In an interview with the Boston Globe, Activision's Maryanne Lataif lays it on the line about the patch fiasco that has left PlayStation 3 owners unable to use Guitar Hero III peripherals with Harmonix's Rock Band. Prepare to be surprised -- it's all about the bottom line.
"Unfortunately for Rock Band users," says Lataif, "Harmonix has been unwilling to discuss an agreement that will allow us to provide that option in a manner than maintains the high standards people have come to expect from Activision."
Lataif believes that Activision should be compensated for the use of the technology, whereas Harmonix spokeswoman Spencer Saltonstall says that's not her company's intentions.
"We are really and truly not looking at this from the financial standpoints. We are looking at this from a consumer standpoint," Saltonstall told the Boston Globe.
I personally play the Xbox 360 version of Rock Band, which currently does work with 360 Guitar Hero peripherals, but I can sympathise with my PS3 owning brothers and sisters. In this case, Activision may have legal legs to stand on, and are free to pursue this as they see fit. But looking at it from a gamer's standpoint, it's hard to see how this shouldn't make us -- as the kids say -- "want to choke a b**ch."
High standards from Activision?
You mean it's exactly like we said originally? NO WAI.
It seems odd this only applies to PS3. Although the Rock Band guitars don't work with the GH's on either console. I'd like to use a Rock Band guitar with GH3. Then I would only need 2 guitars instead of the three needed for full 360 rocking or the 4 needed for full PS3 rocking.
Compatibility is last gen, proprietary 4 lyfe, my n-words!
Has anyone called "bullshit" on this? No? I call bullshit on Activision. They're trying to move more units against a superior product. Now, I have GH3 on my 360 and love it, and since its USB based I can use it anyway. I feel for you PS3 owners. It sucks. However, you can't expect a company to bend over backwards to help support a rival product. It doesn't make any damn sense.
Look at it from this standpoint... You're selling your product in the expensive version, and the cheap version. Do you think it bodes well for the marketing types to say "Well, the consumer bought the expensive version of the competitor's version, let's incur the development expense to allow him to buy the cheap version!"
I'm sure the 360 version pretty much works by accident because of the simple abstracted way the Microsoft DirectX inputs work, but sony's nasty devkit doesn't work with the hardware addresses and needs additional programming.
It looks like i wont be buying Guitar Hero 3 for the 360 to get a second guitar.
I'm not going to support Activision's assholish ways.
It works on the 360, because Activision didn't have a choice there (Microsoft standards forced it to be compatible).
Unless you just mean on moral grounds I guess...
In other news, I should be getting a Beatmania controller soon. I am totally going to play GH II with it.
That sucks. This is an outrage!
Activision is a bunch of fucking douche nozzles with lysol
Harmonix: "Hmm...we could sell more of the software only version of our game if people could use the GH3 guitar with it. Activision, help us sell our game!"
Activision: "Like hell. This isn't a charity; we want a cut of the profit."
Harmonix: "WTF open standard!"
(Which is neither open, nor standard)
Activision is really being a dick about this. Working this out could be a giant PR move for the company, but they're screwing it up.
I’m going to pretty much copypasta from what I posted on No shutdown’s blog post on this story:
*Sigh* This is such bullshit. I still can’t believe that Activision doesn’t see that they will be compensated...in the form of thousands of extra copies of Guitar Hero III being sold for the PS3! I don’t understand why they’re completely shutting out an entire platform — the Les Paul controller works with Rock Band on the 360 but not on the PS3, as Nick mentioned above. Fuck you, Activision. I bought your game (Guitar Hero III), but I haven’t had the urge to play it since I picked up Rock Band.
Now that it's official that this is about cash, fuck you Activision... You'd be compensated by all the people who would buy GH3 just to get the extra guitar controller, you tards.
I call bullshit. Who honestly is willing to boycott Activision with me?
Compensation? Yeah, like you wouldn't get it from people buying the guitar in the first place? And, they would in turn be helping themselves more than their rivals considering they would be earning money off of the success of the other while still maintaining a lead in sales (GH3 has sold way more and continues to do so than Rock Band).
And, as to why you can't use RB peripherals w/GH3? Because Activision blocks them from working, not because RB doesn't want them to work.
I can never see myself playing guitar hero series again. My friends made me be the drummer with their rock band game, and I absolutely love it. Now when I go to play any of the guitar parts, I hate it and am bored stiff. Activision, you best get this cleared up and just start making periphials. Like everyones saying, youll do more good if your shifting controllers. For the times, they are a changing.
Activision gets compensated...via the sale of the GH3 guitar. Why do they need extra money?
When I buy a tire, do I have to pay extra depending on what car I install it on?
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