After purchasing original Guitar Hero publisher RedOctane, Activision was upfront about its intentions to bring the franchise to multiple platforms, but it's been somewhat less transparent about the specifics. However, a support center listing on RedOctane's online Guitar Hero knowledgebase has clued gamers in to the company's future plans, specifying that Guitar Hero III is scheduled for a fall release on the Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 2.

　　Activision CEO Bobby Kotick confirmed the publisher would be bringing the franchise to "every significant new format" starting in 2007. More recently, an Activision representative said the company was doubling its efforts on the DS and Wii in a number of franchises, including Guitar Hero.

　　Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II were released on the PS2 on November 7 in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Given Activision's penchant for annualized franchises like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Call of Duty, and X-Men Legends/Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, a fall 2007 date for Guitar Hero III would not be terribly surprising.

　　Message boards lit up with discussion of the game this morning, and the mention of Guitar Hero III subsequently disappeared from the site. As of press time, RedOctane representatives had not returned GameSpot's request for comment.