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Activision blocks GHIII guitar compatibility with Rock Band, looks like douchebag

Harmonix was all set to release a patch for Rock Band for the Playstation 3 that would have made Guitar Hero controllers compatible, but at the last minute Activision blocked Sony from releasing the patch, according to a statement from Harmonix on Joystiq.

The patch, which would have been released on Dec. 4, was approved by Sony and was all set to be released before Activisions’ guitarblock. In Harmonix’s statement, they said releasing the patch would be what’s best for the consumer, and if any other companies want to make their products compatible with Rock Band equipment they would have the full support of Harmonix and MTV.

The full statement to Joystiq:

“As we have said in the past, Harmonix and MTV Games believe in an open standard philosophy of hardware and game compatibility. We think that there should be interoperability between music instrument controllers across all music games. This is clearly in the best interest of consumers, game developers and console manufacturers and will only help to grow the music game genre as well as inspire innovation and creativity.

Two weeks ago, Harmonix created a software patch for the Sony PLAYSTATION 3 version of Rock Band that allowed for guitar compatibility and support for third party peripherals, including enabling use of Activision’s Guitar Hero III controller with Rock Band. The compatibility patch was submitted, approved and had been scheduled for release by Sony on Tuesday, December 4. Unfortunately, Activision objected to the release of the compatibility patch. The patch remains with Sony, but we have been told that it will unfortunately not be released due to Activision’s continued objection.

As is the case with the Microsoft Xbox360, we believe that Sony PLAYSTATION 3 users should be able to use the peripheral of their choice with Rock Band. We sincerely hope that Activision will reverse its decision and allow release of the compatibility patch and further, that Activision will allow Guitar Hero III to support Rock Band guitar controllers as well. We welcome all third party developers who wish to support our controllers and will provide any required support in order for them to do so.

We believe that when consumers have choice, everyone wins. Harmonix and MTV Games hope that Activision and others in the industry will also adopt this philosophy.”

Seriously, way to look like a money grubbing douchebag Activision. There’s no way to come out of this looking good except to allow the patch to be released. Of course, it would make Activision look even better if they took Harmonix’s suggestion and allowed the use of the Rock Band guitar with Guitar Hero. I can’t see how this wouldn’t be more profitable for them. I haven’t heard of anyone who prefers the Rock Band guitar to the Guitar Hero one, so they could probably sell more of their peripheral.

Also, I must praise Harmonix for their apparent interest in what’s best for the consumers. I suppose this just goes to show the different aims of developers and publishers.

Activision-Vivendi Games To Merge and Renamed Activision Blizzard

Game publishers Activision and Vivendi Games will merge their companies into one and be renamed Activision Blizzard. The result will create a company with revenues of $3.8 billion in 2007. The deal is expected to be made official in the first half of 2008. What does this say for Sierra only time will tell, but I am here to say I don’t think sierra will be around much longer.

Activision, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) and Vivendi (Paris: VIV) today announced that they have signed a definitive agreement to combine Vivendi Games, Vivendi’s interactive entertainment business — which includes Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft®, the world’s #1 multi-player online role-playing game franchise — with Activision, creating the world’s largest pure-play online and console game publisher. The new company, Activision Blizzard, is expected to have approximately $3.8 billion in pro forma combined calendar 2007 revenues and the highest operating margins of any major third-party video game publisher. On closing of the transaction, Activision will be renamed Activision Blizzard and will continue to operate as a public company traded on NASDAQ under the ticker ATVI. Activision, one of the world’s leading independent publishers of interactive entertainment, is best known for its top- selling franchises, including Guitar Hero®, Call of Duty® and the Tony Hawk series, as well as Spider-Manâ„¢, X-Menâ„¢, Shrek®, James Bondâ„¢ and TRANSFORMERSâ„¢. Blizzard Entertainment, a division of Vivendi Games, has projected calendar 2007 revenues of $1.1 billion, operating margins of over 40% and approximately $520 million of operating profit. Blizzard owns the #1 multi-player online role-playing game franchise, World of Warcraft, which currently has over 9.3 million subscribers worldwide. Blizzard’s World of Warcraft, Warcraft®, StarCraft® and Diablo® games account for four of the top-five best-selling PC game titles of all time. Vivendi Games also owns popular franchises, including Crash Bandicootâ„¢ and Spyroâ„¢. Pro forma for calendar 2007, Activision Blizzard expects to generate approximately 70% of its revenues from owned franchises. As a result of the business combination, Activision Blizzard expects to have the most diversified and broadest portfolio of interactive entertainment assets in its industry, positioning the combined company to capitalize on the continued worldwide growth in interactive entertainment.

Jean-Bernard Lévy, Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer of Vivendi stated: “This alliance is a major strategic step for Vivendi and is another illustration of our drive to extend our presence in the entertainment sector. By combining Vivendi’s games business with Activision, we are creating a worldwide leader in a high-growth industry. We are excited about the opportunities for Activision Blizzard as a broader entertainment software platform. We believe this transaction will create significant value for Activision Blizzard and Vivendi stockholders. In Activision, we have found a partner with a highly complementary business and strong operating team. Bobby Kotick and Brian Kelly are industry pioneers, well known for creating shareholder value. The combined strength of the existing management teams at both companies will set the stage for further profitable growth of Activision Blizzard. We look forward to being an active and supportive majority stockholder in a company that is poised to lead the worldwide interactive entertainment industry in the years ahead.”

René Penisson, Member of the Management Board of Vivendi and current Chairman of Vivendi Games, added: “We are very confident that by combining forces, Activision Blizzard will set the highest standards in quality, reputation and profitability, and will bring together the best creative teams in the industry. The combination of this unique product portfolio with highly professional employees gives us great confidence in the growth prospects for Activision Blizzard.”

Said Robert Kotick, Activision’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer: “This is an outstanding transaction for Activision and our stockholders, as well as a pivotal event in the continuing transformation of the interactive entertainment industry. By combining leaders in mass-market entertainment and subscription-based online games, Activision Blizzard will be the only publisher with leading market positions across all categories of the rapidly growing interactive entertainment software industry and reach the broadest possible audiences. By joining forces with Vivendi Games, we will become the immediate leader in the highly profitable online games business and gain a large footprint in the rapidly growing Asian markets, including China and Korea, while maintaining our leading operating performance across North America and Europe. Activision stockholders will benefit from significantly increased earnings power and the recurring nature and predictability of subscription-based revenues, while also having the opportunity, if they choose, to receive $27.50 per share for a portion of their shares in the post-closing tender offer.”

Kotick continued: “Vivendi Games provides Activision with unique strategic and financial benefits and will allow us to leverage our franchises into emerging online opportunities as Blizzard has done so successfully. Activision has been very focused on margin expansion, and this transaction will meaningfully increase our overall operating margins as we expand our franchises online and in new geographies. Diversifying our revenue base among subscription-based online, console and PC formats, as well as wireless and casual emerging opportunities, gives us the broadest platform to capitalize on industry growth. With Blizzard’s successful franchises, such as World of Warcraft, StarCraft and an exciting pipeline of yet-to-be announced titles, Vivendi Games’ and Blizzard’s management team will join with Activision’s strong and experienced leaders to become an even more powerful force for innovation in online and offline interactive entertainment across a wide range of platforms. This transaction also provides a unique relationship with Universal Music Group – the world’s largest music company – which will benefit Guitar Hero and further extend our sizable leadership position in music-based games.”

Mike Morhaime, President and Chief Executive Officer of Blizzard, added: “Blizzard’s industry-leading PC games business, with a track record of nine consecutive bestsellers and a global subscriber base of more than 9.3 million World of Warcraft players, is an exceptional fit for Activision’s highly profitable console games business. From our interactions with the Activision team, it is clear we have much in common in terms of our approaches to game development and publishing. Above all, we are looking forward to continue creating great games for Blizzard gamers around the world, and we believe this new partnership will help us to do that even better than before.”

The Romantics Sue Activision Over Guitar Hero Cover Song

Billboard is reporting that members of the real rock band ‘The Romantics’ have filed a lawsuit against Activision, RedOctane and Harmonix over the “Guitar Hero Encore, Rocks the 80’s” videogame, which uses a version the band’s “What I Like About You” recorded by musicians that the band claims sound too much like them.

The song was performed for Guitar Hero by the band Wavegroup Sound. However, The Romantics claim the cover version is “virtually indistinguishable from the authentic version” and as a result would cause consumers to believe that the version was recorded by the original group. (ummm DUH we consumers are really stupid)

Just admit it ‘Wavegroup Sound’ can play the song better than you, now get over it. Next time Activision needs a cover band that does not sound “too good” they can contact me here at OLGn. Because none of the songs I play sound anything like the original ones.

Dont Buy COD4 From Steam If you Live in Europe

It seems that if you want to buy Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on Steam and live in the USA it will cost you $49.95, but in Europe that price is $69.95. It’s also worth noting that users from Europe are also charged tax on top of their Steam purchase, bringing the price even higher. Valve has stated that “Pricing on Steam is set by the publisher.” which means it’s time to contact Activision and ask them why.

Guitar Hero III Generates $115 Million In First Week

Activision announces that the release of Guitar Hero III has generated over $115 million in revenue in the game’s first week in stores, making it the fastest selling game in Activision’s history. Specific unit sales for each version have not been revealed. This month, Xbox 360 and PS3 owners of the game will get three downloadable song packs for Guitar Hero III, each pack featuring three songs.

Activision, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI) announced today that consumer sell through for Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock™ exceeded $115 million within seven days of the game’s North American release, making it the largest single product launch in the company’s history. The game was released on October 28, 2007, and will launch in Europe on November 23, 2007.

The Guitar Hero franchise has remained the #1 best-selling franchise in the U.S. through September, according to the NPD Group. The franchise has sold more than six million units worldwide to date, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack and Gfk.

Only the Facts: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare For The DS

Publisher: Activision Publishing, Inc.
Developer: n-Space
Release Date: Fall 2007
Platform: Nintendo DS
Suggested Retail Price: TBD
ESRB Rating: TBD

The signature Call of Duty chaos of battle is coming to Nintendo DS for the first time in a modern day first-person action experience packed with intense sights, sounds and gameplay. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the Nintendo DS delivers an arsenal of modern weaponry, arming gamers with precision controls and touch screen capabilities for battle across the world’s most dangerous hotspots. In an unfolding story that parallels the epic, high-octane PC and next generation console Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the Nintendo DS title enlists players as U.S. and coalition forces against a rogue enemy, where the action rages from land to the skies in all-out combat that threatens the world.

KEY FEATURES:

• Nintendo DS Touch Screen and Stylus – Intuitive stylus-based movement controls allows unique ways to construct explosive devices, disarm traps, and perform hand-to-hand combat.

• Diversity of Gameplay – Delivering a variety of combat, the title takes players from the soldier to the satellite with multiple scenarios. Gamers will experience mobilization as they fast-rope from tactical helicopters, engage hostile forces from an aerial gunship, and experience the ferocity of building to building fighting.

• Instant Action – Featuring the signature Call of Duty epic combat and intensity, the Nintendo DS title delivers an Instant Action mode allowing players to quickly access previously completed missions.

• Multiplayer Support – Leveraging wireless local area network (WLAN) for ad-hoc connectivity, up to four players quickly ease into the visceral action of modern warfare combat.

Nintendo Now Top Dog In Publishing

Game Developer magazine, published by Game Developer Conference organizers the CMP Game Group, has given Nintendo the highest honors in its annual Top 20 Publishers report. The last five years EA has held this honor and this year Nintendo takes it over Previous top publisher Electronic Arts is now ranked second, followed by Activision, Ubisoft, and THQ.

Game Developer decides the winner “by considering number of releases by SKU, average review scores, and estimated publisher revenue from August 2006 to July 2007.” Also this year they also added the publishers “reputations by polling more than 300 individuals from within the industry” to decide the winner.

“As we can see from the new rankings, the rise of casual gaming, coupled with these new reputational elements, has contributed markedly to ranking shifts,” said Game Developer editorial director Simon Carless. “We’re eager to see how these industry changes affect the report in subsequent years.”

A complete listing of this year’s Top 20 Publishers is available in the October 2007 edition of Game Developer Magazine.

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe In Stores Now

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe hits Retail Stores Nationwide.

It’s time to experience the ultimate fighting team as Spider-Man unites with popular super-heroes and powerful super-villains from the movie trilogy and beyond in Spider-Man: Friend or Foe from Activision, Inc.. Throughout the game’s original story and thrilling battles, players are challenged to defeat and then join forces with notorious movie foes including Doc Ock, Green Goblin, Venom and Sandman, as well as others from the classic Spider-Man family of characters, and embark on a global quest to overcome an evil threat.

“Inspired by both the Spider-Man film trilogy and the classic Spider-Man comics, Spider-Man: Friend for Foe is a unique take on the most successful Super Hero franchise of all time,” said Rob Kostich, vice president, global brand management, Activision, Inc. “For the first time ever in a Spider-Man game, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe features a unique co-op mode in which a friend can join the game at any time and take control of Spider-Man’s sidekick as they battle side-by-side and replay favorite levels.”

As the Spider-Man: Friend or Foe experience unravels, Spider-Man and his sidekicks unlock a variety of arenas and secret areas containing special tokens which allow players to revisit previously explored levels at any time as well as fortify their cache of collectables and power upgrades. Gamers can also replay levels as Spider-Man’s darker, more mysterious persona, Black-Suited Spider-Man, and experience a robust Versus mode, with multiple arenas, where players match up any two characters and battle it out to see who wins.

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is available now for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the Wii home video game system from Nintendo for a suggested retail price of $49.99, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and PSP (PlayStation Portable) system for $39.99, the Nintendo DS for $29.99 and the PC for $19.99. The game is rated “E10+”

Activision Buys Bizarre

Activision has announced the acquisition of developer Bizarre Creations the creator of the widely acclaimed Project Gotham Racing Series. Up till now Activision has lacked in the racing genre which is a 1.4 billion dollar market. While Bizarre is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision, no changes were made to projects currently in development by Bizarre Creations.

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Has Gone Gold

id Software and Activision, Inc. announced today that Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars for Windows PC has gone gold and will be available in retail outlets in Europe and Australia on September 28, 2007 and on North American store shelves beginning October 2, 2007. Developed by Splash Damage, the prequel to the futuristic wars in the QUAKE II storyline pits the armies of Earth’s Global Defense Force (GDF) against the invading alien Strogg in the multiplayer action shooter that transports players to the front lines in the battle for Earth.

“After months of testing, tweaking and balancing Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars, I’m pleased to finally be able to say ‘It’s Done!’” said id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead. “We’ve had a ton of fun getting the game ready for the masses and I’m looking forward to seeing the massive battle for the top of the online leaderboards begin!”

To date, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars has won more than 15 awards and has been heralded as one of the most anticipated new titles in 2007 by nearly a dozen publications.

“The opportunity to develop Enemy Territory QUAKE Wars has been mind-blowingly cool!” said Splash Damage Owner and Creative Director Paul Wedgwood. “The passion and effort put in by our team at Splash Damage, combined with the amazing direction and mentoring we’ve received from id Software has led to an award-winning game that we’re incredibly proud of. Our team can’t wait to join fans across the globe to fight in Earth’s battle for survival!”

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars for Windows PC is rated “T” by the ESRB and carries a suggested retail price of $49.99 for the regular edition and $59.99 for the Limited Collector’s Edition.

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