Along with the announcement of the latest title in Activision's "Guitar Hero" series, the video game publisher confirmed that it has redesigned its guitar controller in its attempt to pull away fans of Harmonix’s rival title "Rock Band."

"Guitar Hero World Tour" will include "A slick newly redesigned guitar, a genuine electronic drum kit and a microphone, as well as an innovative Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock and roll anthems," Activision said on Thursday.

The game, which is due out in the fall, will feature songs from bands such as Van Halen, The Eagles, Linkin Park and Sublime, with every song being an original master track, unlike past games where many of the songs were cover versions.

Among other freshly announced additions, "World Tour" will also feature an online Battle of the Bands mode where two competing 4-piece bands can go head-to-head to determine who has the most skills and an online Band Career mode that presumably allows for online cooperative play. All other online and offline modes from "Guitar Hero III" are said to be included in the game.

"With the introduction of our advanced high-quality new wireless instruments, in-depth customization options and advanced online functionality, Guitar Hero World Tour enables music fans and gamers globally to share in the most social and expressive music experience ever," said Dusty Welch, head of publishing for RedOctane.

While no pricing details have yet been disclosed, "World Tour" will be released on the Wii, PS2, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, although only the latter two will benefit from all the online goodness.