Mad Catz jamming with Rock Band

Peripheral maker receives go-ahead to create wired and wireless guitars, drum sets, and microphones for Harmonix's rhythm game in the first half of 2008.

From the onset, Harmonix's grand vision for Rock Band involved open-platform peripherals so that fantasy fretters could ply their trade with the axe of their choice, even if said axe was created by a competitor. Those plans have since hit a major snag, with Activision refusing to support PlayStation 3 Guitar Hero III peripherals for use with MTV Games and Harmonix's rhythm game until proper compensation had been dispensed.

While that clash appears to be at a standstill, at least one peripheral maker will be hopping aboard the Rock Band bandwagon. Mad Catz announced today that it had entered into a long-term licensing agreement with MTV Games to create licensed peripherals for Rock Band in North America.

As part of the deal, Mad Catz will bring to market wired and wireless bass guitars, drum sets, and wired microphones, as well as various other accessories for Rock Band on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 2. Mad Catz expects to offer its initial lineup in the first half of 2008.

While Harmonix currently only offers its instruments as part of the $169 bundle, the developer has said that stand-alone instruments should begin appearing at retail in the first part of 2008.

104 Comments

  • woofie13

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 9:17 pm PT

    Saitek ownz!
    Madcatz has always seemed and appeared as cheaper, cheesier than the offical ps3 stuff instead of a cool alternative. But none of their stuff has ever broke on me. good news!

  • controlfreak1

    Posted Jan 9, 2008 11:36 pm PT

    About 90% of the 102 Comments make reference to the substandard products made by Mad Catz. I didn't see anyone mention that Mad Catz bought Saitek (one of the top quality PC accessory manufacturers in the world) about two months ago. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they acquired Saitek to help them produce Rock Band accessories. I guess we will all know soon enough.

  • LuvofGames1134

    Posted Jan 9, 2008 1:38 pm PT

    Mad Catz suck sooooo much everytime i buy something of there product and it breaks when i DONT EVEN TOUCH IT!!!!!YEAH THATS HAPPENED BEFORE PISSED ME OFF SOOO MUCH!!!!

  • Mush_Mouth

    Posted Jan 8, 2008 2:54 pm PT

    Well this is great news for people who enjoy the enormous amount of garbage Mad Catz makes. They call it "budget" for a reason, folks.

  • GreenC4T

    Posted Jan 8, 2008 11:32 am PT

    Sure it's good news but like others, Mad Catz peripherals don't last long before they stop working. If logitech made peripherals for Rock Band then I would be more interested.

  • bottomdollar

    Posted Jan 8, 2008 6:24 am PT

    I've always had a problem with Mad Catz accesories, so I'm not sold on the idea. I may just have to wait until latter Feb to get an official one from Rock Band when they start selling that one. Hopefully, this will encourage other third parties like Logitech and Nyko to jump into this.

  • ThickFreak

    Posted Jan 7, 2008 4:18 pm PT

    Will Rock Band ever come out for Wii?

  • jjdomo

    Posted Jan 7, 2008 1:57 pm PT

    why you can't buy a stand alone bass guitar right now for the PS3 is beyond me . . . isn't that idiotic?

  • Cablestein

    Posted Jan 7, 2008 7:50 am PT

    This is great news, we have an emerging market here for virtual music games & learning.

    Hopefully with some competition for the drums set, we'll see some better-silencing technology for the drum pads... ie mesh pads ala Roland V-drums. THEN I will get Rock Band.

    I also like this emphasis on wireless, it means all the more reason for Rock Band to appear on the Wii.

  • RyokoSparda

    Posted Jan 7, 2008 3:35 am PT

    I had a Mad Catz light gun for the Dreamcast............and I still have it, it still works fine and is an excellent gun. I spose they just don't make em like they used to.

  • cyber_sonix

    Posted Jan 6, 2008 9:45 pm PT

    logitech anyone?

  • guyguyguy1234

    Posted Jan 6, 2008 4:46 pm PT

    oh, goody. not.
    Every single piece of mad catz merchendise i have ever gotten has broken.

  • MindsEye13

    Posted Jan 6, 2008 2:10 pm PT

    Mad Catz could send me a big wooden stick and it would work better than the piece of crap guitar that broke on me 6 days in to buying Rock Band.
    They could make a better drum set out of trashcan lids for the drum kit that died ONE DAY after I bought Rock Band.

    I now own the world's most expensive karaoke game!! And I'm afraid to play it because the mic will probably explode in my face!!

    Nice peripherals, Harmonix!!

    Mad Catz, your bar is set VERY low if you want to better their peripherals!!

  • Lonnie2Hottie

    Posted Jan 6, 2008 12:08 pm PT

    Get these instruments if you wanna go Nirvana and destroy them after a good performance. Cause they are gonna break anyway.

  • ahahaG

    Posted Jan 6, 2008 11:59 am PT

    well Mad Catz doesn't make the best controllers ( bought a wireless ps3 one and it already screws up after only a month) but at least they are trying. With Activision being clouded w/ stupidity , at least we'll have some instruments to buy now .

  • Taylor9124

    Posted Jan 6, 2008 11:26 am PT

    Im buying their drums, only because MTV games and harmonix are too cheap to make the peripherals seperately. I have guitar hero 3 for my guitar needs, I have singstar(my sisters haha), and all i need are drums. Mad catz is better than nothing, i wish brands like nyko or psyclone could make them though.

  • TheKretinousQ

    Posted Jan 6, 2008 9:04 am PT

    They should get Nyko to make them. They make some quality peripherals...

  • Tentunf

    Posted Jan 6, 2008 2:41 am PT

    I had a madcatz memory card from my gamecube fail on me in September after owning it for a couple months. The RAGE I felt towards that company is absolutely indescriblable. I lost every last shred of progress in every last game cube came I owned. I have not forgiven madcatz and will sooner make my own peripherals than buy something else from them. And if activision supported the rockband patch, I would buy GH3 for the guitar and game rather than just another guitar. What is better than one great music game? How about 2 great music games?

    Rock band is a fun multiplayer experience, but GH certainly gets the nod for single player. Cant we all just get a long?

  • Fanible

    Posted Jan 6, 2008 12:55 am PT

    I have to agree with you there "FreeBallz". The included equipment isn't the greatest in the world for Rock Band. It would be quite an accomplishment for Mad Catz to release sets even worse.

  • FreeBallz

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 9:57 pm PT

    sure, mad catz sucks, but can they make it worse the offical rock band controllers? if they put the click back in the strum bar and put in the extra frets and effect switcher, it would allready be better than the stratocaster.

  • Shaymojack

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 8:47 pm PT

    I don't like Mad Catz much, but I distrust Logitech a lot more after buying a controller from them that was broken straight out of the box.

  • DominusSabathan

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 7:47 pm PT

    omg mad catz sucks , logitech would be expensive but way better , lol there's no way in hell im getting mad catz products ,for rock band

  • RoyTheViking

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 3:15 pm PT

    On the positive side, Mad Catz is making peripherals for Rock Band.

    On the negative side, Mad Catz is making peripherals for Rock Band.

  • Dmg051793

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 1:53 pm PT

    i think if logitech had made like guitar prephs. than it would be alot better cuz i trust logitech much more than mad catz. i have only bought 3 thing from mad catz before and all 3 died within like 2 months which pissed me off. i have bought 2 logitech wireless controllers and not 1 has broken and it has been 2 years. if they made rock band instruments, id be very happy

  • roonsan

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 1:42 pm PT

    best thing to do on the drum pedal thing is to design one yourself as that would be a bit tricky for a manufactor to come up with, as well as a limited market, but there should be something available for the people who are physically challenged.

  • Jon_boy110

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 12:24 pm PT

    does anyone know where I could find perhaps an alternate pedal or some sort of rig-up to have the pedal turned into perhaps another drum? The reason I ask is because my little sister likes to play drums but shes in a wheelchair with a rare muscular disorder so her leg muscles arent good enough to even use the pedal. If anyone has any suggestions or advice, please PM me or something thanks.

  • deth420

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 11:25 am PT

    yeah im with ya guys on this MADCATZ sucks! wirless is already a tricky thing i dont think they need to make it that hard for themselves.

  • DrKill09

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 9:37 am PT

    DO NOT buy MadKatz. They make horrible products! I had a few ps2 controllers of theirs, and they all broke in a week. I learned that it may be a lot more for the official controllers, but at least they won't break AFTER A FREAKIN WEEK!

    The only company that makes great controllers besides the console manufacturers is Logitech.

  • PoolShark

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 9:32 am PT

    ctg867...
    that's because Activision chooses not to support it.

  • mandude268

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 9:24 am PT

    mad catz makes really cheap stuff that usually doesn't work

  • polsci1503

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 9:07 am PT

    it would definitely be cooler if the guitar manufacturers themselves made the peripherals...

  • roonsan

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 8:56 am PT

    i agree all mad catz products i have ever bought didn't work or stand up very long. they said from the beginning that the controllers would be open source (thought ok thats a licence arguement in the works), it would be better if they let logitech in or other guitar manufactors such as ibanez or the many others that could give alot of different looks and such. id pay more for quality and reliability than some cheap mad catz product.

  • gamerguy46

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 8:00 am PT

    I have yet to have any problems with my peripherals *knock on wood*, Mad Catz has failed me in the past. I'll be keeping my current set.

  • habsfan21

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 7:00 am PT

    i second jbaird1981's comment, even if harmonix's peripherals break easily or come broken for many people

  • jbaird1981

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 2:43 am PT

    I agree with everyone else. MadCatz is in one word, a flawed product. Let's stand as one, as Rock Band fans, and buy the peripherals that work on demand, and not as crap. Who agrees??

  • ctg867

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 10:26 pm PT

    Why does GameSpot feel the need to be a complete ass to Activision to make a big deal about the GH3 no PS3 compatibility when the Rock Band guitar only works with Rock Band and nothing else on all three systems...

  • ColdfireTrilogy

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 10:12 pm PT

    MadCrapz is the true name of this creator, i cried when saitek was bought by them It was only a matter of time till their crap sticks were being made for music games though ... poor kiddies whos parents buy them these thinking they will save 10$ ... /prayer

  • GSVale

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 9:28 pm PT

    In this case, Harmonix also makes crap, crap that's already broken when you get it. At least Mad Catz crap takes a while.

  • Tick660

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 9:01 pm PT

    While periphs for Rock Band are a welcome, Mad Catz makes crap.

  • David_Kniffin

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 8:41 pm PT

    karmafreejack, I totally agree with you. I really wish Logitech would step up to the plate instead.

  • ewmgreendawg

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 8:19 pm PT

    i've had a lot of bad luck with mad catz products. hopefully they'll use this moment to reclaim their reputation.

  • Timstuff

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 7:13 pm PT

    I have no interest in buying any of Madcatz crap when I can buy a real Harmonix-branded guitar by the end of the month. These preripherals will be for stupid Christmas shopping moms and dads who want to save $10 instead of getting little Jimmy what he really wants. Rock Band is an awesome game, and the peripherals it comes with are equally awesome (assuming you weren't one of those unfortunate souls who got a broken guitar). I am perfectly happy with the official Stratocaster, and I would gladly pay $60 for a second one.

  • gdiemaster

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 6:54 pm PT

    MadCatz better step up its game or all these people who made these negative comments better spam MadCatz email or something so this doesn't become a problem just like the first RB guitars.

  • Calmed_Fury

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 6:53 pm PT

    madcatz are the worst peripheral makers out there. this is a sad day for rock band...

  • karmafreejack

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 6:37 pm PT

    I'll take this with a grain of salt until i see feedback about said periphrials. Mad Catz doesn't have the best track record. Too bad Logitech didn't get the deal.

  • thestickman

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 6:29 pm PT

    I'm interested to see how MadCatz's drum peripherals turn out... If they're anything decent I may have to pick up one.

  • hyrueprince11

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 5:24 pm PT

    mad catz might suck but at least this will make everything cheaper, in mexico rock band costs a little less than 500 dollars (5000 pesos)

  • rockstar_88

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 5:00 pm PT

    I've lost all hope in a better peripheral future.

  • Hellraiser3899

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 4:47 pm PT

    I like my peripherals being made of staples and cardboard, huzzah.

  • trdrstv

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 4:39 pm PT

    "@Too bad Mad Catz makes nothing but garbage controllers. Stay far away from this crap and stick with the Harmonix accessories if you know whats good for you.."

    Mad Catz made Microphones for the original Xbox, which worked flawlessly on Karaoke Revolution Party (a Harmonix Game) and the Xbox Micro con was a welcome departure from "The Duke" default Xbox controller. My experiance has been perfectly fine buying their gear so far.

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