Guitar Hero: Aerosmith won't play nice with Rock Band guitars

While the axe that comes with Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is pretty sweet, if you were hoping to just get the game and use your Rock Band guitar, you're out of luck. Despite rumors that Activision had opened its doors to the Harmonix-made Rock Band guitar controllers, early users of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith are reporting that the Xbox 360 version game isn't being so friendly after all. The sad message: "An unsupported guitar peripheral has been detected. Connect either a Guitar Hero guitar or Xbox 360 controller and press START to continue." It's like they never even knew each other.

[Tom Reinke @ Jul 1st 2008 7:16AM]

Could've seen that one coming...

At least the old guitar hero controllers work with this version of the game, I would be extremely pissed if you had to get the Areosmith guitar to play. D:

[Kurian @ Jul 1st 2008 8:41AM]

Fake.

How many gonna bet that this article gets completely delete soon.

[Justin Kohler @ Jul 1st 2008 9:53AM]

Hey, im starting to think this isn't true also. Look at the way the pink box appears on the left and right sides. Doesn't that look photoshopped?

[slackercow @ Jul 1st 2008 2:56PM]

quality blogging!

[Sean @ Jul 1st 2008 3:40PM]

No, it doesn't look photoshopped, it looks poorly programmed. A photoshopper would've tried to blend the two pieces together. A half-assed programmer (at activision) would've just had the top and bottom of the dialog overlap.

[Ray @ Jul 2nd 2008 12:42AM]

It is fake. There's a scorehero thread about it. FENDERS WORK WITH GH:A.

[Ray @ Jul 2nd 2008 1:17AM]

Guitar Hero Aerosmith is acceptant of all kinds of guitars.
SO damn acceptant that you can play the PS2 version WITH A 360 EXPLORER 0.o

[Neeko @ Jul 1st 2008 7:18AM]

Let the music game war BEGIN. Iv chosen my side have YOU?

[Hafk @ Jul 1st 2008 7:24AM]

This image has been passed around 3 times already, Xbox 360 owners confirm that Rock Band controllers DO work with Guitar Hero Aerosmith.

Come ON, 3 times already!

Wii non-support was expected, as they had no time to allow support. PS3 support, still unsure of.

But Rock Band controllers for the 360 GH:A Have been CONFIRMED.

[neofolklore @ Jul 1st 2008 8:02AM]

wow I REALLY need to upload a video I recorded from an XBOX360 XNA conference from Q2 2007

***THIS HAPPENED BEFORE ROCK BAND EVER EXISTED***

I asked "If I was to create the next guitar hero how would I complicated would it be to make and program a controller"

the answer was that all xbox360 peripherals use the same button configuritions, all the controllers are the same physically mapped to different areas.

[Matt @ Jul 1st 2008 11:54AM]

Heh, looks like you couldn't decide between two questions, neofolklore.
Anyway, they use the same button configuration, but the controllers do have some sort of identification. (See Rock Band only letting you use a guitar controller for guitar and bass). I'm not sure if there's a way for games to tell who made the controller or not.
And I'm still confused as to what is compatible with what. I remember hearing the wireless Rock Band controller doesn't work with the Guitar Hero games. This says the regular wired controller doesn't work with the Guitar Hero games:
http://www.gamespot.com/features/6183555/index.html

[Technex @ Jul 1st 2008 7:32AM]

The image even looks badly done.

[Matt @ Jul 1st 2008 8:24AM]

Yeah, wow, you can see where they cut the bubble in half and put it back together. Terrible photoshop. Oh well, now I don't have to use my busted ass GH3 controller for it!

[Azayzel @ Jul 1st 2008 7:38AM]

Yet another reason I won't be buying this game. The companies putting out games need to understand that doing things such as this does not increase sales, but merely pisses off potential & existing customers. Rock Band has these guys by the nads so bad that they had to copy them to try and compete. Got news for them though, a little too little too late.

What we really need is some enterprising 3rd-party company to come up with an attachment that will fool the system into thinking the appropriate controller is attached. That would fix 'em, greedy bastiches!

[Ethan @ Jul 1st 2008 7:46AM]

It's 'supported.' The game knows exactly what it is, so anything other than "a third-party guitar has been blocked" is a lie.

[Ethan @ Jul 1st 2008 8:37AM]

I'm still hearing both that it doesn't work and that it works. I'll wait for the dust to settle.

[WiFiSpy @ Jul 1st 2008 7:52AM]

What Rock Band owner would even buy Guitar Hero Aerosmith?

[acabtp @ Jul 1st 2008 5:43PM]

yeah, seriously. people still play guitar hero?

[Ignatius @ Jul 1st 2008 9:03AM]

After seeing all 100+ copies (both with guitar and not) collect dust at my local Circuit City... well, I doubt anyone plays it still.

[rp @ Jul 1st 2008 3:20PM]

The real question is: who the hell likes Aerosmith enough to buy a game that's 90% Aerosmith content? They already tried it with Revolution X. You'd think that Activision would remember that travesty because it really wasn't that long ago, or maybe I'm just old.

[Aeikozz @ Jul 1st 2008 4:52PM]

Amen. This is an answer i'd like to know.

[Chuck @ Jul 1st 2008 7:54AM]

@ Hafk

Yeah, you're right - it's even plainly stated in some reviews (like Gamespot's).

This article needs an update!

[Tom @ Jul 1st 2008 8:11AM]

And this comment needs a reply, and I do it by clicking the reply button! You can too!

[kneeyogi @ Jul 1st 2008 8:42AM]

I did!

[theJoKell @ Jul 1st 2008 8:12AM]

My Strat works just fine with GH:Aerosmith.

[Gingerbread Man @ Jul 1st 2008 9:28AM]

People that play Guitar Hero are the people that are married and their wives wont stand for a drum set in your living room when the whole corner is already taken up by 2 turntables and music recording hardware! Oh well...I'd rather have the real music equipment.

[Dale @ Jul 1st 2008 9:57AM]

My wife convinced me to buy Rock Band after sitting on the fence. And also suggested we buy a copy of Guitar Hero: On Tour each at the same time.

[Matt @ Jul 1st 2008 9:32AM]

played and finished the game with the rock band guitar. Not sure where the info in this post comes from....

[Alex @ Jul 1st 2008 11:45AM]

Wow Engadget, check your sources. Expected this out of CNET, but you guys?!...

[TavisJohn @ Jul 1st 2008 11:49AM]

"It's like they never even knew each other."
No it is like they know about each other, and do not want to play fair.

This sort of thing is good for their bottom line, but bad for customers.

[karl @ Jul 1st 2008 1:02PM]

it's almost like they're not the same game!!!
GASP!

[Extibal @ Jul 1st 2008 1:02PM]

Idk what Engadget is thinking like the wii usb keyboard support they wanted and is been supported on wii but they said other wise posted a few weeks ago but I have GH: Areosmith and Rockband using the wired Strat and i can confirm it works.

[Poke4Christ @ Jul 1st 2008 1:09PM]

So is this not going to get an update?

[vudean @ Jul 1st 2008 4:24PM]

yea, wheres the update?!?

[vudean @ Jul 1st 2008 4:24PM]

delete delete delete

[Doogietrouser @ Jul 1st 2008 8:11PM]

That's Crazy/Amazing!

[Phour ZwanZig @ Jul 1st 2008 11:34PM]

Huh.. wonder if there is more than 1 version.. I dont have a Rock Band guitar to use, but the box clearly states:

Only official Guitar Hero guitar controllers are compatible with Guitar Hero Xbox 360 games.

Just stating what the box says.. I just picked up the Version w/ the guitar.. Have a wired but wanted the Aerosmith Wireless..

[Phour ZwanZig @ Jul 1st 2008 11:36PM]

Huh.. wonder if there is more than 1 version.. I dont have a Rock Band guitar to use, but the box clearly states:

Only official Guitar Hero guitar controllers are compatible with Guitar Hero Xbox 360 games.

Just stating what the box says.. I just picked up the Version w/ the guitar.. Have a wired but wanted the Aerosmith Wireless..