Activision admits some World Tour drums busted

by Justin McElroy { Oct 28th 2008 at 3:55PM }

No, it's not just your imagination, Guitar Hero fans: Activision has now admitted that (as several fans reported over the weekend) there is a problem with some of the World Tour drum kits. "We have learned that certain drum kit controllers manufactured for Guitar Hero World Tour have sensitivity issues," the company said in a written statement. "We believe that these controllers are limited to ones in the earlier manufacturing stages."

Though Activision plans on releasing a drum tuning kit to help with the issue, those affected should be able to get some more immediate help by calling customer support at 310-255-2050 or hitting them up on the web. Oh, and Activision? There will be a special place in corporate hell for you if you charge for this "tuning kit." Just saying.

[Via X3F]

Tags: activision, guitar-hero-world-tour

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Tank @ Oct 28th 2008 4:00PM

The Tuning Kit is going to be a free PC software download. You hook up your drums to your computer and run the software, and you can tweak your drums however you want. How exactly one does this is a mystery.

Source:
http://community.guitarhero.com/forums/14/forum_topics/131855

Ben Forbes @ Oct 28th 2008 4:04PM

Surely if the problems lie in the hardware, a program is going to be of no use. A mystery indeed!

shoan @ Oct 28th 2008 4:14PM

Well what happens to people that do not have a PC to hook the drums up with to fix the sensitivity issue. Or the people that do not have access to Highspeed internet there for not able to access the PSN or Live servers?

Hafk @ Oct 28th 2008 4:15PM

For me, it is the sensitivity settings.

My snare pad was just not sensitive enough causing cross talking because I had to BASH IT to get it to work.

My main issue is how I am going to connect these wireless drums to my computer. Will I have to buy the Xbox 360 wireless adapter for PC?

Tank @ Oct 28th 2008 4:22PM

I understand the "no PC" part, but what does having access to high speed internet have to do with anything?

aristokrat @ Oct 28th 2008 4:58PM

No Mac love of course. Why not make it a JRE app and then everybody (even Linux folks) can run it?

All of these instrument problems really make me question these manufacturing lines. I mean, how hard can it be to get a little quality control? Maybe figure out a way to test a couple of them from the assembly line? Seems like that would have to cost less than repair plus bad publicity. Of course, the more time I spend in the working world, the more and more I am astounded by idiots (many with MBA's) who don't believe in the cost-saving effectiveness of prevention!

shoan @ Oct 28th 2008 7:49PM

The no highspeed internet means that Xbox live and PSN does not work with dial up. So there would be no way to "download a fix to the console. They need to pony up and offer to replace the drums if needed for the internet challenged. I speak up for those people since my area used to not have Broadband until a few weeks ago. Trust me life as a gamer is harsh without highspeed internet :P

Tank @ Oct 28th 2008 8:55PM

The fix is for the drums directly, there is no use of Live or PSN.

You plug the drums to a computer via the MIDI port on the back of the set with a MIDI-to-USB cable (which apparently Activision is providing).

Tank @ Oct 28th 2008 8:56PM

*edit*

Also, I totally feel you about the dial-up...I used to be on dial-up until about a year ago.

Myth84 @ Oct 28th 2008 4:01PM

Do they plan on getting this 'tuning kit' our warranties/return periods are over?

Tank @ Oct 28th 2008 4:02PM

The only date they give is "Soon"

Myth84 @ Oct 28th 2008 4:04PM

I realize that...it was more of a rhetorical question.

BPMOmega [gamertag] @ Oct 28th 2008 4:08PM

Not just a special place in Corporate Hell, but a special place for regular Hell for each and every one of their miserable souls.

Bry @ Oct 28th 2008 8:11PM

Has anyone called them yet? I tried but got a busy signal then no answer......

jason @ Oct 28th 2008 4:09PM

"They can pick up the standalone version of World Tour and use [the Rock Band instruments], and when they break they can buy ours," Bright told Kotaku.

OOOOH. Don't you just LOVE karma? I know I do...

bobartig @ Oct 28th 2008 4:30PM

I don't have a really big sample size, but out of the dozen or so people I know with RB drums, none of them have had issues. It also means I don't know anyone with the GH:WT drum kit, although I'm sure that they're selling lots of units.

Dr. @ Oct 28th 2008 4:39PM

I can't speak for the RB2 drums, but my RB kit is still running great. Even despite the fact I've cracked three of the pads IN HALF...

jason @ Oct 28th 2008 4:52PM

My RB1 drums are also working fine. Picked them up on day 1. Playing on expert all day. My friend picked up the GH:WT band pack and was experiencing frequent drum disconnects. Turns out there was a loose screw in the drum brain! Quality.

Courtney @ Oct 28th 2008 6:05PM

I had one faulty pad on RB1 out of the box, and that was a couple of months after release.

Even with that, I still suggested people buy RB1 and would buy the full RB2 kit if I didn't already have a complete instrument kit.

hannibal222 @ Oct 28th 2008 4:10PM

Remember that time when the Activision guys were like, "once their Rock Band 2 instruments break, they can buy ours"?

Yeah, me neither.

Waffle Slayer @ Oct 28th 2008 4:14PM

Remember that time when the jason guy was like, ""They can pick up the standalone version of World Tour and use [the Rock Band instruments], and when they break they can buy ours," Bright told Kotaku.

OOOOH. Don't you just LOVE karma? I know I do..."?

Yeah, me neither.

Courtney @ Oct 28th 2008 4:17PM

This just seems to confirm that GH is ripping off everything that RB has done, broken drum kits included.

Hafk @ Oct 28th 2008 4:19PM

And you are ripping off the countless others who always post about GH ripping off RB.

Give it a rest, everyone already knows this.

It's almost as bad as "Lr2playreelguitar" now.

Courtney @ Oct 28th 2008 4:29PM

A bit sensitive are we?

Perhaps, I'm poking fun at both companies and their inability to deliver fully functioning peripherals while at the same time poking fun at the people who always cry about RB ripping off GH who ripped off RB who ripped off Konami, who stole Jesus' robes which gave them the inspiration to create the rhythm genre in the first place.

Now I'm poking fun at people who always overreact to humorous posts on video game blogs. If you need anymore posts explained, just let me know.

John @ Oct 28th 2008 6:12PM

Explain how your post was humorous kthxbai

naxe @ Oct 28th 2008 4:27PM

"We believe that these controllers are limited to ones in the earlier manufacturing stages."

I CALL B.S. WHAT WOULD CHANGE IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS THAT WOULD MAKE THE EALIER STAGE DRUM KIT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE LATER MANUFACTURED DRUM KIT'S?

Joran @ Oct 28th 2008 4:50PM

I'm not an industrial engineer, nor do I play one on TV. However, I can see how the manufacturing process could have changed. A new technique to calibrate, a new component to replace a defective one, a new production method can all improve the end product.

For instance, all would agree that the new Xbox 360s are less prone to red rings than the earlier production ones.

Brad @ Oct 28th 2008 5:32PM

Hmm.. a misprogrammed drum brain would probably explain why we keep hearing about faulty yellow cymbals and not orange cymbals. Given that the cymbals are eseentially identical, except for the color-coded ring.

Macroy @ Oct 28th 2008 5:39PM

@Joran:

That may be true, but the Xbox 360 has been out for three years now, and these drums have only been out for about 3 days...

SKI @ Oct 28th 2008 4:39PM

http://gonintendo.com/?p=60977

Check this out if you have problems.

rhoymand @ Oct 28th 2008 5:46PM

thanks for the link! I'll definitely give that a try. a temporary solution until my "tuning kit" arrives.

Tank @ Oct 28th 2008 9:05PM

I've e-mailed this to everyone I know that have bought GHWT.

I also e-mailed it as a tip to both Joystiq and Kotaku, but no sign of it yet as a news post :S

ExMcCloud @ Oct 28th 2008 4:40PM

So why are they not getting sued?

Poisoned Al @ Oct 28th 2008 4:54PM

Wow, it's almost they rushed out a cheap knock-off isn't it?

[.sm0ke.] @ Oct 28th 2008 5:21PM

Unrelated: anyone know if the third-party Rock Band pedals work with the GH drums?

KeenCommander @ Oct 28th 2008 6:00PM

Word from ArsTechnica is a strong "no" on that one.

Tez @ Oct 28th 2008 5:43PM

My guitar's downstroke just broke. I'm not sure if I should blame Activision, RedOctane, or Metallica.

Shagittarius @ Oct 28th 2008 6:42PM

Keep your strokes steady and even.

Tez @ Oct 28th 2008 7:12PM

No, it's stopped working entirely. It won't scroll down in the XMB either.

However, the PSButton that doubles as a dpad dongle thing can be used to strum; it just kinda sucks.

rhoymand @ Oct 28th 2008 5:43PM

I'm hoping this really is just a sensitivity issue. it would make sense that the sensors just need to be calibrated. I was actually looking for an option to calibrate my drums in-game when I realized I needed to hit the cymbals way too hard to register.

the "tuning kit" will probably be the software on CD and a cable to connect the drums to a PC. my guess is MIDI to USB.

Jake11 @ Oct 28th 2008 6:06PM

BALLS

umm....hello??? @ Oct 28th 2008 6:28PM

I just think it's total bullshit that you can't return the bundle back to BestBuy or whichever retailer you bought GHWT to get a new, unbroken bundle (drums) without having to send it to GHWT people. why do I have to wait to play my brand new game???! what's the point of buying it from a store?

Poke4Christ @ Oct 29th 2008 12:52PM

1. doing so would probably just get you another one of the intial production sets that would be just as likely to have the problem

2. Returning things is a HUGE cost for the retailer as they can't sell it new again and they have to go through repackaging, testing, and then sell it as reconditioned.

3. The cost of fixing a problem that is more than likely just calibration and not hardware is much lower and should be done.

Personally, I don't think stores should allow returns for reasons other than defective merchandise. It is a huge cost and it drives up prices for the consumer. If we could get rid of stupid costs like this for the retailer and the sense of entitlement that's it's okay to screw over big businesses then we could drastically reduce the retail cost of EVERYTHING we buy.

Mike Oh @ Oct 28th 2008 9:33PM

I have been emailing the support team back and forth and they told me that they would be mailing me one of those 'Tuning Kits' within a few days. My only concern is that my drum kit WAS working just fine. Now the Red drum pad doesn't register any hits at all. How would a tuning kit fix it and why would the sensitivity change on me like that? You think I have more than just a sensitivity issue? I asked them those questions and am awaiting their response. What do you guys think?

Tank @ Oct 28th 2008 9:47PM

With a completely unresponsive Red pad? Sounds like it might be the the broken wire issue, not a sensitivity thing.

I'd try to use the tuning kit and see if that fixes anything. If not get back in touch with Activision support and get a replacement kit sent to you.

Giroro @ Oct 28th 2008 11:02PM

This is actually sort of expected from Activision. I know I had to send in my copy of GHIII because it only had mono sound.

John @ Oct 29th 2008 10:35AM

I know they lost my girlfriend's and my business to Rock Band 2 when I heard about this. Just can't make mistakes like this when there are good competitors out there.

Poke4Christ @ Oct 29th 2008 12:58PM

The quality of the materials on these peripherals seem to be really good. Unfortunaly, that doesn't mean much if the construction of the product is outsorced to a foreign company that doesn't hire a qualified technician to do the wiring.

The simple fix linked above seems to just do a better job mounting the sensor. Maybe the sensor on the pad broke loose. If that's the case it could be a really simple fix if you can get to the sensor under the pad.