Hey Activision! Fuck You Too! Activision Screws Gamers!!

[hot_turkey_ed]

Those of you who own Rock Band and Guitar Hero III for PS3 are aware that the Les Paul Guitar controller won't work for Rock Band. Harmonix, the folks behind Rock Band, developed a patch and Activision is essentially blocking its release (See Google News for complete coverage ).

Activision deserves the shit storm it is receiving. A lot of people are speaking up and I'm adding my voice to the choir. I'm mad as hell and I'm going to let my little peace of the metal world know about it. Activision isn't screwing Harmonix, the developer behind Rock Band. It's screwing the fans, gamers everywhere. Everyone wins with open standards. We get better gaming experiences and the businesses behind them will make even more money.

A METALSETLISTS' FIRST, I encourage you all to withhold your Activision purchases until the matter is resolved. Contact the company

Quoting a fellow gamer at the Rock Band site:

Originally Posted by onemadbeastie

i'm boycotting activision

why the animosity all of a sudden from Activision/RO? don't they see it would be a win-win for all?

who knows, the patch might magically appear somewhere muahahahaha

when contacting try to:

Be polite
Keep the information concise and to the point
Include a brief history of the issue, if applicable
Do not accept being passed back to "Customer Services" or elsewhere within the organisation
Insist on a reply from the CEO

some point of contacts:

Activision, Inc.
DBA Vicarious Visions

mlataif@activision.com (valid) Maryanne Lataif - VP - Corporate Communications
ir@activision.com investor relations (valid)
hr@activision.com human resourses (valid)
support@activision.com(no longer works) cs7@activision.com(got back an automated response to use the support form on their website) customer support


Address: 3100 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405 Other Addresses:

Primary Phone: (310) 255-2000
Other Phone Numbers: (310) 255-2050
Connie Fox or Lauren Barry (310) 255-2509

Primary Fax: (310) 255-2152
Other Fax Numbers: (310) 255-2151

Contacts:

Robert Kotick bkotick@activision.com (valid)
CEO

Assistants to Robert Kotick
Connie Fox cfox@activision.com (valid)
Lauren Barry lbarry@activision.com(valid)


Phil Terzian
Sr. Director of Government Affairs

Rich Robinson
VP Quality Assurance/Customer Support

Dyer Ashley
Sr. Manager Corporate Communications

Gary Bolduc
Customer Service Manager

George Rose
Senior VP/Bus Affair, Gen Cnsl

Mike Hill
Customer Support Manager

*if you have trouble getting through you can also try to call after office hours and get through to the employees directory or dial the first few letters of the persons last name to be transferred to their direct line, voice mail, or assistant in charge of thier calls.

[powerslave_85]

Wait, so this only makes a difference if you want to have a second guitar player in Rock Band? Sorry, I've never played either of these games, so I don't really know how it works.

[hot_turkey_ed]

Originally Posted by powerslave_85

Wait, so this only makes a difference if you want to have a second guitar player in Rock Band? Sorry, I've never played either of these games, so I don't really know how it works.

Rock Band can have four people playing at once: vocals, guitar, bass, drums. Guitar Hero is a single player guitar shred game. There is a multiplayer component but the single player is where a lot of the action is.

Harmonix, the folks behind Rock Band, built Guitar Hero through Guitar Hero. Activision got their hands the franchise for Guitar Hero III. Harmonix has let third parties build guitar controllers for the game. People expect controllers to work like driving games and steering wheels do. In this case, Activision is apparently blocking the release of a patch that would allow their controller to work with Rock Band. They've got every right to do it. A lot of Guitar Hero players are letting them know what they can do with that right.

Both games play alike on the key points. You a select song and 'play' it by hitting 'notes' on a controller that match the rhythm of the music. Both games have guitar hero with five colored button and a strum bar.

[powerslave_85]

Originally Posted by hot_turkey_ed

In this case, Activision is apparently blocking the release of a patch that would allow their controller to work with Rock Band. They've got every right to do it. A lot of Guitar Hero players are letting them know what they can do with that right.

Well then I kind of fail to see the problem. Sucks, but hey, that's business.

[hot_turkey_ed]

Originally Posted by powerslave_85

Well then I kind of fail to see the problem. Sucks, but hey, that's business.

It's bad business, pissing off their customers and all... and a lot of us are really pissed. The flip side of that business is press like this thread. Better yet is the lashing they are receiving in the gaming media. What kind of business needs headlines like "Activision Tells Gamers 'Go Fuck Yourselves'"?

[powerslave_85]

They're probably not too worried about it, really. They're still gonna sell the shit out of Guitar Hero III during the holiday season.

[hot_turkey_ed]

Originally Posted by powerslave_85

They're probably not too worried about it, really. They're still gonna sell the shit out of Guitar Hero III during the holiday season.

You're almost defending The Man! What kind of liberal are you?

Activision has already sold the shit of out it.... part of those sales were folks buying GH III so that they would already have a second guitar for Rock Band. Activision has made millions off Rock Band.... the hypocrisy almost kills me!

[powerslave_85]

I'm not really defending them, and if I were in your situation I'd probably be angry too, but these kinds of companies just don't really give a shit about these kinds of things. If the dissent gets too loud, they'll probably just throw in a coupon or a mail-in rebate or something to get people to shut up.

[hot_turkey_ed]

Originally Posted by powerslave_85

I'm not really defending them, and if I were in your situation I'd probably be angry too, but these kinds of companies just don't really give a shit about these kinds of things. If the dissent gets too loud, they'll probably just throw in a coupon or a mail-in rebate or something to get people to shut up.

It's unfortunate. Activision had a great opportunity to be a heroes to the gaming community instead of corporate assholes.


Dedicated to Activision right now and so aptly timed...

Now Playing On iTunes Metal-Mega-Shuffle...

I Fucking Hate You
Faceless
Godsmack

[ravenheart]

So one kind of controller doesn't work? Buy a different one.