Memo shows $20 gap in Xbox and PS3 Rock Band guitar
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Jul 6th 2007 at 3:25PM }
The price discrepancy could go back to the issue from last year regarding Red Octane and their attempt to get a wireless guitar on the Xbox 360. Turns out to license Microsoft's proprietary wireless technology would have increased the cost of the wireless guitar and the company decided not to do it. Could $20 be the magic number being tacked on for the consumer? This would also assume, if the pricing is correct, that neither the drum set nor the microphone would be wireless given the lack of a price difference between the two systems. Although, we do have a statement regarding the price discrepancy as well. We were told by the Harmonix rep, "I am not aware of a price discrepancy." It looks like it's going to be a while before the actual, solid, final price of the peripherals gets nailed down. Right now, it's still all rumor and speculation -- officially.
[Thanks Anonymous]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
BNinjaC @ Jul 6th 2007 3:28PM
that sucks, if true.
/waits for fanbots to turn up
Konny @ Jul 6th 2007 3:38PM
It makes sense, xBox owners are used to paying for more 'choice'...
$50, 64mb memory cards
$50, xbl account
$80+, extended warranties
$100, 20gb hdd
$100, wifi dongle
$200, hddvd dongle
$180, 120 gb hdd
... see, an extra $20 is nothing when considering the full ownership experience of the 360 owner.
Joshua @ Jul 6th 2007 3:39PM
Well something on the 360 version needs to be wireless doesn't it? I mean, how else do you plug them all in? I'm sure not going to unplug my wireless accessory to hook up all three.
Then again...I shouldn't have needed to buy a wireless add-on.
Probot @ Jul 6th 2007 3:42PM
I think it should be emphasized that these are not the final price listings. They are just updates for their system. I'm not sure about every Game Crazy, but before we entered these changes into the system, Rock Band was listed at over $1000 for each peripheral.
Joshua @ Jul 6th 2007 3:43PM
Konny,
Consider Sony's track record with forcing proprietary formats on consumers.
sheppy @ Jul 6th 2007 3:43PM
Konny, please delegate your price lists to your livejournal... it's getting old here.
AssemblyLineHuman @ Jul 6th 2007 3:45PM
BNinjaC: You didn't have to wait very long.
Konny: And you don't need any of that except the live account and an extended warranty if you get a Premium or "Elite" 360.
mccomber @ Jul 6th 2007 3:47PM
Bluetooth ftw, whether this is true or not.
wei @ Jul 6th 2007 3:48PM
I wouldn't worry about this. It'd be pretty stupid for the pricing to be different between platforms. After all, aren't third parties trying to provide a comparable experience on multi-platform releases? Anyway, since nothing is announced yet, there's no need to get all worked up about this.
Jacob P. @ Jul 6th 2007 3:50PM
No man, you totally need two HDD's and a memory card for one 360...Konny, your logic doesn't make sense...
sheppy @ Jul 6th 2007 3:55PM
To me, the system I buy it for just depends on the system my friends buy it for. And I plan to buy the full package.
quazi @ Jul 6th 2007 3:55PM
i thinks its true since you have to license MS wireless tech.
FUCKKKKK MEEEEEEE DAMNIT SHIT TITS BANANA!
well im not buying wireless guitar for my 360 =(
Anam @ Jul 6th 2007 3:55PM
$80 for a guitar? The first Guitar Hero game cost $80 for both the game and guitar! Lame!
Granted, the original guitar was wired, but still, this is ridiculous. I hope this comes to the Wii so I won't need to bother with Microsoft prices.
p-diddy @ Jul 6th 2007 3:57PM
Konny, I realize you're trolling, but at least make it good. Please explain why I would need:
$50, 64mb memory cards AND
$100, 20gb hdd AND
$180, 120 gb hdd
Really? Just pick one and be done with it.
WHBT.
YHL.
-p-
horngreen @ Jul 6th 2007 3:57PM
Doesn't really matter to me as I'm not about to have little plastic guitars, drums and an accordian sitting around my game room. Heres an idea! ACTUALLY LEARN TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENT instead of paying upwards of $400 for an elaborate game of Simon!
TheGuy @ Jul 6th 2007 3:58PM
Bluetooth FTW!!!!
quazi @ Jul 6th 2007 3:59PM
also is this just for the peripherals or the combo of game+ peripherals?
either way damn U MS and your wireless tech.
Farseer @ Jul 6th 2007 3:59PM
Thank you Konny,
You've hit the nail on the head. It's all about "choice". Microsoft has left off their proprietary items for purchase at your discretion.
Did I choose a WiFi dongle? No - I prefer wired connections.
Did I choose a memory card? No - the hard drive is plenty big for saved games. If I really want to, it can travel with me too.
For that matter why would I need a 20gb HD? or a 120 even? I can easily stream my 80+ gb of mp3s from my server while I play any game online or offline.
Did I choose HD DVD? No - without a clear winner in the HD disc format wars, why would I bother? It's a waste of time and money at this point.
Did I choose XBL? Yes - the $50 annual fee is a fine price to pay to use a well-structured and upkept online service integrated into the OS shell.
I'm sure you've been refuted before because you reek of a troll, and I'm sure you won't even read this post.
Nonetheless, I'm much happier with having "choices" in the add-ons for my console instead of forced proprietary technology and bloated hardware that I won't even use. The money saved has gone to games.
*pant pant
/end rant
Joshua @ Jul 6th 2007 4:00PM
p-diddy,
I understand what you were trying to say but for the record I just recently purchased a 512MB card for my 360. I also have the 20GB HDD.
I purchased the card because I like to take my profile to my friends house and hate going through all the steps to place my account on his system only to go through it all again when I get home.
Anam @ Jul 6th 2007 4:00PM
@horngreen
Seriously, this "learn how to play an instrument" bit is getting old.
First, I play guitar. Is there a reason that I can't buy a game also? Secondly, playing real guitar is about 500 times harder than playing these games. Maybe people just want to have some fun without needing to go through the long learning process that a real guitar requires.
BNinjaC @ Jul 6th 2007 4:01PM
@ horngreen
dude, what you talkin' about?
I want an accordion centered video game!
TheGuy @ Jul 6th 2007 4:05PM
@horngreen
http://www.cad-comic.com/comic.php?d=20070509
Zertoss @ Jul 6th 2007 4:05PM
Did I hear someone say Microsoft is charging more for stuff that others get for free? They've never done THAT before! *coughXBL/GFWL,Vistacough*
sheppy @ Jul 6th 2007 4:05PM
@horngreen
http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d=20070509
Farseer @ Jul 6th 2007 4:05PM
Here you go BNinjaC:
http://www.cogmap.com/holiday06/flash.html
sheppy @ Jul 6th 2007 4:06PM
Wow, two posters, same comic....
I'm about to take off in my rofflecopter.
TheGuy @ Jul 6th 2007 4:08PM
@sheppy
Well I posted it first, so I deserve kudos :)
BNinjaC @ Jul 6th 2007 4:09PM
@ Farseer
you sir, rock
Anam @ Jul 6th 2007 4:12PM
I hate that freakin' comic. Seriously, "thousands of dollars"? I bought a guitar for $200, which is less than any current video game system.
Besides, if two people were fighting with guitars, I think the guy with the real guitar would beat the shit out of the guy with the plastic guitar.
Just saying.
Charron @ Jul 6th 2007 4:14PM
*activates carney mode*
Alright, Konny, you get the blind and pointless fanboy prize! Way go Konny!
And it's horngreen, horngreen gets the prize for musician who doesn't get why these games are so fun! Congratulations horngreen!
I've got one prize left! One prize, goes to the first person to say it's not coming to Wii 'cause the system's too weak! One prize! Who wants it?
copa @ Jul 6th 2007 4:15PM
I'm not convinced that the price list is correct, but the general point is valid.
Sony has been very good about supporting third-party controllers and hard drives, while Microsoft has been locking people into first-party peripherals. Not priced for profit, but shockingly overpriced.
And until yesterday the $60 extended warranty was a required add-on for an XBox 360 console purchase.
It serves to remind us how screwed we would be if a single company gained monopoly of the videogame market.
Probot @ Jul 6th 2007 4:16PM
horngreen,
First, the obligatory CAD comic has been linked,
so I'll have use the less-referenced VG Cats strip:
http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=232
Second, it's stupid to think that just because you're good at a game you can do the real thing. Try relating your experience with Wii Sports Tennis to the actual thing. GH won't stop you from playing a real guitar, but it don't kid yourself about it helping any.
Lastly, people play this game to have fun. While playing a real guitar may be fun, learning it can be difficult, time consuming, and boring.
I think types of trolls should be Rock Banned.
Farseer @ Jul 6th 2007 4:18PM
@ BNinjaC:
TY - here's another one - more humorous, but not playable:
http://www.schadenfreudeinteractive.com/accordion.html
I say we all pitch in and get that plastic accordion for horngreen so he can say, in all seriousness, "I have a plastic accordion sitting around my game room."
more plastic peripherals FTW!
Orenthol Jones @ Jul 6th 2007 4:19PM
"You've hit the nail on the head. It's all about "choice". Microsoft has left off their proprietary items for purchase at your discretion."
The option of choice comes at a great price...
It's like, you can either have everything and the kitchen sink, but at a much reduced price, or you can get each individual part, at almost double the price.
Sony gives you freedom, Microsoft constrains you with high price. Sadly, the PS3 itself is already at a very high price, otherwise more people would get this. (Don't get me wrong, I support the 360, and I like the 360, and I don't even have a PS3.. it's just so expensive! But, for example, the Elite 360 is just as bad as far as pricing, and you don't even get jack crap with it)
sheppy @ Jul 6th 2007 4:22PM
@TheGuy
Kudos to you, sir.
@Probot
You forget, though. All these rhythm games, they are totally not about fun or the ability to have fun without tons of time commitment. It's because we are all posers who's dreams of forming a band consisting entirely of the 4:1 ratio of Guitar players has been dashed by reality.
Personally, I suck at Guitar. I know this and I make no illusions to the contrary. Which is good because I rock my MicroKorg, Radium49, and Trigger Finger all the time. And I spent several months learning the ins and outs of the software tools I use. But if I play GH or Rock Band because it's fun, I'm just a loser who's too lazy to know a grand total of twelve different instruments.
john @ Jul 6th 2007 4:24PM
I have a 360 and a Wii, but this is one major point that the PS3 has over the 360. Open standards are a good thing for consumers, and it's surprising that Sony (of all companies) is leading in that respect. Card slots, hard drives (internal and external), and bluetooth are all better than Microsoft's proprietary equivalents. I like my 360, but MS is not subtle about charging you for every little thing. I think this will become more apparent when it comes to user created content. Letting any user create maps and share them with the community for free (a la Little Big Planet) doesn't jive with MS's penchant for charging for every little piece of content (backgrounds, themes, and gamer pictures... really?!?).
Jonathan Tran @ Jul 6th 2007 4:25PM
Hey wait a second
I thought this site was for bashing PS3 and lauding Wii60.
How can there be negative MS news, MS can do no wrong, that's why their motto is "don't be evil".
Dammit this site is so bias! Why do I read this stupid site?!
Also when is DDR hottest party coming out?
Farseer @ Jul 6th 2007 4:27PM
@ Orenthol:
"you can either have everything and the kitchen sink, but at a much reduced price, or you can get each individual part, at almost double the price."
This is exactly why I build my PCs and don't buy a stock PC from any of the main manufacturers. Sure you save money by buying a Compaq or a Dell, but a quarter of the equipment is unnecessary, and all of the software (with the exception of bundled Windows) is downright annoying and bloated.
I guess that if you just want to shout specs while holding out your suspenders, then it's the way to go. I would rather just get what I need. Bloat sucks.
... and I already have a kitchen sink.
Anam @ Jul 6th 2007 4:28PM
@Jonathan Tran
Didn't you hear? All of the companies are trying to get their bad news out before E3.
@Joystiq
We need a diagram of a PR line going around Master Chief. Get to it.
Kenny @ Jul 6th 2007 4:39PM
It it's true, it'll be a bit upsetting. A $20 difference is still a difference and it might offset people to buy the PS3 version instead.
Have they shown what the guitars on the PS3 will look like yet? Or will it look exactly the same as the 360?
Join the ROCK BAND Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2346954822
BNinjaC @ Jul 6th 2007 4:39PM
@ Farseer
If only it was the real deal, the guitar is for suckers... (chuckles)
@ john
Good post but watch it be ignored *sigh*
Matt @ Jul 6th 2007 4:43PM
Farseer FTW! Thank you. You took a reply right out of my fingertips.
GJM @ Jul 6th 2007 4:48PM
I'm thinking Konny and Godisamyth should just get it over with and 69 each other already
Spongie @ Jul 6th 2007 4:53PM
Im going to be so broke after this holiday season...
Orenthol Jones @ Jul 6th 2007 5:12PM
"This is exactly why I build my PCs and don't buy a stock PC from any of the main manufacturers."
How does that logic work?
You build yourself to save money. If you wanted the same stuff the PS3 offers, in the 360, you'd have to spend nearly double. Sony's created an open system, and given you open choices, and generally, if you're looking at full featured things, those aspects, in both systems, the PS3 is a much better deal, whereas MS wants to charge you with every little thing they can.
Are you denying this at all? Because it's damned true.
BPM @ Jul 6th 2007 5:13PM
@Charron:
It's not coming to Wii, because the system is too weak.
Now gimme my damned prize.
Charron @ Jul 6th 2007 5:21PM
Sure thing, BPM! Here's your prize! It's a goldfish!
*hands over dead goldfish in bag of water*
Enjoy!
(I'm in a silly and sarcastic mood tonight, if you can't tell.)
sain @ Jul 6th 2007 5:28PM
"Consider Sony's track record with forcing proprietary formats on consumers."
@Joshua
So if a company goes from using proprietary stuff to being open we should still remember their past to make them look bad? and at the same time praise another company for doing what the company in question use to do?
What point are you trying to make eh?
Anam @ Jul 6th 2007 5:29PM
@Dr. Jones (may I call you Dr. Jones?)
Had you read Farseer's post, you would have realized that the reason he doesn't buy PCs from manufacturer's was that HE DIDN'T WANT EVERYTHING IT CAME WITH.
Farseer @ Jul 6th 2007 5:30PM
Sorry Orenthol,
You may build it yourself to save money, but I build it myself to get a better product. There is always a chance I will save money, but that is usually never the case.
I do agree that this argument is a has a touch of the apples and oranges, but I'll try to explain my twisted logic.
For example, I'll never need integrated wireless in a desktop PC, nor will I need a 160 GB main HD (40-80GB for a master is more than enough - save your big drives for slaves or a server). I do not need a 24" widescreen monitor, and I definitely don't want their integrated video card. Also, keep your Antivirus, your AOL, and your internet connected diagnostic tools away from my machine. I'll choose the components and software I feel that I need.
Do I end up spending more this way? Usually. Do I get a better product that suits my needs? Definitely.
I feel a similar way about the PS3 and the 360. Do I need wireless connectiviy, a bigger hard drive (not upgradeable or swappable, I might add), and a HD disc player? At the time, no. In the future I may want to add these things, but I'll add those components as they suit my needs.
Also, I'm not denying that M$ wants to charge me for every little thing they can. They most certainly are. I don't buy downloadable content (apart from the a good arcade title), and most of the extra accessories are just plain flamboyant.
But I still stand by my statement about XBL being a good service. I gladly pay my $50 for it.