Rock Band's bundled guitar to be wired on Xbox 360, wireless for PS3

Now that you've gone and pre-ordered Rock Band, here's a tidbit about what will actually be included. According to Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos, the guitar that comes bundled in with the Xbox 360 version will not be wireless, as he reportedly states that "the cost of wireless technology on the Microsoft side is higher." Notably, the PS3 bundle will indeed include a wireless axe, and before you get too riled up, Xbox 360 users will still be able to purchase a wireless shredder separately if it's a make-or-break scenario for ya. Oh, and the drums and microphone will be wired on both platforms, but Xbox 360 buyers will purportedly get a USB hub thrown in to hook it all up.

[Via GamingToday]

[sanctified @ Sep 12th 2007 9:44AM]

Hmph. I'm a bit disappointed in the lack of wireless drums/mic but I'm still excited about this games release. I can see it now... Guitar player trips over the drummers cord crashing into my new hdtv while the singer accidentally garrotes the drummer, much mayhem ensues.

[ryantrevisol @ Sep 12th 2007 12:05PM]

Just like a real rock band!

[sanctified @ Sep 12th 2007 2:49PM]

Exactly! At least with this rig I'm not as likely to get shocked like I have in the past when I was actually playing in a band and touched one of my mates guitars...

[smeckl @ Sep 12th 2007 9:56AM]

This kind of stinks, but it's been listed that way for a while. Since Rock Band will support the GH2 guitar, I'm planning on getting Rock Band with just the drum kit and using my GH2 guitar anyway. If I eventually stumble on another $70, I'll spring for a wireless guitar.

[Andir3.0 @ Sep 12th 2007 12:35PM]

I thought someone reported that the GH guitars won't work with Rock Band...

[Josh @ Sep 12th 2007 10:02AM]

I don't mind it being wired as long as it's a decently long wire.

[Harlo @ Sep 12th 2007 10:05AM]

Well of course.. have you ever known a rock star who wasn't wired?

[blarvh @ Sep 12th 2007 10:09AM]

Funny that everyone wants wireless ones when the real guitars are wired.

[Benson @ Sep 12th 2007 2:29PM]

True.
The drums being wireless should be no great hardship, as (I hope) no one will be trying to walk around stage, carrying the drum set with one arm and beating on it with the other hand.
The mic will be perhaps the most annoying thing, but (I've never been to a rock concert, so I'm just guessing they don't use wireless mics) in the end realistic.
As for the guitar, well, electric guitars _are_ wired! If the thing _looked_ like an acoustic, perhaps wireless would be something you could clamor for without looking completely ridiculous. But this is game is not "Folk Band", so oddly enough, you get an electric-guitar looking guitar with an electric-guitar-cable looking cable. Deal with it.

[OnimushaSoki @ Sep 13th 2007 7:26AM]

Yes, real ones are wired. But what gamers KEEP failing to realize is that ROCK BAND is a game, not the real thing. And as such, I'd rather it be wireless, since you're bound to have a party(maybe not in your situation, but someone out there)of people who are unfamiliar with it, playing it like they were really shredding the guitar... doing David Lee Roth kicks and whatnot... or worse, as the person above mentioned, tripping on a cord, and falling right into that (HD)TV. That's what would piss me off personally, having spent a hard earned money on the console and the TV; and in a mere moment of idiocy, someone tumbles headfirst into the damn thing.

I will commend them for including a USB hub on the X360 version(PS3's got 4 in front, and I doubt it'd be trouble to add a USB hub onto those); so at least we can increase the distance between TV/console.

[Gary B. @ Sep 12th 2007 10:09AM]

This smells like a marketing move. Sony must have gotten in there in the nick of time to strike a exclusive deal for the wireless version. I know its a marketing move because Blue Tooth is more expensive that your 2.4 GHz band that the 360 uses. Plus the PS3 would require a special Blue Tooth driver. If you look at the wireless system controllers. The 360's wireless controller is $30 while the PS3's is $50.

I hate Sony for this BS, they are sleazy filthy dogs. I hope they go out of business one day.

[JPQsat @ Sep 12th 2007 10:32AM]

bluetooth cost more???? you can have a usb dongle for 8$ or a cell headset for 15$ on ebay, so it's pretty cheap technology.

[engadget @ Sep 12th 2007 10:33AM]

Wow Gary B.. I don't think it is a secret that MS goes proprietary for alot of their system. The wireless protocol, the hard drives, and the memory cards are all 'MS Special'. Vs the PS3 where you it just uses blue tooth, standard notebook hard drive (with instructions in the manual on how to upgrade on your own) and USB flash drives for "memory cards". MS does all the proprietary stuff so they can charge a fee. So the Rock Band folks being charged extra for the MS wireless standard doesn't sound unusual to me at all. I think it is more an MS issue than a Sony thing.

Peace,
-Nick

[Bryan @ Sep 12th 2007 10:41AM]

@ Gary B.
Bluetooth is dirt a cheap and relatively open protocol, which is why you can use any brand bluetooth headset with the PS3. The "cheaper" 2.4GHz band that the 360 uses turns out to be more expensive because Microsoft requires a fee in order to use their frequency. As for bluetooth drivers I have no idea what you are talking about, you only use a pin to avoid device confusion. Also, 360 and PS3 controllers both have 49.99 MSRP's, but older 360 controllers can be found for less because newer (black) controllers have come out to take over that price point. Sony isn't a good company, but don't shovel it on when it isn't deserved.

[=oppurtunityfanboy @ Sep 12th 2007 10:59AM]

Gary, while I will give you that in the past Sony has been less than receptive to using open standard technology and formats (e.g. ATRAC vs MP3), they really did a consumer a favor with the PS3. Aside from pushing Bluray, everything else on the PS3 is an open standard. The list includes: USB, Bluetooth, standard HD, etc. As much as I like Microsoft, they really do force you to buy their peripherals for the 360 like hard drive, memory cards, wireless adapters, controllers, etc. (which is not cool).

[MacGuru @ Sep 15th 2007 12:44PM]

Perfect example of Microsofts fee-for-everything BS. Now their fee crap bites them in the ass and all Xbox junkies are "wired" to their oh-so-powerful Xbox360. Pathetic.

[Gary B. @ Sep 12th 2007 9:20PM]

Maybe I am in the past with the Blue Tooth deal. Sony is still very nasty with marketing and they over exaggerate and lie to everyone, they make false claims about their systems and other products and then stupid America beliefs them and then they get richer.

I am not a fan boy of anything but I hate Sony for that.

[warlock7 @ Sep 13th 2007 11:13AM]

Actually, MS is a proprietary version of an open standard. They pay to license it as a proprietary, so it costs them more to produce. Rather than passing the cost difference along to the consumer they just cheaped out by not including the wireless, while still charging the same amount of money.

You analysis is poor and without any insight other than being a Microsoft fanboy apologist trying to turn this into a "Sony is evil" thing. Ignorant.

[Deputy Doffoos @ Sep 12th 2007 10:14AM]

your sister site Joystiq reported this 1 week ago =/

[Mathieu Bonin @ Sep 12th 2007 10:21AM]

Yeah, it all matters so much that its wireless, because with your 3 buddies you'll be playing in a WAREHOUSE and have that much space to move around.

[Andir3.0 @ Sep 12th 2007 12:46PM]

Well, it's definitely not a warehouse, but if I had to run a cable from my TV to my couch (and still have room to move without ripping the cable from the console) it would have to be a 15 foot wire.

[shirizaki @ Sep 12th 2007 10:22AM]

Jeez.

MS, is proprietary wireless THAT much of a concern for you?

[madc @ Sep 12th 2007 10:43AM]

MS proprietary wireless has been flawless for me...compared to PS3's. It sucks that the guitar is not wireless but that USB hub (especially if it looks like an AMP) will help alot since Drums and Mic are wired.

[Andir3.0 @ Sep 12th 2007 12:45PM]

That's interesting... My PS3 controllers have never once disconnected on me.

[MeMyselfI @ Sep 13th 2007 11:05AM]

This isn't new. We've known about this for months now.

There's a cost associated with having your own proprietary version of an open wireless standard while your competition uses an open standard to make things work.

[warlock7 @ Sep 13th 2007 11:07AM]

What are you blathering on about?!?

I've never had a problem with either system. So what kind of useless FUD are you trying to spread about the PS3? Typical BS.

[Madc @ Sep 13th 2007 10:14PM]

so you've never had the BT cut on you?

[NHAnimator @ Sep 12th 2007 11:05AM]

My air guitar has been wireless for years now.

[Nash @ Sep 12th 2007 2:11PM]

Lucky for some; I'm yet to upgrade mine...

[Andir3.0 @ Sep 12th 2007 2:52PM]

That's OK. I still keep a wire in my front pocket to get that "realistic" feel when playing my air guitar. It just wouldn't be the same without it.

[Mathieu Bonin @ Sep 12th 2007 6:52PM]

That's about the length I'd expect they'll be: Guitar Hero had 10 feet, and now they know people will have to be spaced out. If the hub is wired decently it could also help.

Don't mention the couch, unless you're drumming (and thus, not moving) you are forbidden to touch the couch ;)

[OnimushaSoki @ Sep 13th 2007 7:28AM]

Well, at least we know you despise the company.

As for this game, it's no c-o-nspiracy with the PS3 version being wired, that much is certain. But as the article clearly states, the X360 games get the USB hub(which hopefully has extention cable of its own), so it's not a total kick in the junk.

[warlock7 @ Sep 13th 2007 11:08AM]

This news is from months ago. This is just a confirmation of information we already knew about.

[warlock7 @ Sep 13th 2007 11:22AM]

I've got to point this out with all the fanboyism going on here.

Both versions of the Rock Band bundle with the guitar controller are the same price. The Sony version has a wireless controller while Microsoft includes a wired controller. Who's giving you more bang for the buck?

This is a question of perception. Microsoft spins it that they are doing the consumer a favor by selling more expensive, due to it being a proprietary version of an open standard, technology in their controllers. So, in order to keep costs the same, they don't give you the technology because it costs more and the cost of the wireless version would have been higher than the same thing coming from Sony. The thing that Microsoft is worried about is the perception that anything between the PS3 and the 360 would be more expensive on the 360. They are selling the angle that theirs is a cheaper system. Yet, the games being more expensive would be a huge slam to their marketing. So, give them less for the same is what they are doing.

If the 360 bundle is wired and the PS3 version is wireless, then the 360 bundle should be less expensive than the PS3 version, but it isn't. I wonder why.

[Madc @ Sep 13th 2007 10:52PM]

You're paying the same price because of bluray.

[warlock7 @ Sep 14th 2007 8:28AM]

So, you think that since PS3 owners paid more for the system that they should pay the same amount for more with the games and peripherals? That doesn't hold true with any other titles, why this one?

[vuph @ Oct 8th 2007 12:00PM]

so since all of these accessories use the USB ports, does that mean they are cross platform? aside from the guitar, which is distinguished by the exclusive controller keys (xbox/ps3 home button) would the drums and mike be cross platform?

[Redima @ Nov 7th 2007 11:35AM]

What is the big deal? Just because its not wireless, so what!! Go out and get yourself a USB extension if you need the wire to be alot longer,they are fairly cheap. Oh and some mentioned that gigs are wired. Thats not always true... Depends on the venue and the money supplied for the equipment.But this is a game... you wanna really rock out, spend an extra $40 and get a Mic stand, some extensions for the usb and you should be ready to rock on! No tripping and clutter next to the system! No matter what...this has to beat GH3!!

[Natascha @ Nov 7th 2007 2:30PM]

the thing that sucks the most about the whole wire/wireless dilemma is the animal problem. My boston terrier has already killed a guitar controller from gh2 by eating the wire when we were into another game. I guess thats on me but when I tried to find another guitar four other folks told me the same thing happened to them. I guess we will just have to rock out with a little carefulness on all ends whether its a dog or a friend who has had one too many

[Dave @ Nov 8th 2007 3:34AM]

I played a demo of rockband at Best Buy and trust me, if you plan on getting this game because you liked guitar hero, don't. At least not until you have played a full version of it and know that you like it.

It felt like playing a downgraded GH1 where you have to hit every note + sketchy graphics. I'm not sure which system it was on and I realize it was a demo... but GH3's demo is pretty much exact to the game at least in gameplay.

Expert mode felt like medium on GH.

Point being, look closely before you buy it... I'm skeptical.