Guitar Hero III Wii ver. Screwup?

[The Big Zabowski]

It says stereo on the box.. ;_;

Some players of Guitar Hero III, the video game where you strum on a toy guitar to tunes played on the TV, have been emitting a different kind of squealing feedback.

It seems that for those who own a Wii gaming console, Guitar Hero III is playing music in mono, not stereo or surround sound. This despite the fact that the software package says explicitly that the game features Dolby Pro Logic sound. (The problem is not affecting the PlayStation or Xbox consoles.)

Wii players by the hundreds have spoken up about the subject, some complaining, others defending the Wii — but not so much the game’s publisher, Activision. The complaints — posted on sites like the Guitar Hero forum and Consumerist.com — go something like this:

This is a really discouraging problem for a game centered around music to have.

And

I really hope they really are looking up the problem and offer us a solution. They only have themselves to blame for the screw up.

As in any debate over a piece of technology people hold dear, the issue is bringing out Wii defenders. And there are those who argue that people complaining about sound quality while playing a toy guitar in a living room concert ought to, like, chill out, dude. Those posts go like this:

Last time I checked if you went to a concert the speakers would be mono. So it being in mono makes it realistic.

And

Quit knocking the greatest guitar game ever. Worry about hitting the right notes. If Slash promotes and plays it, it’s perfect.

For you older Wii players (the market, they say, is expanding), Slash is like Keith Richards, but the black lung probably isn’t as far along. We digress. In response to a query about the problem, Activision sent this statement:

"We recently became aware that some consumers have not been able to enjoy the full audio output in the Nintendo Wii version of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. We are currently working with Nintendo and are planning to issue an improved audio experience in future versions of the game. We expect to have re-mastered discs available by early 2008 and we will be offering consumers replacement discs at no cost once they become available. We thank all of our customers for their support and patience."

Guitar Hero III, which sold 1.3 million copies within seven days of its release, has made Activision a darling in the industry. The glitch hardly undermines its larger success. But with Rock Band, a competing product, on the market, and with the Wii becoming increasingly mainstream, Activision can’t afford to mess this one up.

Ouch. Good news is that as said in the article, people who buy the holiday release of the game will be allowed to get a free replacement disc in early 08. Lets hope they keep their word.