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Activision to Harmonix: Pay Up for Guitar Patch
by Nick Breckon, Dec 20, 2007 12:24pm PSTWhen Rock Band developer Harmonix tried to release a patch that would allow Activision's wireless PlayStation 3 guitars to work within Rock Band, the rival rhythm-game publisher blocked the attempt.
Some assumed the spate was over money, and now Activision is leaving no doubt on that point.
"We believe we should be compensated for the use of our technology," said Activision spokeswoman Maryanne Lataif to the Boston Globe today.
"Unfortunately for Rock Band users," continued Lataif, "Harmonix has been unwilling to discuss an agreement that will allow us to provide that option in a manner that maintains the high standards people have come to expect from Activision."
Activision's Guitar Hero III controllers have been supported by the Xbox 360 version of Rock Band since the launch of the game in November, though the PlayStation 3 version is not playable with the platform's respective Guitar Hero III guitars. With peripheral costs mounting, many gamers feel cheated by Activision's reluctance to match its competitor's move.
"We are really and truly not looking at this from the financial standpoint," commented Harmonix spokeswoman Spencer Saltonstall. "We are looking at this from the consumer standpoint."
Others question the economic sense of denying the patch, claiming that Activision is only losing out on potential sales of Guitar Hero by blocking Rock Band users from using their existing peripherals with the game.
"I was going to buy the Guitar Hero 3 bundle for PS3 so that I can have a second guitar for Rock band," said Shacknews user razlebol. "Now... they lose my money."
Comments
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No one expects to use a 360 controller on a PS3. The only reason people expect to use a wireless GH controller in Rock Band is because they view RB as the next iteration of GH. But its not. Its a completely separate product.
Sucks for the end user, but thats the way it goes.
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but is this just a simple matter of Harmonix not wanting to pay for a license to use Activision's technology? If that's the case and then why shouldn't Activision defend themselves?
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hell no.
If rock band owners want to use two guitars, they should be pissed at EA for not selling stand alone guitars yet.
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The patch is done. Activision, by their own admission, are blocking it unless Harmonix pay them money. Yet Activision seem to want their cake and eat it too by simultaneously claiming it's about quality?
How is the *quality* of an already-written patch to enable software to work with already-made hardware affected by making a payment to the people who made the hardware? It's nonsense. If he feels they deserve money for some other reason then say it, but don't bring out the "we're just protecting consumers' quality experience!" line. We're all sick of it. It's bad enough when assholes like Macrovision wheel it out regarding their products which, *at best*, do not make the quality worse and never, ever make it better.
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People who aren't in to GH but are into Rock Band might get GH3 so they can have a full band in RB.
I suppose the decision-makers at Activision might be thinking that if RB can use the GH3 guitar, then people who already own GH3 might get RB since they can then have a full band (whereas if they can't use the guitar they might decide not to give money to Harmonix). However, I think given the nature of RB, anyone who wants it is going to get it regardless of whether or not the GH guitar works with it or not.
Therefore, the people Activision should be trying to sway are those RB fans who might not be into GH who need a gentle push - such as allowing the GH guitar in RB - to get GH3.
The fact that it works on Xbox360 but there is no mention of them saying anything about getting compensated for that is confusing, and I sense either a patch disallowing the GH guitar working or a lawsuit forthcoming for Xbox owners (otherwise there is a major double standard there).
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Uncharted,Ratchet,Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Resistance, and Warhawk... but even then its 5 games that are awesome out of a 2 year period...Five?
Granted there are other games i would play but the exclusives are kinda weak. yeah yeah MGS 4... its time to pull it together sony... i still have your ps2 but im playing imports on it .... im waiting for you to give me a reason other than a blu-replace my dvd collection player before i shell out now xbrick money for it.
I will give you one thing though... no RROD or console death.....but thats kinda ironic considering that its probably the best non-sys fail console out there that few people play....but what do i know the wii...is leaving skidmarks on both of them.
tirade over...lol
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THATS WHAT BUYING THE GUITAR IS FOR!
I'm surprise Sony has not stepped in and paid them off to remedy this.
So far they appear to be the 'big loser' in all of this.
360 owners can say things work but ps3 owners cannot.
It could be Activision is bitching because it owns the rights to the code Harmonic is going to push to make things work, IE Add some Guitar Hero controller code to Rock Band for the PS3.
It makes you wonder if the controller code for the 360 'just works' because it's USB as in Universal. Maybe its MS-USB but it's still got a standard code base that is supplied by the main hardware driver sets.
It would appear that in the best interest of everyone (Didn't Activison say hardware cost should come down to the sub $250 range so they could sell more plastic guitars?) for this patch to go out to PS3 owners.
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I thought this was the plan all along. Did Activision not get that memo?
So we still have to love them. Even when they do fucking stupid things like this.
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enjoy your loss to sales this bad press will bring.
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Let me use it as I see fit. Christ.
I bought the Xbox360 and its version of Rock Band because it works with the GH2 controller.
I also bought GH2 with the guitar so I'd have a 2nd guitar for rock band. Fair right? Activision *gasp* makes money! If I had the PS3, I definitely wouldn't have bought it. Activision makes no money. Idiots.
I was even thinking about Guitar Hero 3. But after this, fuck them, I will just buy more downloadable content for Rock band.
It also turns out, the Rock Band guitar doesn't work with Guitar Hero 2... Guess what? I'm not buying another guitar for GH2, or GH3, or the GH3 guitar, or any downloadable content for GH2 or GH3. Jerks.
The bottom line is, they are trying to capitalize on the fact that you can't get a spare guitar for Rock Band and gain some market share for GH3. If there was a spare rock band guitar out there to be bought, I wouldn't have bought GH2 at all after hearing about these shenanigans.
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PS3 shouldn't have ever had this issue in the first place, since it's wireless controls are based on Bluetooth instead of a closed standard. What "technology" should Activision be paid for? Bluetooth? That's not their technology. The damn plastic guitar? I guess, but I'd hardly call that technology.
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And yeah, Activision has real high standards for quality, apparently the division that did the Wii version of GH3 didn't get that memo. Oh, and the PC team who made the system requirements higher than Crysis.
Rabble rabble!
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