Fender Squier current status & availability - IMPORTANT INFO - HMX update to OP 6/27

[Stol-FA-Lin]

Most of the tech and gaming blogs that I read covered it, as well as some initial coverage by USA Today (though that was more about RB3 pro modes in general). It was probably the controller that they were most impressed by, though they were pretty positive on all of the pro controllers and the idea of learning to play an instrument from a game.

We'd all expect that leading up to and somewhat after release of the game there'd be tech and gaming blogs covering the game, and especially something as wicked cool as a fret sensing actual guitar for the game. Expect a few vids at review sites and all the other general things that happened with the first look prototypes and all. Expect some newspaper and magazine coverage on the game and its pro modes. That we got some amount of what was expected? Hardly a huge media splash. Especially since it was mostly the same limited preliminary information just repeated over and over again. Like this example from last June, a few words followed by the press release. Not so much a splash.

It just didn't stop there. There was then some trickle of info on when it would be sold, followed by some bit of material here and there that it was on sale in the US, followed by online shortages and in-store general lack of availability, followed by a semi sort of almost announcement that it was now discontinued in the product line/no longer planned on being produced. Besides various reviewers, gamers, musicians, RB3 players and those here on the forum, who even knew about it?

It's a rough metric

The leaderboards are likely a pretty good indication of what is, but given the amount of advertising, Internet representation, cross promotions, presence at large generic retailers and music stores, and the normal situation at the "official retailer" between on-sale date and stealth announcement of a lack of plans to produce more? Hardly a surprise. It also tells us little to nothing about purchaser intent or why anyone got the game or not. The leaderboards would be of course missing anyone that didn't already know about the guitar and couldn't get one, those who might have gotten one if they'd walked into Frys or Guitar Center or Target and seen it being demoed and it had been in stock, those that shop Amazon directly only, those that bought it not for game but for its MIDI capabilities, those gamers that aren't online (including Wii consoles not on the Internet at all and XBOX silver members (?) and cracked modded PS3s), international potential purchasers by and large, and those who wouldn't buy it from Best Buy and/or pay list price.

Some might say that when you don't advertise much and you don't have Amazon directly sell a product, you're worried about something. And that something likely isn't sales.

Since when was the Squier and Pro mode the main selling point of RB3?

Whose main selling point? As far as anecdotes go, it was my primary reason to buy the game at release. Pro modes in general and the RB3 Squier in particular. Pro drums on edrums with an MPA, and a side of MIDI keyboard with MPA. On the reverse side, no fully stringed actual guitar and no pro modes was also my reason to not buy GH:WOR at release (or indeed, still not having bothered to get it).

Hindsight is always 20/20, looking back is still a bit fuzzy. The game specific keyboard, drums and guitar controllers for pro might have been a factor for me to buy at release, if the RB3 Squier had never existed. But since it does exist? If I had known how the game was at release, how the MPA situation was going to go, and how the RB3 Squier situation was going to go, I might not have gotten the game until I had two MPA and the RB3 Squier.

From the retail side of things, what was the main selling point? Let's see

RB3 has great new party modes for quick rocking sessions with friends, as well as a whole new universe of challenges including a revamped Career Mode and 700+ goals and rewards
Game track list contains over 80 of the best bands from around the world, including bands that have never appeared in a music game, and support for existing Rock Band tracks
Create and save set lists, and share them with your friends online and enjoy improved song sorting makes it easier to find the songs you like
Expand the band with the optional keyboard peripheral and 3-part vocals harmonies, together allowing support for up to 7 players
Take your passion for music to the next level with Rock Band Pro functionality that lets you develop real musical instrument skills through gameplay

Doesn't seem to be much of one in particular.

An interesting view. From my own personal circle, the only people who purchased a Squier for RB3 were those who knew it existed and were also into the platform anyway. .... I seriously think the last distributor did more harm to the platform than good .... (Pro-Upgrades were a good move HMX, since they are a choice upgrade for the non-pro players) .... I am not sure if it is down to hardware availability or lack of knowledge. The Mustang never appealed to me because it looked fake., but perhaps that is just me?

The entire guitar thing is just sad and depressing. It's almost like a business case study in how not to do things. Much the same could be said for everyone else, not just the 3rd-party peripheral makers, but the previous owners and game publisher.

HMX has been doing everything correctly. Astounding. It just seems like they got saddled with business partners that have been less than fantastic, which has affected other things that are not their doing or have no control over. Legal issues aside though, it seems rather foolish for anyone business-wise to badmouth anyone else. Of course, the problem with that is everyone sees the truth anyway, and shutting up about it just keeps the status quo in place.

As far as the Mustang goes, there are benefits and it has its uses. Could be very helpful. Easier to get certainly and it's also less expensive, around $100 used. But it's not just you. No mater how close any "simulated guitar" is to a real guitar, it's not one. It may be almost exactly the same but for the physical differences between buttons and strings for the fretting hand, somewhat similar in concept to how it's possible to play bass guitar on a non-bass guitar; The same, aside from all the tactile differences and technique modifications and physical changes.

[alexlifeson]

reply to Stol-FA-Lin's post - Its pretty obvious that RB3 had to rush to market their newest product to try and catch up after GH released GH:WOR first. RB was afraid they would lose market share. This earlier release of RB3 most likely led to the fact that the Squier wasnt available on launch date, which no doubt hurt its sales and marketing which in turn led to the current situation. Hindsight, there were too many new items tied to the release of RB3 (the keyboard, the Mustang, the Squier and MPA) and all made by different companies and to guarantee / ensure all those were ready at RB3 launch was a feat just too big to plan properly it seems and it didnt all come together as planned, sadly for us and the folks who wanted a Squier

[GNFfhqwhgads]

Its pretty obvious that RB3 had to rush to market their newest product to try and catch up after GH released GH:WOR first.

WRONG. Release dates aren't planned days or even weeks in advance. On top of that, if they were going to release RB3 alongside the Squier(read; March), why would they care about GH releasing earlier? Or had they not noticed the half-decade trend of GH holiday releases and the industry-long trend of the same thing?

[alexlifeson]

The Squier should have been released with RB3 which was back in October or so not the other way around. No these things take years/months to plan in advance but HMX does not have inside info into when GH would have released their product until it was public knowledge, which caused a last minute rush to deliver to market. Did you conveniently forget all the early bugs in RB3 that so many here complained about and hated RB3 for compared to RB2?
RB3 was released earlier than planned which caused many issues because of that

[GNFfhqwhgads]

The Squier should have been released with RB3 which was back in October or so not the other way around.

Oh! You think they shoulda rushed the $300 guitar-controller-that-had-never-been-attempted-before out to market! Yeah, I bet that woulda worked flawlessly and Fender would have never had to take a financial hit on the product due to warranties when these guitars(which are flawless since they were released five months early) break(which wouldn't happen, because they are flawless).

but HMX does not have inside info into when GH would have released their product until it was public knowledge,

Doesn't take a genius to guess 'holiday release'. Especially in an established series.

[Stol-FA-Lin]

reply to your post - I

I'm mostly of the opinion that a major part of the entire issue was that the publisher published the game perhaps even a year too early. But sometimes business decisions, right or wrong, are the driving force. Maybe even always when it comes to EA and their sterling reputation for how they do things. Whatever, it's fairly clear by now that none of the 3rd party peripherals were ready. Anyone who's sat through that annoying engine noise during song selection likely senses some things are a bit off in the software. So sure.

Yeah, I bet that woulda worked flawlessly and Fender would have never had to take a financial hit on the product due to warranties when these guitars

How about a link, I'd love to see that web page.

[GNFfhqwhgads]

How about a link, I'd love to see that web page.

...What?

[Stol-FA-Lin]

The web page showing Fender took a financial hit on the warranties.

[GNFfhqwhgads]

The web page showing Fender took a financial hit on the warranties.

That's what warranties ARE. You make NOTHING off it, and you pay to fix anything you screwed up. Manufacturing extra parts, completely replacing dead guitars, etc. Usually while covering shipping and handling as well(of a large, fragile product, in this case).

How exactly do you think warranties work?

[McCREE]

The web page showing Fender took a financial hit on the warranties.

i think he was being a little sarcastic with the guy who said the squire should have been released in october.

it was a cynical hypothetical, not a statement about what happened or what is happening.