Harmonix: Activision blocking Rock Band guitar patch

Rock Band developer Harmonix is claiming that a patch designed to allow the use of PS3 Guitar Hero controllers is being blocked by Activision.

When Harmonix announced the development of Rock Band, it said it would work to allow the game to support the guitar peripheral released for Guitar Hero - the Activision-published series that Harmonix originally developed for Red Octane.

However, when Rock Band was released, PS3 owners were unable to use the Les Paul guitar controller included with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Harmonix said that it had created a software patch to solve the problem, but now that patch is being blocked.

"The compatibility patch was submitted, approved and had been scheduled for release by Sony on Tuesday, December 4," Harmonix said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, Activision objected to the release of the compatibility patch. The patch remains with Sony, but we have been told that it will unfortunately not be released due to Activision's continued objection."

Harmonix went on to say that it hoped Activision would allow the use of Rock Band controllers with Guitar Hero III, and will provide any required support in order for them to do so.

Xbox 360 owners have no such compatibility issues and are able to use their Guitar Hero III controllers with Rock Band.

Neither Activision nor Red Octane had responded to a request for comment by the time we published this story.