Activision: It's Harmonix's fault

The game industry's newest feud has escalated into a full-scale open argument. Earlier this week, Harmonix laid the blame squarely on Activision for the lack of compatibility between Activision's Les Paul Guitar Hero III controller for the PlayStation 3 and the recently released Rock Band. Harmonix claimed Activision had "objected" to releasing a patch that would fix the compatibility issue. But Activision has hit back, claiming that it's actually Harmonix and parent company MTV Games/Viacom that haven't come to the party.

In a press statement, Activision claims that Harmonix and MTV Games had recently "declined Activision's offer to reach an agreement that would allow the use of Guitar Hero guitar controllers with Rock Band."

"We have been and remain open to discussions with Harmonix and MTV Games/Viacom about the use of our technology in Rock Band. Unfortunately for Rock Band users, in this case Harmonix and MTV Games/Viacom are unwilling to discuss an agreement with Activision," the statement said.

"Activision's top priority is to provide consumers with a seamless marriage of best-in-class hardware and software," the statement continued. "We are focusing our efforts on innovating hardware and software that are designed to work together, work flawlessly, and provide an enjoyable gaming experience."

The statement provided no other details on exactly what sort of agreement Activision was seeking from the makers of Rock Band.