Stratocaster complaint

[prodigiouswizard]

so this is semi-related to rock band but more to guitar hero ii.
i was quite disappointed that i could not use the stratocaster in my rock band package for guitar hero ii, although i did here news of it beforehand.
i can perfectly understand why harmonix would not want to make the stratocaster compatible with guitar hero iii since that's their competition's game, but harmonix made guitar hero ii, and i would really like to see a patch/update for GHII from harmonix to make their own instruments backwards compatible.
you guys make fantastic games, and i've owned every single one of them dating back to amplitude, but having to purchase 4 guitars for multiplayer for 2 games made by the same company is ridiculous.
thanks for reading this.

[HellishFiend]

You have it backwards. Harmonix is the one that wants global support for all instruments.

[Frederf]

It's definitely the software that supports (or doesn't) the hardware, not the other way around. GH3 doesn't support the Strat, GH2 doesn't support the Strat, RB supports the Les Paul. Statements like "The Les Paul doesn't support GH1" are nonsensical.

While I don't anticipate GH3 dev's going out of their way to patch their software to let the Strat function as the controller (join me in fist shaking), it would be very nice for GH2 to be patched to expand its controller compatibility to include the Strat.

[Rich_Maxwell]

All they need to do to solve this entire problem, is to put 'solo buttons' and 'effects' on the les-paul...and throw that damned piece of garbage strat away. That way, we would all have the accumulative 'all-around' wireless guitar that we can use on all of the games. Even in regard to 'real guitars' most casual players can only afford one...then they can mix and match effects to get the sound they want. Why not do the same in the games....make ONE guitar...

[Zanaflex]

Yeah it does kind of suck. I for one LOVE the strat (the strum knob could be a little more GH like, but eh. Just the size alone of the strat is great). But it is a PITA to go from playing the strat, then back to the LP for GH3.

I mean seriously, why not make them all work with each other? ALOT of people that bought GH3 will (or already have) buy RockBand. And the other way around.

[Frederf]

Well the going opinion on the Rock Band forum is the GH3 dev's are imperialist bastards (obvious sarcasm). It's not completely reasonable for the developers of the GH3 controller to jump through hoops to support 100% of the features of a competitors game.

HMX has pretty much done their part to get the free-love controller movement going, it's just up to the GH folks to update their softwares.

If every software used open source controller specs then it'd be easy for a 3rd party developer to start making universal controllers, but GH3 is too proprietary and GH2 is relatively ancient. Of course 3rd party people rarely make high quality stuff (MadCatz) compared to say the RB Strat.