Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money" - Gizmodo Comments

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

RaptorCK — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:51:23 EST

It's a fluke.

Now, what Harmonix should do is charge Activision for the patch. Sure, Activision thinks it should be compensated for the use of their technology, but why shouldn't Harmonix be compensated for the use of their code?

Big shocker, Activision: You don't have to do anything, and more people will buy your guitars. Me, on the other hand, I got the 360 version, I use an Xplorer as my second guitar, and y'all can eat a whole bowl full of dicks, as there's pretty much no way that I'm going to buy GHIII at this rate. Total sales: $0.

(Of course, I do have to wonder if some code jockey at Neversoft/Activision is working on a patch to support the Rock Band guitar, and how that will play out...)

RaptorCK

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

Feba — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 07:52:44 EST

@paulca82: Except that, at least in the previous generation, you COULD use controllers across systems (they're pretty damn different now, so it might not work as well as it did in the past)

I'm sure plenty of people remember seeing converters to use PS2 controllers on other systems, and vice versa.

In effect, what Activision is saying here is that they own the hardware even after you've paid for it. It's not a business move-- logically, selling the hardware itself is going to bring in plenty of profit, and most people will buy the game as well, so they're not losing money on software. It's childishness, plain and simple. Activision is pissy that someone is competing with them, and instead of taking the profitable path of allowing or even encouraging it and selling more of their hardware and software, they're punishing people for not playing THEIR game.

I had been on the fence about whether I wanted GH3 or not. Now I'm definitely not buying it.

Feba

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

crewsm — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:31:59 EST

@ LAFOND66
Yes, it will work. I don't know about guitar hero 3's guitar for 360, since I bought just the game and used GH 2's controller, but it works exceptionally well in Rock band. Everything else seems to be of decent quality, the drums are pretty resilient and the mic, is just a standard mic. It is nice having 2 guitars though, I'm seriously considering getting a 3rd party controller.

crewsm

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

lafond66 — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 04:09:19 EST

Ah, My GH2 guitar will work just fine with Rock Band on Xbox 360

lafond66

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

crewsm — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 02:19:32 EST

Rockbands guitar is a total piece, the strum bar broke in the first 5 minutes of using it and it's super flimsy. I got it working again by rigging it and more than likely voiding the warranty, but at least I got it for 360 and I can use the guitar hero xplorer guitar, which is nice. Oh well, someone will undoubtedly make some sort of hack for this thing in the near future I'm sure

crewsm

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

ctthoqqua — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 01:06:46 EST

Yes, this is moronic for Activision from a business standpoint. I have Rock Band for the PS3, and I was looking forward to buying GH3 to use the guitar as a bass, and hey, bonus-- play GH3.

Well I'm not doing THAT now-- no way, no how. GH3 isn't interesting enough if the guitar can't also be used as a bass in RB. My *only* option for a bass is to buy some third party guitar, from which Activision certainly doesn't make any money.

ctthoqqua

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

ceilingFANBOY — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 23:33:41 EST

All I know is that unless I get it as a gift, I am not going to get Rock Band for the PS3 until the Rock Band controller works for GH3 and the GH3 controller works for Rock Band. Even then, I don't have room for plastic drums to go along with the 3 plastic guitars I already have lying around and don't really have people over just to play video games nearly enough to justify Rock Band.

ceilingFANBOY

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

aphex242 — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:43:10 EST

Yeah trying to say Harmonix is asking for a handout is patently stupid. Activision ain't selling them for a loss, and if anything, they'd 'hurt' Harmonix to let Harmonix patch, thereby selling fewer Harmonix guitars when they DO finally come out individually.

Seems like someone at Activision is thinking with their ego instead of their business sense.

aphex242

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

Accelerata — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:28:34 EST

@paulca82: You do realize that they didn't ask for free guitars right? You have to buy the guitar from Activision, meaning Activision makes the money, not Harmonix. It really makes no sense to compensate your competitor for making money off your game. What Harmonix tried to do (and did for 360) was mutually beneficial for both companies. I probably would not have bothered buying GHIII for my 360 if it didn't work with Rock Band. The song selection honestly isn't that great.
If Activision was smart, they would patch GHIII to make it compatible with RB guitars; enticing more people to own both games. I don't know anyone planning on buying a second GHIII controller just to play multiplayer.
Then again, if they were smart, they would have launched a subscription service for downloadable content for the game, which would make them far more than individual sales ever will. But I digress.

Accelerata

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

Lizard_King — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:04:18 EST

We may need a matrix or upgrade path for what guitars work with what consoles. GH2/GH3/RB

I now have a PS3 and a 360, I was thinking I wanted the 360 version (if I can use the GH3 guitar), but dammit, all I can find is PS3 Rock Band's. I might as well buy GH3 for one system and Rock Band for the other, it looks like duplicating hardware is inevitable and necessary. *sigh*

Lizard_King

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

OldSchoolGadgetLover — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:48:08 EST

@Lizard_King: Well, I tried using my Guitar from Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360 for a bass guitar for Rockband and the dang thing didn't work either.

Is that a fluke, user error... or shenanigans!

OldSchoolGadgetLover

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

kladkain — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:26:14 EST

@bpatten:

I believe that Red Octane (still with Activision) worked on the Guitar Tech and Harmonix worked on the game part of Guitar Hero 1 and 2.

All I can say is: I am glad I have the 360 Guitar Hero III / Rock Band.

kladkain

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

paulca82 — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:16:14 EST

Hate to say it, but i agree with activision. They sponsored the original tech, payed for its development. And handled licensing and patents. Then Harmonix leaves, creates their own game and guitar. And seeing as they cant produce enough of them that work properly, wants to use activisions?

Yeah, pay the man. Its business.

If Harmonix had tested their own guitars thoroughly enough to fix them before having so many sent back for repairs. They would be able to put out their own guitar, and make their own money. But they screwed up, and now are asking for a handout from their competitor?

That'd be like getting upset because Sony wants to use Wii controllers on the ps3, but Nintendo asked for royalty rights. Just because both controllers are shaped like guitars, doesn't mean they should both work.

paulca82

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

Playstation3 — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:53:59 EST

lol insert coinz here :)
that's the best pic ever :)

i wish activision saw it :)

Playstation3

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

m4ximusprim3 — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:52:52 EST

@mcjake: Right, by people buying their products. Which would happen more frequently if they allowed the patch. Thereby making them more money. See? See?

@thefezman: Actually, they're "feminine hygene product" bags.

m4ximusprim3

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

Trowble (XBL/PSN) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:50:55 EST

I'll compensate them with my steeltip boots up their ass and I don't even own or find any interest in the game. I just don't like how they hold out for the customers, when they're the only ons losing thanks to greed.

Trowble (XBL/PSN)

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

mcjake — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:47:24 EST

But it is there's. And they do have the right to ask for compensation for the work they have done...

mcjake

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

Lizard_King — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:35:48 EST

@fontaine.nick: Agreed...but it would be nice to have a maximum of two controllers and still play both games with two players.

The 360 is not plauged by this I assume? If so, why would that be allowed and this would be an issue for the PS3?

Lizard_King

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

Splendor — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:12:54 EST

Well, I guess I won't be buying Rock Band after all.

Splendor

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

thefezman — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:04:25 EST

Heh... I called that one!
Activision suits = a bunch of feminine hygene products.

thefezman

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

fontaine.nick — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:03:19 EST

The rock band guitar is way better anyhow. So I'm cool with whatever.

fontaine.nick

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

Takamoto — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:02:29 EST

Congrats Activision! you have won...."EA" status....Good Job!

Takamoto

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

bpatten — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:01:14 EST

"We believe we should be compensated for the use of our technology"

I realize that legally activision has claim to Guitar Hero and it's associated technology, but isn't the whole "guitar technology" sortof Harmonix's technology to begin with?

I guess what I'm saying is, all activision did was take harmonix's guitar from GH1-2, make it imcompatible with harmonix's Rock Band software, then sell it as the GH3 guitar.

Did I miss anything?

bpatten

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

nutbastard — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:56:36 EST

You guys are CERTAIN Kathy Griffin slept with Woz, too...

: \

nutbastard

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

froggy — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:50:16 EST

i wonder how long until someone works a hack to make it happen and releases it into the wild. here's to freedom of thought.

froggy

Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar "Agreement," We Meant "Money"

surfer88 — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:48:49 EST

I agree. Being able to use both guitars for the PS3 seems like it would be a win/win for Harmonix since it's all their stuff anyway. In a perfect world I guess...

surfer88