Part 3: The missed opportunity.

Worldwide there are millions of game players, there are millions of musicians and more importantly, there are millions of people (many of them that play games) who want to play or learn how to play something.   Given the addition of keyboards and pro modes for drums, keys, guitar and bass to Rock Band 3, here was the perfect opportunity to market to all those people, especially the people who had been playing the rhythm games and wanted something more.   Wanted something more realistic.  Hence, the advanced guitar controller, the Mad Catz Fender Mustang.

A good first step, a bunch of buttons up top and string-like things at the bottom.

Yet, in general, it's all been strangely silent in the mainstream, but perhaps that's just because it's not all ready right now.   However, there also doesn't seem to be an understanding of the possibilities.   An underestimation to gross miscalculation of the potential here.  So on to the Rock Band 3 Squier by Fender Stratocaster Guitar Controller.

Yes, it's a real guitar.   You have to wait until March 2011 though. 

Heard of it?   You might have.   Imagine what you could do with one and this game, or even better, some learning software.  Although if you want to play bass, hope you have small fingers; there are no plans for a bass version of the above.

That is correct, I did say no bass version.  Rather shortsighted, but there you have it. So you'd have to play  bass on that guitar, whenever it's generally available; scheduled for March.

MIDI or amp out, and real strings,  too.

However, since all you can do is pre-order (from Best Buy only) for the time being, let's go over to the drums again.

Currently, there are many people using e-drums/v-drums ranging in price from hundreds to thousands of dollars either directly into these games (products such as the Ion Rocker) or by another adapter into games (using custom hardware or the Guitar Hero World Tour drum set).

Still as mentioned last part, the games previous to this are limited to what they offer.  In this case for the drums, that would be on the charts for the game.  Either 4 lanes/bass drum or 5 lanes/bass drum/dual bass drum, depending on the game and the equipment.    No such alternative existed for either keyboards or stringed instruments (guitar/bass) except in a limited way through home made hobbyist equipment if at all.


So one could make the case that even before  Rock Band 3 came out, large numbers of people realized there would be a huge demand for two things that use the one thing.

1.  Existing MIDI keyboards and drum sets to the adapter.
2.  The real guitar (with sensors and MIDI) to the adapter.

That is aside and apart from the console specific drum, keyboard and guitar controllers for the game available (or not) separately.

Sadly, that large number of people doesn't appear to include apologists or the people marketing the game.   At first, the only equipment available was the game-quality stripped down console-specific game keyboard and drum set.   The same goes for the advanced guitar controller, which has also been in short supply.  The real guitar isn't out until March,  months after release of the software.

So, no, since the release of the game in October 2010, the situation has not been a smooth one.  Many players have no desire to buy yet another controller for guitar or drums, and if you had a $600 set of drums or $200 keyboard already, or planned on getting a $280 guitar for the game, you might not want to either.


Lastly, part 4 will go over the reasons and the responsible parties.