Guitar Hero III's wireless guitar battery pack costs you more moolah

For all the innovation that the "new-gen" of consoles have brought us, there's one thing that will apparently never change: ridiculously over-priced accessories. Giving the wireless Guitar Hero III controller a feature it should have had from the get go is the $19.99 single recharge kit, which removes the need to use and dispose of single-use batteries. This continues on from the precedent that Microsoft set with its wireless controller, which only comes bundled with a case to stick a couple of AA batteries inside. You can grudgingly pick up this necessary but over-priced accessory on October 31st from Red Octane's store.

[robothouse @ Oct 27th 2007 2:53PM]

...or you could just use normal rechargeable batteries.

[ryan @ Oct 27th 2007 2:54PM]

Took the words right out of my mouth.

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Oct 27th 2007 3:00PM]

On the 360 Play n Charge kit, you can use the controller while the batteries are charging (that is, they charge internally). I can't tell if this is the same.

That seemed worth paying for to me, but as you can read below, in the end I don't think I was right. I can get two sets of AAs for less and just swap them from time to time.

[Richard @ Oct 27th 2007 4:23PM]

No, it's not the same. You can tell from the picture that the battery needs to be placed in that little box to charge. The battery does not charge in the controller itself.

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Oct 27th 2007 6:12PM]

Richard:
I think you're right, but I'm not sure until I see it.

It appears this doesn't come with so much as a wall adapter. You have to plug it into your console to charge the battery.

$31 and you don't even get a wall adapter.

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Oct 27th 2007 2:58PM]

I bought the MS rechargeable pack. But you know what? Never again. I've got a AA charger, I'll just throw my standard AAs in my GH3 guitar.

Also, most cordless phones now use AAs after years of using proprietary packs that cost a mint to replace. Some digital cameras do too.

Oh, and Red Octane, thanks for saying UPS would get my preorder here in 1 day, when in reality it'll take 2. I guess taking that day off to receive it was a waste of time.

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 27th 2007 3:02PM]

It doesn't matter if it's good,
It only matters if it rocks...

-Tenacious D

[JohnTitor @ Oct 27th 2007 3:15PM]

ha,ha..NO

[Luigi193 @ Oct 27th 2007 3:10PM]

What about the Wii one??? That one doesn't need batteries...does it??? It uses the wiimote, so i don't know why it would...

[Alex @ Oct 27th 2007 3:30PM]

It's not listed on the compatibility page, so I'm assuming it'll use the Wiimote's batteries. Thank god for that.

[Peter @ Oct 27th 2007 3:30PM]

It doesn't need batteries.

[zerock @ Oct 27th 2007 3:31PM]

Will the new Les Paul wireless guitar for the Nintendo Wii require batteries?
No. The Wii Les Paul wireless guitar will be hooked up and powered through the Wii remote and won’t require separate batteries.

[Luigi193 @ Oct 27th 2007 4:23PM]

Thank God!!!! I already had to buy those freaking rechargeable batteries for the wiimote!!! I think the real cheep ones were nintendo... But I love the Wii...so i forgive them!

[Josh @ Oct 27th 2007 9:06PM]

I still can't stand that the Wii game/controller costs the same amount as the other systems. You're using the Wii Remote you ALREADY paid for to actually run the thing, and the games for the system historically cost less to publish with avg MSRP running around $49.99 for games instead of $59.99.

[Panchito @ Oct 27th 2007 3:26PM]

always the same

[Otsego_Undead @ Oct 27th 2007 5:09PM]

Not at all
to some extent
very much so
dont know

[RazorD @ Oct 27th 2007 3:34PM]

Does the 360 controller use the 360 standard battery pack like all the powered Microsoft accessories? - I hope so!

[Scott @ Oct 27th 2007 4:39PM]

i read somewhere that the 360 les paul won't take the standard battery packs.

like other people have mentioned, it's way more worth it to pick up a set of rechargeable AAs that you can use in the guitars, your wii remotes, and anything else that needs batteries.

[LordJohnWhorfin @ Oct 27th 2007 3:52PM]

Alternatively, you could learn to really play on a real guitar, instead of wasting your time playing air guitar with a dumb video game.

[Flyy (NDF) @ Oct 27th 2007 4:11PM]

Good god i hope that was sarcastic

[Goatee Man @ Oct 27th 2007 4:15PM]

Let's think about that for a moment, shall we? I can either:

A.) Pay thousands of dollars for a good guitar and some equipment to go with it, and spend years of my life learning to play it, even though I really have no aspirations to be a musician. Or, I can

B.) Pay a quarter of that for a plastic guitar and a game that's meant to be played for fun. There's not a heckuva lot of practice, and no, I don't think it means I can play actual guitar. But it is fun, and it gives me and my friends something to do.

It's a game, you idiot. Get over it.

[greg @ Oct 27th 2007 4:16PM]

Or you could stop posting here and we all would be happier.

So you know, no I don't want to learn how to play a real guitar, guitar hero is fine.
1.Guitar Hero has cool graphics
2.Guitar Hero rates me on how well I play the song.
3.Varies Modes of Play.
4.I can play against my friends.
A regular guitar can't do that so if you don't like guitar hero good for you but we do so you can shut up and stop posting.

[Numetheus @ Oct 27th 2007 4:20PM]

Are you serious? Thats like me saying that nobody should buy cheap airsoft guns for target practice shooting when you can always go to a gun club and spend over $1500 on an AR15, then buy magazines, rounds, and a gun club membership.

This is a freaking game. People play it for fun.

[Paul @ Oct 28th 2007 12:29AM]

Alternatively, you can learn to shoot a gun and kill people instead of wasting your time playing some stupid first-person shooter game.



Oh wait...

[Paul @ Oct 27th 2007 4:31PM]

Why would you buy a computer, pay for internet access, and electricity just to talk to other people online, when you can walk outside and talk to people for free?

[Michael @ Oct 27th 2007 5:17PM]

Im hoping that was sarcastic, but i'll just point out some flaws in that statement.

1)Its a heck of a lot of walking if say the oerson you wish to contact resides in Japan.
2)It would cost more for a plane ticket to meet with that person. Even more if you need to meet up with multiple people. One from australia, one from Japan and more from around the world.
3)The on top of that your not going to stand on a street corner unless your meeting with a mate. So you may go into a pub or cafe. Then you would need to buy drinks, food so as not to be thrown out.
4)Over a computer you dont need t0 get dressed. You can get out of bed, have the confrence. Then go back to bed.

But if you wish to go down the "free" route, stop being a hypocrite, and get rid of your computer and internet and give us all a break from your idiocy.

[kneeyogi @ Oct 27th 2007 5:41PM]

@Michael,
Paul's comment couldn't possibly have been sarcastic.

[joe @ Oct 28th 2007 1:24AM]

Because I don't like walking around outside talking to people.

[harry @ Oct 27th 2007 5:19PM]

Also what the f**k does that have to do with a battery pack. lmao

[harry @ Oct 27th 2007 5:20PM]

Damn reply button.

[steven @ Oct 27th 2007 6:51PM]

people, shouldn't we be discussing the battery packs instead of whether or not you should have the internet or if you should learn to play a really guitar or not?

I just hope tyhe batteries last long...

[jooky @ Oct 28th 2007 12:11AM]

Do note that despite the additional cost involved, these battery packs are made using lithium polymer technology unlike your typical rechargeables made of nickel metal hydride. Charges will retain far longer than NiMH and reuse them over and over again.

[Andrew @ Oct 28th 2007 3:51PM]

My Wiimote eats batteries already. How fast are they going to go when I play Guitar Hero? :(