn-rimmed spectacles in sight...