Let’s set the stage.

Harmonix and Activision used to be best buds when they released Guitar Hero 1 and 2.  Then something happened and they were no longer friends.   They went their seperate ways.

Activision moves forward with Guitar Hero III.

Harmonix decides to take the Guitar Hero experience to the next level by adding a microphone, drums, along with the ability to have a lead and rhythm/bass guitars with Rock Band.

However, Harmonix is only selling Rock Band with one guitar, one microphone, and one drum kit along with the game.  They aren’t selling the intrument controllers seperately yet.   You can’t play the 4 player mode w/o a 2nd guitar.

The audience for both games is the same - and many of the PS3 owners already purchased Guitar Hero III and have a 2nd guitar.  You would think that this guitar controller would work with Rock Band.   Not so.

Harmonix develops a patch for Rock Band that would allow compatibility with the Guitar Hero III guitar.

Activision tells Sony that they don’t want the patch released.

Keep in mind - the developer of Rock Band came up with a patch so that their game would allow another parties equipment to work with their game.  Gamers do not have any option at this point but to use another parties controller.

Releasing this patch would benefit both groups.  Since Activision is saying “no”, they are losing out.  If they keep this stance, Rock Band will reap the monetary reward when they finally start selling the individual intrument controllers.

Activision is also being hit by bad PR.  Harmonix came out and told the entire story of what transpired.  Activision now looks bad and has even more pressure on them to change their stance.

My guess is that they will eventually.

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Tags: games //