If Activision wants to play hard ball...

[o0MeTaL0o]

HMX should too.
If Activision is going to block any ONE game from using it's proprietary controller, they should be forced block ALL games from using it; rhythm based or NOT.
They can't be discriminatory in this manor. On the other hand they can prevent any other 3rd party controllers from using THEIR software.

[polishdog90]

I dont think that is a good idea.

[DesiredFX]

I like the idea of HMX taking the high road.

It's better for all of us--including Activision, even though they can't seem to understand that.

[JackBNimble]

All activision is really doing is segregating themselves from the music genre.Sooner or later the are going to have blocked themselves in a corner.
Hopefully EA start making better quality periphs and out do Acti/RO.

[Pavesk8]

Don't know if this was posted yet so here it is.

Here's the link for Activisions corporate website where they posted their response to the patch issue. There is a button at the bottom of the page you choose what % you think the response satifies you and can leave feedback. I think everyone should let them know how they feel.

Link here (http://activision.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/activision.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=19652&p_created=1197598466&p_sid=miVrlgTi&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=19652&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfc m93X2NudD0xMTcxNiwxMTcxNiZwX3Byb2RzPSZwX2NhdHM9JnB fcHY9JnBfY3Y9JnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9YW5zd2Vycy5zZWFyY 2hfbmwmcF9wYWdlPTE*&p_li=&p_topview=1)

[Ventura]

Nice link, actually. I left a couple 0% feedbacks for them, along with some choice words about trying to do the right thing by the consumer - for a change.

[AgainstOne]

it's better that HMX takes the high road, but that doesn't mean we consumers have to. i suggest a covert operation that, if enough participate, will destroy activision's bottom line:

each person simply buys a copy of GH3 and returns it stating that the guitar controller doesn't work. each person do this weekly.

those "faulty" bundles will not be resold. they'll go straight back to activision. :D

it's pure evil genius!

[logicalnoise]

it's probably HMX's best interest to seek out 3rd party music game controller makers like TAC and Madcatz, etc and start getting these copmanies highly interested in making controllers for RB. IF all teh cheaper(thogh sometimes a little better) controllers only support RB(and if Activision gets it's wish they will) then consumers have more of a reaosn to buy RB to use all the cheaper/maybe better controllers.

[DesiredFX]

each person simply buys a copy of GH3 and returns it stating that the guitar controller doesn't work. each person do this weekly.

those "faulty" bundles will not be resold. they'll go straight back to activision. :D

it's pure evil genius!

You could make the turnaround even quicker and more devastating: buy GHIII, take it "home," and go back to the store 45 minutes later saying it doesn't work and exchange it for another copy. Again go "home" and come back 45 minutes later saying it doesn't work and you want another copy.

Do this as many times as you like before finally giving up in disgust and asking for your money back. Three or four times should keep you entertained for a single afternoon, though those truly dedicated to evil won't stop until the store runs out of stock.

Then Sunday's mission could be to do the same thing at a different store...

[Electric_Zen]

Activision is playing with fire. They want to start a big intellectual property fight with Harmonix, when Harmonix owns the atom bomb:

http://gauss.ffii.org/PatentView/EP1257996

[DesiredFX]

Activision is playing with fire. They want to start a big intellectual property fight with Harmonix, when Harmonix owns the atom bomb:

http://gauss.ffii.org/PatentView/EP1257996

Oh, my.

It's strictly a European patent, but they could certainly use it to quash GH games in a large chunk of the market...

[Xzyliac]

those "faulty" bundles will not be resold. they'll go straight back to activision. :D


You have to remember these are the same guys who sold "special" bundles which contained left over wired X-Plorers and SGs for the same price as a new wireless Les Paul.

[capitalfn9]

Just look at how Activision handled Vampire: The Masquerade and you will know how terribly they run their company.

[Thats_Bull]

It's strictly a European patent, but they could certainly use it to quash GH games in a large chunk of the market...

They actually have a U.S. patent for this one too... I believe it is on their website. I don't think that Harmonix should fight with Activision either. Activision, after having a great partnership with Harmonix broke away, and now actually have to pay Harmonix for licensing on these patents. If I had to do that, I think I would be pretty pissed. Especially when Harmonix goes out and makes such a better game, that it is stealing Activision's business.
They will cave eventually - they have to (legally).

[Gamemakerman]

You have to remember these are the same guys who sold "special" bundles which contained left over wired X-Plorers and SGs for the same price as a new wireless Les Paul.

The price was 10$ below what the wireless Les Paul costed. The Box expressively said it had an X-Plorer guitar and even had a pretty large image of it. The Special Wired Boxes where exclusive for a major chain of resellers.

The wired and wireless bundles does make perfect sense in my world since some people prefer having a wired controller, then a battery consuming wireless one. I really think its a litle bit of a silly thing to complain about, since they are offering the consumers the choice of 2 very good controllers, that each have something consumers actually care about.

[Quinarvy]

Activision is playing with fire. They want to start a big intellectual property fight with Harmonix, when Harmonix owns the atom bomb:

http://gauss.ffii.org/PatentView/EP1257996

Man, if they decided to use that and the American patent.

Guitar Hero=dead.

Half of me says they should do it now.

The other half says do it when guitar+software bundles and 3rd party controllers start showing up.

I could actually see Activision having RedOctane go "make some Rock Band Les Pauls" if that happened.

[Edgehopper]

That patent's more directed to the Frequency/Amplitude "notes on a twisting tube" type display, not the basic flat scroll that GH and RB use. The claim from the U.S. Patent:

1. A method for displaying musical data having a musical time axis on a display having an image plane, the method comprising the steps of: (a) representing the musical time axis as a spatial path that does not lie within an image plane of a display; and (b) rendering the spatial path into the image plane.

The spatial paths representing the musical time axis in the GH series lie within an image plane of a display (i.e., they're flat), and so there's no infringement. That's not going to work. Good thing, too, because scrolling notes have been around since the player piano :)

[Xerosnake90]

HMX should too.
If Activision is going to block any ONE game from using it's proprietary controller, they should be forced block ALL games from using it; rhythm based or NOT.
They can't be discriminatory in this manor. On the other hand they can prevent any other 3rd party controllers from using THEIR software.

Omg, please stfu Mr. I love Ps3 so much. This pisses me off because you guys are ignorant morons. The 360 version of Rock Band had support for the controller, and that was that. So now you're whining cuz your version didn't and now they don't wanna release a patch? Get over it! That's what you get for buying a Ps3 as your main console. Every person in the planet knows the 360 is what you should have, games, features, and online wise. Don't make me, a 360 user suffer because of crying ps3 users. So get over it, please.

[CRCError]

Omg, please stfu Mr. I love Ps3 so much. This pisses me off because you guys are ignorant morons. The 360 version of Rock Band had support for the controller, and that was that. So now you're whining cuz your version didn't and now they don't wanna release a patch? Get over it! That's what you get for buying a Ps3 as your main console. Every person in the planet knows the 360 is what you should have, games, features, and online wise. Don't make me, a 360 user suffer because of crying ps3 users. So get over it, please.

We don't start console wars here. They are beneath us.

[DesiredFX]

Omg, please stfu Mr. I love Ps3 so much. This pisses me off because you guys are ignorant morons.

Totally took what he was saying the wrong way.

An effort to force Activision to make their controllers incompatible with all other versions of Rock Band would underscore for the public at large--and, one would hope, Activision itself--how ridiculous they are being on this issue.

And, yeah, as CRCError says, we don't do platform wars. If you really want to discuss the benefits you perceive the 360 to have over the PS3, then A) calm down and B) take it to the section labeled "General."

[o0MeTaL0o]

I really don't want to hear about your 360 fanboisms. Besides that's not what this is about, so you've missed the point entirely.
It's about making activision suffer, because of their childish behavior!
Activision has had a severe lack of support for Sony right from the get go. With it's capabilities there should be just as much if not more so than with Microsoft; considering where the franchise came from to begin with.

And when your 360 gets bricked by RROD, don't come crying to us PS3 users.

[Xerosnake90]

Ok, so Activision is being *** and we all know that, but saying they've had a lack of support for Sony because of a patch that won't go through? What about a lack of support for Nintendo? No one is whining about that. The Wii has no DLC, sound output problems, they don't get Rock band from HMX, they suffer the most from anyone. Yet you don't fight for them? Cuz GH wasn't origionally released on a Nintendo platform? Or because you're just whining about your precious Ps3 and how you feel it is unfair.

How about everyone just shut up about the patch, the patch that will most likely end in 'Ok, we agreed to the patch' and that'll be the end of it. When all is well and done, you'll realize you couldn't have done anything about it anyway, and complaining is pointless.

Btw: I'm hoping my 360 will get some sort of malfunction soon, that way I get a brand new one sent to me for free with all the wonderfull upgrades they've added since I bought mine =]

[CRCError]

Deleted post since it got posted to the wrong thread somehow.

[rockst01]

I really don't want to hear about your 360 fanboisms. Besides that's not what this is about, so you've missed the point entirely.
It's about making activision suffer, because of their childish behavior!
Activision has had a severe lack of support for Sony right from the get go. With it's capabilities there should be just as much if not more so than with Microsoft; considering where the franchise came from to begin with.

And when your 360 gets bricked by RROD, don't come crying to us PS3 users.

Sorry dude I'd rather continue to use my Wireless Les Paul and Xplorer controllers in Rock Band than see Activision 'suffer'

[o0MeTaL0o]

Unless the Wii owners would be happy with the lesser port much like the PS2 has; I don't see them getting as much out of RB as the rest of us. But this is ONLY due to the fact that it isn't as powerful as a system nor the storage space for all the possible DLC. Activision is replacing all the Wii disks for free to fix the mono sound issues, so that point is somewhat moot. I can see RB Eventually coming out with a Wii Port, but not right away.
The only reason RB doesn't support the LP on the PS3 is because it was developed before GH3 came out, so they didn't have a controller to work with before it went gold.
And if the 360 was in the same developmental stages; you'd be suffering the same thing right now too, so don't fool yourself.

[Xerosnake90]

Well let's get this straight first, I don't even HAVE Rock band yet, hopin for an Xmas present though. Secondly, if it did suffer from the same thing, yes I'd be pissed, but this post would also have never happened. You're trying to say "If we suffer, all should suffer". So how does that solve anything? You're gonna quit giving your good kid their allowance because your neighbors think if your bad kid suffers, so should the good one? It's pointless, and if this isn't a console war thing I don't know what is.

[DesiredFX]

Looks like the statements that pointed out

WE DON'T DO CONSOLE WARS HERE

fell on deaf ears.

Keep this up and the thread will get locked, fellas.

[o0MeTaL0o]

All I'm saying is that if Activision wants to lay down a set of rules, they should man up and LIVE by them in all respects.
They want their cake and eat it too.
They are acting like little kids who don't want to eat their peas on the plate, just because they don't wanna.

They are playing the "Mine!" game which nobody likes, or benefits from.

[DesiredFX]

That's fine, but stick with that instead of bringing platform loyalty into it. It doesn't add anything to the discussion, and, frankly, some pretty ridiculous things were said by all parties, both about their preferred platform and the one they attacked.

Keep it mature, or take it elsewhere. That way, everyone benefits.

[Xerosnake90]

I know what you're saying, I believe this is just them being dumb and that sometime in the future they'll have no choice but to give in. If I am wrong and they don't than they can go right ahead and take away the 360 support, but until I believe they won't allow the Ps3 patch, I still stand at what I say.

[drews97]

You could make the turnaround even quicker and more devastating: buy GHIII, take it "home," and go back to the store 45 minutes later saying it doesn't work and exchange it for another copy. Again go "home" and come back 45 minutes later saying it doesn't work and you want another copy.

Do this as many times as you like before finally giving up in disgust and asking for your money back. Three or four times should keep you entertained for a single afternoon, though those truly dedicated to evil won't stop until the store runs out of stock.

Then Sunday's mission could be to do the same thing at a different store...

Who in their right mind would waste their time doing something so stupid?

[o0MeTaL0o]

That's fine, but stick with that instead of bringing platform loyalty into it. It doesn't add anything to the discussion, and, frankly, some pretty ridiculous things were said by all parties, both about their preferred platform and the one they attacked.

Keep it mature, or take it elsewhere. That way, everyone benefits.

You're right desired, I made some dumb comments out of shear reaction.
I'm just irritated by the whole thing in general; just because we the consumers are stuck in the middle of this Corp. BS!

[DesiredFX]

I dunno if you 360 guys know this, but the Les Paul had real issues on the PS3 with syncing up properly...I've even speculated that part of the reason Activision is bogging the patch down is because they're afraid Harmonix will implement better support for it in Rock Band than Neversoft did in Guitar Hero III.

Pure speculation.

I point out the issue just to let you guys know how sensitive this Les Paul thing is for a lot of PS3 users: many of us already feel like Activision didn't give us a quality product for our money, and it seemed like Rock Band was our only hope of rectifying that, and now they've put themselves in the way of that happening.

It's not really that strange to ask that if they refuse to allow one peripheral to be compatible that they should disable compatibility of all their peripherals with software that isn't their own.

It's ludicrous, of course, but it's a ludicrous concept that can be arrived at logically.

[DesiredFX]

Who in their right mind would waste their time doing something so stupid?

No one, probably.

But sometimes it's fun to spend a few minutes making up evil plans.

[o0MeTaL0o]

I know what you're saying, I believe this is just them being dumb and that sometime in the future they'll have no choice but to give in. If I am wrong and they don't than they can go right ahead and take away the 360 support, but until I believe they won't allow the Ps3 patch, I still stand at what I say.

That's EXACTLY what I've been driving at, but the only way to do that; if by chance this is a legality issue; is to throw something like this in the face of Activision to get them to respond in a more positive manor.
I'm not saying that that something like this will happen, but it would be leverage that could be used to make them think more reasonably about it.
Think of it as more of a trump card in their dealings to get them to back down.

[Thats_Bull]

That's EXACTLY what I've been driving at, but the only way to do that; if by chance this is a legality issue; is to throw something like this in the face of Activision to get them to respond in a more positive manor.
I'm not saying that that something like this will happen, but it would be leverage that could be used to make them think more reasonably about it.
Think of it as more of a trump card in their dealings to get them to back down.

I really don't think that Harmonix should ever stoop down to Activision's level. If they do, then Activision will have something to work with, but if Harmonix holds their current position, Activision is the bad guy. Plus, a lot of people are getting Rock Band because they can use their 360 controllers with the game. It is financially dumb to remove this support, as it gives no benefit to Harmonix, and in fact hurts them.

However, like Desired FX said, Activision is probably still reeling from Rock Band's success, and is worried that their more talented programmers will be able to outpreform them. That is not something they want. Activision did everything they could to destroy Rock Band before it came out, even going so far as to hire a "professional" analyst to claim that GH III would dominate Rock Band financially without even trying. In reality, they are most likely trying hold out until they can reach an answer where they make money or something, and in that sense, they will never win.

[Korky89]

activision is a bunch of SORE LOSERS they know and we know rock band rapes GH3.