DailyTech - Logitech to Make Line of Premium Guitar Hero World Tour Controllers

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Gadgets Logitech to Make Line of Premium Guitar Hero World Tour Controllers
Shane McGlaun (Blog) - August 1, 2008 12:24 PM

23 comment(s) - last by Hellfire27.. on Aug 4 at 10:04 AM

Logitech and Activision will team up for instrument controllers

Music games are very popular right now and many recording labels are finding that games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band are even better places to sell digital tracks than iTunes. Because of this fact, a few bands are releasing new tracks directly to music games rather than starting with traditional digital music stores or CD singles.

Activision Blizzard has seen the potential to make money on playable digital tracks and is considering launching a digital music store based on its Guitar Hero game that would offer both playable game tracks and digital tracks for use on MP3 players.

Rock Band is the nemesis of Guitar Hero and in May MTV announced that it had sold 10 million downloadable tracks for Rock Band from the PS3 and Xbox 360. Rock Band upstaged Guitar Hero when it first launched by adding drums and vocal capabilities to go along with the guitar play so popular from Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero is fighting back though with Guitar Hero World Tour that will add other instruments to the guitar.

Downloadable tracks aren’t the only place that music games are making profits. Third party game controllers are a big market with several controllers already available for Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Logitech and Activision are teaming up to bring premium third-party controllers from Logitech specifically for Guitar Hero World Tour.

Logitech is playing coy with details on the premium instrument controllers and declined to comment on any specifics. All Logitech will say is that it will be bringing premium controllers for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and PS2 to market for Guitar Hero World Tour.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out though that the line will include a guitar controller, microphone, and a drum kit though. Some Guitar Hero and Rock Band after market controllers work with both games, whether or not the Logitech line will be compatible with Rock Band is unknown.

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Room for all of these controllers

By isorfir on 8/1/2008 1:30:15 PM , Rating: 4

I don't know about everyone else, but it's hard to find places for all of these specalized controllers. Cost of being a geek I know, but I don't know if I can get another game that has another complete set of guitars, drums and a mic and still have a living room when I'm done.

On top of having a full set of Rockband instruments, I also have to find room for:
4 PS3 controllers,
4 PS2 controllers,
4 Wii controllers,
2 360 Controllers,
various other accessories, etc.

And now they want to to get more? This is getting out of hand.

RE: Room for all of these controllers

By bobcpg on 8/1/2008 1:45:06 PM , Rating: 2

So true. I feel like I have a Wii graveyard in my living room.

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RE: Room for all of these controllers

By therealnickdanger on 8/1/2008 2:20:22 PM , Rating: 4

That's why I wish Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony would come together and entice (force) manufacturers of similar games to meet certain compatibility templates in order to make controllers for games.

One USB guitar of ANY brand should be able to plug in and play GH1, GH2, GH3, GH4, RB, RB2, etc on any platform. Sure, it might not be as profitable, but otherwise people will eventually get sick of buying one of everything and be done with your products entirely. All they need to do is market it as a "green initiative" to avoid excess electronic waste and anyone that doesn't comply will be labeled a "tree murderer" or something...

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RE: Room for all of these controllers

By StevoLincolnite on 8/2/2008 5:34:26 AM , Rating: 2

Or Perhaps those who bought the equipment will just stick to that franchise, thus keeping loyal customers.

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RE: Room for all of these controllers

By klstay on 8/2/2008 10:57:47 AM , Rating: 3

Make sure to save some space on your forehead as well; for the 'L'etter tattoo...

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RE: Room for all of these controllers

By iFX on 8/2/2008 5:08:52 PM , Rating: 2

I just use my PC for gaming. No problem for me.

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RE: Room for all of these controllers

By Silver2k7 on 8/4/2008 1:35:28 AM , Rating: 2

But I guess your missing out on lots of good games..

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RE: Room for all of these controllers

By iFX on 8/4/2008 2:36:10 AM , Rating: 2

There are plenty of great titles on the PC to occupy my gaming time. :)

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I don't see the hype...

By Noya on 8/1/2008 9:22:34 PM , Rating: 2

...of pressing colored buttons and pretending to play guitar. One of my friends has this setup in his rec room and sure, after a few hours of drinking it can be somewhat entertaining but I can't believe people waste their time with such crap. Maybe my view is skewed since I play a real guitar?

RE: I don't see the hype...

By StevoLincolnite on 8/2/2008 6:01:18 AM , Rating: 2

I have to agree with you on that one, But it seems "Gamers" are moving to a more "Energetic and Involved" style of playing. (As exampled by the Wii controllers).

I haven't personally played/owned a Wii or any of the Guitar based games, just not interested.
Give me Halo 3 or Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare any day of the week!

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RE: I don't see the hype...

By JustTom on 8/2/2008 11:31:21 AM , Rating: 4

In the same vein do you see the attraction of pressing colored buttons and pretending to be ain interstellar space marine? Or a Ninja? Or a wizard? Most video games have you pretending to be something you are not by pressing colored buttons. Different people enjoy pretending to be different things...

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RE: I don't see the hype...

By Hellfire27 on 8/4/2008 10:04:35 AM , Rating: 2

Well put old man.

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RE: I don't see the hype...

By ceefka on 8/3/2008 8:47:49 AM , Rating: 2

And before I played guitar I pretended to do so on a tennis racket with a couple of friends. They still play tennis and might consider guitar hero. Agreed, a real guitar looks way cooler, but what can you do?

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RE: I don't see the hype...

By Silver2k7 on 8/4/2008 1:37:37 AM , Rating: 2

I guess it would be cooler if it had strings and you actually learned to play from playing this video game...

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RE: I don't see the hype...

By althaz on 8/3/2008 11:59:43 PM , Rating: 2

Whilst I agree that the game seems like something pretty lame once you get into it it actually becomes a whole ton of fun (assuming you skip the easiest difficulty level). Being a musician won't stop you from enjoying it at all - at least, it hasn't stopped me. In fact having a sense of rhythm is essential for any level of competency in Guitar Hero and the better you get the higher you can crank up the difficulty and the more enjoyable it becomes to play. Expert and Hard both are very fun to play (except One and TTF&F, because I haven't finished them, damn you!).

I mostly only play it when my mates come over now (I've had the game for about two months but initially I played it quite a bit), but we have plenty of fun doing it.

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Premium?

By oab on 8/1/2008 12:47:59 PM , Rating: 1

Right....

Just what the world needed.

RE: Premium?

By DASQ on 8/1/2008 12:52:19 PM , Rating: 2

If premium bottled water exists, I see no reason why premium game controllers can't exist.

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RE: Premium?

By CupCak3 on 8/1/2008 12:53:48 PM , Rating: 2

If the controllers last longer and have a better button "feel" then I'd pay an extra 10 bucks or so

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Red Octane

By Chil on 8/1/2008 12:58:42 PM , Rating: 1

I thought Red Octane was supposed to be "premium" in the first place, which is why Activision kept them when making Guitar Hero 3. There's no other company more experienced in making plastic guitars.

RE: Red Octane

By b534202 on 8/1/2008 1:19:34 PM , Rating: 2

I sure hope premium would mean metal.

That's what the 'premium' DDR dance pads were.

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RE: Red Octane

By porkpie on 8/2/2008 10:45:56 PM , Rating: 2

Metal with some nice wood accents- I'd certainly buy that.

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Curious Comment

By vgermax on 8/1/2008 2:03:42 PM , Rating: 2

quote:

many recording labels are finding that games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band are even better places to sell digital tracks than iTunes.

It would seem that "many" overstates the situation. A quick look at the song lists for any of the rhythm games will show a fairly strong bias toward, what is in the grand scheme of things, a fairly narrow genre(s) of music.

The fact that Metallica, Guns 'n Roses or Motley Crue have experienced greater success recently through Guitar Hero or Rock Band says more about the relative state of populatiry of their music with respect to rhythm gamers as compared to the broader population than it does to the general state of digital music sales. Buying tracks to play along with is more than a bit different from buying tracks to listen to on your iPod.

Premium might be worth it

By vgermax on 8/1/2008 2:06:44 PM , Rating: 2

Having said the above, I will say higher grade instruments would definitely help the experience. I can say the strum bar and the buttons on the Rock Band guitars definitely could use some premium treatment. I would doubt that in absolute terms the Guitar Hero instrument are that far apart in terms of quality or durability.