Lenny Kravitz, James Franco “win the crowd” in new Guitar Hero Live video

With Guitar Hero Live and Rock Band 4 launching within weeks of each other, it’s a virtual battle of the bands this year for your videogame dollars.

So, to potentially get a leg up on the competition, Activision enlisted the assistance of Lenny Kravitz, James Franco and director Jonathan Krisel for a brand new live action trailer for GH Live. We’re pretty sure you’re going to see this spot hit a number of TV shows and video outlets soon, but this is the full 90 second version.

Official Guitar Hero Live Trailer – Win The Crowd:

If you want to know what we think of the game so far, make sure to check out Tabitha’s hands on preview.

Announcement below.

With just a couple weeks to go until the highly-anticipated return of Guitar Hero, Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc is kicking off the launch for Guitar Hero Live with the release of a new live action trailer starring James Franco and Lenny Kravitz. Helmed by director Jonathan Krisel (Portlandia, SNL), the “Win the Crowd” spot features the hilarious actor and the legendary rock-star going head-to-head to see who truly is the king of the music festival circuit in Guitar Hero Live. The trailer features Kravitz’ hit track “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” which will also be playable in the game. The full :90 second version of the spot is live now. The start of the campaign sets the stage for the release of Guitar Hero Live, which marks the beginning of a new era in music games and introduces two exciting new ways to play the game: GH Live, in which you play in-front of real crowds who react to your performance, and GHTV, the world’s first playable music video network.

“Guitar Hero Live gives you the chance to live out your rock star fantasy in front of a real audience that reacts to how you play, so watching James Franco and Lenny Kravitz challenging each other to win the crowd in the game brought that excitement to life in a really cool way,” saidTim Ellis, CMO, Activision Publishing, Inc. “Some of the best moments captured on film were purely spontaneous between James and Lenny. They had great chemistry and had a lot of fun with the game. We just let them loose.”

Activision worked with Los Angeles-based agency 72andSunny on the overall creative direction of the Guitar Hero Live “Win the Crowd” live-action trailer and will put its full support behind the return of the franchise through expansive multi-channel advertising that kicks off today and runs globally.

Guitar Hero Live includes two all-new modes, including a first-person point of view where you are up on stage as the star of the show. A quantum leap forward in immersion and realism, GH Live is a live-action experience that delivers the full emotional roller coaster of being on stage, with players performing in a real band, in front of real crowds, who react in real time to how well or poorly you play. The game also includes GHTV, a revolutionary new way to play Guitar Hero. The 24-hour playable music video network lets fans play along to a continually-updated collection of official videos, from the newest releases to favorite hits. GHTV is a living, breathing platform that will continue to grow, serving as an ever-expanding source for music discovery while bringing the party atmosphere back to the living room.