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Activision Calls Harmonix a Punk, Says They Were "Misleading" About Blocked Patch
Posted by Matt Buchanan at 7:10 AM on December 15, 2007
All the back and forth between Activision and Harmonix, it's starting to look like Poison vs. Motley Crue or Sammy Hagar vs. David Lee Roth or something. Today, Sammy (Activision) said that MTV Games/Viacom shot down a deal to use Guitar Hero's guitars with Rock Band—it wasn't just Activision throwing a bitch fit. But, since the press release (which you can check after the jump) is all about a scuttled "agreement," they're probably talking about signed papers and possibly money, which we're guessing MTV Games doesn't want to get into. We don't care about the legal wango tango, we just want a bass player on our PS3.
To Music Gaming Fans:The recent announcement by MTV Games/Viacom's Harmonix division that Activision is blocking Sony from releasing a patch and their plea to enable Rock Band software to work with Guitar Hero hardware paints a very misleading picture.
In fact, Harmonix and its parent company MTV Games/Viacom recently declined Activision's offer to reach an agreement that would allow the use of Guitar Hero guitar controllers with Rock Band. We have been and remain open to discussions with Harmonix and MTV Games/Viacom about the use of our technology in Rock Band. Unfortunately for Rock Band users, in this case Harmonix and MTV Games/Viacom are unwilling to discuss an agreement with Activision.
Activision's top priority is to provide consumers with a seamless marriage of best-in-class hardware and software. We are focusing our efforts on innovating hardware and software that are designed to work together, work flawlessly and provide an enjoyable gaming experience.
Best regards,
Activision
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
thefezman
Posted 4:01 PM 14/12/07
Sounds like it was written by a lawyer to me.
"In fact, Harmonix and its parent company MTV Games/Viacom recently declined Activision's offer to reach an agreement that would allow the use of Guitar Hero guitar controllers with Rock Band."
Translated from Lawyerish:
"We wanted Harmonix to pay us one beeeeeellion dollars to let them use our guitars in Rock Band. They said no so we threw a huge temper tantrum."
thefezman
obscuriosity
Posted 4:00 PM 14/12/07
Am I missing something? On the 360, don't the GH3 guitars work with Rock Band? Why would any additional "agreement" be needed for the PS3 versions?
obscuriosity
Franklin Comes Alive!
Posted 3:29 PM 14/12/07
Activision seems to be enjoying the hole they are in, considering they seem to dig it deeper every day.
Franklin Comes Alive!
SinistarX
Posted 4:21 PM 14/12/07
@obscuriosity: My guess is that Harmonix already had all rights to use the 360 controller code from GH2. Since the GH3 guitar is fully backwards compatible with GH2, the Les Paul is supported with code Harmonix owns and with a standing agreement with RedOctane for the support of GH2 hardware that just so happens to still work for GH3 hardware.
Since there was no prior version of GH on the PS3, Harmonix likely took a look at how the GH3 guitar works and coded for it in Rock Band. But, since they don't have a licensing agreement with Activision/RedOctane, A/RO is probably telling Sony to hold up the works as Harmonix' workaround might be infringing on a patent or is just being challenged via the DMCA for reverse engineering the guitar interface (therefore circumventing the protections put in place by A/RO to ensure exclusivity on that platform).
As far as I'm concerned, A/RO is just being pissy again - same as RO did regarding the TAC wireless guitars.
SinistarX
diabolusunknown
Posted 4:11 PM 14/12/07
@thefezman: You beat me to it.
diabolusunknown
diabolusunknown
Posted 4:10 PM 14/12/07
"In fact, Harmonix and its parent company MTV Games/Viacom recently declined Activision's offer to reach an agreement that would allow the use of Guitar Hero guitar controllers with Rock Band."
=
"We want money for those assholes to use our sh*t. They don't want to give it. No patch."
Simple.
diabolusunknown
BostonPimpDaddy
Posted 5:06 PM 14/12/07
More reasons why the PS3 sucks! LOL
BostonPimpDaddy
jcmound
Posted 5:00 PM 14/12/07
So who is going to be able to hack it and make a driver for the guitar?
jcmound
Franklin Comes Alive!
Posted 4:52 PM 14/12/07
Actually, I think the issue is that on the PS3, the RB and GH3 controllers aren't using a standard protocol like on the 360. Rather they both have their own wireless USB implementations. Now this is purely a guess, but I speculate that each game includes some sort of driver code for its respective controller. In order for RB to use GH3 guitars, they have to incorporate some sort of driver for the GH3 guitar, which is what Activision objects to.
Franklin Comes Alive!
CountZero
Posted 3:45 PM 14/12/07
Couldn't Harmonix just obviate this whole thing by releasing the guitar controller as a stand alone perhipheral? They don't even have to make a new product, just a new box. Maybe Harmonix doesn't actually like money, and just wants to be able to whine about Activision.
CountZero
solgae1784
Posted 5:30 PM 14/12/07
@BostonPimpDaddy: I was wondering who would make this remark.
In any case, the PS3 has been finally gaining ground with their sales, thanks to their 40GB model, even when you consider the questionable decision to remove PS2 emulation. Looks like Sony is finally making sense that customers are more price-conscious then they might have thought. Still, I would have preferred for Sony to not remove features to reach that price point.
Sorry, been a bit off topic. So I guess that's one advantage of having a standard protocol for controllers in xbox 360. But that doesn't really make PS3 suck. It's the developers that's too unwilling to support each other that sucks.
solgae1784
ludwigk
Posted 7:34 PM 14/12/07
Dear Activision,
Why don't you re-extend that offer, but without asking Harmonix for a gazillion dollars for something that inarguably increases the value of your guitar peripheral? They already did the work for you in making the damned thing compatible. All you have to do is say 'OK'.
And what about implementing the RB stratocaster in Guitar Hero III? Do you know how un-fun it is to play through co-op mode with a x360 controller when you have another perfectly good guitar sitting next to you? Get your act together.
Your bullshit tactics and nonsense agreements are only hurting your fans, and ensuring that the next Guitar Hero game tanks horribly against whatever Harmonix has got by that point. You might as well get out of the guitar/rhythm genre now, instead of wasting any more development dollars in a fight you can't win.
Sincerely,
Gamer with a clue who is sick of your crap.
ludwigk
Kered
Posted 7:18 PM 14/12/07
Man, Activision. Just give up.
Kered
BostonPimpDaddy
Posted 11:05 PM 14/12/07
@solgae1784:
Yes but what's the date. The 360 is pretty much established itself while the PS3 is still trying to walk. Look at the recent sales of Call of Duty 4 between the 360 and PS3. That alone should tell you and game developers which platform to develop on first, and maybe solely.
BostonPimpDaddy
w00zzy
Posted 10:24 AM 15/12/07
@BostonPimpDaddy: You are out of your damn mind. Keep thinking that way 360 fanboi.
w00zzy
urbaneassault
Posted 5:01 PM 16/12/07
@obscuriosity:
@SinistarX:
The issue is compatibility going the other direction.
GH2 and 3 controllers work fine in Rock Band, but the Rock Band guitar has buttons swapped internally that prevent it from working in the Guitar Hero series. This is true for the 360 and PS* versions. It really sucks because we bought Rock Band happily thinking that we wouldn't need to buy another guitar for GH2.
urbaneassault