Pricing & Availability

One of the most important and most painful parts of buying stuff is laying down the cash for it. No, it’s not a few bucks buddy; this is the real deal! This stuff is expensive, so if you don’t have the cash, do what Aerosmith said and Dream On. But if you do, it depends on how much. Both games cost moolah, and not just pocket change.

GH3 came out first, and it’s sold everywhere. If there’s a single game store that doesn’t have it, well...there isn’t. They all have it, no matter what they say. Just demand the copy they opened and are using in the back room.

For about $100 on the PS3 and 360 or $90 on the PS2 and Wii, you get GH3 with the new Gibson Les Paul. Or, if you want, you can get the game without the guitar for $60 and $50 following the same price schematic as before. Pretty simple.

RB, on the other hand, is both hard to find and expensive. It isn’t very lenient on your wallet either. Sure the bundle with a microphone, drum set, Fender Stratocaster and game costs a total of $170, but if you don’t have all that to pony up, you’re out of luck. Unless you want to buy the game used off Ebay or Amazon, you just simply cannot buy the game by itself, or with just a microphone, just drum set, or in any way you like. There's only one bundle, so take everything or leave it.

That’s just for now though. EA plans to start selling the game and peripherals separately this year, but no official time has been given for that. Thankfully, the GH2 guitar works with both GH3 and RB so buying another one isn’t necessary when you’ve got a second/bass player, but bear in mind that the Stratocaster only works for RB and nothing else. Not including Activision and Harmonix’s problem with the PS3 RB, the GH3 controller also works for RB.

In addition to all this, RB was only for the PS3 and 360, and now also the PS2. GH3 is on those systems and the Wii, PC and Mac markets. So even if you don’t have a console right now, you can play with the absolute bare minimum.

RB isn't even out anywhere but the US and Canada right now, whereas GH3 is out just about everywhere. It isn't until March that Australia and Europe get to play it, which is shameful considering that GH3 has been out everywhere by the end of November.

Winner: Guitar Hero 3 puts the pedal to the metal while Rock Band falls short on numbers.

End of the Tour

For those of you who can count, it’s easy to see that this is a draw. Sure, Rock Band offers four instruments, a better track list and cheaper downloadable songs, but all that comes at a steep price, a lack of polish and without a promise of actually finding a copy of the game. Guitar Hero 3 is cheaper, has a better guitar and will be a huge hit among the hardcore crowd looking to play songs at their hardest. Deciding which one to pick up should be based on two things: personal preference and cash. If you like to play with more than one friend and have a posse waiting to jam out, then Rock Band is for you. But if you like mauling your guitar until your fingers bleed and don’t need anyone else except for your opponent online, then Guitar Hero 3 is for you.

Though after tedious research and time on both games, it’s clear that Rock Band certainly has the potential for greatness. Guitar Hero has already reached its limits, or is close to doing so. With a little more work on the game and instruments, an online cooperative mode and possibly a band vs. band mode, Rock Band could easily be the better game, even with the higher price. But, what's done is done, and now its time to get the amps to 11 and hit it. ROCK ON!