It's been over four years since the last Guitar Hero game was released, but it appears Activision might be ready to bring back the beloved music-game series.

Loading

"We don't comment on rumor or speculation, but have previously said, that as one of the most beloved entertainment franchises, we would only bring Guitar Hero back if we developed the right innovations to usher the franchise into the new generation of gaming."

According to Kotaku , two sources close to the franchise have confirmed Activision is currently developing a new Guitar Hero game and peripherals for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The new, unnamed entry is expected to be announced at E3, and to hit shelves sometime this year.The new title will reportedly take on a "more realistic" style than its cartoonish predecessors. Though no developer has been revealed, Kotaku's sources indicate it is one of Activision's studios on the West Coast.IGN reached out to Activision for comment and received the following response:The news follows hot on the heels of recent reports that Harmonix is developing Rock Band 4 for Xbox One and PS4.

Lauren Puga is a freelancer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter @kittentarantino