Activision on PS3 guitar patch: Show me the money!
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Dec 20th 2007 at 10:30AM }
Before it was implied that Activision wanted Harmonix to pay up before they cleared a Harmonix-developed patch allowing PS3 owners to utilize Guitar Hero controllers for Rock Band -- now Activision is just straight-up saying it. Today's Boston Globe has the money quote on this issue as Activision spokeswoman Maryanne Lataif says, "We believe we should be compensated for the use of our technology."
Consumers be damned! Game industry analyst Billy Pidgeon of IDC Corp says that Activision could be entitled to compensation from Harmonix, but this hard line approach might very well backfire. For its part, Harmonix states that it is working on stand-alone Rock Band controllers and does a mea culpa over not having enough guitar controllers for release, but the company says it wanted to get the game in stores for Christmas. Sorry PS3 Rock Band owners, looks like Harmonix has to pay, or Activision needs to stop being scared that Rock Band is going to chop away at their $100 million investment.
[Thanks Puck]
Consumers be damned! Game industry analyst Billy Pidgeon of IDC Corp says that Activision could be entitled to compensation from Harmonix, but this hard line approach might very well backfire. For its part, Harmonix states that it is working on stand-alone Rock Band controllers and does a mea culpa over not having enough guitar controllers for release, but the company says it wanted to get the game in stores for Christmas. Sorry PS3 Rock Band owners, looks like Harmonix has to pay, or Activision needs to stop being scared that Rock Band is going to chop away at their $100 million investment.
[Thanks Puck]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jsn @ Dec 20th 2007 10:33AM
Can anyone really be surprised by this? Guitar Hero 3 is a cash in game. To anyone who has played the series, it feels like a cash in game. Activision bought it because it would make them money and that money is all they are about.
Fans of the series would be best served to buy rock band and forget about guitar hero. Give your money to people who appreciate it and are willing to work to keep your business.
copa @ Dec 20th 2007 10:41AM
I agree 100%.
Activision is not helping themselves. Everybody who wants the patch wants to buy a Les Paul to use with Rock Band, or use a Les Paul that they've already purchased.
Activision wants to charge Harmonix for spending time and money on developing a patch that will help Activision sell more hardware.
Clearly, Activision believes that they can stave off the decline of Guitar Hero, and the rise of Rock Band, by starving the PS3 owners for a month or two until additional strats come out.
It is a stupid, stupid, strategy. According to the November NPD numbers, PS3 users make up less than 20% of the user base for Rock Band. But Activision just advertised to 100% of gamers that they will screw the consumers over at any chance if they think it will make them an extra buck or two.
TheGreatDave @ Dec 22nd 2007 10:23AM
There is the fact that GH:3 is a much more faithful follow up game to GH:2 than Rock Band is though. Looking at some of the note charts for Rock Band makes me cry tears of boredom.
Kyera @ Dec 20th 2007 12:03PM
If you'd actually played GH2, Dave, you'd know your statement is pretty wrong.
B3astofthe3ast @ Dec 20th 2007 1:32PM
TheGreatDave, I don't think you've played Green Grass and High tides, or Blackened, or Ride the lighting. Ride the lightnings solo makes me want to cry.
jsn @ Dec 20th 2007 4:36PM
Dave: I have to agree with some of the follow ups. You obviously haven't played both or you just don't grasp the fact that Rock Band is about the "band" and not just an endless guitar shredfest. Though there are some very challenging guitar oriented songs in the game (and more in DLC).
As a guitarist of 15+ years, I can tell that Harmonix has people tracking their songs that know how it feels to play the song and they do their note charts with that in mind. They really seem to try and mimic the feel of playing the song. Neversoft, sadly, went the route of making songs difficult, sometimes overly difficult without really replicating the feel of playing them. Cherub Rock being a perfect example of this (on expert at least).
Neversoft did the best they could do, but you can tell that there's a passion behind the previous versions of the game and in rock band that simply isn't there in GH3. Not to mention the nerfing of the game in general where hopo's are simply easier in gh3 than gh2 or RB.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Dec 20th 2007 10:35AM
Greedy Bastards.
Everybody with PS3 Rock Band, just wait until harmonix releases guitars (not like you have much choice).
Harmonix should sneak the patch out in a cd/dvd. Activision doesn't have a legal leg to stand on here, otherwise they'd be suing with regards to 360 compatibility.
comtar @ Dec 20th 2007 10:36AM
Yes, because if they patch it... Activision won't MORE MONEY ANYWAY with all those purchased Guitar Hero III controllers people will suddenly run out and buy.
That's the stupidest thing I ever heard of, "Yes we want you to pay us to make more money."
That's kinda how the American Government pays Big Oil for every barrel it produces... Because Big Oil needs the incentive of money... to make money it was going to make to begin with by making it. So why pay them twice?
Chrysee @ Dec 20th 2007 10:38AM
That sucks. I like the Rock Band guitar more anyway, but still.
jsn @ Dec 20th 2007 4:43PM
yah I agree. It's very different and at first may turn some people off becuase it's so different, but if you give it some time I think it's a much better, more realistic feeling product. I'll say this, I played on it for about a week non-stop and then went back to the les paul and put up my best expert scores yet on GH3.
again, it's the difference in one company wanting to mimic the feel of the real thing compared to the other just wanting to sell as much as they can.
Rastaman @ Dec 20th 2007 10:40AM
ive got the 360 version of Rock Band so no issues with mine, but it should have been expected that they would want some money for the time they took to make the patch, im not saying its nice by any means but its buisness and at the end of the day the whole point of a buisness is to make money, even Rock Band is in it to make money
Dr. @ Dec 20th 2007 10:52AM
It may be business, but ideally you want to be hurting your competitors, not your consumers.
mkrajew @ Dec 20th 2007 11:36AM
Activision didn't make the patch. Harmonix did. Activision didn't really do anything here but they want money for their permission to release the patch. Sony won't release Harmonix's patch because Activision is objecting.
Nate @ Dec 20th 2007 11:04AM
dude, *Harmonix* made the patch for _their own game_ and Activision is asking them to pay for it.
copa @ Dec 20th 2007 10:44AM
Hey Rastafari, put down the wacky weed for a minute. Harmonix isn't asking for any money for developing the patch.
Activision is trying to charge Harmonix for the time they spend developing the patch to help sell more Activision controllers.
Wait, that doesn't sound right to me either. Maybe I'M the one that's high!
Rastaman @ Dec 20th 2007 11:06AM
I was under the impression that GH3(Activiosn?) made the patch and submitted it to Sony, then decided they wanted money for it. I could be wrong since i get confused on what company makes what product sometimes, but i dont know or care really. It all comes down to buisness, and yes Dr you normally are trying to hurt the competion but they seem to be doing that if alot of the Rock Band Guitars are being returned, ppl will use the GH3 guitars while the RH one is gone. But like i said, its not a NICE move to try and make them pay for the patch, but its not exactly surprising.
why not the LS2/LS7? @ Dec 20th 2007 12:08PM
No. Harmonix wrote the patch. Activision wants to be paid to allow Harmonix to release a patch Harmonix wrote. Their justification is that the patch supports the Activision guitars, so they should get paid. Which is weird since doesn't Activision sell the guitars at a profit anyway?
Travis @ Feb 27th 2008 8:59PM
In all honesty, they have the right to do this. I, in no way, feel Activision is in the wrong here. It is their technology (they own it) and they have the right to use it for what they want. I applaud Activision for taking a stand.
StalkerB @ Dec 20th 2007 10:45AM
Is anywhere actually selling spare GH3 guitars just now anyway?
"Guitar Hero III Standalone Wireless Les Paul Guitar Controller
Coming Soon.
This item is not currently in production."
So the only way to get one is to buy the bundle, which Activision make money on or if you wait you can buy the Harmonix instead of the Activision one anyway.
Plus this is negative PR, I fail to see an upside to not allowing it.
FOXHOUND @ Dec 20th 2007 10:45AM
Quite possibly the most ridiculous news I've heard this week since Chow Yun Fat supposedly being signed/optioned for the DRAGONBALL movie..
Chrysee @ Dec 20th 2007 10:56AM
lol wait, what?
JodyAnthony (Good Eats Defense Force) @ Dec 20th 2007 10:55AM
shitty for consumers but for the company it makes sense. can't really fault them for it.
grapejoos @ Dec 20th 2007 11:51AM
Do you go to a casino and root for the house to win? Of course it's their right, but it's unquestionably a dick move that is not going to help them in any way. It's going to prevent more sales of GH3 than it will any Rock Band sales. In fact, since all of the people with Rock Band now have to buy Strats when they're available, it's actually going to make Harmonix more money.
I guess Activision is afraid that once people see Rock Band (and especially all of the DLC), their monumental laziness in making new game content is going to be especially embarassing. I'd be afraid if I were them, too.
JodyAnthony (Good Eats Defense Force) @ Dec 20th 2007 10:55AM
shitty for consumers but for the company it makes sense. can't really fault them for it.
Nate @ Dec 20th 2007 11:05AM
Really Really bad PR. And illogical to boot. It's like Logitech wanting to charge Microsoft to allow their mice to work in windows Vista.
Jerk Face @ Dec 20th 2007 11:17AM
Yeah but Logitech isn't in direct competition with Microsoft; that's the thing. Your analogy would be better if you replaced Logitech with Mac allowing PC users to use the 1 button mouse.
Activision has the better controller according to most people. That's why everyone is bitching about it. So to Activision, they win if people don't play Rock Band on the PS3 because the controllers suck. Because you know what game DOESN'T have sucky controllers? Guitar Hero III.
Hate to be the voice of dissent here but there is absolutely no reason for Activision to have to let Harmonix use their controllers from a business standpoint.
JodyAnthony (death by snoo-snoo) @ Dec 20th 2007 11:34AM
I agree with jerk face.
Neon Jebus @ Dec 20th 2007 11:35AM
And you are correct. They want to protect their IP, and I get that. But they did it at the cost of the future of their game. A game I will refuse to purchase. Sure plenty of others will, and they aren't going to miss my $60, but I'll be damned if I'm going to support them any longer.
PS...Alton Brown is GOD!
FidliousWong @ Dec 20th 2007 11:35AM
Actually, both controllers are having a bevy of problems.
Whether you buy the Strat and it's "picking style" pickup (which the initial shipment had bad ones) but more realistic placement of buttons and proportions, or you buy the Les Paul for it's strumming style pickup but sacrifice potential dropped notes on the green and red buttons in conjunction with a wireless signal that gets obliterated with a large amount of wireless devices nearby.
Both controllers have issues. I just hate the toy proportions on the Les Paul.
why not the LS2/LS7? @ Dec 20th 2007 12:16PM
I don't want to use Activision's controller. Why people are bitching is because many people bought GH3 when it game out because they didn't want to wait for RB. They did this thinking they could use the GH3 guitar in RB, so if they bought both games they could play two player on RB at least (if not both) despite the shortage of guitars from both companies (which was indicated well in advance).
Well, people like us already couldn't play two player GH3 since Activision didn't support the RB controller, and in fact when GH3 boots up it says "this game is licensed only for use with official Red Octane controllers".
But at least there was hope to play two player Rock Band, right? Harmonix indicated they wanted to support all guitars they could. Well, Activision managed to screw us there too by rockblocking Harmonix from supporting the GH3 Les Paul.
Activision is only screwing themselves in the long run. When more RB Strats become available, PS3 owners will buy them and then will have two guitars for RB and NO incentive to play GH3 or buy any DLC or guitars for it.
I found GH3 to rather suck (which Activision since patched) and sold my GH3 setup anyway, I just don't really like the Les Paul in the first place, even though mine worked fine.
JerJerBinks @ Dec 20th 2007 4:13PM
This would be like Cisco charging Edsger Dijkstra to use OSPF on their routing equipment.
Yeah, so what, I am a nerd and proud.
Larz @ Dec 20th 2007 5:20PM
"Yeah but Logitech isn't in direct competition with Microsoft"
Uhh, actually they are... they both make mice.
DCBlack @ Dec 20th 2007 10:59AM
I still happen to think this issue will get resolved with the patch being implemented, even if Harmonix pays. It would be good publicity for them in showing how they care about their consumers. Then maybe Activision will have to make GHIII compatible with RB guitars, but that last part is probably just my own wishful thinking.
Abscissa @ Dec 20th 2007 4:28PM
I would have no respect for Harmonix if they caved to such an absurd demand.
Larz @ Dec 20th 2007 5:26PM
Since the "pay us" offer was put on the table like 2 weeks ago, and no progress has been made, I'm guessing Harmonix will not cave. More likely they're probably ramping up production to get their own guitrollers out to the market ASAP.
*Don't want us contributing to your bottom line, Activision? Fine, we'll take from it!
John Z @ Dec 20th 2007 11:11AM
Activision spokeswoman Maryanne Lataif says, "We believe we should be compensated for the use of our technology."
You WERE. When I BOUGHT THE F%$#ING CONTROLLER.
(Hypothetically. I was suckered into GH3 Wii instead of 360. Come to think of it, Activision owes me for the mono disc.)
Geist @ Dec 20th 2007 11:27AM
Activision owes you for the shitty job they did on the Wii version of the game. Seriously. How do you get worse graphics/animation than the PS2 version of GH2?
JodyAnthony (death by snoo-snoo) @ Dec 20th 2007 11:36AM
you bought their controller for use with Guitar Hero 3, not with Rock Band. I dont think they want the consumers to pay to use the controller in Rock Band, they want Harmonix to pay.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Dec 20th 2007 1:11PM
It doesn't freaking matter if I use it to scratch my ass, Jody, they were already compensated for the hardware, and its subsequent use.
seakae @ Dec 20th 2007 11:12AM
Aren't they already compensated by people buying their guitars?
Thr3e2wenty8 @ Dec 20th 2007 11:12AM
Sorry Activision, If I need a second guitarist, I'll just search for one in game online. AND seeing that RB has licensed more than just Fender, we could have cooler alternatives. Can you imagine a twin controller? Cool.
jojo @ Dec 20th 2007 11:33AM
I was looking for the 360 version of Gh. But now, I don't to do business with Activision, even though the 360 version works on both. They are saying f-u to their customers, I say f-u to Activision!!
DCBlack @ Dec 20th 2007 2:06PM
Thus far I'd have to agree with you, jojo. GHIII was my first GH experience, but I'd be highly critical of GHIV, especially when RB offers me a similar gaming experience with more replay value.
For all we know, RB2 might carry a new peripheral of some sort with all new parts to play. First thing off the top of my head: a keyboardist/piano parts.
JJ Rooster @ Dec 20th 2007 11:34AM
Rock Band destroys Guitar Hero! Maybe GH gets the nod for a better guitar game, but Rock Band delivers that PLUS mic and drums, full customization of your rockers and better DLC so far. It's a great party game!
Game Artist @ Dec 20th 2007 11:35AM
If harmonix wants to claim "rock band works with guitar hero guitars" They do need to pay. At least potentially. However they should be able to release a stealth patch that adds unofficial support. Ie patch notes read "Tweaked guitar input scheme"
brandon_r87 @ Dec 20th 2007 11:39AM
Game industry analyst Billy Pidgeon of IDC Corp has become unstuck in time.
deaftly @ Dec 20th 2007 11:40AM
I love black people!
jabbertrack @ Dec 20th 2007 11:47AM
You my mutha fucka!
JodyAnthony (death by snoo-snoo) @ Dec 20th 2007 12:19PM
I love hispanic robots!
Rastaman @ Dec 20th 2007 11:48AM
honestly i like the GH3 guitar a hell of alot more then the RB guitar(personal opinion i know) but if RB wants to say its compatable then it should have to pay...competitors dont just give away stuff to each other, thats just not how it works...it sucks for the ppl who have the PS3 version but from a buisness standpoint they are on pretty solid ground...and not to make ppl mad but saying your not going to buy the next GH because of this is almost exactly like the Democrats in the US saying they would move to Canada if GW was elected again, it didnt happen, and if you decide not to buy a (potentially) great game because you are unhappy with how they run there buisness thats on you, but i dont think its going to make a dent in the amount of sales GH4(or whatever the next title is) will recieve. I have both GH3 and RB on 360 and like them both and will proly continue to enjoy each series(respectively)