Hi everybody, Michael Shorrock, here. I’m the Director of Publisher Relations here at SCEA. I work closely with all of the publishers and developers who create games for all PlayStation platforms. While SCEA had a ton of great announcements at E3, I’m excited to say, we have one more for today, one that I know a lot of you have been asking about:
For the past several months, we have been working closely with Neversoft and Activision, Harmonix and Konami to ensure that PlayStation 3 guitars and drum sets will all feature a basic level of gameplay compatibility.
For the most part, this means that the titles with musical peripherals will work with the other’s software. A few specific examples include: Guitar Hero: World Tour’s guitars and drums will work with Rock Band 2 and Konami’s Rock Revolution software.
And yes, you guessed it, Rock Band 2’s guitar and drum set will work with Guitar Hero: World Tour and with Rock Revolution.
Conversely, Rock Revolution’s drum set will work with both Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Band 2.
In addition, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Band 2 will both support the SingStar microphones.
We’re still working hard to ensure compatibility between the Guitar Hero and Rock Band titles currently on the market, and we hope to have an announcement on that shortly.
Of course each of these great games have their own specific cool features that may not be compatible with the other controllers, but this is our first big step in bringing a level of compatibility to music games that is sure to benefit PlayStation 3 consumers.
Keep an eye out here for more information in the future.
nice
Wow thanks a lot. It’s not just good news in general (to me anyway) but it’s also a testament to how you (Sony) is willing to step in and take actions rather than stand by and just hope for the best.
I do wish that GH3 guitars would work with Rock Band though (and vice versa). But this is awsome nonetheless, I’m definitately looking forward to be buying one of these sets and picking up all the above games.
Thank you! My Rock Band guitar peripheral breaks often, and since I also own Guitar Hero 3, being able to use that controller would be just awesome. On top of that we can never get a full band going unless someone brings a guitar. Thanks again Michael Shorrock, and the SCEA team.
Very nice this is why I love PlayStation always working to make things better for us.
That’s GREAT news!
I didn’t expect any Rock Band/Guitar Hero compatibility peripherals combatibility on PS3. Now I can buy both the new Guitar Hero and the new Rock Band without needing to buy both instrument kits which are way overpriced in Europe.
I guess I’ll import a Rock Band 2 set in december because then the law is changed for having to pay taxes for importing stuff 22 euros it will be changed to over 180! And with the current dollar rate that will cover Rock Band 2 so now I can buy that in December and just the Guitar Hero World Tour disc without instruments and playing them both.
I don’t think Activision is going to be happy with this since they blocked earlier combatibility fixes from Harmonix but I guess that’s been settled seeing this news.
Great! Thank you!
What about Singstar?
I don’t see why this title cannot use regular USB mics in addition to the mics that come with the game.
SCEA, please follow through with this trend and let Singstar also support general music devices.
Thanks
does this include RB1 peripherals?
To Michael Shorrock:
Can you convince Lucas Arts to support trophies before or after the game’s release?
Oops… For Star Wars: The Force Unleashed BTW.
Is always good to see some love to the ps3… now maybe I will buy guitar hero now since I like more rockband
This is great news***I have been holding off on buying ROCK BAND because of this very reason.
*******but you know what would really kick a$$ is, if both RB and GH would take the songs you have on your HDD and covert them over to play directly in-game!!! now that would be sweet…*******
Its good I guess, but I think 360 also does that.
Thank you SCEA (and SCEE) – some common sense at last! You have re-affirmed my belief in you guys :-)
great news!
i applaud this action, it’s almost shocking you guys got Neversoft, Activision and Harmonix to play nice..
too bad my cousin can’t play his PS2 version of Guitar Hero on my 60 gig launch PS3…even with the emotion chip and all that, still no backwards compatibility…
still though, great news!
Awesome, so the only thing that currently doesn’t work is Rock Band with Guitar Hero right?
This is a great move in the right direction, however, it’s still VERY annoying knowing that my PS3 has Bluetooth 2.0EDR, yet I still have to plug in stupid USB dongles for every game on the market :-( Wouldn’t it be great for native PS3 support, instead of lashed up quick fixes…
That’s a good thing. And there is no reason why they shouldn’t of been this way from the start.
are there any announcements/info about wireless microphones for singstar?
Thanks, guys… I know backwards compatibility was abandoned by Sony and all, but if there’s anyway I can play Guitar Hero, GH2 and GH Rocks the 80s on my PS3, I’d appreciate that, seriously. I love Rock Band and all, but being able to bust out “Billion Dollar Babies” on my PS3 would be pretty sweet.
I want In-Game Music, like WARHAWK will do.
Even though this news sound good, but we need In-Game Music for 3rd Parties games. (ex: MGS4, GTA IV, and more).
Feel free to add me without problems.
PSN: TRIX_BOL
Spectacular news! I’ll be getting both GHWT and RB2 because of this.
G R A N D I O S O
ESTO ES GRANDIOSO YA QUE PODRAS COMPRAR UN SOLO EQUIPO DE INSTRUMENTOS Y TODOS LOS JUEGOS
QUE BIEN QUE PIENSEN EN EL CONSUMIDOR
SOLO FALTA NETWORK PARA MEXICO
ok. Thank YOU. It is about time someone tells these two warring siblings to play nice. It’s been a thorn in my side that I have two guitars (GH3/RB1) that don’t play well together. I love the games, hope for more. I will happily pay for more game discs, but no more peripherals will fit in my livingroom! I am frustrated that it took Sony so long to step in and do the right thing for its consumers.
Awesome. :D
I’m very happy. Now I wonder if my RB1 guitar/drum set will work with all games?
I got a question, i know that the Rock Band 1 instruments will work with Rock Band 2, but will the Rock Band 1 instruments (Notice the 1 after Rock Band) work with Guitar Hero World Tour?????
awesome. this should be good. no more buying 3rd party guitars or any other 3rd party piece of equipment for guitar hero and rockband.
rock revolution should be cool. i hope konami adds snake as a charicter in it
Life with playstation… still coming this year?
This is great! Now I can buy both games. Thanks so much guys!
Wow for a second I thought this was going to be an article about in game music via XMB and how they finally figured out how to force it to work in every game. What a let down. Please give us some news on WipEout HD.
Great for the music fans!I’m glad that sony is pushing with third parties with support and stuff. good on ya sony!
That is great news for those of us with finite gaming space; I can’t imagine this was an easy sell with the publishers, so you guys’ efforts are definitely appreciated. Hats off to you!
I’ve got my questions n suggestions:
1.Can you guys make a firmware update so the PS3’s GH3 Guitar will be compatible with PS2’s GH1/2/80’s on the PS3?..that would be the greatest thing you would ever do!
2.PS3’s GH3 Guitar compatible with ROCK BAND 1 (Rock band 1,not 2)..
3.Release official HDD’s above 60GB for people who wants to change their HDD bcz of lack of space^^;
4.MAKE THIS YEAR “ROCK” THE ROCK!!!!
This is a nice joint effort you guys got going. I cant imagine a house full of these music game instruments just to play a few of these different musical games.
Finally, really nice job!
I’m still playing Rock Band though, I don’t even know if I’ll get Rock Band 2 or anything else, so please try to get GH guitars to work with RB. :)
I’m thrilled to have the option to listen to my killer collection of Tool while shredding it on Skate.
-Sony Rocks-
That’s awesome. Keep up the good work guys.
What i meant to say was It’s totally rad that i can use my guitars now!
-Sony Rocks-
This is great news and definitely a step in the right direction. Way to support the PS community.
yay :D
A great move by you all. This is doing the customers a huge service. I know I didn’t have the money to make all of the peripheral purchases that I would have had to make to play all of the great games that were coming.
Will the Guitar Hero 3 guitar work with Rock Band 2? I know it doesn’t work with the original Rock Band, but I’d imagine that the Guitar Hero 3 guitar would work the same way as the Guitar Hero: World Tour guitar.
OK, like a lot of other people here, I’ve had to buy way to many guitars over the past few years. Specifically, I have 2 PS2 GH guitars, 1 GH3 guitar and 1 RB guitar for PS3. I would gladly trade in all of these if I could get a set that worked for all the games out there. So my question is this; since all the “new generation” equipment coming out this year, will any of it work with previous games? For example will a RB2 guitar work with GH3? or will the instruments for GH:WT guitar work with the 1st RB? If not then I’ll just stick with my RB set and just buy the RB2 on disc and forget about the Guitar Hero franchise. I really felt burned by Activision last year, and I really don’t want to give them anymore of my money.
Great News
Great news, but will Rock Band (1) drums & guitars work with these new games like GH: World Tour as well?
You only seem to mention new instruments being compatible: “And yes, you guessed it, Rock Band 2’s guitar and drum set will work with Guitar Hero: World Tour and with Rock Revolution.”
This is truly a shining moment for Sony customer support. You did what the game companies wouldn’t. Sony really is looking out for its customers. I have to say, I’m really impressed. Now I can enjoy most/all of those games instead of picking one. I sure wasn’t gonna have 15 guitars and drum sets lying around. Bravo, Sony, bravo.
Force Unleashed Demo this Thursday
YAYAYAYAYAYYAY!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Sony!!! You just saved me over 100 bucks! I have rock band and guitar hero 3, and i was gonna get the full rock band 2 set and world tour set. now i can trade in my rock band equipment and just buy the world tour set.
Now i just would like it if we could use the guitar hero guitars on ps3 to play the ps2 versions on guitar hero 1 + 2.
Good to hear even the Rockband 1/Guitar Hero 3 issue hasn’t been forgotten and will probably be adressed. Thanks!
now i can only buy the game of rock band thank you sony we love you……………………………
YES! YES! OMG, YES!!!