Real-life guitar hero Slash was in Los Angeles last week promoting a new music game called BandFuse: Rock Legends. Speaking to Joystiq, he shared some insight on what it was like to work with Activision for the immensely popular Guitar Hero series. "A lot of kids tripped out," says the former Guns and Roses guitarist, "because they were under the impression that the character in Guitar Hero was just that character. So a lot of kids trip out that I was actually a real person."

Once they found out that he was an actual person who was in an actual band, however, Slash says Guitar Hero was surprisingly effective at winning new fans. "It opened up the doors of a demographic that was way younger than me," he says. "I had no idea that would happen." He couldn't speak to the lawsuit that claims the game took advantage of his GnR connection, but he does say the game has inspired a much younger generation to check out classic rock.

As for interest going the other way, Slash says he hasn't found the time for video games -- not even his own. "I couldn't play it," he says, "because I was actually in the game and it was too surreal."

Asura's Wrath is a pile of impossibilities. It is a myth made real. It is a meticulous construction of unflappable absurdity. Asura's Wrath is a glittering, golden starchild of incredulity, and I love it. I also wish I didn't have to review it.

The strictures of a review really aren't adequate to quantify the experience waiting for players in Asura's Wrath. Of course there are mechanics and systems and gauges, all of that, and I will endeavor to explain them, but understand that what follows falls well short of fully encapsulating the experience. About 380,000 kilometers too short.

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Over the last few years or so, the "guitar game" genre has had one of the craziest journeys in video game history. From the huge early success of Harmonix' Guitar Hero to the company's split into Rock Band and the final proclamations that both franchises were breaking up the band, the epic story of plastic instruments and the games that came with them has gone from prelude to climax to resolution, all in the space of a few years.

And there have already been a few "post-modern" guitar games, most notably Power Gig: Rise of the Six-String and Rocksmith, which both involve real guitars rather than their plastic counterparts, and which suggest that strumming along with real songs and strings might actually teach real musical skill (a promise that neither was able to land with any amount of success).

And so it's interesting that Realta Entertainment Group has chosen this moment to step out with its premiere product, called BandFuse: Rock Legends. It's a music game that uses a real, live electric guitar, plugged into a video game console, as its controller. We've ... we've been down this road before, right?

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Commander Shepard is a man? It was the greatest lie ever created in future history. BioWare sought to fix this, admitting the savior of Earth (and the galaxy at large) could be recast as female.

Well, it seems the developer has gone one step further and slipped in the female Shepard on the reverse cover of Mass Effect 3 (standard edition). Sure, she's not black yet, but we'll take a partial truth for the time being.

Check out BioWare's unboxing video after the break.

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Borderlands 2 will be out in North America on September 18, and internationally on September 21. That date might be enough incentive for you to pre-order -- it's so far away, and you might forget! -- but 2K offered initial incentive, in the form of the "Premiere Club."

Premiere Club members will get a unique "Gearbox Gun Pack," a "Golden Key" item to unlock something in the Golden Sanctuary Loot Chest, and the "Vault Hunter's Relic." These are all in-game items, by the way. 2K didn't really build a "Golden Sanctuary" and send out keys to it.

Another big Vita week for the PSN update. Last week's "early" launch saw the additions of Escape Plan, Hustle Kings, and Super Stardust Delta -- that last one being the free 3G game. This week we see the addition of Touch My Katamari, perennial favorite Plants vs. Zombies and several augmented reality. Of course, for further pertinent PS Vita information, head on over to our Joystiq Vita launch guide.

PSN Plus subscribers can pick up six classic Sega titles for free this week, which includes the first two Sonic the Hedgehog titles, Golden Axe (call dibs on dwarf!) and Altered Beast. Also, don't forget to check out the demos for SSX and Shank 2. Check out the full list of this week's content over on the PlayStation Blog.

The Starhawk public beta went live last night in North America and is available today across Europe. No more caveats or purchases required to get into the sci-fi shooter's beta. Just head on over to the PSN and download the thing.

Konami's announced the second pack of downloadable content for NeverDead, continuing the trend of suitable titles with "Expansion Pack Volume 2." This pack also unlocks a new playable character (just like the first download), this time putting you behind the controller as NADA's Chief Sullivan. And while the first pack opened up new modes for the Asylum level, this one focuses on the Sewers, bringing Onslaught, Egg Hunt, and the Fragile Alliance challenges to that area of the game.

There are two additional character costumes for the main character, to match the two new ones from the last pack. Expansion Pack Volume 2 will be available next week on February 28.

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Console gamers have been missing out on some Call of Duty Elite functionality -- specifically, Clan Operations. Activision promised Clan Ops would be available soon and delivered today, flipping the switch that lets clans take part in competitions for extra experience and prizes. While all Elite members can take part in Clan Ops, only premium members will be scored and ranked on their performance.

If you're still having trouble understanding how it all works, check out the handy explanation after the break, care of Activision.

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Sony Senior VP Shuhei Yoshida has confirmed to Wired that Sony Santa Monica team members are contributing to The Last Guardian -- along with a few more. "Well, you know, it's not just Santa Monica," he says. "We have great tech people in Worldwide Studios. We have a central tech group in the U.S. and the U.K. so we are giving them whatever help they need. Technically, we have the best engineers in the U.S. and Europe, so these teams are helping them, giving advice."

Progress on The Last Guardian may be slow right now, but Yoshida assures us the game is still coming. The departure of Fumito Ueda was exaggerated, he says, as the famed designer is still going to finish The Last Guardian on contract with Sony.

"At one point the progress was great, so we talked about the timing of the launch in the past. But now it's making progress, but still not to the level -- it's playable, but not to the point that we can talk about the timing of launch." But now, "the progress is slow," he says, and "sometimes the team has to go back and review things."

The Last Guardian is still planned for 2012, but there seems to be little certainty over that time frame. "There's a vision that we want to realize but it's very very tough and technical issue that the team is tackling and some plans have to be made to evaluate and go through the process," Yoshida says.