Rock Band bundles have wireless guitar on PS3 and wired on Xbox

by Alexander Sliwinski { Aug 7th 2007 at 4:55PM }

We've been working on getting answers to what's going on with Rock Band's peripheral pricing for a long time. There are still no "official" prices to be found, but there is one anomaly regarding the wireless Xbox 360 guitar that is really starting to kick up questions. This $20 difference in the prices between the Xbox 360 wired and wireless guitar, which Joystiq first reported on back in May, has come back around in a sneaky way with the Rock Band bundles. Both Amazon and GameStop currently sell the Rock Band bundle for $199, with one key difference: The PS3 version comes with a wireless guitar and the Xbox 360 version is wired.

So, for gamers looking to avoid the currently marked $20 difference between the PS3 ($59.99) and Xbox 360 ($79.99) wireless guitar prices, the bundle is apparently not the answer. We also spoke with Red Octane yesterday, following up on questions we had at E3 about the price point of their Xbox 360 wireless guitar. Given Red Octane's already dramatic history on this wireless issue with Microsoft, we wanted to know if licensing issues and cost to the consumer had been worked out for this guitar and Guitar Hero III's release. They couldn't officially answer at this time, but the GH III bundles are currently identically priced on GameStop's website.

"Officially" none of this information means anything at this point. Although consumers should be made aware that the Rock Band bundles they're currently purchasing on GameStop and Amazon for the Xbox 360 are officially marked as wired, while the PS3 version is marked as wireless.

[Thanks Zachary]

Tags: guitar, peripheral, price, ps3, rockband, wired, wireless, xbox360

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

eldee @ Aug 7th 2007 5:00PM

great caption

Egress @ Aug 7th 2007 5:02PM

i agree with eldee, fantastic caption!

Sceren @ Aug 7th 2007 5:02PM

Standardized Bluetooth Connection VS. Proprietary Wireless Technology + Royalty Fee

TheGuy @ Aug 7th 2007 5:06PM

Bluetooth FTW!!!

Mr Intel @ Aug 7th 2007 8:51PM

woooooooooo hooooooooooooo go BT!!

Mr Intel @ Aug 7th 2007 8:51PM

and the price difference i think the BT modules are cheaper than a ten foot usb cord

zozart @ Aug 7th 2007 5:09PM

Oh great. Guess I won't be getting the bundle then.

Crono @ Aug 7th 2007 5:09PM

As long as the wire is long, I couldn't care less.

I. Need. This. Game.

hvnlysoldr @ Aug 7th 2007 5:16PM

Issue a beige alert.
If I don't make it out alive tell my wife Hello.

Anam @ Aug 7th 2007 5:37PM

I love that episode!

"Shall we return fire?"

"I'm going to have to go with what my gut says. And my gut says maybe!"

hvnlysoldr @ Aug 7th 2007 5:44PM

You neutral! Wait you've got to be one our spies. No neutral would use an exclamation.

pointfour @ Aug 7th 2007 5:16PM

A Suzanne Vega refference on Joystiq? Never thought I'd see the day! Nice one Alex.

Vandor @ Aug 7th 2007 5:18PM

Erm... I read the article descriptions of the two Rock Band packs. Question:
Aren't all three instruments of the PS3-Version wireless and all three of the XBOX360 Version wired?
That would be an even greater difference

Ihya @ Aug 7th 2007 5:18PM

Wireless ftw!

Mr Khan @ Aug 7th 2007 5:19PM

Not going with BlueTooth seems to keep coming back to hurt them, its odd considering that it seems so inconsequential (one could argue that that's hurting them more than not going with a blue-laser media, because while you're not really seeing a disparity against PS3 games, you're certainly seeing one against PS3 accessories)

Snukadaman @ Aug 7th 2007 5:22PM

the wired guitar hero controller killed my first xbox so ill wait for wireless.....

gullum @ Aug 7th 2007 5:23PM

Come on, if Xbox owners don't care about all of the other crap they have to put with, this is small potatoes. Just rember the alamo.. I mean remember Gears!

32_Footsteps @ Aug 7th 2007 5:24PM

Wait, you're changing around "Luka" from its original meaning to being about video game pricing?

That's wrong, man. That's just wrong.

baby sea tuna @ Aug 8th 2007 9:37AM

Why not? Either way it's about abuse...

BananaBoat @ Aug 7th 2007 5:50PM

Oh noes! 20 bucks moar! If you can afford 200 dollars, then you damn well can afford 220 dollars. But really, why report this stuff when it's not even official yet? Flame bait to bring out the sony fanboys to combat the Xbox fanboys over B-Tooth versus "Proprietary Wireless Format + Royalties"? Personally I'm waiting to buy this, till I see if any of my friends would actually be willing to play. Guitar Hero is one thing, but finding mates to Sing and play drums? That's another thing

RUSKULL @ Aug 7th 2007 6:06PM

At what point will the Sony hate switch places with Microsoft? I can't help but think that if it were to ever happen, it will start with the Guitar Hero/Rock Band games.

Radicoon @ Aug 7th 2007 6:25PM

I still don't understand the whole wire, wireless thing. A real guitar would have a wire... and is it that much trouble? Obviously wireless is cool too, but I don't think there should be this much fuss over a wire.

Watership @ Aug 7th 2007 6:28PM

Don't forget! The PS3 guitar comes with the awesome Bluetooth drop. Right in the middle of your song you will lose signal and fail with great failure!

hotnutz @ Aug 7th 2007 7:38PM

only an idiot would "drop" or "pause" in the middle of a rock band game. ;) Oh well, I guess all idiots end up at EA (looks like Moore is doing well there with drop of 2006 sports games. Keep it coming Moore you clown)

Okay - back on topic - Bluetooth is a standard that works and is affordable. Why MS chose to go with a proprietary that costs more is beyond me. Except maybe to extract more money from their fans but they already have Live to do that.

phattie @ Aug 7th 2007 7:01PM

$100 Wifi
$180 HD-DVD
$30 Battery packs
$30 (proprietary) headsets
$50 64mb memory units
$180 120gb proprietary HDD
$20 wireless tax on 3rd party controllers

... remember kids, MS gives you great choices.

Anam @ Aug 7th 2007 8:02PM

Seriously, that's a very "the glass is half-empty" view of the 360. You seriously need to look at the positive side of this: the games seem cheap by comparison! Yay!

sp00nz @ Aug 7th 2007 8:43PM

All the people complaining about the 360 wireless bit have obviously never found out why. My buddies ps3 has trouble with 3 controllers on. Those things drop in and out every couple of hours. The tech in the 360 controller is just amazing. I could use it across the house and it still functions smooth. Whatever ms did for that everyone else needs to adopt. I'd charge for it too.

RoboChamp @ Aug 7th 2007 9:35PM

Then you must have shitty controllers. I have 3/4 player multiplayer battles all the time, and the only dropouts I get is when the battery depletes.

megapenguinx @ Aug 7th 2007 8:48PM

Is Rock Band coming to the Wii?

License to ill @ Aug 7th 2007 8:53PM

NO or more like not yet any way...

Crono @ Aug 8th 2007 11:43AM

Eventually. I'm getting it for my 360, though.

License to ill @ Aug 7th 2007 8:49PM

Lets see get the 360 wired version or the PS3 wireless version...

Easy decision if you own both systems.

baby sea tuna @ Aug 8th 2007 9:41AM

Good point, Achievements and an established online infrastructure > wireless. Easy decision indeed.

Jeff @ Aug 7th 2007 9:36PM

"My buddies ps3 has trouble with 3 controllers on. Those things drop in and out every couple of hours."

Then he needs to get his PS3 or his controllers fixed. Mine has never dropped out once.

It's called standards. MS could look into the concept once in a while. Oh, but then they couldn't charge $100 for a 20GB hard drive anymore. You guys must just love being anally raped like that.

sp00nz @ Aug 8th 2007 4:31AM

Using standards is all fine and good but use decent ones. Bluetooth as a whole sucks ass. Try using anything bluetooth more than 30ft away from where you're at and you'll get an idea. Hell. Put some large peices of furniture in your room and realise how crappy bluetooth is. Fact is the 360 thing works at incredible range and seamlessness. Course I guess the reason people don't notice how crappy bluetooth is beacuse there are no games :P

Ryan Smith @ Aug 8th 2007 9:15AM

I don't own a PS3 yet, but I've heard them mention many times on gaming podcast that the PS3 controllers drop out, they assume it's interference in the office. If you've ever used a bluetooth headset, it's not a very good connection. The Xbox 360 wireless is a much better system, they put a lot of money into the development. Still, if they make rockband cost more they are going to anger a lot of customers.

Matt @ Aug 7th 2007 11:23PM

This is fuckin bullshit if it's true. EA, Harmonix, or whoever can kiss my fuckin ass. We would have paid the extra $20 for the bundled wireless guitar. And also fuck EA and Harmonix for continuing to withhold "official" pricing info when we all know the pricing on gamestop and now Amazon is clearly official.

Deadred @ Aug 8th 2007 6:42AM

Who cares about a wire? i've been playing real guitars for 17 years, and hey - whadda you know?? - they have cords!!!

Makes no difference to me whether there is a cord or not

Brandon @ Aug 8th 2007 7:16AM

there are 3 different classes of bluetooth, range from 1 meter all the way up to 100 meters

obviously you have never used the PS3 controller. The range on it is unbelievable, accidentally turning on my PS3 across the house (3 rooms, approximately through 5 walls and a stairway) while charging the controller on my PC proves my point.

Kizzle @ Aug 8th 2007 10:20AM

No, it proves that you can post on a feedback section of a website.

longhairbilly @ Aug 8th 2007 10:47AM

I would have ordered the 360 bundle already if it was wireless. I'll pay $220, just give my the option.

ANTISLEEP @ Sep 11th 2007 9:32PM

I'm really disapointed with harmonix and microsoft at this point. I'm willing to pay the extra money for wireless guitar if the option is there. I've had my bundle for rock band pre-ordered for over a month, but now I'm really thinking of canceling it. Thanks guys!