The battle for aspiring rockers heated up considerably yesterday when Activision confirmed that its upcoming version of Guitar Hero will add three additional instruments to the mix. Guitar Hero World Tour answers the challenge of MTV’s Rock Band, a game developed by the original creators of Guitar Hero, which launched last year with a quartet of instruments.

As Rock Band does, the game will feature a redesigned guitar controller, a drum kit, and microphone. Also included in the game is the Music Studio music creator which will allow users to compose, record, edit, and share their own songs online. A new online feature allows two four-person bands to challenge each other in a battle of the bands mode.