When wielding DJ Hero's special turntable controller, players are transformed into world-class DJs spinning hip-hop, R&B, electronica, Motown and dance music.

Guitar Hero 5 brings drop-in drop-out play to the franchise, as well as the ability to change instruments and difficulty on the fly. The E10+-rated Band Hero intends to deliver Hero fun for the whole family with Top-40 hits and presumably no cussin' or sexy talk.

Guitar Hero Van Halen was confirmed in a separate mailing for release "the second half of this year", bringing a bevvy of Van Halen hits and music from a number of guest acts including Queen, Weezer, blink-182, The Offspring and Queens of the Stone Age.

No platforms were announced for any of the games, but history and rumours suggest the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PS2 and Wii are likely to be bopping hard this fall.

The full scoop from Activision's pillowy musical lips follows below.

The company's groundbreaking DJ Hero expands Guitar Hero's signature social gaming to all-new consumers with the addition of diverse music genres including hip-hop, R&B, Motown, electronica and dance. Introducing an all-new innovative turntable controller, DJ Hero transforms players into DJs who rule the club scene by creating original mixes of popular songs and music from the world's most exciting artists and DJs.

Letting fans continue to fulfill their rock fantasies, Guitar Hero 5 features the hottest rock and roll artists today as well as classic rock bands and gives players an unprecedented level of control over the way they play the game with the ability to drop in and out of songs and change band members, instruments and difficulty levels on the fly.

The franchises' first E10+ rated console game, Band Hero delivers an exciting music collection featuring top-40 hits designed to expand the appeal to a broad family audience who can play together on the guitar, drums, bass and microphone and experience a new genre of music. The game builds upon Guitar Hero's easy-to-play, difficult-to-master signature gameplay and allows novice players and expert fans to join together on their favorite songs.