Microsoft not allowing Red Octane to produce wireless guitar
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Nov 5th 2006 at 3:00PM }
Red Octane, publisher of Guitar Hero, says not to hold your breath for a wireless Xbox 360 guitar controller, because the Microsoft wireless technology is "proprietary." Hopes for wireless 360 thrashing were dashed a little over a month ago after it was discovered that the Xbox 360 guitar was tethered, and following the announcement last week that Red Octane would produce a wireless guitar for the PS2, it seemed only natural that one would show up for the Xbox 360. eToyschest asked Red Octane if they were going to produce a wireless Xbox 360 guitar, "Well, that's a Microsoft issue. Their wireless technology is proprietary ... so they aren't allowing third party manufacturers to make anything at the moment ... so until they allow us to do so, we aren't able to."
So, a last-gen system will have a wireless controller, made by a company that we've come to trust (especially if you're a Guitar Hero freak and put yours through its paces -- and had it survive), but a next-gen system will need to be wired? Awkward.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
KineticOnline @ Nov 5th 2006 3:06PM
Maybe (hopefully) MS will work with them to produce a wireless controller. MS will want any wireless products to be compatible with most if not any game.
lol (mad idea : Halo3 guitar hero style)
scoobydiesel @ Nov 5th 2006 3:06PM
If this happens thats a bad move on Microsofts part and a very lame outcome for gamers...i dont want wires anymore
Seroth @ Nov 5th 2006 3:06PM
That's pretty lame, but couldn't they still make something that plugs into the USB port that's like receiver, which would communicate with the guitar? It wouldn't be using the Xbox's built-in wireless capabilities that way, right?
I don't really know what I'm talking about.
B33 @ Nov 5th 2006 3:10PM
With the 360's graphics nearly identical to the PS2's and lack of a wireless controller, I'll buy the PS2 version and save the extra $10-$20 I'd have to pay for the 360 version.
IanC @ Nov 5th 2006 3:16PM
OH NOES, a wire!!!
ITS THE END OF THE WOrLD!!!
Jeez, what an overreaction.
TheWoopWoop @ Nov 5th 2006 3:12PM
With most analysts estimating a Microsoft loss of around $120 for every 360 that they sell it is hardly surprising that they keep their wireless technology proprietary. If Nyko and Pelican started making cheap Wireless controllers that worked with the 360 one of their primary methods of recouping this loss would be materially harmed. I still think Microsoft and Sony are both playing around with a very silly business model. How about you guys sell a product at a profit? Zany. $1.2 Billion loss on the Xbox 360 so far and most people would assume that it has been successful.
Hopefully Microsoft will license their Wireless tech to Red Octane for a solid controller. I'm sure people would be willing to pay whatever premium was necessary.
moofree @ Nov 5th 2006 3:12PM
They should just make a USB dongle for it.
darkkoji @ Nov 5th 2006 3:15PM
easy fix....just make a wireless guitar that connects to a USB nub that you put in the 360....not to hard of a fix. What's the big deal?
OrangePeel @ Nov 5th 2006 3:25PM
Is there a reason why Guitar Hero or any other music games aren't being released on a Nintendo system? It seems to me that those kinds of games would work well with Nintendo's aim to capture every demographic.
EihBeir @ Nov 5th 2006 3:24PM
Well, that kinda sucks.
Lekko @ Nov 5th 2006 3:37PM
proprietary HDDs, memorycards, controllers, wow...
MS sure likes to screw over their fanbase and make them pay out the rear for add-ons. I bet you will eventually see a wireless one, but not bundled with the game, and it will cost you about $20 more than a regular wired one.
notafan @ Nov 5th 2006 3:29PM
Karaoke Revolution Party was on GameCube.
Tobey Cook @ Nov 5th 2006 3:30PM
@OrangePeel:
There was mention in the latest issue of Nintendo Power that Red Octane would be producing Guitar Hero II for all current next-gen systems (which I'm assuming also means Wii and PS3).
Optimus Prime @ Nov 5th 2006 3:31PM
FYI:
You can pair any bluetooth device with PS3 folks... who's proprietary now?
And, this will never come out for Wii because the Guitar controller is more innovative than the wiimote. Nintendo wants you to think of the wiimote as the coming of christ; so, they would never allow a competing controller design (aside from high margin plastic shells).
Happy Sunday Folks.
Eric Von Shpeel @ Nov 5th 2006 3:32PM
IanC have you even played the game? If so you would understand the restriction the wire possess.
Rob @ Nov 5th 2006 3:34PM
Big deal.
The guitar's not a difficult instrument to learn. If people put 1/10th of the time into a real guitar that they put into Guitar Hero, we'd have a nation of rockstars.
copa @ Nov 5th 2006 3:34PM
In the podcast after X'06 Barcelona, Major Nelson expressed disappointment that the 360 guitar was wired, and said that he hoped just like everyone else that Red Octane would decide to produce a wireless controller.
At this point, it was pretty well known that Microsoft was enforcing an exclusivity period for wireless controllers, so I felt like these statements were pretty disingenouous.
I would have been a lot more impressed if Major Nelson had used that airtime to interview the folks in charge of X360 hardware licensing, laid out the terms of the exclusivity deal, and explained why Microsoft would not allow Red Octane to produce a wireless controller.
The whole hardware peripheral setup is beginning to smell pretty bad in Redmond. DDR Universe just got pushed back to next year, purely because of issues involved in working with Microsoft to produce a WIRED dance pad.
Microsoft had best not hold up Guitar Hero 2 for months over issues with the wired guitar controller. Guitar Hero 2 would be a major boost to the Xbox 360 casual gamer market (especially if this week's release is not supported on the PS3), but there are a lot of people who will just buy it on the PS2 instead if Microsoft drags this out.
E.J. @ Nov 5th 2006 3:41PM
This is a sales-killing decision for Guitar Hero 360 on Microsoft's part.
I still wouldn't doubt that MS is working on a solution for this; the guitar controller isn't exactly conventional. If a wireless conversion was easy to do, wouldn't we have the wireless racing wheel by now? And if the guitar was announced, it would be opening a can of worms for MS and their Quality and Regulatory Control departments with questions such as:
Would the wireless guitar use the play-n-charge battery packs?
Would there be a blade indicator showing the battery life (ala Wireless Headset)? And if so, will that require a dash update?
[Insert microtransaction question here, about new songs and such]
DeadPlasmaCell @ Nov 5th 2006 3:50PM
I don't think it's a sales killing decision.. Everyone who's played Guitar hero has used a wired one at one point or another, so playing with a wire isn't something new or anything.. Ne who the 360 will get a wireless one eventually, just like the PS2.. Circle of life folks!
wiggles @ Nov 5th 2006 3:58PM
Expect to eventually see a M$ branded, proprietary, wireless guitar controller in the future, followed by lawsuits fired back and forth between them and Red Octane over M$ not letting them release a wireless version and forcing consumers to buy from M$ in order to obtain a wireless controller.
I agree that Guitar Hero on Wii may not happen due to the Wiimote and guitar controller kinda stepping on eachother's toes, but I am very surprised that no PS3 version of Guitar Hero has been mentioned yet seeing as the PS3 will use BLUETOOTH instead of a proprietary wireless technology.
Oh, and without some sort of PS2-to-USB adapter, I don't see any way of playing PS2 guitar hero on a PS3 anytime soon.
Nathan M @ Nov 5th 2006 4:29PM
"You can pair any Bluetooth device with PS3 folks... who's proprietary now?" Well let's see, a wired guitar because of a proprietary wireless system, or 200$ more for the system because of the proprietary disc drive... yeah. At least the 360 isn't stuffing HD-DVD down our throats.
"And, this will never come out for Wii because the Guitar controller is more innovative than the wiimote. Nintendo wants you to think of the wiimote as the coming of christ; so, they would never allow a competing controller design." Wow, if I didn't think you were full of it before... :P Also, the Guitar is not nearly as innovative as the Wiimote considering, you know, Konami did that forever ago in Japan? At least the Wiimote isn't ripped off from an existing product. :P
casey chesnut @ Nov 5th 2006 3:56PM
MS definitely needs to reconsider. i'm ok with MS having their own protocol, but it needs to be licensed for situations like this. it also needs to be licensed so somebody can create a decent arcade stick. i'm jealous of the PS3 supporting bluetooth headsets and also the standard memory card formats. their bluetooth remote is pretty nice too. i would hope that the 360 would ultimately support a bluetooth dongle and get an adapter for standard memory card formats. a media remote that used the wireless controller protocol would be nice too.
aero @ Nov 5th 2006 3:59PM
Plain and simple: Microsoft needs to make up for it's loss on each 360 it sells, as WoopWoop said. It makes sense, but at the same time sucks for consumers. I'm sure something will be figured out. Wires for next-gen are pretty much unacceptable to most people now.
Also, responding to Optimus Prime (though off-topic): I disagree. I think the wiimote is definitely more innovative than Guitar Hero's guitar, especially when considering the attachment peripherals and what those can do. Arcade guitar games (also music games with other instruments) have been around for a long time. Sure there are arcade games that utilize some object similar to the Wiimote, but they do not nearly have the same amount of versatility.
In fact, Guitar Hero for the Wii, because of the Wiimote, has more potential than the other games. The guitar can be made to plug into the Wiimote, and they can utilize the controls speaker. Also, what if they made the wiimote attach to the guitar, so you can do "tricks" or just other movements with the guitar that may reflect what's on the screen. Or maybe, just as you have to press buttons on the frets of guitar at a certain time, they can make it so that you have to jump or just accelerate the guitar fast somehow at a time as well. Only on the Wii. :)
Izuna Drop @ Nov 5th 2006 4:02PM
This is a total bone head move by MS. The wireless theme is something they should allow throughout their lineup. Seriously, this is really weak if it doesn't change.
Jupi @ Nov 5th 2006 4:07PM
Hey guys, guess what?
REAL GUITARS HAVE WIRES, TOO! OMG!
I know. Wire. Such a travesty. 9_9
Optimus Prime @ Nov 5th 2006 4:08PM
"In fact, Guitar Hero for the Wii, because of the Wiimote, has more potential than the other games."
Yes, it would be cool if the wiimote could slot in so the in game avatar mimics your moves (somewhat).
But, it wont happen; the wiimote IS the wii... ie the Wii is just a GC1.5 without the wiimote... and, so, anything that overshadows (or circumvents) the wiimote (on the controller side) too much is a no, no (for the first couple of years anyways).
And, they could easily use the tilt module from the sixaxis in any future GH for PS3.. which doesnt make sense right now since PS2 install base will 50-100x larger for the next few months.
iamblinkin @ Nov 5th 2006 4:15PM
I don't understand how having Guitar Hero come to the Wii with the guitar controller would "overshadow" the Wii controller... The guitar controller would only be applicable for Guitar Hero. Does the guitar overshadow the dual shock? The only time it would "overshadow" the Wiimote would be if the player wanted to play Guitar Hero. Hence why the game is sold with the Guitar. I'm not going to buy Guitar Hero Wii and suddenly decide I'd much rather play Zelda with the Guitar than the Wiimote...
Spoon @ Nov 5th 2006 4:26PM
Hey guys, guess what?
REAL GUITARS HAVE WIRES, TOO! OMG!
Posted at 4:07PM on Nov 5th 2006 by Jupi
--------------------
Most people actually do use wireless guitars now-a-days. Even in smaller local bands.
Seifer @ Nov 5th 2006 4:38PM
I don't understand what the big deal about having a wireless guitar controller is. Real electric guitars have to be plugged into an amp after all; what better way to fully recreate the guitar playing experience than having to plug yourself into the system? You don't hear Jimmy Page shouting for a bluetooth connection for his Les Paul now, do you?
GL @ Nov 5th 2006 4:40PM
Well, there goes my motivation to wait and buy this on the 360. Looks like I'll be picking up Guitar Hero II this week along with Gears of War.
wiil @ Nov 5th 2006 4:46PM
No27 gets the most ridiculous statement of the day award. 'Most people'
certainly do not use wireless guitars these days.
Figboy @ Nov 5th 2006 4:53PM
now that Activision's gotten a hold of Guitar Hero, my enthusiasm for the series has waned considerably.
expect to see Guitar Hero 3 by the time 2007 ends. then Guitar Hero 4 in 2008, 5 in 2009, 6 in 2010, and so on. if there's one thing Activision does well, it's rehash the same title over and over and over gain. and in yearly installments. kind of like EA, only difference is that Activision refuses to give it's developers the time or budget to make a true AAA game.
kudos to Red Octane for getting a fat paycheck for the acquisition, but i fear for future installments of the series (after 2, as that one was being worked on before the Activision acquisition).
Zuko @ Nov 5th 2006 5:04PM
Odd.... in the new OXM, they said a wireless guitar was coming to the 360...
bill pullman @ Nov 5th 2006 5:28PM
"Most people actually do use wireless guitars now-a-days. Even in smaller local bands."
hahahah.... sure they do. as petty as it may seem, most bands look at wireless guitar rigs as "cheesy", and more trouble than they're worth: they're less reliable when compared to just bringing a few spare cords, they're somewhat costly, they affect latency in the signal chain and can introduce additional noise and interference. as a guitarist of 11 years, i can attest to each of these factors.
so NO. most traditional guitar/bass/drum bands do NOT use a wireless setup for their guitars/basses or even microphones.
having said all that, seeing as this is a video game, and not really an accurate representation of actual guitar-playing (beyond position and the pseudo-strumming), the guitar-controller should really be wireless. yeah, most real guitars have a cord attached, but stuff it -- this ain't a real guitar, and it should really be free from the encumbrance.
Matt @ Nov 5th 2006 5:46PM
I play guitar in a rock band, and, no, not very many bands at all use wireless setups. Why? Because decent wireless setups are $1000+ for each instrument and $2000+ for each mic.
I'll play GH2 on my 360 the same way I played GH1 on PS2 and the same way I play guitar in real life: with a long ass wire (or in this case, USB extension)
Pat Cavit @ Nov 5th 2006 5:47PM
Microsoft DOES license the wireless technology to 3rd parties, Red Octane just didn't want to pay for it.
Kevin @ Nov 5th 2006 5:56PM
I heard all next-gen systems are going to have Guitar Hero. Is this true?
PeacefulOutrage @ Nov 5th 2006 6:33PM
Umm, since all of the new systems use USB, they can easily make one wirless guitar, produce it in different colors, and sell it for all systems, saving them a mint. That whole bit about MS won't let them is BS.
iamblinkin @ Nov 5th 2006 6:16PM
Concerning rehashes of Guitar Hero, I wouldn't complain... The draw of the game is to play rockin' songs on a guitar controller, thus it really is only limited (now that the multiplayer has become what it should be) by the track list. Similar to DDR, the draw of the game is the method of play, once that is accomplished, all that's holding it back is content. Personally, I'd love to see a yearly Guitar Hero with new songs to rock out too.
Alex K. @ Nov 5th 2006 6:18PM
why don't they just make their own RF tech? or license it from someone? Just plug in a dongle to the USB port (since the wired tech is availible) and use their own RF...much like logitech wireless ps2 controllers, etc.
F mon @ Nov 5th 2006 6:28PM
I have been in the music industry (all genres) for almost 25 years.
The only place you will see wireless guitars are in small clubs. Large venues use an awful lot of bandwidth over many frequencies just to handle the logistics and other support uses. The only "talent" that uses wireless is for the lead vocals as they tend to hop around a bunch to make for a better show.
The only time I see instruments using wireless are for brief "riff" solo's where the guitar wants to show woff a bit. As soon as he/she are done then they go right back to an old fashioned wire.
Emperor Samoth @ Nov 5th 2006 6:38PM
Microsoft has just shitted on themselves. Add this them allowing EA to basically butcher the Live Marketplace and you have pissed off a number Xbox fans out there... somewhere. I kid, I kid... I'm one of those Xbox supporters, but I really think MS should re-evaluate their policies with the wireless technology.
vaylen @ Nov 5th 2006 6:34PM
Wireless guitar contoller and the ability to play Guitar Hero 2 this Wednesday.
Playstation FTW
rockintom99 @ Nov 5th 2006 7:29PM
YEAH, F*CK YOU SONY
...wait, what?
360?! HxC,,< GH FREAK > @ Nov 10th 2006 5:17PM
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5347040
uhm gh2 on sale now at walmart double you tee eff?
matt @ Nov 6th 2006 9:13AM
Will the cable be of good length, or is there an extension cable out yet for the 360?
It's not a big deal. But IMO the game would be a lot more fun with a wireless controller. Especially in 2 player mode.
Twist @ Nov 5th 2006 7:43PM
To make a wireless PS2 version they will have to release some kind of dongle anyway so why not just release one that plugs into the 360's USB port? And as an added benefit the same guitar could be used with both systems and PC's (and even with future systems like PS3 and Wii) all you would need to buy would be new dongles. Oh that is why they won't do it, so they can sell you multiple guitars for your various systems.
Durg @ Nov 5th 2006 7:49PM
I'm still waiting on a Logitech wireless controller.
Microsoft needs to let their wireless be FREE to 3rd parties. Trying to make $5 off every controller made is not a way to make money, and they'll lose more in the long run when all their customers go to the PS3 because they're not doing this bullcrap.
Open up the wireless to 3rd parties FOR FREE, Microsoft.
Stubborn to the end. Get the f out of the console business if you dont want to win it.
Dagon @ Nov 5th 2006 7:57PM
I personally would prefer a wired 360 guitar because I'll be able to plug it into my computer and play Freetar hero and other clones. Does anyone think a 360 USB guitar will be able to plug into the ps3 and play the ps2 version of guitar hero?
Kyouryuu @ Nov 5th 2006 8:21PM
The reason Guitar Hero didn't show up on the GameCube, I'm sure, is because of the potential market. You have to admit, trying to create a game based on a toy guitar was a risky proposal. When you do things like that, you want to make sure you have as large an audience as possible. The PS2 has a much higher install base than the GameCube, so that's where GH went. Sold over a million.
The same principle holds true for a lot of the weirder, inventive games such as Okami, Katamari Damacy, and so forth. Even games that were once supposedly exclusives (Resident Evil 4, Viewtiful Joe, etc) eventually face the reality that if the most common system isn't supported, you aren't making as much money as you can be.
If this last-gen showed anything, it's that innovation goes to the system with the largest install base - not the one that makes the most noise about it. Which is why it is vital, if the Wii actually wants to top the Xbox 360 and PS3 in systems sold through, to offer it at a reasonable price for fast and widespread adoption.