The difficulties between getting Activision and MTV Games to see eye-to-eye on the issue of compatibility between each game’s instruments has been rather well documented. The critical issue, of course, is what a fan of the genre is supposed to do with over a half-dozen plastic instruments occupying space in their homes.
Now, newcomer to the Battle of the Band-games, Konami, has their own thoughts to offer on the matter in relation to their own offering, Rock Revolution:
“Compatibility is a big issue for music games,” Konami Digital Entertainment associate producer Keith Matejka told MTV News. “Peripherals are expensive for the user and they are expensive to produce. The existing peripherals all deliver only a slightly different gameplay experience. Different teams have varying perspectives on what should be compatible with each game. I think all guitar- and drum-based games need to be compatible with each other to some level.”
But, as nice as it would be, does it matter when you reach the bottom line?
“The lack of compatibility reduces the amount of switching between ‘Guitar Hero’ and ‘Rock Band,’ ” said Pacific Crest Securities analyst Evan Wilson. “Because ‘Guitar Hero’ currently has a larger installed base, it is to its advantage if market share remains the same. Most consumers don’t want to buy duplicative hardware. So, lack of compatibility certainly isn’t a problem for Activision.”
