Activision is pressuring Sony from releasing a patch that would allow Guitar Hero III controllers to work with EA’s Rock Band for PS3.

The average consumer isn’t going to understand why two controllers for the same system, with the same button layout, dont work with two games that have them functioning in the exact same way. Activision is essentially forcing people to buy two of their guitars to play the game instead of allowing people to buy both the GH III bundle and Rock Band bundles, giving them a total of two guitars. Supposedly Activision offered to work with EA to come to an aggreement, aka. “pay us money,” to which EA declined.

In the end the only one that suffers is the consumer.

Chufmoney

[via 1up]

The first DLC song lists for Rock Band were leaked today. That is kinda ridiculous, don’t you think? I mean, the game hasn’t even come out yet and there is already DLC set up.

But, what worried many when they saw the DLC list, was that it showed bundled songs. It also listed singles, but, early on, it appeared that you had to purchase the bundled songs in groups of three. Thankfully, 1up.com has confirmed with MTV that you can purchase the songs individually or bundled. Suffice it to say that…er…rocks.

Guitar Hero III, on the other hand–which already has DLC out for both PS3 and 360–still only has songs purchasable in 3 packs. Yeah, it sucks. But, what sucks even more is that people are buying it. Bitching only goes so far, it’s the power of the purse that matters.

Though personally I am still in the boycott Rock Band camp–due to their stupid bundle only option–I can appreciate that they aren’t screwing the consumer with the online content. Now, if they would only sell the individual fucking instruments…..

Chufmoney

So you have probably heard about the announcement of Rock Band, Harmonix’s title that will allow you to play the part of the singer, bassist, guitarist, and drummer.  Your dreams of playing with a band will finally be met, at least in the sense that you and your stinky friends can rock out all sweaty like and your mom will tell you that you are good. Good times shall be had indeed.

The news though was that GameStop’s website had put up prices for the peripherals for the system.  After picking up the “instruments” that you would need to play as a full band you were, according to their prices, going to be dropping about as much as you would on a Core Xbox 360.  After this information became known to the guys at Harmonix they quickly dismissed the prices as “estimated” and completely unofficial.

Guess we’ll have to wait and see but I would be willing to bet you will pay out your fucking ass because well…they know you’ll pay it.  Especially if you have lost your heart and soul to the Guitar Hero!

Chufmoney

[via 1up] 

There have been plenty of rumors for quite a while now, but this morning Harmonix and their new corporate overlords lifted the curtain a bit to formally announce the spiritual (and conceptual) successor to their much beloved Guitar Hero franchise: Rock Band.

“Harmonix was founded to create new ways for everyone to experience the pleasure and satisfaction that comes from playing music. Our work on Guitar Hero was an instrumental step toward that goal,” stated Alex Rigopulos, co-founder and CEO of Harmonix. “But Rock Band is Harmonix’s most ambitious project to date, and it will take music gameplay to an entirely new level. MTV has given us the freedom and the resources to really swing for the fences and make the game we’ve always wanted to make.”

Basically, it starts with the tenets of Guitar Hero, but now with Drums, Bass, and Vocals added to the mix. Harmonix has been cagey regarding the cost of the game and it’s peripherals, but I’m anticipating somewhere between “an arm and a leg” and “a vital organ”. Here’s hoping the separation from Red Octane, who still owns the rights to Guitar Hero and are continuing the series, as developed by Neversoft, was amicable enough to support the use of those new 360 guitars.

All in all, it’s an interesting prospect, but the real test will be whether it includes a robust online element or not; rather than the standard multiplayer/competition, I’m picturing globally dispersed Rock Band supergroups. You know, a drummer from Sweden, a lead guitarist from Mexico City, a bassist from, say, Detroit, and a singer from the UK? Or maybe you’re an awesome hired gun on lead, and different “bands” try to poach you from each other. This would be the kind of paradigm shift that would push not just the game, but Games with a capital “G” forward. I’m dying to see what they have to show us.

-Aegies